If your children want to participate in sports like basketball, gymnastics, track or taekwondo, then good jumping skills can come in handy. Their ability to jump can also have an impact on how they play in the backyard or on the playground. To help improve your children's ability to jump, you can invest in some exercise equipment. A few pieces of equipment that can improve kids' jumping skills are a jump rope, aerobic step bench and mini-trampoline.
Jump Rope
A jump rope is a simple piece of exercise equipment, but it can improve your child's jumping abilities. Each time your child swings the rope around and jumps over it, he develops his coordination for jumping. According to The Jump Rope Institute, this type of exercise also can improve balance, reflexes, muscular endurance and bone density. If your child tries to swing the rope around twice each time he jumps, then he can also practice jumping higher. In addition, there are games and rhymes that can make this exercise more fun for your kid. You can buy a durable jump rope for as little as $5.
Aerobic Step Bench
Aerobic step benches are used in step classes at gyms, but they can also be used to improve kids' jumping skills. A step bench is a plastic or polyethylene platform that is about 40 inches wide. The benches can typically be adjusted to 4, 6 or 8 inches in height. Prices on aerobic step benches can range from about $30 to over $80. An example of an exercise that your child can perform on this piece of equipment is the box jump. A box jump is performed by jumping from a crouched position onto the step bench. Your kid can have fun pretending to softly land on the bench like a cat.
Mini-Trampoline
On a mini-trampoline, your child can practice jumping without placing any undue stress on her ankles, knees or hips. A mini-trampoline can also offer your child several other health benefits. According to healingdaily.com, this piece of exercise equipment can improve coordination, circulation and muscle tone. Jumping on a mini-trampoline can also give your child a cardiovascular workout. You can find a mini-trampoline for less than $30, but some can cost well over $100. Mini-trampolines are usually about 3 feet in diameter. Make sure your child jumps in the middle of this equipment because getting too close to the edge can cause injuries.
Member Comments