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Learning how to do a power skip will strengthen every major muscle group in the body: glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves, hips, core and shoulders. Needless to say, this strengthening exercise is also a great cardio boost to get your blood pumping and metabolism burning!
The key for turning a fun skip into a killer workout is to do with it purpose. Instead of a playground-style skip which is light and fun, you want to make a big, bounding motion so as to lift as high as possible. This is where you will get your major cardio on! At it’s essence, this move is a plyometric!
In order to get these benefits you need to power skip with your full momentum in order to propel yourself explosively into each new skip.
You should be briefly airborne with each knee lift. Before you get started, here are some quick tips to perfect your power skip: the ball of your foot should hit the ground first; hips should be fully extended when your foot hits the ground; engage your glutes for optimal power; and use your arms to carry you through each skip—this will work your shoulders!
Need more reasons to try a power skip?
- It’s free.
- You can do them anywhere.
- All fitness levels can do this, just adjust your pace.
- It improves flexibility.
- It improves coordination and balance.
- It increases muscle tone, especially in the lower body.
- It’s a calorie burner.
- It’s fun!
Add this exercise to a more robust HIIT interval routine for a killer fat burning workout!
Power Skips Exercise Instructions
Here are the steps to performing power skips:
- Start standing with feet hip distance apart.
- Lift right knee and spring up off your left foot, hopping into the air. Switch. Continue in a “skipping” motion in place for desired amount of time.
What Muscles Do Power Skips Work
Power skips are an awesome cardio exercise that work your legs and core while giving you a great cardiovascular move that gets your heart rate up anytime, anywhere. If you want to torch calories, you should learn how to do power skips.
Benefits of Power Skips:
There are many reasons you should incorporate Power Skips into your workouts. Here are just a few:
Cardio Boost
You can choose your effort in the power skips, but no matter how you do them you are going to get a great cardio workout. If you are warming up or just beginning to exercise, keep your knees a bit lower and go slower. If you want higher intensity and are capable of going hard, lift the knees higher, reach arms higher and get up off the floor a bit more! Of course, anything in between is also great.
Work Your Lower Body
Your leg muscles are completely engaged in this exercise. In order to catch air and get a good lift, you need to push off your calves, quads, hamstrings and glutes! This moves strengthens every muscle in your leg and stretches your hip flexors as well.
Work Your Power
Power is the athletic ability to explode. Think of a long jumper in the Olympics or a sprinter going out of the gate. Having good power shows your muscles have been taught to move fast and hard when asked. Power skips teach your body power.
How Many Calories Do Power Skips Burn?
People often ask how many calories they are burning in their workouts. Power skips will generally burn about 100 calories for every 10 minutes you are working. Just keep your intensity up and make sure you are breathing through your mouth. Bottom line – the harder you work, the more calories you burn.
Other Exercises Similar to Power Skips
If you like the idea of getting a great cardio move right in the comfort of your own home, try these too!
