As we head into the new year, many people are looking to make changes to their lifestyle to promote healthy living and fitness.
But for one woman, the change came earlier in the year as she decided to take up skipping as a form of exercise and said it has made a massive positive impact on her health and outlook on life.
Laura O'Donovan said she began skipping six months ago after losing her job due to the pandemic.
Unfortunately, Laura lost a job she loved in a senior management position after a downturn in business meant her position could not be saved.
Laura said: "I had had a few really bad weeks to do with work, or lack of, during the summer.
"I had been applying for roles for months at that stage, but nothing seemed to be coming good, and like many people, I felt the pandemic was really getting to me, and my outlook, in general, was not great."
Laura said she became inspired to take up a new form of exercise after seeing a woman skipping on Instagram.
She said: "I was online one night, I saw this video, it was actually on a running platform on Instagram, called Running Territory and I thought to myself, she seems, well I would say, a pretty normal girl and then I thought, oh god if she can skip like that maybe I could try to do something similar.
"So I took it up literally the next day, it was the 1st of July, I was down at home visiting my family and went and bought a skipping rope for €7, and it all started from there."
Setting up her own Instagram page, laura_leaps, to track progress, Laura shared her journey with followers and inspired others to join her.
Laura said skipping has made a 'really positive' impact on her life, allowing her to really enjoy exercise for the first time.
"I turned 43 yesterday, and it's the first time in my life that I have ever really looked forward to exercise," Laura said.
"Any other form of exercise, I'd do it because I know that I'll feel better afterwards, but I don't look forward to it. Whereas this is the first time ever, and I've run for years, and I've done small triathlons and lots of bits and pieces, but I never looked forward to something like I do with this."
Skipping is a great way to promote fun exercise, and Laura says it has really helped her mindset.
She said: "I think it should be promoted for fun and a healthy mindset. Really that is the message that I would want to get out there.
"It's not about weight loss or any of that, it's really to help your mind, and if there are any extra benefits, you know that's a personal thing."
She added: "For me, I know that things have changed slightly, but that probably is simple things like my calves are so much stronger I can skip for so much longer, and I would say my upper body strength is probably better because I skip with weighted ropes. "
"There is a huge network of people on Instagram skipping, and it is probably one of the friendliest online communities I have come across."
Laura said: "If you are looking to get active, change how you feel about yourself and join a great group of people, you should pick up a rope.
"It's cheap, you can do it anywhere, and the benefits are amazing."
