Skipping4Life is for everyone!

Anytime, any place, anywhere - skipping can be classed as your ultimate flexible portable fitness class! Wherever and whenever it suits you, your skipping rope can be your most useful travelling companion.

As a simple piece of fitness equipment, you can use your jump rope anywhere. Who says you need costly exercise equipment to lose weight or to keep in shape? You can work wonders with a single rope without the need to invest a fortune in gym memberships or sports and fitness equipment!

All you need is some willpower and a jump rope - and your memories! Remember those games that you played in the school playground? Well, now you can use those memories to help you  lose weight. This simple activity can burn up 160 calories in 15 minutes. And it's only one jump away!

You don't need ropes that count, or tell the time... or make coffee! Our high-quality speed skipping ropes are hard-wearing and long-lasting with ergonomic handles and really reasonably priced. And now buyers of our skipping ropes will also receive our Mini Daily Skipping Challenge designed to get your feet a'leaping and your brain a'ticking!

Don't forget, before you start any physical activity, if you ahve any concerns you should check with your GP first*. In the meantime, here are some gentle skipping exercises, kindly donated by www.healthdefine.com, to get you started with your skipping rope:

 

Exercise 1

Before you actually start skipping, you should warm up.

Stretch the rope out flat on the floor. Straddle the rope, keeping your hands and legs slightly bent, and raise your hands in the side in a posture like a goalie in a soccer match. Jump as fast as you can, keeping the position for 20 seconds.

Then get down on all fours, palms flat on the floor in a push-up position and do ​five pushups. Stand up and repeat. Alternate with a 20-second 'plank' position for added entertainment!

 

 

 

 

Exercise 2

For a side-straddle, begin with your feet together and arms out to the side. Turn the rope once at double-bounce speed and land feet together and on the next jump, open your legs for a straddle jump. Flex gently on landing.

Turn the rope again, bringing your feet back together quickly, flexing gently on landing.

Continue for 20, pause, then another 20.

For a forward straddle, simply place your right leg forward and left leg behind.

Alternate between front and side straddle for a bit of brain work and don't forget, the deeper the lunge, the better the workout!

 

 

 

Exercise 3

For speed skipping, turn the rope and alternate the lead leg. Start slowly to get the action right and you'll soon speed up the better your action. Make it harder by lifting your knees as high as you can between each turn. Don't forget to breathe!!

 

Exercise 4

To tone thighs, as you skip try to kick your bum with your heel. 

Try 5 steps, alternating legs, kicking your bum first with your right leg, second with your left heel. 

Repeat.

For further interest, try adding 5 double bounces between each set of repetitions, lifting your heels as high as you can.
 

Repeat the jumping combination for a minute.

 

  

Exercise 5

As a cool down or even a pre-cursor to practising 'the skier', sretch the rope out flat on the floor.
Stand feet together at one end, on the right side of the rope, facing the other end of the rope.

Jump over the rope, landing feet together, on the the diagonal, and move up the rope zig-zagging until you reach the end. Then turn around with a 180 degree jump and continue back, zig zagging until you reach the start again. 

Repeat, but this time as you reach the end of the rope, zig zag your way back along the rope, this time backwards. Just keep flexing as you land, keeping your weight directly over the knees and you'll finish in good time and safely, without falling backwards!

 

 

 

(With thanks to www.healthdefine.com)