About Small Trampoline Exercise Mats

About Small Trampoline Exercise Mats
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Small trampoline exercise mats or fitness trampoline mats are used with rebound exercises, a low-impact form of exercise that provides the benefits of regular exercise without exhibiting stress on the joints. Part of the reason small trampolines are effective is because of the effort your body must exert to stay balanced on the trampoline while performing the exercises.

Effectiveness

When you walk, you place stress equal to almost four times your body weight on your legs and feet. You can reduce that pressure significantly by exercising on a small trampoline exercise mat. Your body uses all your muscle groups while exercising on the mat, strengthening your muscles, improving your balance and stimulating your circulatory system. The small trampoline provides you with aerobic exercise that can burn calories more efficiently because of placing less stress on the body.

How They Work

Small trampoline exercise mats use gravity, acceleration and deceleration to cause the body to strengthen itself. When you bounce on the trampoline, your body becomes weightless at the top of the bounce while at the bottom of the bounce; you experience 1.5 times the force of gravity. You can exercise more on a trampoline without being out of breath and get the same effect as jogging on a path. This also benefits individuals who have health issues that do not allow them to place stress on their joints because of injuries or arthritis.

Beginning Trampoline Exercises

Always stretch before any exercise program. Place your small trampoline exercise mat on a nonslip surface. Gently bounce on your small trampoline to get a feel for how it rebounds. Jog in place on your mat for two or three minutes. Perform jumping jacks on your trampoline. You can jog faster and do more jumping jacks on your trampoline because you will not impact your joints as you would on a solid surface, plus you burn more calories because you are able to exercise longer.

Intensify Small Trampoline

Increase the intensity of your small trampoline exercise mat workout by adding arm movements, twisting while bouncing, adding weights to your legs or holding hand weights. Jumping higher also adds intensity to the exercises. Adding to the intensity of your exercise on your mat will increase your heart rate and the amount of calories you burn. Exercise on your mat for five minutes a day adding exercises you could do on the floor. Exercising on a small trampoline gives you the feeling of weightlessness and can add fun to your exercising.

References

Article reviewed by Allen Cone Last updated on: May 26, 2011

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