Skater hops are side-to-side jumps from one leg to the other, with your arms swinging across your body like a speed skater. You land on one leg each time, so the hip, knee and ankle have to steady you quickly before the next push. They are a high impact exercise that comes late in a program, often in sport and running rehab once single leg strength and balance are good.

How to do the skater hops

Clear a space a few steps wide and wear supportive shoes on a non-slip floor. Stand tall with your feet hip width apart and facing forward.
Bend your knees and hips a little, then push off your left foot and jump sideways to the right.
Land softly on the ball of your right foot and let the heel lower as your knee and hip bend to absorb the landing. Your left leg swings behind the right, with the foot off the floor.
Swing both arms toward the landing side with each hop, the way a speed skater does. As you land on the right foot, the left arm swings across in front of your body toward the right and the right arm swings out and back, as in the video. Then swap as you hop to the left.
Steady yourself for a moment on the landing leg, then push off it and hop back to the left. Keep going from side to side.
Start with small, controlled hops. Add distance and speed only once every landing is quiet and steady.

What you should feel

Your buttocks and thighs work hard, and so do your calves. You will get out of breath fairly quickly. Landings should feel controlled, with no wobble or jolt in the knee or ankle.

Common mistakes

Stiff, noisy landings with the knee locked.
The landing knee dropping inward toward the other leg.
Going for speed or distance before the landings are steady.
Throwing the upper body far out to the side on landing instead of keeping your chest over the landing foot.

How often

Many programs start with 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 hops, counting each landing, or 20 to 30 seconds of work. Rest well between sets and leave a day between sessions. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

Chest pain or pressure, dizziness or feeling faint, a racing or irregular heartbeat, or being far more out of breath than the effort should cause.
Sharp pain in the hip, knee or ankle, a knee that gives way, or an ankle that rolls.
Leaking urine, or a feeling of pressure or heaviness low in the pelvis.
A sudden pop or snap at the back of your ankle or heel, a feeling that someone kicked you there, or sudden pain there after which you cannot push off or rise onto your toes on that leg. Stop, take the weight off that leg carefully and go to an urgent care center or emergency department the same day, even if you can still walk, as this can be a torn Achilles tendon.

From the clinic

The voice guide says to go as fast as possible, but speed comes last. Before adding skater hops, physios usually look for steady single leg stance and a controlled lateral lunge with the knee staying in line. A gentler version is the skater step: step to the side instead of hopping and let the back toes touch the floor lightly behind you. Pogo hops and single leg hops over a line are other ways to practice landings.

Each landing puts load through your joints and bones, and through the pelvic floor as well. Check with your physio or doctor before you start if you leak urine when you cough, sneeze or exercise, have osteoporosis, or have fallen in the past year. If your balance is not yet steady, practice the one-leg landing position beside a kitchen counter first.

If you have had a hip or knee replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon before you try skater hops. Many surgeons advise against jumping and hopping after a joint replacement for good, not just for the first months, because each landing sends high impact through the new joint. After any other hip, knee or ankle surgery, such as a ligament repair, ask your surgical team or physio before doing any hopping.

Pregnant, or had a baby in the past months? Talk to your midwife or physio first. With a heart condition or high blood pressure, get your doctor's advice before you start.

If chest pain, pressure or tightness does not ease quickly when you rest, spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick, feeling light-headed or being short of breath, call emergency services straight away, as this can be a heart attack. If it eases quickly and none of these happen, get medical advice the same day, and do not exercise again until you have been checked. If you faint while exercising, call emergency services, even if you feel fine again quickly.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-28.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Skater hops