Skipping (Jump Rope)

Skipping is cheap, portable and hard work: a few minutes with a rope gets your heart rate up fast. Boxers use it to build footwork and fitness, and all you need is a rope and a little space.

Getting started

• Size the rope: stand on the middle, and the handles should reach your armpits.
• Start with 30 seconds of skipping and 30 seconds of rest, for five to ten minutes.
• Jump just high enough to clear the rope, a couple of centimetres off the floor.
• Skip on a mat, a wooden floor or rubber. Concrete is hard on your shins.

Benefits

It works your calves hardest, with your quads, shoulders and forearms helping, and it sharpens your timing and footwork.

It packs a lot of work into a short session, and the rope fits in a bag.

Tips

• Turn the rope with your wrists, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
• Land softly on the balls of your feet.
• Keep your eyes forward and your body upright.

Variations

• Easier: practise the rhythm without a rope, or step over it instead of jumping.
• Harder: alternate feet as if jogging, add high knees, or try double-unders, where the rope passes twice under each jump.