Skipping isn’t just something girls do in the school playground, it has been an essential training method for boxers for as long as we can remember. Skipping improves a boxers footwork, agility and great for increasing fitness. It’s so great, we strongly recommend skipping to any fighter.

Even Rocky Balboa used skipping to increase his speed and footwork to help him catch the chicken!

Why is skipping great for boxers?

Boxers have been using skipping for centuries as a form of high-powered exercise, but for many fighters the effectiveness of skipping can get overlooked. Skipping rope workouts are one of the easiest, cheapest yet most effective forms of exercise to implement into your routine. The skipping rope also is very compact that it can be taken and used almost anywhere.

The major benefit of skipping is that it helps towards almost any fitness goal including fat loss, endurance, strength, and performance. And all you need to get started is a skipping rope, a small area and about 15 minutes of your time!

There are also weighted skipping ropes available to add a bit more intensity. Just be careful doing it barefooted as it can hurt when it catches your toes.

We have put together a list below of the 7 top benefits of skipping:

1. Skipping ropes lose weight

It is well-known that skipping burns plenty of calories and if you’re exercising target is to lose weight then you won’t find a more efficient form exercise than skipping.

It can be a bit optimistic for us to think we can skip straight of an hour, which makes it tricky to compare skipping to other exercises.

However, according to research, it has shown that adding skipping routines into your workout can help burn up to 700 calories to over 1200 calories per hour, which proves skipping ropes lose weight.

It’s estimated that 0.1 to 1.1 calories are burned per jump, so this means by doing 10 minutes of skipping workouts it is the equivalent to running an 8 minute mile.

So if your looking to cut weight, skipping will certainly be the answer.

2. Skipping improves cardiovascular health

The fitness levels are the most crucial elements a boxer must have, and lets face it, if you can’t last longer than a couple of rounds you will never become a world champion.

By using a skipping rope regularly is a fantastic way to boost your endurance and for a strong and healthy heart.

Furthermore, it will also lower your blood pressure, decrease your resting heart rate and even reduce your stress level.

So to mprove your cardio vascular health start with only 15 minutes of skipping per day for 5 days per week and your endurance will shoot up in no time.

This extra work will soon pay off and you will see a great difference in your work rate increasing in the boxing ring.

3. Skipping Improves Bone Density & Strength

Building strong bones is another one of the many benefits of adding a skipping session into your workout regime. To maintain a healthy structure bones need to go through a continuous cycle of demolition and reconstruction.

Bone-strengthening activities need to create an impact force on the bones that promotes their growth and improved strength. Skipping builds this force as you jump and continually hit the ground sparking the reaction that helps boost your bone density making you less susceptible to injury and bone-related issues.

4. Skipping Improves Coordination

Boxing is a sport which requires great coordination, to be able move your feet evasively while punching at the same time.

Skipping will certainly improve your coordination as you will need to keep up the rhythm and manage your footwork correctly, by coordinating your eyes, feet, hands, arms, legs, and torso while you jump.

As you progress over time you’ll notice these coordination benefits extending to other areas of your workouts – essential for boxers or any other form of combat sports.

5. Skipping is a total body workout

There is more to boxing than just throwing punches. It uses most of the body including the hips, torso and legs, and probably more than it does the arms. So it is important to give your body a full-body workout, and one quick way is the skipping rope.

Not only are you building strength in your lower body, but you’re also engaging your entire upper body to control the force when you swing the rope.Just think about the process your body goes through as you use a jump rope. 

You need to rely on all your lower body muscles including calves, thighs, and glutes, plus as you pull the rope through the air you need your upper body biceps, triceps and shoulders and to complete the set your abs get a workout too!

So, your whole body can benefit from skipping routines!

As with cardio-vascular health mentioned above skipping on a regular basis can not only help improve muscle strength but also muscular endurance.

This allows your muscles to exercise for longer and will increase power for quick, explosive movements that are so key to combat sports.

6. Skipping Increases Agility

If you take all the great fighters, they all have had incredible speed and footwork. Just take a look at Mike Tyson for instance, one blink and his opponent is on the receiving end of one of his almighty uppercuts.

That’s all down to his speed and footwork. Skipping will make you much more agile and lighter on your feet.These multi-functional benefits of skipping will help if you easily move in direction in all combat sports.

7. Skipping has mental health benefits

Skipping like other vigerous exercises can improve your mental health by releasing endorphins, feel-good chemicals that can boost low moods. It will increase the blood circulation in your body and brain which can help to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Final Round

As you can see skipping is a fantastic exercise which has many benefits. Whether your looking to lose weight, get fitter, or for a quick-fire total body workout you can do anywhere, skipping should be one of your go-to sessions.

We hope you found this article on the benefits of skipping helpful and now you know all the benefits its time to get a skipping rope and train like a pro!

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