Skip, Don’t Run
Table of contents:
-The Muscles Skipping Focuses On
-Positives
-Negatives
-What Type of Skipping Rope Should You Get
-The Length You Should Have Your Skipping Rope
Get skipping. It’s the best cardio you can do. It’s the most efficient cardio you can do. And unless you walk on the moon it’s probably the most fun cardio you can do. I’ve done skipping long enough to understand the positives and negatives. It’s actually a lot easier to learn than you think.
The Muscles Skipping Focuses On
Skipping works your arms, legs and abs.
The specific muscles skipping focuses on are:
-Calves
-Quadriceps. These are located on the front of your thigh.
-Hamstrings. These are located on the back of the thigh.
-Glutes
-Abdominals
-Deltoids. These are located in the shoulder.
-Biceps. These are located in the front of the upper arm.
-Triceps. These are located in the back of the upper arm.
-Forearms
Positives
-You don’t need to travel anywhere when skipping. You can do it in your garden or drive.
-A 10 minute skipping session is the equivalent to a 30 minute run. That means a 20 minute skipping session is like a 60 minute run. When I found this out I was astonished.
-It improves your cardiovascular endurance. This means you can exercise and do activities for a longer duration without becoming breathless. Even simple activities like hoovering.
-It can help improve your posture as it works your core and lower back.
-It will improve your balance and coordination. Skipping requires your arms, legs and brain to coordinate all at the same time whilst maintaining balance so you don’t mess up. But like I said earlier, skipping isn’t as hard as you think.
-Weight loss. Skipping is a great way to lose weight. In just 10 minutes of skipping you lose 100 calories. That’s 10 calories per minute. And this doesn’t have to be constant. You just can’t give up when you mess up, you get back to it straight away.
-Muscle strength. As mentioned before skipping targets a lot of muscles so your muscle strength will be improved and it can even help with age related muscle loss. So if you still want good muscle in your 50’s, you need to get skipping.
-It even has mental health benefits. Skipping is fun and enjoyable so it will take your mind off daily problems and reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Literally, to skip depression, skip a rope.
-Reaction time. This links to coordination but skipping will greatly improve your reaction time. That is why boxers skip a lot.
Negatives
-Injury risks. Skipping involves A LOT of jumping. This can put stress on your knees, ankles and hips. To avoid this you need to do the proper technique and have good form. -It’s also useful to go on soft surfaces like grass or mats and wear the comfiest shoes that reduce as much shock as possible. Use what’s best for you but I recommend the Nike Air 270s. I’ve found these are the best and comfiest shoes I’ve used for skipping and I’ve had no problems with them.
-Overuse injuries. Skipping can lead to overuse injuries if done too much. These can be shin splints, plantar fasciitis, this is pain at the bottom of your foot around your heel and arch and tendonitis, this is when your tendon swells up. You should skip between 10 to 20 mins per day.
-Unsuitable for certain individuals. If you have heart problems or joint problems then skipping should be avoided. The best thing to do is stick to walking.
-This is a personal one which is your skipping rope hitting you on your head. The best way to avoid this is to not cut your rope too short when first starting and wear a hat or hood to cover your head just in case.
What Type of Skipping Rope Should You Get
Mainly you want a skipping rope with:
-Adjustability. The quicker and more precise your rope can adjust the better.
-Comfortable grips. If the handles are uncomfortable then you will not be able to skip as long or as easily.
-Lightweight if you are a beginner
-A strong material. It will cost a bit more but it’s better to have one skipping rope that lasts compared to ones that break every few weeks or months. I recommend leather or wire ropes.
Overall it depends on your personal preference but keep these factors in mind to make your skipping experience even better.
The Length You Should Have Your Skipping Rope
The length of your skipping rope will depend on your experience and height. A beginner will have a longer rope whilst a more experienced skipper will have a shorter rope. Learn the basics of skipping with a longer rope then when you start to get used to it shorten the skipping rope. If you don’t you will make the mistake I did and mess up your technique.
Here are the steps to determine the correct length:
-Step on the middle of the rope with both feet and holding the handles at your side
-Pull your rope up to your armpits keeping your rope taut.
-The handles should reach just below your armpits at your chest.
-Adjust accordingly if not
-If you are a beginner, give yourself an extra bit of length to make things easier at first. If you are more experienced, then you make it a little shorter for a faster rotation.
