CHILDREN were skipping themselves to fitter lifestyles at Red Oaks Primary School this week after a visit from coaching company, Premier Sport.

The Swindon franchise of the firm, which is run by Jan Miller, spent Tuesday(mar24) teaching children how to skip and how to use the skill to improve their activity levels.

Around 70 children from five different schools trekked to the Redhouse provision for the morning, including Even Swindon, Bishopstone, Croft and Seven Fields primary schools.

Jan, who has been working with Premier Sport during the past few weeks to introduce the children to skipping, said: "We had heard from some schools that because children didn't know how to skip they were using the skipping ropes to whip and hurt each other in the playground rather than skip.

"But since we've been in we've heard that some youngsters are choosing to skip in their golden time.

"We've also heard more boys are beginning to skip, which is good, because it's not something that should be considered to be just a girls' activity."

During the mass skipping event youngsters had a chance to take part in a number of different activities and learn some different steps.

Jan said: "It was a wonderful day, the weather was brilliant and the children's behaviour was superb.

"It's all abut fitness skipping, and it's about using skipping to raise children's heart rate and have some fun getting some more exercise."