1. Can Skipping Help You Lose Weight?
Recently, a young lady asked me if skipping could help you lose weight. By skipping, she meant
jumping rope - not skipping a meal.
My answer to this question was an emphatic yes. I'm a huge fan of skipping. If you're not using a
jump rope in your workout routines right now, then you should. Although it cannot replace regular
strength workouts, skipping can be a great substitute to traditional cardio like running, biking, rowing,
or using the elliptical.
HOW DOES SKIPPING HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT?
Skipping is great for helping you lose weight fast because it shapes and tones the muscles of your
arms and legs. Doing just 5 minutes of skipping will burn your shoulders and calves beyond your
wildest dreams. As a result, you know those muscles are getting a terrific workout. And remember,
the more muscles you have engaged, the more calories you are going to burn.
Jumping rope engages no less than the entire musculature of your lower body and most of your
upper body as well.
Also, let's consider the incredible cardiovascular training effect that takes place when you skip rope.
The arms are moving, the legs are propelling your body up and down, and the effect is a spike in your
heart rate. It's the epitomy of a full body cardio exercise that incorporates a lot of muscle. That's why
it's tough. That's why it's so good. Even if you think you're aerobically and are used to running or
other forms of cardio, I challenge you to jump rope for as little as 5 minutes. You will be on the floor!
Because it gets your heart pounding, you know that you are spiking your cardiovascular system in a
similar fashion to what we see with interval training. For most people, skipping can be the most
intense form of cardiovascular exercise and that's a great thing because it's novel to your body. Your
body isn't used to it and will therefore need to get fitter in order to do so.
Any type of exercise that leaves out of breath is good for losing weight. The reason is that for every
liter of oxygen that you consume, your body burns 5 calories. For that reason, even doing a few
minutes of jump rope each day can help you tremendously. With time, you obviously want to go for
longer periods of time.
But let's get back to the original question as to whether jumping rope will help you lose weight around
your thighs. Well, I've answered this question on "spot reducing" in other articles where I've
mentioned that you cannot spot reduce. You can "spot strengthen" but that's about it. Jumping rope
will help you burn calories and lose weight (assuming frequent use and high intensity) across your
entire body - not just your thighs.
For women, fat from the hips and thighs is usually the last to go. Hormonally, fat is needed in those
areas. It is first place to be stored and the last place to disappear. For men, the same holds true
regarding stomach fat. First place to be stored, last place to disappear from.
So your goal, then, should be to burn as many calories as possible through high intensity cardio (like
jumping rope) and using full body strength training workouts. The combination will help you lose
weight in no time. Oh yeah, let's not forget about a healthy diet..

2. Here's a skipping workouts to get you started
Warm-up: light pace for 5 minutes
20 seconds fast pace : 40 seconds light pace x 10 = 10 minutes
Total Workout Time = 15 minutes
How can you jump higher