Overview
The length of time you spend jumping rope daily depends on your goals. If you want to lose weight or build cardiovascular endurance, you should jump in a particular fashion for a certain amount of time. This will be different from how much you should jump to build calf strength or maintain basic physical fitness.
Jump Rope Basics
Children play dozens of jump rope games that improve coordination, build cardiovascular endurance and simply pass the time. For effective adult exercise, the basic jump is best. Stand on the balls of your feet and spin the rope over your head and under your body. According to Health Status, a 175-pound person burns about 400 calories in 30 minutes of jumping rope.
Weight Loss
If you want to jump rope to lose weight, length of time will depend on how many pounds you want to drop. Find out how many calories you burn in 30 minutes of jumping rope -- you'll burn more if you're heavier. Divide 3,500 --- the number of calories in a pound -- by that number to find out how much rope you need to jump to lose 1 pound. Work out your training schedule using those numbers, and take into account other weight-loss efforts like a low-calorie diet.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Jumping rope will directly increase your heart rate and help improve your cardiovascular health. According to personal trainer Bill Phillips, 30 to 40 minutes of moderate cardio per day will help improve your general cardiovascular conditioning. If you're training for a specific sporting event -- such as a boxing match -- you should jump rope to help you meet the cardio requirements of that event. For example, training for a nine-minute boxing match would require at least a nine-minute session of vigorous rope jumping.
Maintenance
Dr. Mehmet Oz, author of "You: The Owner's Manual," recommends 20 minutes per day of moderate cardio to maintain proper health. Jumping rope is as effective choice. If your primary goal is maintaining your current level of conditioning, you should jump rope for about 20 minutes a day.
Impact
Jumping up and down can be hard on the ankles, knees, hips and feet, especially if you're overweight. If any of those joints begin to hurt, you should stop jumping rope and consult your doctor. Muscle soreness is all right and to be expected, but joint pain may indicate that your rope-jumping workout is hurting your body.
