Some of the easiest things also benefit you. For example, skipping being the easiest physical activity, it can benefit you. Skipping is the best as you can do it anywhere with less or no tools.
Skipping was a play for us in childhood and it is surprising to know that it is beneficial for health and fitness. You can practice the same skipping now. Before that, you may want to know the benefits and the techniques.
Here is a little more to know about skipping which tells how skipping is beneficial for you. When you choose skipping as your physical activity, you can check out the additional information. There are also few details that let you practice it in the right way and gain what you desire.
Benefits of rope skipping
To experience the benefits of skipping, you can practice it daily. The regular and right skipping can benefit with the below mentioned-
1. Improves heart rate
If you know cardio is the best for heart health, then you must also know that skipping is the best cardio. When you practice skipping it impacts your whole cardiovascular frame which includes veins and arteries. The veins and arteries are responsible for improving the blood circulation and oxygen between the heart and other body organs. While your skipping session, it increases the capacity of heart and organs as well. It helps in better breathing when the stamina is increased.
2. Tones muscle
You must know the crucial benefit of skipping that- it tones your leg muscles and also lower body.
When there is no proper movement in your legs, it leads to pain. So, you need the movement in your legs to avoid pain. Skipping puts enough pressure on legs and relieves from pain in legs and also prevents pain as well.
3. Healthy skin
Exercising is a way to improve even skin health. You sweat out and release all the toxins in body. Your skin becomes healthy when the toxins are flushed out. If you find working out in gym is tough, then you can go for skipping to sweat out enough per day.
Skipping also improves blood flow which improves your skin complexion and texture. It provides nutrients to your skin meanwhile removing the toxins from your body.
You will see a difference in your skin after practicing skipping.
4. Helps in weight loss
Weight loss is another benefit of skipping rope. This is a kind of exercise where, you will be able to lose more calories in short time. A person with average weight can lose more than 10 calories a minute.
It is more effective exercise than running and jogging as you come on to your toes that too without hurting your knees.You can choose skipping over running and walking to lose weight. To achieve the weight loss goals, you must rope skipping for 30 minute continuously. This is a difficult task to do but it is possible with practice.
We don’t suggest to do skipping for 30 minutes in initial stages. As a beginner, start with very few minutes and keep extending the duration over the days of practice.
5. Consumes less time
If you want to focus on your fitness, then you can choose skipping as it is less time consuming. A high intensity skipping session is equal to a 30 minutes run. You will be able to get the same benefits of running.
You can also do skipping even in your garden or indoors of your house. You need to go to gym or use any heavy or expensive equipment to practice skipping.
6. Equal to full body workout
Skipping is an exercise that involves your whole body in movement. Jumping and lading involves your whole body. It uses your abdominal muscles As you will raise and move your arms, it also strengthens your arms and hand muscles. To rotate the rope, you also use your shoulders which also strengthens the shoulders. You still don’t think it is a full body workout?
7. Improves bone strength
Skipping rope can increase the bone density.When the bone tissue is reduced, it makes your bones weaker. To avoid the loss of bone tissue, you can just go for skipping to increase bone density.
If you are already affected with bone weakness (Osteoporosis)- then you can do moderate intensity skipping.
8. Enhances body balance and flexibility
When you are doing skipping right, it increases flexibility of your body. As you will land on your toe with every rotation, your body balance also increases. As you will gain more stamina with skipping, body balance and flexibility are easy to achieve.
9. Improves mental health
The reason for your mental illness and dullness can be lack of physical activities. So, you can do the easy skipping exercise to take off the dullness. A skipping session in the morning can kick off all the dullness from your body. You will become more active and alert after practicing skipping.
It is also believed that skipping helps in releasing the endrophins which is a hormone that eases depression.
How to do skipping for weight loss?
Skipping is an exercise that let you achieve weight loss for sure. But it again depends in your diet, activity level, duration and commitment. If you are skipping at high intensity level, then you can expect to see the weight loss. It is not just continuously jumping with the rope. From here, know how to do skipping at high intensity level.
1.Start with warm up.
2.Keep your feet together and hold the skipping rope two ends with two hands.
