The Exercise That Makes Everyone Smile

There's one exercise that makes everyone look happy when they're doing it.

Skipping.

It doesn't feel like "exercise." You can't resist smiling when you're doing it.

Skipping got some attention recently after track coach Stuart McMillan highlighted it on the Huberman Lab podcast, calling skipping an overlooked tool to improve power, speed, coordination, balance, and agility.

That's why we use skipping in our warm-up and in power workouts.

It challenges nearly every muscle in your body, particularly if you swing your arms, and it helps train your brain to react quickly.

It’s also excellent for balance and stability.

Hopping on one leg forces your core, glutes, hips, and legs to work together to keep you upright. Over time, this strengthens stabilizing muscles and improves overall coordination.

And it can strengthen your bones.

Skipping can make you a faster, stronger runner or walker, creating a greater range of motion in the hips.

How to Skip Safely and Effectively

Unlike riding a bicycle, a lot of people forgethowto skip as they get older.

If you haven’t skipped in years, take a step, hop on that foot, then switch sides. Say to yourself,"Step-hop, step-hop, step-hop."

I've had to teach "how to skip" often!

As you become more comfortable with the movement, pick up the pace and aim for a more fluid motion.

Take it up another notch by bringing your knees up high and using arm swings to make the hops more explosive.

Add Skipping to Your Routine

1. Warm-up: My kids used skipping in their warm-up when they ran track. Just 30–60 seconds can loosen muscles and improve mobility.

2. Intervals: Add skipping intervals to your walks or runs to vary movement patterns and challenge your muscles differently.

3. Drills: Try A Skips, B Skips, and C Skips—variations that involve different knee lifts and leg positions—to build power, coordination, and reaction time.

4. Stand-alone workout: Skipping can be its own aerobic workout, sometimes even easier on the knees than running. Include forward, backward, or side-to-side skipping for variety. A 30-minute skipping session can be a killer power and conditioning workout.

The case could be made that skipping is easier on the knees than running, while providing comparable or greater benefits.

One morning, I blithely decided to skip half a block to end my run..

Ahem....I'm embarrassed to admit I barely made it past about 3 houses before I had to take a break.

The beauty of skipping is that it's modifiable to all fitness levels--even mine.

And unlike running, you don't look miserable when you're doing it.