When you’re in a hurry to reduce belly fat and you’re considering the best exercise options, it wouldn’t surprise me if skipping came to mind. Which begs the question, does skipping reduce belly fat?
Yes, skipping does reduce belly fat and is one of the best, low-impact exercises that burn a ton of calories in a relatively short amount of time. To be more specific, skipping reduces fat from the entire body and is suitable for most people who cannot afford to work out at a gym.
I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis that affected the joints in my knees. It was an extremely painful and debilitating condition to deal with and I couldn’t do cross-fit exercises anymore. This left me feeling depressed because exercising was a huge part of my daily routine.
Expectedly, I gained some weight after my diagnosis because I needed a few months to recuperate.
When I got back into exercising, I had a bit of a gut. Okay, I’m underplaying it. I had a significantly sized belly and I wanted to get rid of it as fast as possible.
But, I didn’t know what exercises were suitable for my body. I knew that running does reduce belly fat but I wasn’t prepared for it at that point. So, I decided to research skipping and was convinced by what I found.
Within a few weeks, I lost quite a bit of fat and slimmed down a pants size. I didn’t diet like a crazy person so most of my results were attributed to skipping.
With that being said, let’s dive deeper into this article on does skipping reduce belly fat.
Related post: Does skipping reduce arm fat?
How to reduce belly fat by skipping
So, in order to burn belly fat, you need to burn more calories than you consume. That is the basic formula for weight loss.
The average pound of fat or weight can be converted to approximately 3500 calories.
Every single day, your body requires a standard amount of calories to maintain your current physique.
Put simply, your body needs a set number of calories to be consumed in order to function and maintain itself. But, it also burns that amount of calories per day as well. So, if you chose to eat less or exercise, you can be in a caloric deficit at the end of each day which will result in weight loss.
Skipping has been shown to be one of the most calorie burning exercises known to man.
In fact, a study conducted by Harvard University measured the number of calories burnt in 30 minutes from different exercises and these were the numbers reported from those who jumped rope.
- 125 pound person – 300 calories
- 155 pound person – 372 calories
- 185 pound person – 444 calories
Clearly, the heavier you are, the more calories are expended during exercise. Secondly, from just 30 minutes of skipping per day, you can burn a pound of fat in just over a week for all 3 sized individuals.
Evidently, skipping is extremely effective for weight loss. If you can bump that number up to an hour, you’ll be burning between 600 – 900 calories per day. That’s a pound of fat loss in under a week.
Effort influences the number of calories you burn so by incorporating high-intensity interval training, you can burn even more calories than our estimates above.
Use this calculator to generate an estimation of how many calories you burned during a workout.
How long does it take to reduce belly fat?
To lose a pound of fat, you need to burn an additional 3500 calories by skipping.
You can do this by burning 500 calories per day for a week straight. Do this for long enough and you’ll lose a significant amount of fat.
The problem is that you can’t accurately estimate the exact amount of fat you need to lose to reduce your belly size.
There are calculators and tools that may help you determine your body fat percentage but it’s not an exact science.
Personally, I don’t obsess over the numbers. I judge my progress based on how I look in the mirror rather than any number on the scale.
When I lost 40+ pounds and achieved a completely flat torso that looked athletic, it took me about 6 months of regular exercise.
I skipped 5 times per week, sometimes more. At first, it was to lose fat but then it became a habit that I thoroughly enjoyed.
So, exercising daily was not much of a problem for me. But, I had to be realistic. After the first month, I was not skinny. I expected to be but that’s not how the body works.
Your body cannot spot reduce fat. No matter how many sit-ups you do, it won’t result in a flat belly until your body is able to target that specific fat. That’s something your genetics will dictate.
It sucks because my body tends to hold onto fat around my waist more so than any other part in my body.
By month 3 of consistent workouts, my face, chest, arms and legs were amazing but I still had some fat around my waist.
There are ways to speed this up but that would require burning way more than 500 calories per day. You could work out for longer and burn more calories or you could restrict your calories on top of exercising.
Whether or not that is sustainable is up for debate.
Aim to burn a pound of fat per week by exercising for atleast 30 – 60 minutes per day by skipping.
Check out this skipping workout video. It’s fun, challenging and a great way to burn calories at home.
In Conclusion
If you can be consistent and incorporate skipping into your daily routine, I’m more than certain that you will reduce belly fat.
As you improve, skipping becomes easier which often means you need to change things up by learning new moves and going at full speed at various intervals.
I must emphasize the importance of diet because you can never outwork a bad diet. You will not burn belly fat by skipping if you exceed your daily caloric limit with unhealthy food. It just won’t happen. This is why so many people get frustrated and quit.
Try to find healthier alternatives for your favorite foods and reduce your consumption of sugar-laden processed food. Wholefoods are much more nutritious and satiating without being all that high in calories.
With that being said, I hope you enjoyed this article on does skipping reduce belly fat. Feel free to leave your questions in the comment section below.