Skip to stay fit: Five benefits of the underrated workout

If you thought that skipping only belongs to the playground, you couldn’t be more wrong! Skipping is a legit form of exercise that is extremely popular even among boxers and mixed martial artists. According to fitness experts Huzefa Lokhandwala and Karan Oberoi, apart from providing many health benefits, it also adds an element of fun and unpredictability to your workout. Here are a few reasons why you ought to incorporate skipping in your workout schedule.

1) Fat killer: Skipping is an excellent way to burn calories. In fact, you can burn more calories while skipping rather than running. For example, an individual weighing around 65-70kg can burn around 700 calories an hour while skipping at a moderate pace. This means a 10 minute intense skipping session in a day can burn around 350-400 calories.

2) Defined, toned muscles: Skipping regularly can tone your entire body, especially your thighs, calves, shoulders and arms. It engages your core as well. Apart from toning your muscles, skipping also improves your metabolism.

3) Makes you agile: The reason why so many athletes swear by skipping is because it improves our footwork, muscle coordination, balance and agility. It also works and improves our hip-flexor muscles.

4) Low-impact: If done right, skipping does not cause much impact to your knees and joints, which means the chances of getting injured during skipping is less. Also, it helps in improving bone density.

5) Portability: All you need is a skipping rope to workout. You can carry it anywhere and you can do it anytime. The simplicity and convenience of the workout make it very attractive.

What to keep in mind

The question that bothers many is that whether to skip barefoot or with shoes? Well, barefoot skipping does make your feet strong and can cure foot related ailments. However, not all are comfortable with barefoot skipping. So, those who can’t skip barefoot, a good pair of sport shoes to absorb the shock of your feet meeting the ground is a good idea.

Jumping should only be done on shock absorbing surfaces like wooden floors or smooth floors to avoid irritable rubbing of feet or tripping.

Skipping is a high intensity workout. Therefore, it’s imperative that you do a proper warm up before skipping to avoid any injuries.