Can Trampoline Workouts Increase Your Fitness?

Beginning from when I was a young boy, I can recall many adventurous visits to my friend Bryan’s house, where we would do boy things like jump in the creek, fish, hang from rope swings, climb cliffs, look for snakes and animals, start tiny fires, and…

…jump for hours on a trampoline until we were completely covered in sweat and our muscles were done! Sure, this exhausting jump workout was typically followed by copious amounts of time eating junk food and playing video games (yeah, yeah, I got on the extreme health and fitness bandwagon later in life), but new research actually shows that some things you loved doing as a kid, such as running around in nature, not sitting for long periods of time and—you guessed it—jumping on a trampoline are great for your body, even as an adult.

The latest study conducted by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), discovered that, when it comes to heart rate and oxygen expenditure, bouncing on a mini-trampoline for less than 20 minutes a day is just as good for you as running, although participants reported that it made them feel better and was a lot more fun than actually running.

In the study, researchers gave a group of 24 participants a mini trampoline workout in the form of a 19-minute trampoline exercise video (the video is available online and is called a “JumpSport” workout). They then measured the jumpers’ heart rates and oxygen expenditure each of the 19 minutes.

They specifically found that trampolining is rated as a “moderate-to-vigorous intensity” exercise that produces the same physiological benefits as running six miles per hour, cycling, or playing football, basketball, or ultimate Frisbee. But as I mentioned earlier, when the participants were actually asked to rate how they felt during the trampoline workout, they reported that the workout felt far easier than it should have based on their cardiovascular response and calorie burn.

This isn’t actually groundbreaking news. In fact, trampoline-based exercise, also known as “rebounding” has a quite a colorful history as both a recreational sport and exercise modality. For example, during World War II, trampolines were used to help increase the spatial awareness and balance abilities of pilots. NASA has studied trampoline training for astronauts and found it to be (similar to this latest study) just as effective as running, with no significant differences in maximal heart rate, maximal oxygen uptake or energy expenditure when exercising on a mini-trampoline compared to treadmill running.

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But cardiovascular benefits aren’t the only upside to bouncing on a trampoline. For example, one downside of running is that it can lead to knee, hip, ankle and other joint injuries, especially for people with existing joint pain or arthritis or excessive weight. But even though the biomechanics of trampolining are similar to jumping and landing on the ground, the trampoline absorbs up to 40% of of the potential joint impact, making it far easier on the body compared to pounding the pavement.

Although there isn’t a plethora of research behind the claim, many trampoliners tout the benefits of “lymph flow” and low-impact blood flow, both which can be beneficial for the immune system, natural, mild detoxification, and increased blood flow to the brain.

And of course, bouncing on a mini-trampoline, or a big backyard trampoline, or any of the growing number of giant warehouses full of trampoline games like trampoline dodgeball, are obviously a lot of fun (my eight year old boys and I visit such our local trampolining facility at least once a month, and own a mini-trampoline too).

So are you ready to begin bouncing? First, you’ll need a well-built mini-trampoline, also known as a rebounder, which will set you back about $35 to $100. Next, you’ll need a workout plan. Below, you can check out a sample mini-trampoline workout that will have you lung-sucking much more than you actually thought. And if you get bored of a trampoline, you can always mix up this type of workout with body weight calisthenics, weight training, cycling, a treadmill, or anything else you’d like!

A Mini-Trampoline Workout

1. Warm Up

Start out with two minutes of regular jumping, then switch to two minutes of jumping jacks in the middle of the trampoline, then two minutes of high-knee running in place.

2. Core

Next, sit down in the middle of the trampoline, then quickly pop up to standing position as fast as you can. For an added challenge, each time you pop up, reach alternating arms across your body. Do this for two minutes, then shift to sitting in the middle of the trampolining, lifting your legs and contracting your abs for 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, three times through.

3. Legs

Stand on one foot on one side of the trampoline, as far over as you can fit, then quickly transition to the other side of the trampoline by landing on the opposite foot, just like an ice skater might do. Always push off with the foot that is down. Go as fast as you can for 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest, for a total of 4 minutes.

4. Upper Body

Finally, get down in plank position on the surface of the trampoline, with your forearms in the middle of the trampoline. From here, transition to your hands. Quickly convert up to a pushup position, then return to a plank, keeping your abs contracted the entire time, without your shoulders sagging. Shoot for thirty to fifty reps.

Cool-down with 1-3 minutes of light jumping, and there you have it: a 20 minute trampoline workout that creates far less joint impact, more fun, and just as much calorie burn and cardiovascular benefit as running! Do you have more questions about rebounding, trampolining or more. Then join the conversation over at http://ift.tt/1FSsU8r.