Trampolines are not only fun, but they can also be used as practical exercise tools. In fact, trampoline in an official Olympic sport. A trampoline's best asset may be that it is fun, as people seem to like being tossed up to defy gravity, but the real credit is due to the benefits of training on a trampoline. It helps develop skills for a variety of sports and also provides a low-impact cardio option for people looking to lose weight or stay healthy.
Unstable Strength Training
Most body weight and free weight exercises can be performed on a trampoline to recruit more stabilizing muscles and build strength. In "Unstable Resistance Exercises," Jeffrey M. Willardson, Ph.D., CSCS, concluded that stability training should be a part of sport conditioning programs. The reason is that while playing many sports, athletes are in unstable positions performing a sport specific action. A hockey player, for example, performs skills in slippery conditions requiring recruitment of specific muscles for stabilization. That same recruitment of muscles can be simulated on a trampoline. A squat can be performed on a trampoline to challenge the legs and core the same way an ice hockey player is challenged performing a squat-like position on the ice while reaching for the puck. Another example is using a weighted medicine ball to throw to a partner while standing or jumping.
Jumping
Simply jumping on a trampoline will burn calories. Your heart rate will increase and you will become short of breath as you increase the frequency and height of your jumps. Variations include: continually jump as high as you can; jump as frequently as you can; jump with added arm and leg movements while in the air (for example, add a kicking and punching routine); and incorporate jumping jacks, splits and pikes while in midair.
Running in Place
Running in place on a trampoline offers a low-impact alternative to running on a treadmill or on the ground. In the article, "Keeping Knees Healthy in Restricted Work Spaces," the Center for Disease Control and Prevention listed rebounding as a low-impact exercise that will help strengthen the legs. Simply standing on the rebounder (trampoline) can help build stability, and running in place will enhance those gains. Running on a trampoline can be used as a substitute for higher-impact running or as a supplement to increase balance.
Flips
Large trampolines can spring you up high enough to allow you to flip forwards or backwards--and any other direction. Beyond flipping specifically to participate in trampoline as its own Olympic event, athletes from other sports use the trampoline to practice flips they would do in another sport. The "New York Times" interviewed the 2006 snowboarding Olympic silver medalist, Gretchen Bleiler, who said that a trampoline allows her to know how the jump skill should look and feel, which better prepares her for the hills.
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