Photo Courtesy of Pinterest
Back when we were kids, fitness meant running down hills, games of tag, and being chased in the yard by your puppy. While my friends and I are too old for any of these now, that doesn’t mean that the fun has to be taken out of moving and exercising our bodies.
For months I have been using pilates and yoga as my main form of exercise, but I was realizing that it wasn’t enough cardio. I had the core strength, but did it matter when I couldn’t run a quarter of a mile without walking? I needed to find something that could give me a balance of the two.
That is when I decided to get a mini trampoline for my apartment.
I will admit when I first got it my sister laughed at me. She sent me videos of trampoline workout classes that didn’t exactly scream cool and instead screamed “Facebook mom who believes in government conspiracies”. But, I am here to say that isn’t the case, trampolines are cool and fun and a great way to get your exercise in.
My workouts on the trampoline have become a bit of a dance party. I put on EDM music and I bounce on the trampoline for 15 minutes and–BOOM–my cardio is done for the day!
Running has always been hard for me to be bad at. Since I can’t run long distances, I get bored and as soon as I get fatigued I am quick to let myself walk instead of pushing myself to run further. Finding a cardio alternative was important to me especially for my heart health. I spend much of my day sitting at a desk, so cardio is something that is needed for my internal and external physical health.
Besides the obvious cardio benefits, jumping on a trampoline can also improve your lymphatic drainage and promote gut movement. There are multiple hidden benefits to a trampoline alternative that many people could benefit from. If you get shin splints or joint pain after running, a trampoline could help as it is a lower impact workout. The give of the trampoline helps to ease any stress on your body and allows for all of the good benefits without the bad consequences.
There are a variety of options on Amazon. I personally don’t have one with a bar, but if you are worried about your balance then feel free to consider one with a bar to help support you. Even though I don’t have a bar, I make sure to wear pilates socks to avoid slipping whenever I use the trampoline. I’m sure my sister would never let me live it down if I ended up in the ER because I slipped off my mini trampoline!
While there are videos on the internet about specific workouts to do, I always find it most fun to listen to what my body wants to do. If I want to do jumping jacks, I’ll do that! If I want to do scissor jumps, that’s what I’ll do next. There is no right or wrong way to use the trampoline and even if you are staring at the tv and pencil jumping, you are still getting a workout in.
Even if you are a cardio queen, a mini trampoline can be a new way to exercise. This summer when you see me at a concert bouncing off the walls, know it’s because my mini trampoline has prepared me for the moment!
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