How to Exercise on a Small Trampoline: Fun and Low-Impact Exercise

How to Exercise on a Small Trampoline: Fun and Low-Impact Exercise
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Rebounding is an aerobic workout that is good for your heart and lungs and can help you lose weight. It has three main advantages over many other types of aerobic exercise.

  1. Rebounding is easy on your joints and subjects them to far less impact than exercise on hard surfaces. NASA states that trampolines are beneficial for exercise because they provide a “low level of trauma to the musculoskeletal system.”
  2. Jumping on a trampoline is beneficial for the lymphathic system. The jumping motion stimulates the lymphatic system, encouraging the release of toxins from the body, says Dr. Donald E. Colbert in the 2005 issue of “Nutri News”.
  3. Rebounding is fun. A fun workout is one that you are more likely to continue.

Read the following safety precautions and workout tips to learn how to properly use your trampoline.

Safety First

Consider safety first before exercising by following these four rules:

  1. Warning: Talk to your doctor before you begin working out on a trampoline and before starting any new exercise program. Be sure to inform your doctor of any health problems and complaints you have so he can properly ascertain if rebounding is safe for you to perform.
  2. Warning for Kids. The American Academy of Pediactrics warns that trampolines are unsafe for children and suggests parents keep children 6 years old and under away from them and only allow children older than 6 years of age to use them under strict supervision.
  3. Read and follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions regarding set-up, placement and use of the trampoline.
  4. Reduce the chances of slip and fall injuries by always keeping the surface of the trampoline dry during workouts. A wet trampoline can be slippery and cause you to fall. Shoes can be slippery on trampoline surfaces.Take off your shoes and leave on your socks before your workout.

Workout Tips

The key to exercising on a small trampoline is to use controlled movements to avoid injury. Instead of jumping high and flailing your legs and arms wildly, keep your jumps low and your movements purposeful. Following the controlled movement and low jump guidelines, you can pretty much do any type of exercise you want on a small trampoline. Use your imaganiation and do moves that feel good for your body. To get you started, try the following moves to teach you how to exercise on a small trampoline:

  • March in place, lifting your knees up high and moving your arms back and forth. Marching in place gives you a low-impact workout and acts as a warmup for more intense exercise.
  • Jog in place to intensify your workout and burn more calories. Don’t forget to move your arms back and forth. Working out both your arms and legs at the same time increases the amount of calories your burn.
  • Do jumping jacks. Control your jumping jack jumps so that you don’t lift your feet off the trampoline by more than three inches.
  • Jump up and down in place, keeping your jumps controlled so that your feet don’t lift off the trampoline by more than three inches.

References

Journal of Applied Physiology 49(5): 881-887; NASA; 1980

Nutri News; Curbing the Toxic Onslaught; Donald E. Colbert, M.D.; Autumn 2005

AAP News: Trampolines Unsafe for Children at Any Age