Trampoline Exercise Basics

Trampoline Exercise Basics

Trampolining is Not Only Fun – It Can Help Get You in Shape!

Despite being an Olympic sport, many see a trampoline as something to buy for the children to have fun on in the garden. Yes, the children will have a great time jumping around. Though you should keep in mind that there are many health benefits that can be gained through regular trampoline exercise. This type of exercise can help you to lose weight and get in shape. Best of all, you’ll be keeping fit in a way which is a lot of fun!

If you spend just half an hour on a mini trampoline you can burn in the region of 160 calories. This this form of exercise has the benefit of being low impact, meaning not too many stresses on those muscles and joints. Working out on a trampoline every other day is an ideal suggested amount of exercise – once you are fit, you can up the duration and intensity of your sessions.

Below are five different suggested exercises you can perform on a trampoline to give you that fitness boost.

Trampoline Exercise Basics: Perfecting the Standard ‘Bounce’

Simply standing on the trampoline and bouncing around will give you immediate benefits, as you’ll be burning calories right away, although for a real benefit you should aim to be a little more organised.

The basic jumps require that you stand with your feet around six inches apart, keeping your arms bent while at your side. Now slightly bend your knees and begin to bounce, aiming to keep the bounce height as uniform as possible. A height of around six inches is good, although you should aim to use the trampoline in a way that you are comfortable. Having a set number of repetitions is always a good way to go too. When you first start, you’ll be surprised how quickly your heart rate goes up. As you gain experience, you’ll be able to repeat your jumps over and over, with only small breaks between sets.

Trampoline Exercise BasicsTrampoline Exercises: Knee Touches

This is a good workout that involves both your arms and legs in the action. Every time you bounce, you should raise one knee in the air and then bring down the opposite elbow to touch the raised knee. The following bounce you should change to the opposite arm and leg. Like the standard bounce, a set number of repetitions should be kept to – a good number is in the region of 30 (15 with each leg raised). You’ll notice that you can do this with increasing vigour as you gain experience, which helps burn those calories faster!

Note: The pick for this type of trampoline is the basic model from the ever-reliable Homcom – check out this dedicated amazon.co.uk product page for the gallery and details.

Trampoline Squats: Core Muscle Workouts

This is an exercise that will engage your abs and core muscles. When you jump up you should aim to spread your feet a little wider than the width of your shoulders, then land in a squat position. This should be with your knees bent and your thighs now parallel to the ground, while your arms are straight out in front of you. Imagine you are sitting in a chair and you’ll be in the right position.

Cardio Peaks: Trampoline Prances

This is an ideal cardiovascular exercise on a trampoline as it will increase your heart rate. You should start with your feet around six inches part and simply jog on the spot, although you should raise your knees to the level of your hips with each motion (hence the ‘prances’ name). A good, suggested repetition amount for this exercise is 30 lifts for each of your legs.

For the Flexible and Energetic: Touch Your Toes

This is a good exercise for the more energetic amongst you. To do this exercise you’ll need to jump higher than usual and as you jump you’ll extend both your arms and legs straight out in front of you. The aim is to touch your toes on each with your fingertips on each jump. Once again aim to stick to a set amount of repetitions, although this number can be lower for this more difficult workout.

Home Mini Trampolines

There are two categories of trampolines. Most products are aimed at children, these include the large models with netting that you can keep in your back garden. If you are serious about exercising regularly using a trampoline, then you need a smaller model which is designed for gymnastic use.

The best-selling model over at amazon.co.uk is the HomCom Mini Trampoline. This is reasonably priced, and has a ton of positive feedback from previous buyers.

HOMCOM 38" Foldable Mini Fitness Trampoline Home Gym Yoga Exercise Rebounder Indoor Outdoor Jumper w/Safety Pad, Blue and Black
With a diameter of 38”, this mini trampoline from the ever-reliable HomCom guarantees enjoyable workouts for users of all fitness levels… more

If you are after something larger, and for both you to enjoy and the kids to have a bounce on, then you’ll find those giant outdoor trampolines are not too expensive. You can pick up a 14-foot model with safety netting and padded surround for under £200 (less for the smaller / no-brand models).

The best seller in that category is from the popular specialists Zero Gravity – this comes in several sizes and is easy to put up and take down at the end of the summer. Check out my detailed review here, or see the gallery and feedback for yourself on the dedicated amazon.co.uk product page.

I have gone into a lot more detail on these bigger outdoor / play type models in this page covering the best outdoor trampolines compared.

More Popular Fitness Guides: