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Jumping for Exercise 

Working out is not fun for most people. Despite the many obvious and surprising benefits, it’s tough for most people to convince themselves to hit the gym or go for a job. There’s always one excuse or another, but the fact is we just don’t feel like it most of the time. Even when you finally get off the couch and do it, and feel incredible the rest of the day, the next day…it’s just as hard to get back to it. There’s plenty of reasons for this. Maybe because it hurts, maybe because it’s embarrassing, maybe even simply: objects at rest tend to stay at rest. But there’s one reason not a lot of people talk about…working out is kind of boring.

By its nature its repetitive. Lift this ten times. Run this direction for twenty minutes. You can mix it up all you want. You can set challenges, do it with with friends, listen to music or a podcast, but the activity is still just boring.

You know what’s fun? Jumping!

Not on the ground though. I mean, there’s something to that, sure. But why jump on the ground when you could be soaring high into the sky on a trampoline.

Source: Trampoline Judge

Yeah, that’s right, you can work out by jumping on a trampoline. It’s such a fun activity that the last time you tried it, it might not have even occurred to you that you were working out. But you were! Even though jumping on a trampoline is easy, it’s actually a great work out. This study published by the American Council of Exercise looked at how effective trampoline exercise is, and found it to be a great work out.

But beyond just being effective, they also had this to say:

We would expect participants to report ratings of perceived exertion of about 13 at this intensity level,” he reports, “but the subjects averaged an RPE of 11.7, or a light to moderate intensity.” This tell us that the mini-trampoline workout did not feel as intense as it really was. “This may be because, while the muscles are working hard, the trampoline makes the activity less jarring,” says Dr. Porcari. “The enjoyment factor may make things easier, as well.

So it turns out not only is jumping on a trampoline a great source of exercise, it’s so fun that you forget you’re working out. And another great thing about trampolines is they open themselves up to a world of possibilities to keep yourself active. Eventually you’ll get bored of jumping in the same space over and over, right? So mix it up with some activities! Dodgeball, basketball, learning tricks and flips…that’s just the beginning of what you can do on a trampoline to not only burn calories, but train your muscles and skills.

If you add trampolines to your routine, when your friends ask, “have you been working out?” You’ll have to think about it before telling them, “Oh, actually, yes I have!”