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The last time you skipped anywhere, you may have been wearing pigtails or carrying a superhero lunch box. Skipping is often thought of as a playground activity reserved for children who still frolic around swing sets and sandboxes. However skipping, like so many other forms of play (including jumping rope), is often left behind with age as young adults take on more serious forms of exercise such as running.

But running may be doing a great deal of harm to the bones, joints, and bodies of people who prefer this form of exercise. With that in mind, researchers from East Carolina University and Appalachian State University worked with 30 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 30, evenly divided between men and women. Each study participant took part in a training program that taught them how to properly skip up to one mile on a laboratory treadmill. Once the participants were able to achieve this, the researchers began taking measurements of gait, force, and energy expenditure (how many calories they actually burned).

The results showed that running produces nearly two times the peak force on the kneecap compared to skipping. In addition, the average peak force on the tibiofemoral joint (the knee hinge where the femur, tibia, and patella meet) is 30 percent greater in people who run compared to people who skip. The study also found that skipping burns 30 percent more calories than runners.

In conclusion, the researchers suggest people who appreciate the cardio activity of running but want to avoid injuries may find skipping is a well-suited activity.

The number of people facing injuries as a result of running is on the rise, with the most common running injuries being the knees and lower extremities. But skipping also has some potential drawbacks, says Thanu Jey, DC, clinic director at Yorkville Sports Medicine Clinic in Toronto. According to Jey, “Skipping may put less impact through the knee joints, but it does put more repetitive stress on your ankles and calves…a combination of both [running and skipping] would be ideal for burning calories while giving your body a break,” Jey said.

Don’t skip a workout, but DO try skipping! It may look and feel a little weird at first, but trust us, it’s a fun way to lose weight and to feel great! Click the button below and our certified trainers at Success Studio will be ready to skip with you to help get you started! And if you decide to try, let us know your experience with it in the comments below!