Sports Active: On the Bounce: When Keeping in Trim is an Up and Down Business ; There’s More to the Trampoline Than Meets the Eye. In Fact, Says Jennai Cox, Most of Us Would Struggle to Spell, Let Alone Name, Some of Its Health Benefits. How is Your Propr
Trampolines will be among the most popular gifts for children this Christmas. The well-publicised rise in obesity among the young is one reason for the upsurge in sales, but many parents have a hidden agenda as well: they enjoy a good bounce themselves.
Trampolines have been a fixture in fitness clubs and leisure centres for many years, although until recently their use was limited largely to classes for children. But since DIY stores and garden centres began stocking them about 18 months ago, large, circular trampolines have been appearing in increasing numbers on suburban lawns across the country; and adults have been hopping on to them with as much relish as their offspring.
Chris Prentis, founder of the trampoline manufacturers and retailers Super Tramp, foresaw the trend 20 years ago. In 1984, the year he set up the business, Prentis sold six trampolines; this year, sales have already reached 8,000.
“It all started when my daughter asked if we could have one in the garden, but there was nowhere to buy a proper trampoline,” Prentis says. He bought the materials and drawings from Australia, had a few made up, and the business has grown ever since. Some purchasers are even copying owners in Australia and South Africa by digging pits in their back garden into which to sink their trampolines.
Before getting started, a few lessons in the most basic trampolining moves are recommended, and it is particularly important to learn how to execute a “stop bounce”, which involves a deep knee- bend or squat on the trampoline to absorb energy and prevent movements getting out of control. Classes can be found at many leisure centres, for all ages and abilities, though most now have waiting lists.
Lucy Osmond, a former national competitor who now teaches at two centres in Hertfordshire, says she has noticed a gradual rise in popularity since trampolining featured in the 2000 Olympics. In Sydney, the men’s gold medal was won by the trampolining legend Alexander Moskalenko. While Osmond doesn’t teach the the flying Russian’s rapid-fire tumbles in her classes, she nevertheless coaches men and women of all ages and also conducts one-to-one sessions. “It seems to appeal to all ages and both sexes,” she says. “I haven’t yet met anyone who doesn’t enjoy it.”
Most experts agree that the benefits of regular trampolining far outweigh the dangers, particularly for otherwise sedentary adults. Jon Johnston, the director of Expert Fitness, a personal-training centre in Henley- on-Thames, says: “Moving around on an unstable surface stimulates the nerves and muscle spindles to improve balance and proprioception [spatial awareness], so could help prevent falls in older adults. It is also possible that the immune system is assisted, because movement helps lymphatic drainage.”
The lymphatic system, which removes toxins from the body, relies on activity and gravity to move fluid through the body. At the bottom of each bounce on a trampoline the body can experience a force equivalent to twice the downward pressure of gravity, which stimulates movement in the lymphatic system, thereby assisting in the expulsion of toxins.
Vertical jumping is also an excellent impact exercise for strengthening and building the bones, Johnston says. In one study carried out by Christine M Snow, director of the bone-research laboratory at Oregon State University, women who jumped vertically 300 times a week increased bone mass in their hips by 2.8 per cent.
Apart from health benefits, the fat-burning capacity of trampolining is also arousing interest. Karl Frew, a fitness presenter, found that even he managed to lose weight after starting to take two weekly 45-minute classes. And the few fitness centres that have started “cardio bounce” classes say they are among the most popular on their timetables.
But this is probably also because, after just a few bounces, most people will have a smile on their face, says Mike Buss, a personal trainer. “It is not always easy to get up early for that morning run or cycle, nor is it that inspiring to row or cross-train to nowhere in the gym. This is not the case with trampolining. Everyone, from six to 60, finds a 10-minute bounce a pleasure, not a chore.”
Now that Chris Prentis’s three daughters have grown up and left home, Prentis has the trampoline they left behind to himself. He maintains that, along with walking and swimming, trampoline jumping is one of the best forms of devel-opmental exercise for young children.
John Shepherd, a fitness expert and former athlete, says: “[Some] children just don’t like doing proper exercise. They will, however, spend literally hours on a trampoline, and from that derive a very good aerobic workout.
“Much the same applies to adults. You need to start off gently if you have not exerted yourself recently, but bouncing up and down for 20 minutes provides a good workout for the heart and lungs, as well as the legs, without the impact on the joints common to other forms of exercise, particularly running. Trampolining can also help to improve balance, co- ordination, reaction speed, and agility.”
Despite trampolining’s growing popularity, there are still some who should give it a wide berth. Some women, particularly those who have had children, can find their pelvic floor is not quite up to withstanding the force exerted. People with knee or back problems are advised against using trampolines, as are those with spatial- awareness or inner-ear problems, as the sensation can make them feel unwell or uncomfortable.
Although they can cost as much as the trampoline itself, surrounding safety nets are highly recommended, particularly if the trampolines are to be used unsupervised. A study in a Canadian medical journal found that up to 80 per cent of injuries – mostly caused by collisions, falling while trying to perform a stunt or landing on the frame – suffered by children between the ages of five and 15 occurred in the absence of an adult.
For more details and stockists of Super Tramp’s range of trampolines: 0800 197 1897, www.supertramp.co.uk. For details of the Cardio Bounce class at The Laboratory spa and health club, north London: www.labspa.co.uk. Karl Frew’s 90-minute `PT Bouncer Complete Body Workout’ video (pounds 15 plus pounds 2 p&p) is available from 020 8365 2186, www.actionukonline.com