The health benefit of including squats and skips into our exercise regime are numerous and help our digestive system to balance and heal overall. It significantly improves the efficiency of the small intestine and encourages a thorough digestion process.
When we exercise our leg muscles, and deepen our breath while exercising, we accelerate our circulation, which allows for more oxygen uptake and increases the speed in which fluids travel through the body, allowing for greater nutrients uptake, nourishing our cells, promoting repair and healing.
The deep breathing which accompanies the squats and skips further helps the digestive system to regulate, while the bending action gently massages the internal organs, helping the body with proper elimination.
How to skip safely and easily: from Amanda Kloots:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3zgHI8QnqE
How to do squat safely:
1. Standing with your feet apart (a little wider than your hips), point your feet slightly outwards, so when you bend your knees, they will be aligned over your toes
2. Pick a focus point straight ahead of you, which you will concentrate on while doing your squats
3. You can place your palms on your thighs and slide them down so your wrists and forearms slide below the knees, and elbows can rest just above the knees (some people prefer to have their arms stretched out parallel to the floor, so choose the best option for you)
4. Tighten your core and with your feet firmly and evenly planted down and your chest and gaze up, start taking a deep breath in through your nose and start squatting down with a neutral back, sticking your bottom out slightly, as if you are sitting down onto a low stool behind you - ideally get to a parallel position where hips and knees are in line or slightly below (but please work at your own pace, one can build on that in time)
5. Now slowly and gently start coming back up, breathing out through your pursed mouth while extending your legs and gently squeezing your gluteus muscles. Your breathing is very important while doing squats – don’t hold your breath!
6. Depending on your level of fitness, build up to 10 squats, alternating with short bursts of skipping (again, please start gently and build it up over time) and aim to eventually do 3 repetitions of both at each session.
