Skipping Your Way to Wellness: The Forgotten Childhood Movement That Could Transform Your Health

Remember the unbridled joy of skipping across the playground? That carefree movement wasn't just fun—it was medicine your body instinctively craved. It's time to reclaim this powerful, playful movement.

The Lost Art of Skipping
When was the last time you skipped?
Not metaphorically skipping a workout or meal—but literally propelling yourself forward in that rhythmic, alternating hop-step that once came so naturally.
For most of us, the answer might be "decades ago." Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we replaced skipping with walking, running, or structured exercise. But what if that spontaneous, joyful movement was exactly what our bodies and minds need most?

The Science Behind the Skip
Skipping isn't just nostalgic fun—it's a biomechanical marvel with research-backed benefits. Stuart McMillan, a renowned track and field coach, explains that skipping can get you moving better AND having better posture in all your activities. He calls it a “zero-cost activity” that requires minimal time investment. It can help protect you against injuries and improve your longevity.
According to Dr. Jessica Matthews, kinesiology professor and senior advisor for the American Council on Exercise, "Skipping integrates cross-lateral movement, which activates both brain hemispheres simultaneously, enhancing neural communication and coordination."
This cross-lateral movement creates a full-body integration that:

• Strengthens your core stabilizers
• Improves left-right brain coordination
• Enhances proprioception (your body's position sense)
• Activates your vestibular system (balance)

Research published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science suggests that movements incorporating cross-lateral patterns can improve cognitive function and neuroplasticity—your brain's ability to form new neural connections.

Why Skipping Deserves a Place in Your Wellness Routine
1. The Perfect Complement to Pilates
As a Pilates practitioner, you're familiar with the importance of core engagement, controlled movement, and body awareness. Skipping naturally:

• Reinforces the core stability you develop in Pilates
• Challenges your balance in dynamic, functional patterns
• Improves coordination between the upper and lower body

2. Mood-Boosting Magic
Skipping triggers an immediate release of endorphins and serotonin—nature's mood elevators. A 2019 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that brief bouts of playful movement significantly reduced stress hormones and improved mood states.
"Playful movement activates the parasympathetic nervous system, counteracting the fight-or-flight response we experience during chronic stress," explains Dr. Kelly McGonigal, health psychologist and author of The Joy of Movement.
3. Bone Density Benefits
For women concerned about bone health, skipping provides gentle impact that strengthens bones. Research from the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research indicates that brief, intermittent impact activities stimulate osteoblast activity (cells that build bone).
4. Cardiovascular Conditioning
Skipping elevates your heart rate quickly but allows for natural variations in intensity. This makes it an accessible form of interval training, which has been shown to improve cardiovascular health more efficiently than steady-state exercise.

How to Start Skipping (Without Feeling Silly)
Begin in Privacy
Start in your backyard, a quiet park, or even your living room. This gives you space to reconnect with the movement without self-consciousness.

Start with "Invisible Skipping"
Try this Pilates-inspired progression:

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, core engaged
2. Imagine a line in front of you
3. Step forward with your right foot, allowing a slight hop up of the right foot
4. Alternate left and right, gradually increasing the height of your step
5. Add arm movements as you become comfortable

Try a Jumpboard Pilates class where you can jump of two feet or one foot (like skipping) all while lying down.

Progress to Full Skipping
Once you've mastered the basic movement:

• Increase the height of your skip
• Add arm swings
• Vary your tempo and distance
• Incorporate directional changes

Make It Social
Invite a friend for a "skip and chat" session—you'll be amazed how quickly the self-consciousness fades when you're moving and laughing together.

A Week of Skipping: Your Starter Plan
Monday: 30 seconds of skipping after your Pilates practice
Wednesday: Skip for 1 minute during a walking break
Friday: 3 sets of 30-second skips, focusing on form
Weekend: Take a playful skip through the park

Make Skipping a Workout
Now that you are familiar with skipping, incorporate it into your walking or jogging routine.  For example, intersperse 20-30-second of skips throughout your walk or jog.  Try the following skipping workout suggested by Stu McMillan:
Skipping Workout: Do a good, 10–15-minute warm-up that includes some easy skips as well as jogs and stretches.  Then, add a little bit more speed, force, and velocity to that skip where it becomes in and of itself a workout. Skip as hard as you can for 50 meters and walk back. Repeat that 10-15 times.
 
Mindfulness in Motion
Skipping demands presence. You cannot skip while scrolling your phone or mentally reviewing your to-do list. This enforced mindfulness is precisely what makes it so valuable as a wellness practice.
"Movement that requires attention creates a state of embodied cognition—a mind-body connection that can reduce rumination and anxiety," notes Dr. Tracey Abell, neuroscientist and movement specialist.

Your Permission to Play
Perhaps the most important benefit of skipping is the permission it grants you to be playful, to take up space, to move for joy rather than obligation.
In a world that often tells women to shrink, to be serious, to exercise for appearance rather than pleasure, skipping is a revolutionary act of self-care.

Your Skip-Starter Challenge
This week, I challenge you to skip for 30 seconds each day. Notice how you feel before and after. Pay attention to the sensations in your body, the thoughts in your mind.
Then share your experience with a friend or tag us, Uplift Pilates and Wellness, on social media with #SkipForJoy. Your playful movement might just inspire someone else to rediscover the simple power of skipping.
Remember, wellness isn't just about structured exercise—it's about reconnecting with the joyful, intuitive movements your body craves.
Are you ready to skip your way to wellness?


References and Resources:

• Abell, T. (2021). "Embodied Cognition and Anxiety Reduction." Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 124, 233-241
• Chang, Y., et al. (2019). "Effects of Playful Physical Activity on Cognitive Function." Journal of Sport and Health Science, 8(5), 420-426.
• Huberman, A. (Host). (2025, March 17). “How to Increase Your Speed, Mobility, and Longevity with Plyometrics and Sprinting”. Ep 220, Huberman Lab, www.hubermanlab.com
• Kohrt, W.M., et al. (2018). "Impact Exercise and Bone Mineral Density." Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 33(8), 1366-1378.
• Matthews, J. (2020). "Cross-lateral Movement and Cognitive Function." American Council on Exercise Research Review.
• McGonigal, K. (2019). The Joy of Movement. Avery Publishing.