Body & Fitness

Is skipping rope the workout for you?

While you may not have skipped since primary school, this simple, wallet-friendly workout is a major fat blaster.

If you’re bored with your regular workouts, mix things up with a good old-fashioned skipping rope.

1. Skipping basics

To find out whether the rope is the right length for you, place one foot in the middle of the rope and lift the handles – they shouldn’t go past your armpits.

When skipping, keep your elbows close to your sides as you turn the rope – the movement should come from your wrists and forearms rather than your shoulders.

Let’s be honest, all that jumping is intense in anyone’s books.

Build up your endurance by dropping the rope at regular intervals, while keeping your arms and legs moving.

Slowly work towards longer stints using the skipping rope.

2 .Cardio kicker

To test your stamina, try to get as many skips in as possible for 30 seconds, rest for 30-90 seconds, then repeat for 5-10 cycles.

This will keep your heart rate pumping, and at the same time you’ll activate your core.

How many reps you do in 30 seconds will depend on your fitness level, but keep it up and you’ll be surprised by how quickly you’ll better your previous score.

3. Calorie burner

Melt through 100 calories in 10 minutes with this fuss-free routine.

Start by jumping with your feet together for 1 minute, followed by 1 minute of freestyle running skip, then 1 minute of star jumps minus the rope.

Pick up the rope again and add some side to side jumps with your feet together for 1 minute, then 60 seconds of single jumps with alternating knee lifts. Repeat a second set.

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