For the eternal dream of flying, young and old don’t necessarily have to get on an airplane or a helicopter. A trampoline is enough to defy gravity for a few moments and make children’s eyes light up in the apparent weightlessness. The best thing about it: The fun jumps in the air also challenge the muscles, coordination skills and mind of the little ones. There is also an extra portion of tingling in the stomach. A trend sport that spilled over from the Czech Republic to Germany a few years ago is not quite as high: jumping fitness.
In this article you will find out what the sweaty trampoline workout for young and old is all about, why it is a good alternative for those who don’t like jogging and how you can use it to efficiently shed a few extra pounds.
A fitness trend “imported” from the Czech Republic has been spreading across Germany for some time. Almost every larger fitness studio had jumping fitness courses in their program before the Corona crisis – and the boom is likely to continue when the gyms are allowed to open their doors again. That’s why many people are currently letting off steam in their own four walls on their own fitness trampolines. The jumping mats are just over a meter wide. They fit practically in every living room or children’s room. Especially since most of them can be reduced to a practical pack size when the workout is over or the children have exhausted themselves. But that’s not the only advantage that the versatile mini-trampolines (the big 2021 fitness trampoline test can be found here) have over treadmills, cross trainers, other home fitness equipment, but also jogging or other outdoor activities.
In a 2016 study published in the International Journal of Sports, Turkish sports scientists looked at how fitness jumping on a mini-trampoline affects body weight, body fat and maximal oxygen uptake in young men. The scientists prescribed their subjects an eight-week standard training program for jumping fitness. A comparison group laced up their running shoes for eight weeks. In short, Gülşah Şahin and her team found that both endurance and jumping power had developed significantly better in the trampoline group than in the runners’ group. The scientists concluded that regular training on fitness trampolines not only improves endurance performance, but also has a positive effect on body fat percentage.
As early as the 1970s, scientists from the space agency NASA were investigating the potential of the sports equipment, which was not very popular at the time. From one of their studies with astronauts, they deduced that concentrated and conscious training on a trampoline is at least as effective as jogging. If you only jump around on the little black mat for the fun of it, you will wait in vain for the pounds to fall.
Jumping fitness is varied, the fun factor is great. Experts agree on that. However, due to the sparse study situation, specific effects for body and mind are still being eagerly discussed in sports science. This is how workouts on a fitness trampoline should:
The secret of Jumping Fitness is that fast and slow movements and jumps are linked. The cardiovascular system is therefore initially activated and challenged, but is allowed to regenerate briefly in the quiet phases. This constant alternation of stress and relief makes jumping fitness a first-class cardiovascular workout. As with other endurance and coordination workouts, this only works if you train at a level that corresponds to your fitness level. Home training is ideal for this, because there are no fellow trainees here, who you can easily get carried away by and who may strain your own body beyond its performance limits.Tip: It is best to train barefoot or with non-slip socks that are available here.
According to doctors, jumping fitness is not an option for pregnant women. Especially because the pelvic floor is under a lot of stress during pregnancy and already has its hands full. Heavy lifting is therefore just as counterproductive as sports that involve jumping. People with pacemakers should at least be careful. If you are unsure, it is best to consult your family doctor.
Even if a fitness trampoline has little or nothing to do with an opulent garden trampoline: the mini versions are also fun for the whole family. Some manufacturers have developed special mini trampolines for children. A model with an integrated ball pit is available here. Important: These children’s trampolines are usually only tested and approved up to a weight of around 50 kilograms.
Sources: “acefitness.org”; “trampolin-profi.de”; “barmer.de”; “jumping.fitness”
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