Skipping is an excellent cardiovascular workout targeting the calves, thighs, bottom and shoulders, helping to keep these areas toned. It really blasts calories too – about the same as running at 7.5 miles an hour. So if you skip for just 10 minutes you'll burn over 100 calories.

Advanced: Jumping for gold

Skipping for 20 minutes will elevate the heart rate, working the heart and lungs, improving fitness and burning calories. Each of the different skipping moves focuses on a different area of the body, giving you an all round workout, which you can do anytime, anywhere.

Warm Up

Begin by marching on the spot for thirty seconds, bringing your knees up to hip level and swinging your arms. Gradually increase the speed of your march until you are jogging, then jog on the spot for 1 minute. Perform stretches of the quads, hamstrings and calves, holding each for thirty seconds. Rotate the ankles, 5 times clockwise and anti-clockwise on each side, then 10 arm circles forwards and backwards.

Skipping glossary

• Cross-Over: cross your arms at the front as you skip
• Double Unders: pass the rope under your feet twice with every jump
• Bell jump: jump forward and back while skipping
• Skier: jump from side to side
• Running step: lift your knees up in front
• Twist: rotate your body from the hips from side to side
• Straddle: have your feet apart and then together

The Workout

• Continuous skip for 2 minutes
• Fast skip or Double Unders for 30 seconds
• Skier for 1 min
• Fast skip or Double Unders for 30 seconds
• Continuous skip for 3 minutes
• Bell Jump for 1 minute
• Continuous skip 1 minute
• Running Step 1 minute
• Straddle for 1 minute
• Continuous for 1 minute
• Straddle for 1 minute
• Continuous for 1 minute
• Double Unders and Crossovers for 1 min

Cool Down

March on the spot for thirty seconds before performing stretches for the quads, hamstrings, and calves, holding each for thirty seconds.