You could get fit with a trampoline in 2014
Everyone likes to be fit and everyone likes to have fun but not everybody likes the gym or to ‘feel’ like they’re exercising. If you’re one of these people, then trampolining might be just the thing for you.
In the past trampolining has mainly been associated with a childhood game but, with the help of the Olympics and an increased presence in gyms and schools, trampolining has gradually gained acceptance as a real and effective method of exercise. One of the reasons for this is that it’s an extremely effective way to get fit, burn fat and tone up.
Now you might think ‘Why? It’s just jumping.’ That’s a valid point; however the energetic jumping is what burns lots of body fat and makes trampolining one of the most effective methods of cardio available. This was highlighted by NASA whose recent study showed that jumping for just 10 minutes is equivalent to a 30 minute run, giving you the same cardio benefits in a third of the time. Plus, as even simple exercises require you to use multiple muscle groups, trampolining is fantastic for toning up your whole body…. legs, bums, arms, stomach, everything!
Here are some exercises that you can do at home.
JUMPING JACKS
How to do it: Stand on the trampoline with your arms out towards your sides. As you jump into the air, position you arms and legs so that you re in a star jump position. As you fall back down towards the trampoline, bring them back in towards your body so that you are standing straight. Repeat.
Reps: 3 sets of 8 reps. Jump normally for a ‘rest’ period in between each set.
KNEE RAISE, TUMMY TUCK
How to do it: As you bounce into the air, lift your knees up together and hug them in tight towards your chest. Pull your tummy in towards your spine and hold. As you fall back down, release your knees so that you land into a ‘normal’ bounce onto the trampoline.
Reps: 3 sets of 8 reps. Jump normally for a ‘rest’ period in between each set.
Too easy? Instead of hugging your knees, lift your arms up into the air as you jump and then, as your knees raise to your stomach, move your arms down towards your knees so that they touch them. Keep them straight. Then as you start to fall, lower them towards your side and repeat as you bounce back into the air.
PIKE JUMP
How to do it: Bounce high into the air. As you get higher, lift your legs up so that they are stretched out in front of you. Lean forward and extend your arms our straight so that you can touch your toes. As you fall, return your body to the starting position and repeat.
Reps: 3 sets of 8 reps. Jump normally for a ‘rest’ period in between each set.
SEAT DROP
How to do it: Jump high into the air. As you start to fall, keep your back straight and extend your legs so that they are stretched out together, in front of you. This should look like a sitting position. Position your arms to the side of you. Your hands should be next to your hips and your palms facing down. As you fall, stay in this position and use your palms and the momentum of the movement to propel you up, back into the air. As you start to move upwards, start to straighten your legs back up into the standing position and repeat.
Reps: 3 sets of 8 reps. Jump normally for a ‘rest’ period in between each set.
Too easy? You can increase the difficulty of this exercise by extending it into a swivel seat drop. It’s the same method but, each time, you bounce into the air, swivel your body 90 degrees to the left using you waist. Then drop into the position. As you bounce, repeat until you have turned 360 degrees and are back to the original position. Repeat the sequence to the right hand side to ensure that you work both sides of your body.
Still too easy? You can repeat the exercise but, instead of turning 90 degrees, increase the turns to 180 degrees of even 360 degrees.
As you master the exercises and get fitter, you can incorporate them into a routine. This will challenge your body, make it fight harder to regain stability and help to increase your level of fitness.
To see results, you need to be doing at 15 minutes of jumping 4-5 times a week and to increase this as your fitness improves.
Have fun! David x
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