Tone your body with the skipping rope exercise in water

If you are looking for something different to do in the pool, then our pool exercise ideas are just the thing. No swimming required, just a steady, simple workout using the resistance and support offered by water. This idea is a skipping rope exercise with a noodle.

A skipping rope exercise with a noodle is a great all round tone up. It works a range of muscles all over the body. Always warm up before exercise. Check out our stretching section here for more on warming up. You can find leg stretch exercises here and arm stretches here.

• Body areas worked: upper legs, lower legs, stomach, shoulders, arms
• Equipment: noodle
• Related exercises: Twist Tuck Jumps

How to do the skipping rope exercise

Starting position

• Ensure the pool water level is at your shoulders
• Stand upright with your feet hip width apart and with soft knees
• Hold a noodle in front of you with your arms straight at shoulder height and the hands wider than the hips

Movement

• Push the floor away from you, then bring your knees up to your stomach and pull the noodle underneath your legs – the noodle should be behind you when you land.
• Immediately push the floor away from you again then bring your knees to the stomach – bring the noodle underneath your legs to finish.
• The noodle should be in front of you when you land
• Attempt to do 10-15 twist tuck jumps

Advanced option

If you feel this is too easy then you can increase the intensity by the following methods.

• Increase the number of repetitions
• Increase the speed of the repetitions

Simpler option

If you feel this is too hard then you can decrease the intensity by doing the following.

• Perform the exercise without the use of a noodle. This will reduce the resistance on the legs and arms.