«Skipping» – or «lifting your knees up as you run» – trains and improves your running style, performance, and responsiveness. The three best «skipping» exercises for runners.

This article is brought to you by Medical Running

In this article, I'll show you three selected skipping exercises that you can incorporate into your running training:

• Start with a straight, 10 to 20 m-long route
• Make sure you have a precise movement pattern
• Start slowly and slowly increase the tempo. Start slow and skip high.

Exercise 1: Foot and ankle work

Start: Stand with your feet hip-width apart in front of a mirror and alternately lift your heels. The toes remain on the floor for as long as possible and do not leave the floor at all when you do it slowly and only briefly when you do it fast. 
Dosage: Start with three times 30 seconds with short breaks. Start slowly and in a controlled manner and then constantly increase the tempo. 
Take note: The standing leg is stretched. The foot, knee and hip are in an axis. The pelvis is lower on the side of the standing leg. Only increase the cadence insofar as you can perform the exercise cleanly.
Variation: Do the same exercise running forwards instead of standing on the spot.

Exercise 2: Skipping medium-high and high

Start: Alternately raise the knees to a medium height. Do this first on the spot and then run forwards for a distance of 10 to 20 metres. 
Dosage: Three rounds. Start slowly and in a controlled manner, and only then increase the tempo.
Take note: The standing leg is stretched. The foot, knee and hip are in an axis. The pelvis is lower or horizontal on the side of the standing leg. Only increase the cadence insofar as you can perform the exercise cleanly. Activate the trampoline effect by activating the muscles on the underside of the foot (pretension).
Variations: As a variation, you can alternately raise your knees – first left, then right. First run on the spot for checking purposes, then run forwards. Go faster and faster – just like a sewing machine.

Exercise 3: Alternative training

Start: Raise the right knee three times and then the left knee three times over a distance of 10 to 20 metres. As a step-up, you can try raising the right knee once and the left knee three times, and vice versa. 
Dosage: Do three rounds of each with breaks in between. Start slowly and in a controlled manner and then increase the tempo. 
Variations: Do the skipping training in exercise 2. With every fifth step, stay briefly in a running stride position and freeze! – hold for three seconds. Then continue.