Does skipping rope hurt your knees?

Rope skipping for weight loss does not require much investment and everyone can do it in their free time after work, so it is a necessary exercise for weight loss. However, many people say that skipping rope for exercise and weight loss also requires a good sense of "degree", and it should be done step by step and within one's ability. Otherwise, excessive exercise can easily lead to injury. So, does skipping rope cause damage to the knees? Now let’s answer this question that everyone is concerned about recently.

Currently, jogging, rope skipping, stair climbing and other exercise methods that are popular among white-collar workers to lose weight can easily cause knee joint injuries if done excessively. Generally speaking, the normal range of body mass index (weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) is between 18.5 and 24.99. If the index exceeds the standard by 20%, strenuous exercises such as skipping rope and climbing stairs are not recommended. Even if your weight is not overweight, you should not exercise intensively on the first day. Instead, you should increase the amount gradually and warm up thoroughly before exercising.

How to skip rope without hurting your knee joints

1. Don’t jump on concrete

If the venue for skipping rope is not chosen well, it is easy to cause damage to the knee joint. The most suitable venue for skipping rope is a lawn, wooden floor, mud floor or PU sports field with moderate hardness. Do not skip rope on hard cement, hard tile or marble floors.

2. Pay attention to coordination and avoid sprains

When jumping rope, you should relax your muscles and joints, and coordinate the force of your toes and heels to prevent sprains. It is best for overweight people and middle-aged women to jump with both feet at the same time. Don't jump too high to avoid injuring your joints from excessive weight.

3. Wear high-top shoes with high elasticity

When skipping rope, you should wear high-top shoes that are soft, light and elastic to avoid ankle injuries. Clothes should be loose and light.

4. It is best for beginners to use hard ropes

The rope should be soft, hard and of moderate thickness. Beginners usually use hard ropes, and can switch to soft ropes after becoming proficient.

Myth 1: Rope skipping is the most harmful exercise for the knees

Response: Running and jumping can indeed cause some damage to the knees, especially for the elderly.

According to statistics, the load on the knees is almost zero when a person lies down, 1 to 2 times the body weight when standing up and walking, 3 to 4 times when going downhill or going up and down stairs, 4 times when running, 6 times when playing ball and doing layups, and 8 times when squatting and kneeling. Lu Yifan, a professor at the Department of Sports Medicine at Beijing Sport University, pointed out that running, jumping and throwing sports, including rope skipping, are indeed more likely to injure the knees, especially for middle-aged and elderly people whose balance is reduced and whose muscles are weak, which makes them more likely to suffer sports injuries. Therefore, it is best for the elderly to choose sports that put less load on the knee joints, such as swimming, walking, and cycling. Moderate rope skipping can exercise your knees, but overloading can cause knee injuries and accelerate the wear and aging of knee cartilage.

It should be pointed out here that people who are too fat should not jump rope. When jumping, the weight will cause great pressure on the leg joints, which may cause injuries. You can choose a more moderate way to lose weight. Many people like to jump rope in the morning. In fact, the best time to jump rope is from 7 to 8 o'clock in the evening. It is a waste of time in the morning.