Warm Up Skipping, how effective is it?

During my early years going to the gym I witnessed many forms of warming up before training. The majority took to the treadmill and cross-trainers to warm up the muscles before engaging in varied exercises. Very few stretched and prepared their muscles properly for the tasks ahead which was normal to me at the time as i was just starting out. I must admit warming up before exercise my method involved the treadmill mostly where i walked for 1 minute, jogged for 9 minutes and to warm down i would walk for another minute at varied speeds which seemed to do the trick when ready to workout. As time went on i felt i had outgrown the standard method of warming up and wanted to try a different approach. Lucky for me the local gym at the time had a separate studio/boxing area where most people failed to attend. It was confusing as to why other gym goers wouldn't make use of this facility i was not complaining. This gym was very unique and very quickly i made the boxing studio an important part of my training routine. At first starting out skipping it was a very bumpy experience, it was difficult to find a rhythm. As time went by and with more frequent visits i slowly started to establish a steady pace. With the gym playing absolutely the wrong sort of music to workout to i had to dig deep to find motivation if i was to attempt to master this process in my own way. I was adamant to get this right as i planned to implement this procedure as part of my training regime as i function more effectively when i follow a specific process i am accustomed to. Again with more and more visits i noticed the way I skipped was gradually improving and with quite a few failed attempts my implementation of various styles including dancing was better than previous weeks. At this stage i still refused to study other athletes and their movements as my intention was purely to create a rhythm that was suited for me. The main important structure of skipping for me was to research the physical and mental benefits it carries and what sort of effect it could have on me as an individual.

SKIPPING "THE BENEFITS"

Skipping when done correctly potentially increases:

Stamina

Balance

Endurance

Coordination

Flexibility

Cardiovascular fitness

Agility

All round body strength

Weight loss

Focus

Improved mental health

Boost imune system

Improve heart rate

Potentially helps blood pressure

and more

Apart from being fun skipping is a great way of keeping fit which doesn't cost anything apart from the price of a skipping rope and can be enjoyed by many people from all walks of life. Personally i skip for around 10 - 15 minutes as a pre-exercise warm up followed by stretching for a further 10 before i commence workout. I do find this process prepares my body fully for any kind of exercise i have planned. It doesn't require a huge amount of space and normally you can adjust the rope to suit your height. I would suggest a flat surface opposed to a rugged as it makes the process more controllable and decreases most forms of hazards. I personally find skipping for 10 minutes improves my breathing and it can potentially play a role in keeping my mood stable.

CONCLUSION

So how effective is skipping as a pre workout warm up?

In my view i would say very effective. It's a wonderful alternative from the treadmill and cross trainers. It carries many health benefits both mental and physical and can be a great way to lose weight. It's a great way of strengthening the upper and lower body without the need for expensive machinery. It's a very mobile solution which can not only be used as a pre workout warm up but more so can be done almost anywhere and can easily be implemented in your daily lives. With so many health benefits with many positives and practically little or no negative factors skipping is definitely a highly recommended exercise as a pre workout warm up or as a general exercise in and out of the gym.

Please watch the video above for a general idea of my warm up skipping and please feel free to comment, like and share.

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