Skip your way to total fitness
Want to burn more calories than going for a jog? Try skipping, says Stephen Heard.
Skipping is not at all like I remember it...
The basics
It’s the straightforward act of jumping over a rope. A long-serving leisure activity in playgrounds and form of endurance conditioning in boxing gyms, skipping has officially broken through in the mainstream fitness world as a valuable method of cardiovascular exercise. While the foundation movement is simply hopping up and down off the ground, there are all kinds of variations possible.
Giving it a bash
When selecting a skipping rope the trick is to stand in the centre and line up the hand grips with your armpits. If you don’t have access to a shorter rope, knots can be tied on either sides near the grips to make it the correct length.
Your hands should start at waist height before flinging the rope using your wrists over your head. The idea is that you’ll then jump over the rope as it approaches your feet, repeating the process several times.
For my skipping session I would be trying a 30-minute workout, combining standard jumping and hopping drills and the criss-cross schoolyard version for old times’ sake. The basic jumping motion came naturally; I managed to find a rhythm from the noise of rope slapping against the ground.
There were a few restarts after failing
By the end, I was my own pathetic hopping pool of sweat. It proved to be a very good workout, not at all like the childhood version.
to clear the rope but I eventually achieved five minutes of consecutive skipping without stopping. It was exhausting. Also disheartening – it was only the warm-up and I still had another 25 minutes of exercise to go.
From there it was 30-second blasts of side-to-side jumps, running on the spot, high-knee jumps and single hops on each foot, with a minute of rest between rounds. The stops were frequent, for breathing and rope tangles. The calf muscle pain was scorching. A key piece of advice is to make sure that you’re not standing on the rope before starting. I discovered this the hard way as one hard plastic grip came loose from my palm and flew in the direction of my head. By the end, I was my own pathetic hopping pool of sweat. It proved to be a very good workout, not at all like the childhood version.
Why you should try it
Skipping is an incredibly accessible activity that you can manage almost anywhere. Ropes can be bought from your average sporting store for next to nothing and are far more convenient to store and transport than the spin bike gathering dust in your garage.
Performing drills can help increase endurance and stamina, improve coordination and burn calories, even more than running. For these reasons it is regularly called one of the best total body workouts.
Risk rating
It’s best avoided for those with joint issues, particularly anything to do with the legs and back. Those with heart problems should also avoid high intensity training. I experienced light muscle fatigue for a few days after.