Beginners guide to skipping

Skipping is quite possibly the easiest and most cost affective training drill you could add to your routine.

What you will learn about skipping with a jump rope:

• How to get started.
• Skipping rope exercises
• Jump rope intensity - an extra skip in your skipping.
• Martial arts and skipping
• Skipping and jump rope tricks
• Jump rope videos

Skipping with a jump rope is one of the cheapest and easiest exercises you can add to your training program. It is an all body cardiovascular workout that hits the calves, glutes and arms in particular. Skipping can achieve a "burn rate" of approximately 1300 calories per hour or about 0.1 calories consumed per jump. 10 minutes of jumping rope is roughly the equivalent of running 8 miles a minute. 15-20 minutes of jumping rope is enough to burn off the entire amount of calories from a candy/chocolate bar. Jumping rope is safer than running or jogging as you have two legs absorbing the impact of each landing, this can save you from common sports injuries such as knee damage often caused by running as only one leg takes the impact.

How to get started

The great thing about skipping is that the only thing you need is a jump rope and a pair of trainers or sneakers.

• Ideally you will use a leather jump rope, but a plastic rope is fine - even the rope from a washing line will do the job.
• Wear good comfortable shoes - no sandals or boots.
• Make sure that the jump rope is the right length - You can measure by standing on the middle of the jump rope and bringing both ends up until each end meets your arm pits.
• Try to bounce as light as possible on the balls of your feet, keeping your feet together and legs relaxed.

Skipping rope exercises

There are probably more skipping exercises using a jump rope than you know. Here is a list of some beginner exercises for a hard cardiovascular jump rope workout.

1. Lay the rope on the floor in a straight line. With both feet together jump over the rope forward and then back. This is one rep.
2. Walking, running and jogging - if you have enough space to perform this try skipping on the move at any pace that suits you.
3. Basic jump - Jump up and down keeping both feet closely together.
4. Windmill - By turning the rope with your wrist, hold each end of the rope close together and swing the rope directly in front of you in a circle.
5. The Cross - Jump in the air and cross your arms in front of you, keep turning the rope and jump it again. You need to bring your arms back to the starting position.
6. Side swing - Hold your rope with both hands and swing the rope in a circle to the side, making sure you hit the floor. Jump through the rope as normal and swing the rope to the opposite side.

Jump rope intensity - an extra skip in your skipping

Try skipping to different tempo's of music and use a variety of foot combinations, this will help increase your agility, rhythm and balance. Doing numerous hops on alternative feet and jumps with both feet together makes a great varied workout.

Martial arts and skipping

Skipping is an extremely popular part of martial art training and can be found in boxing, kick boxing and kung fu. It helps build agility and speed on the feet. Which is vitally important when moving in for a strike or avoiding an attack quickly and efficiently. The legendary Bruce Lee, the founder of Jeet Kune Do advised people to skip in order to improve their footwork.

Skipping & Jump rope tricks

Once you have mastered the basic skipping rope exercises you can begin to challenge yourself with jump rope tricks. Jump rope or skipping rope tricks are difficult to master but can add a huge amount of intensity to your training that the ordinary exercise.

In order to avoid injuries it is recommended to skip in suitable footwear such as trainers and sneakers. Avoid using an electric jump rope as these are no good. Skipping is an upper body exercise as well as lower so the electric jump rope will only hinder your fitness workout.

Jump rope videos - All the inspiration you need to get started.

If ever you were in need of some inspiration to get skipping we have some amazing jump rope videos here. Now is the time to get your "I can do that" mode on, work hard and achieve some of these jump rope tricks.