A great way to work on your conditioning is skipping. Mostly used in the martial arts and cross fit community, but skipping is good for everybody; young and old. It is something what you did as a child but then it sort of got lost. And it is not something you have to do for an hour, like you see most people do on cardio equipment in the gym. You already can get great results with just 10 or 20 minutes several times a week.
I recently picked up skipping during the first lockdown when the gyms where closed. It was difficult to get any fitness equipment, because of the huge demand and most businesses were sold out. I already walked outside regularly but I wanted to work a bit more on my cardio. I am not a fan of cardio. I prefer to lift weights, which improves cardio as well. And especially if you use kettlebells. But otherwise I opt for some HITT cardio; it’s short and more effective. Although steady state cardio also has it’s place in your overall health. It just depends on your goals.
Anyway I was looking for something new. I did running in the past but my knees aren’t particularly fond of it any more. So skipping is a good alternative because it is less invasive for the knees. And it is great in keeping your bones density healthy, which is getting more and more important the older you get. Improving your bone health happens already by doing it 60 minutes per week according to this study Exercise may reverse age-related bone loss in middle-aged men
You just start slowly with a few minutes every day or every other day and you build it up from there. Be patient with yourself and you’ll see you get the hang of it soon. And it doesn’t have to be boring. There are lots of fun moves these days.
Make sure the rope is the right size. Put one foot on the rope and the handles need to come to shoulder height. You can easily adjust it. Make sure you land on your forefeet and not on your heels. Skipping is a great fat burning tool. You have even weighted skipping ropes. They are more challenging and great for fat loss if that is your main objective. Skipping is not difficult to learn and knowing a few tricks makes it easier and more fun.
And you can have a skipping rope under £5. And it doesn’t take up a lot of space. So no excuse there. So start skipping.