It can be very scary to start lifting weights and do higher level exercise if…
Why every woman should be skipping
Skipping isn’t just for kids. It’s a powerful activity that will reawaken your confidence; improve your coordination, power and strength; and can have a positive impact on bone density.
At Her Fitness, my clients skip or do something similar almost every session, even those who have joint pain or movement concerns can do something similar that mimics the benefits of skipping.
- Improve neuromuscular efficiency (how well your brain and muscles work together)
- Build balance and core stability
- Strengthen ankles, knees, and hips
- Raise your heart rate quickly for efficient cardiovascular training
- Help increase or maintain bone mineral density
If you’ve tried skipping as an adult and felt clumsy or off-balance, you’re not alone!
Nearly all of my clients, when they first start, lift the same side hand and knee, but they all learn to skip!
Here’s why skipping might feel challenging at first:
- Lost coordination: Skipping requires alternating arm and leg movements, rhythm, and timing. If you haven’t done it in years, the brain-muscle connection may need to be reestablished.
- Poor balance or core awareness: Skipping demands a stable center. Without core stability and core control, the movement feels disjointed or awkward.
- Reduced rhythm and timing: Skipping involves rhythm just like dancing. Without regular use, these neural pathways get rusty.
✅ The Good News
Coordination is a trainable skill. By practicing simple steps—like marching in place, adding arm swings, and building bounce—you can re-learn how to skip.
And once you do, you’re not just skipping—you’re building bone strength, improving power (the first component of fitness to fade with age) boosting your brain health and unlocking a natural sense of athleticism that’s been with you all along.
Give skipping a try and don’t give up until you get the opposite arm and leg rising at the same time. If you need a low impact version to start with, instead of jumping up, go to the ball of your foot as your heel rises off the ground.
