The Skipping Workout You Can Do In 15 Minutes
20th Mar 20
Skipping is one of the most effective exercises you can possibly do for your cardiovascular system and burning calories. Very few activities can match the effects it has on your body in such little time, and it’s important to make sure that you’re making the most of it. Doing that just needs you to have the right skipping workout at your disposal, and that’s where we come in.
This is also a great time to say it’s not all just calorie burning and cardio either. It’s great for your lower legs, too, as well as your stamina and fitness levels. It will likely give you muscle definition that you didn’t even know you were missing! As you perfect your technique, your legs will become more and more adjusted as your jumps become lower, letting you really hit your calves the most, but the whole process is a big lower-body hitter.
Want to move fast? Jump to the right section below.
The Workout
So, the workout itself is reasonably basic. It may take a while to perfect, but you’ll immediately see the benefits it has to offer. Even if you can’t manage to finish the workout, your progress will build up quickly, so don’t give up or feel bad.
The good news is this; it will take you under 15 minutes in total. That makes it one of the most efficient cardio workouts we have to offer while still training the lower leg muscles! (Just make sure you take 30 seconds breaks between exercises).
Standard Skipping (1 minute)
To get started, we’ll go with the skipping classic, which is standard skipping. It allows you to get to grips with the motion and be able to work at your own speed. It’s also more than likely something you’re already able to do, so it’s a great way to ease you into the workout and get the blood pumping!
The standard skip is essentially just jumping the rope with both feet simultaneously, rather than doing anything extra with the rope or having to use single-leg jumps in any pattern. Skip as much as you can for 60 seconds.
Single-Leg Skipping (1 minute)
The single-leg jump is pretty self-explanatory. It’s basically just the standard jump but on one leg. You won’t be able to match the speed of the standard skip, but you’ll see the benefit regardless. On top of that, you’ll be using more muscles to balance yourself and have to generate more power from each leg doing twice the work. It’s quite a win-win.
Because of the timing of the workout, it works best for you to skip as fast as you can for 30 seconds on one leg and then 30 seconds on the next. This makes the most of your time and gives you a balanced workout. You should use your strongest leg/leading foot last!
Side Swings (1 minute)
This is where things get slightly more complicated, but you’ll soon master the art. Although it uses less time skipping, the key reason for including it is that it recruits your upper body and your core as well as your legs. That way, you’re getting a whole-body benefit rather than prioritising your legs for the whole skipping workout, and that’s an amazing thing to do.
The difference between this and the moves before it is that this time, as you complete every two skips, you stop and swing the rope to either side of you to create a figure of 8 type pattern around your body before going back into your skip. This sounds a lot more difficult than it actually is and will probably give your legs a good break. Use your time wisely!
Alternating Legs (1 minute)
The alternating skip is just a cross between the standard and the single-leg skip. It’s designed to really push you to the edge and has the potential to be the hardest part of the workout, but this, of course, is what makes it worthwhile.
To do it, you need to perform a combination of the standard skip, skipping on your left leg, and then immediately on your right, then back to the standard. Keep this up for the full minute, and you’ll feel the burn in no time.
High Knee Skipping (1 minute)
Lastly, we have a really hard hitter. High knee skipping is again what it sounds like. It’s the highest intensity move in the workout, but you’ll see the most cardio and fat loss benefits from it, so make sure you still give it your all if you want the best results. It will get easier the more you do it!
It’s essentially one leg skipping but raising each knee as high as you can when you perform the exercise. It’s taxing, but it’s worth it and will get your heart rate up in no time!
Repeat
Once you’ve finished the five moves for the first time, you need to repeat with the same amount of time for each and the same 30-second rest times between each one to make sure you can keep going. One of the best things about workouts like this is that you can skip at your own pace as long as you’re still trying your best.
Before beginning any exercise or nutrition program, consult your physician, doctor or other professional. This is especially important for individuals over the age of 35 or persons with pre-existing health problems. Exercise.co.uk assumes no responsibility for personal injury or property damage sustained using our advice.
If you experience dizziness, nausea, chest pain, or any other abnormal symptoms, stop the workout at once and consult a physician or doctor immediately.
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