I tried using a weighted jump rope for 30 days and it’s my new favorite way to work out

Jump rope is an underrated form of exercise. It always gives me such an energy boost—it’s also a really fun way to get fitter, boost coordination and learn new skills.

Yes, it’s annoying when the rope whacks your ankle, but that happens less and less with practice.

I’d already spent a month skipping with a regular rope when I came across CrossRope's weighted rope, which comes with ¼lb, ½lb, 1lb and 2lb options. You simply unclick the handles and attach the weighted rope you want for your workout.

I decided to try it for 30 days—here's what I discovered.

It intensifies your workout

Regular jump rope is classed as aerobic exercise, but weighted jump rope pushes your body to train anaerobically, which challenges your cardio fitness and increases calorie burn.

I definitely noticed my heart rate shoot up when I worked out with the weighted rope, and I was out of breath and sweating—a sign my body was working hard.

I enjoyed the challenge, although the ankle whipping in the early days was not fun. But by the end of the month, my stamina had improved and I was able to jump for longer.

It improved my upper body strength

You might think jumping rope is just a leg workout, but if you use a heavy rope, it strengthens the upper body too. By the end of the 30 days, I had more definition in my arms and shoulders, and swinging the rope felt easier.

It counts your jumps so you can track your progress

When I did a ‘100 skips a day challenge’ for Breast Cancer UK, I had to count in my head until I hit my target, which was kind of annoying.

But CrossRope does the hard work for you, using wireless tech in the AMP handles to track jump count per minute.

If you sign up for membership to the CrossRope app, you can also join a leader board and compete against other skippers.

I found that this motivated me to pick up the rope more often and try to increase my speed and how long I jumped for.

It keeps workouts interesting

The app gives you access to over 2,500 jump rope workouts, as well as bodyweight, dumbbell and kettlebell exercises (some of these are restricted to full membership only).

I found the beginner tutorials really helpful, including how to do tricks like the ski jump. I’ve not mastered any of the more advanced tricks but it was fun learning new skills and I appreciated having helpful videos to follow.