Skipping – one of those things I did everyday in the playground at school and something that my daughter has also done since starting school, carrying a skipping rope in her bag most days and even being entered for a school skipping display last year.

Skipping however is way more than a playground activity. It can be a wonderful way to keep fit.

• It is one of the best cardio and HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts
• Jumping rope, as it is also known as,  can burn around 1300 calories/hour – now that’s really high! So it’s a good fat melter
• Skipping exercises burns more calories in comparison to running
• Skipping helps in muscle toning as it is basically a bodyweight exercise – especially if you use a weighted skipping rope
• It improves footwork, balance, coordination, and agility
• It is one of the best  exercises for endurance training and conditioning
• Skipping gives a full-body workout. It is especially great for toning and developing thighs, shins and calf muscles. Simultaneously, it also works on abs and arms
• It engages and improves the hip-flexor muscles
• Studies show that skipping exercises put lesser pressure and is less shocking for the joints than running. It is a low impact exercise than running and therefore a better option.
• It improves cardiovascular health as it improves the heart beat rate. It is beneficial for blood pressure patients
• Skipping can be done by anybody and everybody, from beginners to advanced level.
• It is also known to help in improving bone density.
• All the equipment that the skipping exercise requires is a jumping rope, which can fit into your purse or handbags and is travel-friendly. So, you won’t have to miss your workout, all you need is a rope and an open area to burn calories.

I started skipping recently as a way of increasing my cardiovascular activity. I remember my dad telling me how he used to skip for fitness years ago.

Aside from the health benefits, skiing is ideal for busy mums because:

• It is cheap
• You don’t need much space
• You can do it with the children as a form of play
• You can do it on your own in the evening when the children are in bed – find a space and take the baby monitor with you
• It doesn’t take up much time in your day
• You can put it down easily if one of the children wakes and resume when the house is settled again
• You can easily challenge yourself by aiming for more skips each day

Do you skip or would you consider this as a form of exercise?