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My top tip: Skip to Get Fit! Can be done anywhere, anytime, is cheap and you can burn 70-110kcal in 10 min!
You might think I am joking, but did you know how effective skipping really is? I used to skip for years when we lived in sunny Sydney, then we moved to London and I stopped. No idea why!
Maybe as it is a very intense kind of exercise and it does take a while to build it up.
After finishing the Swimathon 2015, I have been back to running and really feel like I need to do something else too. Then we were clearing our garage and I came across my old skipping rope.
(It’s actually not that old, I bought it at TKMaxx a few years back and sadly used it only a few times.)
I had a good look at it, and decided that my challenge will be to get back into skipping, and hopefully by my 40th birthday this June I will be confident enough to skip for a few minutes without feeling sick and actually enjoying it.
Why to skip?
- You can burn up to 110 calories in 10 mins, depending on your pace and body weight
- It works out your muscles (abdomen area, arms, shoulders, legs, and butt)
- Regular skipping can give you a great cardio work-out and lead to toned muscles
- Can greatly improve your hand-eye coordination, agility and balance over time.
- It may reduce the risk of developing brittle bones or osteoporosis because it develops a strong foundation for your bones
A guide for beginners:
1. Buy a skipping rope
2. Adjust your skipping rope by holding the handle and stepping on the rope ( the handle should reach your armpits)
3. Make sure you choose a spacious area to skip, mind the ceiling too!
4. Wear comfortable trainers
5. Stretch
6. Start skipping (not higher than an inch off the ground)
7. Develop a rhythm between skipping and swinging the rope
8. Build stamina over time
#FitnessTuesday
As with any linky, please follow the simple rules below, and I am very excited about reading all your fitness & health posts.
1. Link up your fitness & health posts (up to 3, new or old), and comment on this post
2. Add my badge or place a link back to Fitness4Mamas.com
3. Read and comment on other blog posts.
4. If you promote your link on Twitter, don’t forget to add #FitnessTuesday @Fitness4Mamas so I can RT and promote your link too!
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Do you know, I used to love skipping and completely forgot how good it is for you! Just look at how fit boxers are and how much skipping they do! Thanks for the inspiration, guess what i’m off to buy now….;-) xxx
Ooh skipping is so hard! I didn’t know it was so great for calorie burn though, I need to get to it more!! So sorry to be late to the party, I’ve linked up my final weight loss post after my 6 week body transformation and off to read everyone else’s posts now 🙂 xxx
Lovely to see you linking up your great body transformation! Off to read your post!
Fab post and great idea! I love skipping but also not done it for a while! I must get myself another rope. Thanks for hosting again xx
Please do, and let me know how you get on! Thanks for linking!
I never really think about skipping when I think about getting fit and am amazed at the amount of calories it burns…I think I’ll give it a go though as I have zero coordination skills I’m sure I’ll end up on the floor in a heap 😉 x
It’s all about practice and not giving up lovely. You should have seen me when I went back to skipping!
Now here’s the thing – I’ll try most sports, I’ll swim, bike and run quite happily. I’ll scuba dive even. But after my two children skipping has it’s *ahem* own problems! Great post though honey and you’ve encouraged me to give it a go 🙂
I know what you mean! I was a bit scared for that reason too, but guess what? It helps you think about doing pelvic floor exercises too, and helps to strengthen them!
I like the idea of skipping, but it will take me a while to work up to anything that high intensity.
I agree, it will not happen overnight, and you need to persevere, but so worth it!
Skipping is perfect – cheap, portable and easy to start and stop. Perfect for busy mums 🙂 Thanks for hosting x
I know, sadly many people think it’s just for kids! Thanks for joining again!
Oooo, yes, what good idea! I might get a long rope and get my beginners running group doing some of the games we used to play at school! Always looking for fun things to try to show them keeping fit is all about laughing! Thanks for the inspiration.
That sounds amazing, shame you are not close to me, would join you for some fun too. Thanks for linking again!
Do you know, I love skipping and this has inspired me to start again! Thanks for having me link gorgeous x
Cannot wait to skip with you in August! Would be a fab photo of us too x
Thank you for hosting and allowing me to link up! I should really start skipping – I do have a rope, I just look at it and close the drawer again to forget about it!
Start skipping, will be great for your 5km training ;-0)
You can’t beat a bit of skipping! Even though my kids are all grown up now and I haven’t actually got a rope nowadays – I’m going to invest in one now! It’s true about keeping core strong too. Glad you wrote this and reminded me of what a fab workout skipping can be! I’ve linked up to #FitnessTuesday and am really looking forward to reading more motivational fitness posts! Thank you. xx
So pleased I have inspired you to go back to skipping, and thank you for linking! Hope to see you back next week!
Skipping is an incredible calorie burner – no wonder active kids stay fit and healthy!
Great post Mirka, and I’ve linked up a review of an online yoga studio, plus a competition to win a year’s membership!
xx
Thanks for joining in lovely, so right about kids and skipping 🙂 off to enter the competition now xxx
Goodness I haven’t skipped for probably about 25 years!! But I’ve always been in awe when I see people doing it so fast and with such rhythm, maybe I could take it up. I bet it’s great for core strengthening x
Absolutely! It takes time to build it up, but so worth it and you can do anytime and anywhere, no need to go to the gym!