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Ah, the nostalgic joy of skipping ropes. In the midst of a cost of living crisis, finding affordable and effective ways to stay fit and healthy has become more important than ever. So if you find yourself hitting pause on that ClassPass membership, perhaps it’s time to invest in a skipping rope?

A skipping rope – also known as a jump rope – is a seriously budget-friendly fitness accessory that can provide a wide range of cardiovascular, muscular, and mental health benefits. Cheap and cheerful, skipping ropes may be simple but they’re also highly effective – and you can skip virtually anywhere (your garden, the gym, on holiday…) Convenient, cost-effective and versatile? Tick tick tick.

I started skipping this year: here's what it taught me

No matter what at-home gym equipment I invest in – I recently bought kettlebells, dumbbells, and resistance bands – I couldn't quite shake the feeling that smashing a morning workout and then sitting sedentary all day wasn't doing me any favours.

I WFH in my living room, on a desk that's definitely designed for eating and not working, on chairs that, albeit very purse-friendly when we first bought them in Ikea, definitely aren't ergonomically designed (slap on the wrist for me for still not buying the best desk chair yet). It's all well and good committing to gym classes now that they're back up and running but, it's easy to sway my attention elsewhere or make up an excuse not to go. I need only receive a "fancy a drink?" text to persuade me that getting my steps in for the day doesn't matter.

I'm a sucker for a challenge though – did someone say sub 3.30 marathon? – so I knew the best way to get moving more was to set myself a target.

Owning the best skipping rope is what made me so determined. I saw an ad for a snazzy pink jump rope pop up on one of my social media channels and for some unknown reason, I was sold. Once a toy used in schoolyards at break time, now a cheap and cheerful way to keep your cardio fitness on point from the comfort of my own home (sorry, neighbours).

It was really purse-friendly – compared to the hundreds I forked out for a rowing machine, anyway – space-efficient for my flat and also kind of fun. I hadn't used a skipping rope in years, so in my mind, I had visions of it being like my baking attempts way back during one of the many lockdowns. Fun and freeing and full of laughs. (Reality: I will never be a chef).

I set myself the aim of two to three skips a day, and was convinced it was the answer to all my problems. No steps that day and 4pm already? Skip time. 10 minutes in between calls and backache from slumping over a desk all day? Living room skip it is.

What are the benefits of using a skipping rope?

As with any cardio activity, there are plenty. Think: perks like improved cardiovascular endurance (it gets your heart rate up) and ankle stability, which doesn't sound all that sexy but enhancing your hand-eye coordination and footwork is so important for staving off injuries when running or doing high-intensity workouts, like HIIT. It also engages multiple muscle groups – including the arms, shoulders, core, and legs – so skipping can help to improve muscular strength and endurance in these areas. And it’s great for burning calories – the average person will hit around 10 to 16 per minute when skipping. Not bad.

How we tested the best skipping ropes:

My main aim was to make sure I was breaking up the eight (to ten) hours at my desk a little more. So, I really took the meaning of skipping anywhere figuratively. I managed around two skips a day, either in my living room or on my balcony if I got scared I was making too much noise for the neighbours.

My verdict? Fun, harder than you'd think, and actually a great way of quickly getting your heart rate up. Making activity throughout the day a regular occurrence suddenly didn't seem daunting, or like I needed to take at least a twenty-minute break to walk around the block. A quick stretch and grab of my rope and I was getting my steps up and my heart pumping.

Worth noting here – I'm doing a lot of other training at current too (n.b. the aforementioned marathon), so I can't single-handedly thank the skipping rope for transforming my fitness. But it was a fun, enjoyable, and stress-free way of adding quick exercise breaks into my daily routine. It didn't feel like exercise at all.

Looking to skip your way to success? Here 11 of the best skipping ropes available to buy now.

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