How to Skip on a Treadmill
Treadmills are one of the most popular choices of cardiovascular workout equipment used in homes and gyms today. But it is not uncommon for exercisers to find treadmill walking or running dull and monotonous after a long period of time. Shaking up your treadmill workout with other motions---like skipping---can be a great way to keep your workout interesting and keep your muscles adapting to new movements. With a little warmup and practice you can be skipping away your workout with confidence.
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Instructions
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Start off at a moderate walking pace with the incline set at "0." Walk for at least three to five minutes, unless you are incorporating a skipping interval into a workout that has already included at least five minutes of walking.
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Drop your walking speed to a rate that seems too slow.
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Open out your body slightly and allow either your right foot or your left foot to fall behind your forward foot so they are staggered forward and back, and shift your walking to a "gallop," getting your back foot to catch up to your forward foot. Maintain a gallop for at least 30 seconds, or until you are completely comfortable with the new rhythm.
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Hang on to the treadmill guard rails if you need to. Gradually shift the weight to stay on your forward foot, so instead of your rear foot catching up, you are actually stepping and then immediately hopping on your front foot. Allow your rear foot to come parallel to your forward foot and transfer the weight to step and hop on what was your rear foot. Continue this rhythm stepping and hopping on each foot, from foot to foot.
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Gradually start to raise your knees higher with each two-beat hop, thinking of propelling your body in an upward motion rather than a forward motion.
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If you are comfortable enough at this point, let got of the treadmill and gradually increase your speed until you are able to push off the ball of your foot with each hop, get your knees high, and maintain a fluid skipping motion without losing your rhythm. If you find yourself faltering or losing your balance, drop the speed down immediately and start again from a gallop, to a two-beat hop, and then to a skip.
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Tips & Warnings
Always start off either galloping or skipping at a pace that is slower than what you are actually comfortable at, then increase the speed gradually.
As you become more confident with skipping, you can skip the "gallop" and transition straight into skipping at a pace that is comfortable for you.
Do no attempt to skip on a treadmill if you are a first-time treadmill user and/or are uncomfortable adapting your steps to the motion of a treadmill.
Avoid skipping on a treadmill if you have ankle or foot injuries.
Always consult your physician first if you are unsure if a physical activity is right for you.
