Skipping: The complete workout
May 1, 2008 by Liz Harper
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Image by Peter PKL via FlickrAre you sick of jogging?… well and truly over power walking through your neighborhood?
Well at Liz Harper Fitness we’re always searching for new and exciting ways to exercise, and we’ve come across something that most of us used to do everyday when we were kids, but for one reason or another we don’t do anymore.
Skipping.
Don’t worry, I’m not talking about the rope skipping Rocky perfected in all 6 of his movies, The kind if you’re like me you’ve tried a million times to perfect in the privacy of your own garage but keep tripping up and landing on your…well…you know.
I’m talking about the kind of skipping we did when we were kids.
Now before you roll your eyes and think I’ve totally lost the plot, jump up out of your chair and quickly skip down the hallway….
Yes…you can sing as well:)
Did you feel that in your thighs? Skipping is a total body workout baby….you’ll feel it in your butt, calves and legs. You’ll also notice that your abs contract and your arms seem to be waving all over the place….this is a good thing..don’t worry…the more exaggerated your arms the better the workout your shoulders and lower back get.
I’ve seen my wife Liz use a form of skipping when she trains her personal training clients…except in her variation she gets her clients to add a high knee lift.
The other thing I like about skipping (and it’s what got me thinking about this post in the first place) is that.. Skipping is fun.
I was watching our 4 year old daughter Olivia skipping down our hallway the other night and she was smiling from ear to ear.
When was the last time you saw a jogger smiling?
So why not add a little skipping into your day. 5 minutes everyday adds up to 25 minutes a week of a full body workout….give it a go…what have you got to lose?
Weight!
Some skipping workouts for you:
Skipping workout!
Incredible Leg Day with Mr. Boxer
The Boxer’s Jump Rope Workout
Skipping is a great way to change your state quickly, besides being a fun way to get yourself moving. I don’t see myself making it a workout but it would be a good way to get myself ramped up to get on the treadmill when I’m hanging back.
JoLynn from The Fit Shack’s last blog post..Shrink Yourself Emotional Eating Experiment - Week Nine
@JoLynn this is Kel writing for Liz……Thanks for your comment……you can implement skipping into a neat little cardio circuit that’ll burn fat like there’s no tomorrow…..
Place 2 markers 20 feet apart and try something like this for 8-10 minutes before you hit the treadmill:
Jog down to the cone and jog backwards to the starting cone x 5
Skip with high knee down to the cone and lunge back to the starting cone x 5
Side to side skip one way to the end cone then side to side skip the other way x5
Sprint to the end cone and skip with high knee lift back to the end cone x5
You get the idea….
Try it and see how that lifts your cardio sessions…
have fun - Kel