When I first picked up a jump rope I had no idea what I was doing and hadn’t taken cardio seriously for over 10 years so I was incredibly unfit. After lots of trial and error and a few overuse injuries, I realised I needed to start from the very beginning and work my way up. Where did I start? My initial goal was to reach 30 seconds of jumping followed by 30 seconds of rest for 5 rounds. For the first few sessions I could manage 20-25 seconds and then needed around 40 seconds to recover. About 1-2 weeks in, I had managed to increase my jumping time and reduce my recovery periods. My stamina w ..read more

Want to learn to jump rope but have no idea where to begin? Don’t worry, I’ve been there too and I know how intimidating it can be - after all, it's not as easy as it looks! But with these 10 tips and a bit of practice, you'll be jumping like a pro in no time! Read on to find out my top 10 tips for jump rope beginners to help you get started. Tip 1: How to choose the right jump rope Code SARAH = 10% off There are lots of different types of ropes to choose from - beaded, wired, weighted, pvc and even ropeless ropes! My recommendation is to choose an adjustable beaded rope like this one from D ..read more

Skipping is a great form of exercise that can be done year-round, even during the chilly winter months. Here are some tips to help you stay safe, warm, and having fun while jumping rope in the winter. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sarah Louise - Jump Rope (@skippingwithsarah) Dress like an onion. Think multiple layers when it comes to your winter jump rope wardrobe! Start with a moisture-wicking base layer to keep you dry, then add a cozy mid-layer for insulation, and finish with a waterproof outer layer to protect against the elements. As you progress through your jump rope ..read more

(When you’re not a morning person) They say you’re either an early bird or a night owl. For many years I convinced myself that I am the latter. There was no amount of money you could pay me to forego my early morning snooze, let alone get me out of bed to go to a gym!! That was until I realised the benefits that I personally experience when I work out in the morning. From there, I simply found a way to shift my mindset and routine so that I could become an early morning workout person. The main reason I shifted my gym sessions from the evening to the morning was because I hated going to a pa ..read more

How many times have you started a new exercise regime feeling super motivated at the start, only for it to fizzle out within a few months or even a couple of weeks? If that sounds like you then you are not alone. Over 90% of people quit the gym within 3 months of joining, so the chances are you’re in the majority. But why does this happen and how can you ensure that your new workout regime doesn’t crash and burn like the rest of your failed attempts? Is it actually a lack of motivation? What if I told you that most people who consistently workout don’t actually rely on motivation. So if it’s ..read more

Why lockdown was a gamechanger for my mindset. Exercise has never really been my “thing”. At school I avoided PE lessons like the plague which is weird, because I had been passionate about dancing since I was 5 years old, but I didn’t really think of it as exercise. When I turned 18 I grew out of going to dance lessons and became almost allergic to exercise. Not literally, but I viewed exercise as somewhat of a torture device. Why would I intentionally do that? Unless I wanted to lose weight, exercise could get in the bin. Throughout my 20s I suffered from what I now recognise as being disorde ..read more

It’s January, which means there is a tonne of content on social media which will tell you that jump rope is “an efficient way to burn calories”. No duh, it’s a form of cardio just like walking, running, cycling… you get the picture. Just because something “burns calories” isn’t, in my opinion, a good enough reason to want to do something. If that were the case, we might as well all do burpees til we’re blue in the face (and no one wants that…). Jumping rope is one of the greatest ways to improve your health. Why? Well actually, it would be easier and quicker to write a list of all the reasons ..read more

Why jump rope is the perfect skill to learn, at any age. As we get older, it can sometimes feel like we're set in our ways and that it's too late to learn new skills. You’ve heard the saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. But this simply isn't true! No matter our age, we can still learn new things and challenge ourselves in exciting ways. In fact, according to Science, not only can older adults learn multiple new skills, but doing so may improve their cognitive functioning considerably. Most of the time, people’s barrier to learning a new skill is not a physical impairment, but a me ..read more