From what I understand, skill raises exponentially, so the higher your skill levels are, the harder it is to improve them. If you really want to level some basic skills quickly is using an item such as a boulder. You can swing any weapon against it and it will improve your skill with each hit. For skills such as running and jumping, you can improve your skills by running into a wall or just jumping in place. For blocking, just letting a Neck of Greyling hit your shield constantly is a quick way to improve the skill. Good luck!