Many of us remember active playtime when we were kids that involved hopping, jumping, running, and skipping. Back then, physical activity like that was pure fun. Then we became adults, and exercise—at least for some of us—became a chore or something we had to schedule into our hectic lives.
Of the activities mentioned above, skipping in particular is something adults rarely (or never) do. Sure, you may run or do brisk walking—or even engage in high-intensity workouts involving hopping and jumping. But skipping? Who skips besides children? Understandably, it might make you feel self-conscious, even a bit silly perhaps.
Actually, many athletes—notably those whose sports require sprinting, such as competitive runners, track athletes, and tennis players—practice skipping to improve their speed, power, agility, and coordination. Skipping can also be used as a warmup for any activity, from walking and running to tennis, pickleball, and basketball.
Like riding a bike?
Skipping seems to come naturally to kids. If you skipped when you were young, it may come back to you right away (or with a few tries)—like riding a bike. If you never skipped, though, you might think skipping is difficult or requires a lot of coordination. It’s not, and it doesn’t—but it may take some practice to hone it.
Basically, all you’re doing is hopping forward on one foot and taking a step forward with the other leg, and then switching sides so you do the same sequence with the other leg, over and over again—as slowly broken down in this video (made for teaching children to skip). To do it with proper form, you should land on the ball of your foot, keeping your head looking forward (not down at your feet) and bringing your knee up to waist level, as this video explains.
After you get the feel of it, you can add your arms: You raise one arm (bent at the elbow) on the opposite side of the leg you’re hopping on. Alternating your arms like this helps power the forward movement. As a safety precaution, be aware of your surroundings so you don’t trip on something, and avoid areas with uneven pavement.
Skipping can add variety to your workouts. For example, you could spend 5 to 10 minutes brisk walking or running and then skip for 30 seconds. Then repeat this sequence of alternating walking/running with skipping. To mix up your skipping, you can change the speed, rhythm, height of your hop, and height of your knees.
Skip for the benefits
One of the best things about skipping is that it’s fun. And if you find an exercise that’s fun, you’re more likely to keep doing it. But there are other benefits as well.
For one, skipping is a high-impact activity that’s good for bone density. As a plyometric exercise (one that involves short bursts of explosive activity), it can improve speed, agility, and power. And as you hop on one leg at a time, skipping could also improve your balance. In addition, skipping works out many muscles at once, including the abdominals, quads, glutes, and calves.
Other advantages: Compared with running, skipping may put less stress on the knees and burn more calories, some preliminary research has found—but it can be more exhausting than running for the same given distance.
A small study, published in Gait & Posture in 2019, compared the forces on the knee when healthy young adults engaged in running versus skipping. This is important because runners often end up with overuse injuries, including to the knee because of the stress on that joint when the legs hit the ground. The researchers found that running involved much greater force on the front of the knee compared with skipping, as well as more force on the joint between the tibia (one of the two lower leg bones) and the femur (the thigh bone). In this study, skipping burned 30 percent more calories than running.
Another small study, published in the Journal of Applied Biomechanics in 2022, also found reduced forces on the knee with skipping compared with running. In contrast, the forces on the ankle joint were greater with skipping. Thus, if you have a history of ankle injuries, skipping may not be the best activity for you.
Given that the above studies enrolled a total of only 25 people, definitive conclusions cannot be made, however.
BOTTOM LINE: If you enjoy walking or jogging but are perhaps a bit tired of the same old routine, consider adding some skipping to make your workout more fun. And if you don’t already exercise, skipping may be just the activity that will get you moving. But if you’ve been sedentary or have biomechanical problems, previous injuries (such as to your ankle, hip, or knees), or balance problems, talk with your healthcare provider or a physical therapist before starting.