3.Keep hands closer to your body.
4.Start skipping and continue for 30 seconds non stop
5.Then rest for 60 seconds.
6.Do it for another 30 seconds and rest.
7.You need to repeat this for 9 times to complete one set.
6 Skipping Exercises- With Variations
Like you have variations in other exercises, you also have variations in skipping. The variations are simple and equally beneficial like basic skipping. Here are some of the variations to practice rope skipping.
1. Regular skipping
Most of us are familiar with regular skipping. Although, you can check the steps to do the regular skipping in right way.
Steps to do
1.Keep your feet together holding the rope closer to your body.
2.Now start skipping where your feet is 3-4 inches away from the floor.
3.Let your back be straight and don’t look down to your feet.
4.You can keep skipping for 30-60 seconds as a beginner.
5.Take rest and start again.
2. Single leg skipping
Single leg skipping is with a simple variation. This type of skipping increases your body flexibility. You will also be able to gain the body balance.
Here, you don’t need to skip the rope with two legs. You need to skip with one leg and switch the legs to complete a set. The steps will give a better idea to practice it.
Steps to do
1.Hold the rope in your hand keeping it closer to your body.
2.Keep your feet together.
3.Rotate the rope over your head and while getting it back, skip your right leg keeping your left leg down on the floor.
4.Keep repeat following the same steps for 7-9 times.
5.Relax for few seconds and then switch the legs.
3. Hop skipping
Hop skipping can increase the body balance as you are hopping.
You will have to balance your whole body weight on one leg for a few seconds which is a practice to increase body balance.
Steps to do
1.Keep your feet together and hold the rope in hands closer to your body.
2.Raise your right leg up a few inches away from ground.
3.Keep your left leg on the floor and start skipping holding hop pose.
4.Skip the rope for 5 time in the same pose.
5.Relax for 5 seconds and repeat switching legs.
4. Cross side skipping
When you bored doing the regular skipping, you can try this variation.You are making more flexible movements with this style of skipping. It is simple and fun too just like a play.
Steps to do
1.Start with regular skipping.
2.After 3-4 rotations, jump side by moving your legs and body toward left to right and left to right.
3.Repeat it for 9 times and then relax.
5. High jump skipping
It is much like regular skipping. You are just keeping you feet away a little high and skipping.
When you are doing high jump skipping, you are applying more pressure on your legs. You can consider it like next level of cardio. It is going to be high level intensity exercise when you practice high jump skipping. Check out the steps to try this variation of rope skipping.
Steps to do
1.Start with regular skipping without any variation.
2.After 2-3 rotations, raise your feet little more away from the floor.
3.You can raise as much as you can. See that you feel comfortable and unhurt while doing it.
4.Repeat it for 5-6 times and then relax.
6. Cover over skipping
When you do cross over skipping, it focuses more on arms and shoulders. It is a variation your arms and shoulders become stronger. It is also a good variation to escape from routine skipping style.
Steps to do
1.Start with regular skipping and after few rotations cross your hands when the rope is over your head.
2.When you rotate the rope back, uncross the rope.
3.Repeat it for 7-8 times.
Tips to keep in mind while skipping
There are some of the tips that you must keep in mind while skipping. These tips are useful for beginners especially. If you want to do skipping right, then you must keep these tips in mind before starting the practice.
Do not jump too high or too fast as you will get tired soon.
Jump off the floor and land on your toes.
Do not look down while you are skipping. Instead raise your head up and straight.
Do not bend your back but keep it straight when you are skipping
Who must avoid skipping?
Pregnant women at any stage must avoid skipping as it loosens the ligaments which increases the risk of injury. Then, it may also lead to miscarriage. Pregnant women can practice the gentle prenatal exercises for healthy pregnancy.
People with sever Osteoporosis must avoid skipping.
People who are suffering with shoulder, arm, leg aches and injuries also must refrain practicing skipping.
If you have high blood pressure, you must stay away from it.
You must also not practice skipping when you have any heart problems.
Being a bit mindful and practicing skipping can give you multiple benefits. You will believe in how a simple exercise can benefit you after regular practice of skipping. You can also make it a part of your workout session with other exercises.
