Diet & Fitness 

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The skipping workout

Using a skipping rope is a great cardiovascular exercise. It's one of the foundations of a boxer's conditioning programme, and you've got to be in shape to box. The tennis champ Jimmy Connors even used to skip a rope as part of his conditioning routine.

Wear supportive cross-trainers, tennis or basketball shoes while skipping. Running shoes won't give enough forefoot support for all the bouncing you'll do. Avoid jumping on concrete, floors laid over concrete, and other hard surfaces like tile. If you don't have a springy wooden or carpeted floor, place a thin exercise mat on the floor and jump on that.

Skipping is strenuous and may be hard to sustain for the 30 minutes that you need for a good aerobic workout. Try this routine, used in boxing classes:

• Skip for three minutes (a round in boxing is three minutes long).
• Take a minute off and do as many crunches as you can.
• Skip for another three minutes.
• During the next minute between rounds, do as many push-ups as you can.
• Return to skipping for three minutes.
• Do crunches for another minute. Repeat.

You can alternate rounds of skipping with crunches and push-ups until you've completed 30 minutes or more of exercise. After the second or third round of skipping, your heart rate won't drop that much during the crunches and push-ups.

You might not be able to do more than a few intervals of push-ups. Use any exercise you want during the minute between rounds. Try doing squats and lunges (with or without weights) to give your larger leg muscles added work. Do upper-body exercises with dumbbells during that minute. Use proper form and don't rush. One more thing: Skipping focuses on your calves, so be diligent about stretching them before and after your workout.

Another advantage of using a skipping rope is that you can take it anywhere. If you're travelling and there isn't a gym nearby, you can workout in your hotel room.

Why not chat to other iVillagers about exercise on the You Can Do It - Diet Support message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions happening now on the board:

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