How this instrument works
Jump rope is one of the highest MET-value activities in the Compendium relative to how little space and equipment it needs — general jump rope is rated at 11.0 MET, on par with a fast run, because the constant small jumps demand continuous, whole-body effort with essentially no rest built in the way there is between weight-lifting sets or running strides.
This calculator distinguishes two styles: general jump rope (11.0 MET, code 02068), covering typical freestyle skipping at a self-paced rhythm, and jump-rope machine work at roughly 120 jumps per minute (9.0 MET, code 02069), a fixed-cadence machine variant that comes in lower than general jumping. That's a real, measured difference: the mechanical machine's consistent, moderate cadence tends to be less taxing than the variable, often faster rhythm people naturally settle into with a free rope.
The formula is the standard MET calculation: kcal = MET x body weight in kilograms x duration in hours. Jump rope's high MET value means even short sessions add up quickly, which is part of why boxers and time-crunched exercisers favor it — but it's also a high-impact activity on the ankles, knees, and shins, so building up duration gradually and jumping on a forgiving surface matters more here than for lower-impact cardio.
- Select general jump rope for freestyle skipping, or the machine option for a fixed roughly 120 jumps/minute cadence.
- Enter your body weight in kilograms.
- Enter your total jump-rope duration in minutes.
- Read the estimated calories burned in kcal for that session.
- For interval-style sessions with rest between rounds, use your total elapsed time including rest for a more realistic estimate.
Worked example — general jump rope, 70 kg, 30 minutes
A 70 kg exerciser doing 30 minutes of general freestyle jump rope (11.0 MET, Compendium code 02068): 11.0 x 70 x 0.5 = 385 kcal for that session — more than an hour of moderate cycling packed into half the time.
Compare a shorter 15-minute session on a jump-rope machine at its steady roughly 120 jumps/minute cadence for an 80 kg person: 9.0 x 80 x 0.25 = 180 kcal — lower per minute than freestyle jumping, since the machine's fixed pace tends to be gentler than the rhythm most people fall into with a free rope.
Questions
Why does the jump-rope machine burn fewer calories than a regular rope?
It's a measured difference in the Compendium, not a guess: general freestyle jump rope is rated at 11.0 MET versus 9.0 MET for a machine at roughly 120 jumps per minute. Free skipping tends to settle into a faster, more variable rhythm than a machine's fixed steady cadence, and that higher variability and pace is what pushes the measured energy cost up.
How many calories does 10 minutes of jump rope burn?
At general jump rope intensity (11.0 MET) for a 70 kg person, 10 minutes works out to 11.0 x 70 x (10/60), about 128.3 kcal. That's roughly on par with 15-20 minutes of moderate cycling or a 15-minute vigorous run for the same body weight — jump rope's high MET value means short sessions still add up fast.
Is jump rope higher-impact than running?
Per jump, yes — you're absorbing your body weight's landing force on both feet roughly as often as with running, but with less forward travel to spread that impact out over. It's a reasonable idea to build up jump-rope duration gradually, use a surface with some give, and pay attention to ankle, knee, and shin discomfort, the same way you would when increasing running mileage.
Does the length or weight of my jump rope change the calorie estimate?
Not directly — the Compendium's MET values reflect typical jump-rope activity broadly, not a specific rope weight or length. A heavier weighted rope will genuinely increase effort somewhat, but there's no separate Compendium code for it, so general jump rope (11.0 MET) remains the closest match; treat the estimate as slightly conservative if you're using a notably heavy rope.
Should I count rest between rounds in my duration?
For interval-style sessions — say, 3 minutes skipping followed by 1 minute rest, repeated — use your total elapsed time including the rest periods, similar to how the HIIT/Tabata option on this site's burpee calculator handles work-rest cycles. That gives a more realistic estimate than counting only the active jumping minutes.