Jumping Fitness: Effective trampoline workout at home

Trampoline trend
Jumping fitness: only flying is better (but not as efficient)

Studies suggest that jumping fitness can train endurance as effectively as jogging.

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At first glance, jumping fitness sounds like one of many trends wafting through blogs and the hallways of gyms. But the sweaty music workout on mini trampolines is more than that. Read here why and for whom it is the right thing.

For the eternal dream of flying, young and old don’t necessarily have to get on a plane or a helicopter. A trampoline is enough to defy gravity for a few moments and to make children’s eyes shine in the apparent weightlessness. The best thing about it: The fun jumps in the air also challenge the muscles, the coordination skills and the spirit 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 does not go 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.

Mini trampoline: fitness all-rounder for young and old

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 its 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 romping around in their own four walls on their own Fitness trampolines the end. The jumping mats are only a little more than a meter wide. This means that they fit practically in any living room or children’s room. Especially since most of them can be reduced to a practical pack size when the work-out is over or the children have exhausted themselves on it. But that’s not the only advantage that the versatile mini trampolines (the large Fitness trampoline test 2021 can be found here) opposite treadmills, cross trainers, other fitness equipment for home, but also jogging or other outdoor activities.

Studies: How Effective is Jumping Fitness?

In a 2016 study published in the International Journal of Sports, Turkish sports scientists examined the question of how fitness jumping on a mini trampoline affects body weight, body fat and maximum 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 a nutshell, Gülşah Şahin and her team found that in the trampoline group, both stamina and jumping power had developed significantly better than in the runner group. The scientists concluded that regular exercise on fitness trampolines could not only improve endurance performance, but could also have a positive effect on body fat percentage.

As early as the 1970s, scientists from the space agency NASA were on the trail of the then unpopular sports equipment and its potential. 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 just jump around on the little black mat just for the fun of it, you will wait in vain for the pounds to drop.

Which muscles are trained in jumping fitness?

Jumping fitness is varied, the fun factor is great. Experts agree on that. Due to the limited number of studies, specific effects for the body and mind are still being discussed in sports science. So work-outs are supposed to be on one Fitness trampoline:

  • train the body holistically
  • activate the metabolism
  • Train your sense of balance and coordination
  • promote concentration
  • strengthen the bone structure
  • improve endurance
  • strengthen a variety of muscles and muscle groups (we are talking about up to 400 muscles)
  • and last but not least, protect the joints.

The secret of jumping fitness is that fast and slow movements and jumps are linked together. The cardiovascular system is initially activated and challenged, but is allowed to regenerate briefly in the quiet phases. This permanent alternation of loading and unloading 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 level of fitness. Home training is ideal for this, because here there are no fellow trainers, who you can easily get carried away with and possibly strain your own body beyond its performance limit.

Tip: It is best to train barefoot or with non-slip socks, which are available here.

Jumping fitness at home: what to look out for

  1. Before you buy, think about where you want the fitness trampoline to be and choose the size according to the space available (the more freedom of movement, the better)
  2. Make sure that the jumping mat of the home trampoline is attached to elastic ropes. Not only are they quieter than springs, they also don’t tire as quickly.
  3. Think about the other people in the house. A non-slip athletic mat under the trampoline cushions and possibly ensures peace in the house.
  4. Obtain a DVD of exercises for beginners. This makes it easier to get used to.
  5. Don’t overdo it on the first few sessions. Start slowly.

According to doctors, jumping fitness is not an option for pregnant women. Mainly because the pelvic floor is heavily used 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 generally 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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