Weight, time and how hard you go
The burn comes from three things: your body weight, how long you jump, and the intensity, captured as a MET value. Moderate skipping is about 11 METs, meaning you burn eleven times the energy you would at rest. A rough rule: a 70 kg person burns about 100 calories every 10 minutes at a moderate pace.
Intensity moves the number a lot
Same body, same 30 minutes — the pace alone swings the total by hundreds of calories. Figures are for a 70 kg person.
Double-unders burn roughly 60% more than a slow, steady pace over the same half hour — but they take weeks to learn and tire you out fast.
Calories in 10 minutes, by weight and pace
| Weight | Slow | Moderate | Fast | Double-unders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 72 | 96 | 108 | 122 |
| 70 kg | 101 | 134 | 151 | 171 |
| 90 kg | 129 | 172 | 194 | 219 |
| 110 kg | 158 | 210 | 237 | 268 |
All values in calories. Multiply by three for a 30-minute session, or scale by your own weight — the number rises in direct proportion.
What the estimate does not tell you
- MET figures are averages. Real burn depends on fitness, technique and how much you rest between sets, so treat the total as a ballpark, not a precise reading.
- You rarely jump non-stop. Most sessions are intervals with rests. If you paused for a third of the time, trim the estimate accordingly.
- Double-unders are advanced. They carry the highest MET but need practice, and the higher pace loads the knees and ankles — jump on a soft surface and warm up first.
Common questions
How many calories does 30 minutes of jumping rope burn?
A 70 kg (154 lb) person at a moderate pace burns roughly 385 calories in 30 minutes. Heavier people burn proportionally more, lighter people less.
Does jumping rope burn more than running?
Per minute, yes. Moderate skipping is about 11 METs versus around 8 for a slow jog, so you burn close to a third more calories in the same time. Running fast eventually overtakes it.
Does my weight change how many calories I burn?
Yes, directly. The calorie figure scales with body weight, so a 100 kg person burns about 43% more than a 70 kg person doing the exact same workout.
