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Skipping is no longer just for the school playground. Adults are using the childhood classic to get fit – and it looks a lot more fun than burpees.

Of course, boxers have famously used skipping as part of their training regimes – so it is no secret that the jumping hobby is great for cardio, agility and faster footwork.

But now, fitness influencers have jumped on the trend – which means we really want to give it a try too.

Lauren Flymen, otherwise known as ‘Lauren Jumps’, started skipping just 14 months ago at the start of the UK’s first lockdown.

She has since become one of the world’s leading skipping influencers with more than 450,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok. We asked Lauren to share how she got so good at skipping so quickly – and why she swears by her rope for her daily fitness fix.

What are the health benefits of skipping?

‘Skipping is excellent cardio, which makes it great for heart health and improving stamina,’ Lauren tells Metro.co.uk.

‘It also works muscles all over your body, including your calves, core and arms. You will see lots of athletes use skipping to improve their coordination – as well as being a workout for your body, it’s a workout for your brain.’

So, you’ve bought a rope and put your trainers on, but something’s not clicking. What should you do if you’re struggling to get your head around the coordination element of skipping?

‘Skipping is certainly not easy but you can make very obvious progress in a short time which makes it addictive,’ says Lauren.

‘I see people of all ages excel with it – even people who have never been into fitness or sport. I think the fact you can see progress so quickly and the enjoyment of progressing makes people stick at it over other sports they might have tried in the past.’

Lauren says the type of rope you invest in is really important.

‘A lot of beginners pick up speed ropes or wire cable ropes, which aren’t suitable for people who are new to skipping.

‘I learnt everything on a beaded rope as it provides more feedback and, now I’m more advanced, I use my beaded rope and PVC ropes in equal measure.

‘Speed ropes are great for proficient jump ropers who want to max out their jumps in a certain time either in competition or to achieve a personal best – they are not made for tricks.’

As well as looking at the type of rope, Lauren says you also have to consider the length of your rope.

‘A lot of novices make the mistake of having their rope too long,’ she says.

‘Your rope should touch the ground as you jump but too much excess rope hitting the ground will cause you to trip.

‘Rather than shortening the rope, most people widen their arms which makes them work large muscles like their shoulders and tire quickly. It is more efficient to keep your hands close to your hips with elbows tucked back.

‘The rope should be a length that enables this without too much excess rope hitting the ground. 

‘You should jump on your toes and low to the ground – kicking your feet back as you jump will expend more energy and potentially cause injury.’

It’s also crucial to pace yourself. Your body needs to get used to this new form of exercise. And remember, skipping is quite high-impact because of all the jumping.

‘Don’t do too much too soon,’ says Lauren. ‘Injuries like shin splints are mostly caused by overuse. It’s important to start with short sessions and short intervals, as demonstrated in my app JUMP!, increasing these gradually over time to give your body a chance to get used to it.

‘A mat will help soften impact, especially if you only have access to a hard surface like concrete.

‘At the start, toe catches (where you don’t jump the rope but simply catch it under your toes) are really helpful because it gets you used to correct arm position to jump over the rope, and penguin jumps (without the rope) get you used to timing.’

The best skipping rope moves for beginners

Toe catches 

Toe catches are a lot trickier than they look but will enable you to get used to the movement of the rope.

Start skipping as you would normally, but instead of jumping over the rope, lift your toes and try and catch the rope underneath your feet.

By doing this, you will get used to the feel, the weight and the speed of the rope before you start incorporating the jumping aspect.

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Penguin jumps

Penguin jumps help to coordinate the timing of your jumps with the rope, and you don’t actually need a rope for these.

Instead, when you should jump, tap your hands on the side of your thighs which will then replicate the timings of the flick of the rope underneath you.

When you do the penguin jump you want to make sure you have a straight body, pushing off your toes without kicking your feet back.

Penguin jumps will enable you to time your jumps correctly, with good form.

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Basic bounce

The basic bounce combines the skills of the penguin jump and your toe catches, to hone correct timing and hand position when jumping over the rope.

It’s really common when you start skipping to widen your arms, but you want to try and keep them in and to do this, try and think about keeping them down.

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Flymen and Josh Tennant have just launched JUMP!, a skipping/HIIT based workout programme available exclusively on TRUCONNECT by TV.FIT.

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