Skipping Exercises
What are skipping exercises?
Skipping exercises, or jump rope exercises, are a type of cardio exercise that involves repeatedly jumping over a skipping rope. There are multiple types of skipping rope exercises which from simple to advanced, making it suitable for all fitness levels.
Adding skipping into your workouts has multiple benefits including:
Improves cardiovascular fitness: Skipping is a cardio exercise that works the heart, lungs, and circulatory system to improve cardiovascular endurance and overall fitness.
Full body workout: Skipping engages the legs, core, and arms and gets the whole body moving.
High calorie burn: As a full body cardio exercise, skipping burns a lot of calories in a short space of time and can help with weight management.
Improves coordination: Skipping involves coordination of the upper and lower body and can help with overall coordination and control.
Builds power and speed: Skipping is a plyometric exercise that builds power, strength, and agility.
Strengthens bones and tendons: Due to its high impact nature, skipping can help to improve bone density and strengthen the joints.
Accessibility: It's a low cost exercise that can be done almost anywhere.
Commonly Asked Questions About Skipping Exercises
Skipping is a great way to burn calories which can help with losing fat, including belly fat, by helping to create a calorie deficit. For fat loss, it’s recommended to create a calorie deficit through diet and use exercise to help increase overall calories burned.
Skipping can be an excellent HIIT exercise when performed at a high intensity, paired with low intensity or rest periods. However, it can be performed as a form of steady state cardo too.
The benefits of skipping include: improved cardio endurance and overall fitness, burning calories in a short space of time, and working the entire body to improve speed, power, and coordination.
Skipping Tips
- Start with a simple skipping variation, such as single unders, to learn the rhythm and coordination needed for this exercise.
- Start at a moderate pace and perfect the technique and rhythm before increasing your skipping speed.
- Keep your core engaged and knees soft when skipping to protect the back and joints.
- Begin with adding short periods of skipping into your routine and build this up over time as your body adjusts.
Skipping Variations
Single unders are a basic skipping exercise that are perfect for beginners who want to learn coordination and technique while burning calories and improving fitness.
High knee skips combine skipping and high knees to improve agility and lower body strength.
Double unders are a more advanced skipping exercise where rope passes under twice per jump, intensifying cardio fitness.
Crossovers are a criss-cross jump rope variation which involve crossing the rope in front of you to challenge coordination and timing.
Skipping exercise swinging rope to the side to work the obliques and outer hip muscles.
If you’re not sure whether a work out is suitable for you, please consult your doctor before you start it. If you're unsure of how to perform any of the above exercises, please ask help from a PT at your gym.