Did you know that trampolining is as healthy for your child as it is super-duper fun? You may have heard this statement before, and perhaps wondering how accurate it is. As a local trampoline park, we can offer expert insight on the matter. And it’s 100% true – we can confirm that there are many health benefits of trampolining.
But what are these health benefits, and how many are there? We would say there are 8 main health benefits of trampolining for kids. In this blog, we will share these with you and explain the science behind each. Make sure you read all the way to the bottom, as we’ll also discuss how you can fit trampolining into an active family lifestyle and answer your top questions on trampolining advantages regarding health.
8 Health Benefits of Trampolining
1. Builds Muscles and Bones
Bouncing up and down on trampolines gives children an all-over workout. It’s almost like a mini workout, one that goes unnoticed while happily bouncing away. The leg muscles, particularly calves and quads, receive the most benefit as they’re doing most of the work. And with every trampoline session, your child’s muscles and bones get stronger, helping them to grow more resilient and healthy.
Fun Fact: NASA has been known to use trampolines as a way of helping their astronauts build bone and muscle mass that was lost on space missions.
2. Enhances Balance and Coordination
Balance is a key part of trampolining – you need good balance to be able to do it. It’s okay if your younger child’s balance isn’t great to start with because bouncing will be good practice. This links to the first point where we said trampolining builds strong muscles because, with stronger muscles, balance is easier, and with better balance, coordination is improved, making this a great health benefit of trampolining. If you have a toddler whose balance isn’t quite ready for trampolining, visit a trampoline park with soft play to provide an alternative healthy activity.
Try This: Knee tuck jumps are a great drill for mastering your balance. Here’s how to do it – jump up, bring your knees to your chest, and then land on both feet.
3. Good For the Heart
It’s important for all of us to keep our hearts healthy, even for children. It turns out that just 10 minutes of bouncing gets your heart pumping as much as a 30-minute run. That’s pretty crazy, and jumping on trampolines is so much fun that little ones don’t even realise the great effect it’s having on their heart.
Did You Know? Because trampolining is a fun and enjoyable activity, a child is likely to burn more calories overall with regular trampolining than cycling.
4. Trampolining = Brain Power
The next health benefit of trampolining is that trampolining can help your child do better in school. Think about it this way – trampolining requires focus and quick thinking, which engages the brain, strengthening the connection between brain and body. Also, remember that trampolining releases endorphins (feel-good chemicals) that improve mood and focus.
Good To Know: Active kids are more likely to do better in school because exercise helps improve memory and focus.
5. Trampolining Benefits the Lymphatic System
You could describe the lymphatic system as the body’s natural clean-up crew. Essentially, the lymphatic system helps to get rid of waste, keeping the body clean and healthy. The motion of bouncing up and down at a jump park gets the lymph fluid moving, which is a good thing. It keeps the body ticking along as it should and helps it to stay healthy.
Fun Challenge: Try bouncing for a few minutes and then stop. If you can feel a tingly sensation, that’s your lymphatic system working.
6. Makes Exercise Fun
The fact that trampolining makes exercise fun is a health benefit of trampolining in itself. As a child, there are several ways of exercising to stay healthy, but not many can measure up to trampolining for its effectiveness as an exercise…and the levels of enjoyment that come with it. If you’re looking for ideas for a family day out, consider taking your kids to a trampoline park to encourage fitness without it feeling like a workout.
Tip For Parents: Regular play that includes cardiovascular exercise, like trampolining, helps kids reach fitness goals, keeping them fit and healthy. Plus, this is one of the reasons trampoline parks make for great birthday parties.
7. Develops Social Skills and Encourages Teamwork
If you would like your child to be more social, trampoline parks are a great place to make new friends. Together, they can play games, jump with one another, and work as a team. This is easier to do when children bounce with others their own age, which is why High Altitude runs age-relevant trampoline sessions, such as over 4s and under 10s. We think this is one of the top health benefits of trampolining, introducing children to the idea of teamwork and enhancing their social skills outside of the classroom.
Did You Know? Children who play, socialise and interact with others are more likely to build better social skills, helping them to develop confidence and communication skills.
8. Raises Energy Levels
Sometimes, kids can suffer from a lack of energy, just as much as us busy adults! Bouncing on trampolines or inflatables is a great way of releasing energy, and it’s easy to hop on a trampoline and start bouncing. This activity’s ability to help kids feel happier, less stressed and more energetic makes it a great mental health benefit of trampolining as well as being good for the body.
Try This as a Family: Parents and kids can play together with the “mirror jump” game. One person does a trampoline jump or trick, and everyone else has to copy it exactly. Take turns being the jumper to copy. It’s fun, silly, and a great way to connect.
How to Fit Trampolining Into a Family Lifestyle
It’s clear that there are lots of health benefits of trampolining, but how do you incorporate more bouncing into your family’s routine? The answer is visiting a local trampoline park, like High Altitude.
For kids, there are plenty of exercises that can feel too routine or monotonous, but jumping at a trampoline park isn’t one of them. This is an activity that is easy, flexible and perfect for all ages – the whole family can get on the trampolines to play and laugh together, all while getting in some essential exercise. The best part is that your trampoline park visits can fit around you. Whether it’s a short visit after school or a weekend family outing, check out our timetable to find a session that works for your family.
Visiting a trampoline park isn’t just a great way for the whole family to exercise, but it’s also affordable. Planning to join in with trampoline sessions regularly? Well, check out our memberships to save big on ticket purchases.
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FAQs Related to Health Benefits of Trampolining
Two to three times a week is a good guideline. Like any other form of exercise, you don’t want to overdo it. A few trampoline sessions a week, each one ranging from 30-60 minutes, is okay. Remember, accidents can still happen, so it’s best to supervise young children and to keep an eye on older children from a viewing or café area, for instance.
Yes, trampolining is safe for younger children. Bouncing on trampolines is a fun and enriching activity. However, children under the age of 5 should be supervised at all times. At High Altitude, our trampolines and soft play areas are padded and held to high safety standards, so your little ones can bounce and play comfortably. See our safety guide). All of the health benefits of trampolining we have discussed are just as applicable to younger kids as they are to older children.
Children should wear comfortable clothes that have a little stretch to them. Anyone bouncing on trampolines should wear clothing that isn’t restrictive and allows for full use of motion. Avoid jeans, anything with buttons, and loose clothing that can get caught on the trampolines. Jumpers will also need to wear jump socks for safety reasons – these will have been given to you on your first visit and can be kept for future visits. Read our guide on trampoline park essentials for what to bring and wear.
One Last Thing on The Health Benefits of Trampolining
There you have it – all of the health benefits of trampolining gathered and explained. We hope knowing this handy information means you’ll come and visit us at High Altitude Trampoline Park in Norwich. With so many health benefits for your child, both physical and mental, it truly is one of the best activities for kids in Norfolk.
To book your next session, head over to our website and choose a session that’s best for you!