Jumping for joy: why skipping is the exercise I can finally stick to

There was once a time when I exercised every day. It was called childhood. I maintain that few things in life will ever be as fulfilling as an epic game of cops and robbers. I also loved playing “It”. Every break time my friends and I would race to a particular corner of the playground – and the last one there was “It”. Then along came our teens and a fear of being uncool that put an end to all that fun.

My levels of physical activity never recovered. As an adult, I basically only ever work up a sweat when I’m late for a train. I don’t go to the gym or participate in any exercise classes. Very occasionally I go running, but I’m always bored out of my mind – looking forward to those endorphins when I finish, because I sure as hell don’t notice them when I’m wheezing in cold air.

Perhaps it’s my ADHD, but I just don’t care for exercising purely to get fit. Frustratingly, lockdown has both increased my desire to exercise – I need an excuse to go outside – and made it more difficult for me to exercise in a way that I might actually enjoy. For instance, I would love to join a netball team but that wouldn’t be Covid-secure.

Thanks to TikTok, I’ve realised I don’t need flesh-and-blood friends to relive my days on the playground – or to recapture the joy of just trying stuff out. All I need is a skipping rope and some snappy tutorials.

As I flick through videos of elegant-looking skippers bouncing to tunes like Megan Thee Stallion’s Savage, I’m struck by just how much fun it looks. I want to be like @lauren.jumps, who always skips in a beanie or baseball cap with headphones over the top. Lauren occasionally throws a skipping rope handle away and flings it around before catching it mid-routine, in what is called a “mic release”. After doing 20 wobbly skips (not in one go) and getting a stitch, I realise I’m a long way off from attempting one of those.

First, I seriously need to work on my basic bounce. I’d never thought about this before, but there’s a clear correct way to skip. It’s important to do little jumps, not over-bending your knees. At first I just manage a series of dramatic pony leaps over the rope, but I soon learn to at least keep my feet together. The most helpful TikTok instructor I find for getting started is Katrina Robinson, who posts videos under the handle @katskips. She teaches you how to correct your posture, shows you how long your rope should be, and emphasises the importance of jumping on a mat to protect your joints. But she also conveys the euphoria. In some of her more impressive videos she skips to Bhangra music.

By day two, I’ve adjusted my rope to the correct length and I can skip pretty fast, for roughly five seconds, before I lose my footing. I’m not ready to learn a trick, but instead I’m trying to “boxer skip” courtesy of @everywhere_skip. This involves hopping from one foot to the other. I’m recording myself on my phone, which helps me pay attention to my form.

I want to get to a stage where I’m barely moving as the rope passes under me. The less you move, the more energy you have – and trust me, you need it. I’m constantly catching my breath – but at least the mat I’m using doubles up as a nice place to lie down.

Research has found that 10 minutes of skipping can have the same fitness benefits as 30 minutes of running, but I find skipping a lot more fun because you can make up routines to music. TikTok provides an array of inspiration for both new tricks and music that’s easy to skip to.

Indeed, what really strikes me about this approach to learning a new skill is how motivated I find myself. Sure, my basic bounce will take weeks to perfect, but I can feel myself making progress with each go. Having never kept a new year resolution, I find it hard to commit to new habits, but because I’m so curious to watch my technique improving, I’m naturally picking up my skipping rope every day even if it’s just for a few minutes.

Why not try something new? Discover the benefits of just having a go #LearnOnTikTok