Perform repeated high-knee skipping steps with an explosive knee drive to raise the heart rate and load the quadriceps. Maintain a quick, rhythmic pace while keeping your torso upright.
How to do the High Knee Skips#
- Stand with feet about shoulder-width and knees slightly soft, arms relaxed at your sides.
- Explosively push off the support foot and drive one knee up toward hip height while swinging the opposite arm for momentum.
- Land softly on the balls of your feet and immediately push off into the next skip, switching legs each repetition.
- Keep your chest upright and core engaged to control the motion and preserve a tall posture.
- Maintain a steady, quick rhythm for the chosen time or duration.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Hip flexors (Iliopsoas (Hip Flexors)), Quads (Quadriceps Femoris), Calves (Gastrocnemius & Soleus)
- Secondary: Glutes (Gluteus Maximus), Hamstrings (Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus & Semimembranosus), Abs (Rectus Abdominis)
Common mistakes#
- Leaning the torso backward instead of keeping it upright.
- Landing heavily on the heels instead of on the balls of the feet.
- Failing to drive the knee high enough, reducing the exercise intensity.
- Allowing arms to hang limp instead of using them to assist the drive.
