Trampolines

Trampolines today come in all shapes and sizes with a variety of different design goals determining their specifics. Which one is right for you depends on your own goals in buying one.

For a little lightweight exercise in the home a small, round mini-trampoline (or trampette) might be the perfect choice. Low to the ground, they’re good for the elderly who want to get a little bit of fun, gentle cardiovascular exercise. Short, easy bounces help develop leg muscle strength and joint flexibility.

On the other extreme, there are those who may be training for the relatively new Olympic sport of trampolining. With these large, ultra-strong trampolines it is possible to develop routines that are world class. High jumps, sometimes done with bungee cords attached, triple somersaults and a combination of moves can form a complex set.

The choice of construction method will be influenced by your goals, as well. Trampoline surfaces today are attached in one of two ways: springs or elastic bands. Elastic band trampolines are very safe, and often less expensive. But they don’t provide quite the amount of bounce of their more traditional spring-style cousins.

The total bounce height and speed are determined by a combination of the spring tension and the elasticity of the surface. Higher spring tension gives a stronger rebound. The elastic surface itself, obviously, acts somewhat like a spring so it too contributes to the total.

Think about the level of activity you intend and the results you want to achieve. Do you want to work up to Olympic level acrobatics, or just get some fun and healthy exercise?

The size chosen will be influenced by the amount of people intended to use the trampoline at one time. Most safety experts point out that accidents are more common when the trampoline is in use by two or more people. But with proper precautions, a large trampoline can safely accommodate more than one. Make sure to get one at least 12 feet (3.5 m) in diameter, preferably 14 feet (4.2 m).

At the same time, if you intend the trampoline to be used by more than one (or for more rigorous use), be sure to get one that can support the total force on it. Many are rated for a single person up to 200lb.

But the factor that is most important is not just a person’s weight, but the product of their weight and the jump height. A 150lb person who falls after a jump from a height of 10 feet exerts a lot more force than a 200lb person who only falls 1 foot.

Manufacturers can’t predict how high someone might jump and they can’t convey a lot of complex physics to potential buyers. So they take the reasonable short-cut of simply rating according to maximum weight. But keep the expected activity level in mind when purchasing.

Always buy the sturdiest, most well-built trampoline you can afford. Good surface material, with proper supports on a sturdy frame, will provide the longest lasting, safest trampoline.

Trampoline tricks or movements range from the simple bounces to flips and beyond.

Once someone has reached the basic level of body control that allows them to master simple jumping and twisting, it’s time for the next phase. One good routine includes one or more of the Olympics compulsory exercises.

A simple body landing is more challenging than it looks. Landing on the back or the front of the body is easy. Doing it with the proper style requires practice. The body should be kept aligned along a single plane. The trampoliner should be able to fall, with the head in the proper position (eyes ahead, chin neither tucked or raised), then come back up again. Movements should be clean and precise.

The somersault or flip is next in line. This common movement is one reason so many get interested in the trampoline. It’s great fun! But to do it correctly isn’t so easy. A simple 360 degree somersault requires a high, straight jump, followed by a head tuck, hands on the shins. To come out of the flip right requires equally good technique. Just before the head finishes the full rotation, the feet are thrust down directly underneath the body.

To enter and exit properly when doing a front or back flip is one thing. To do it after a 720 degree rotation is a still higher challenge. It requires awareness of the body as it makes the second rotation. The timing has to be precise. The jump has to be higher and the rotation speed faster.

Adding a twist to the movement raises the bar that much further. A 540 degree somersault involves a full rotation with a twist around the axis that runs down the head to the feet. Think of what a diver does as he or she bounces up on the board, then rotates and twists before straightening to enter the water. Now add a further 180 degrees to get back to the feet and you have a trampoline movement.

The routine gets even more complicated by adding together different single movements. A forward 360 degree somersault followed immediately on touch down by a backward 360 degree somersault requires balance, timing and good perception. Add a twist in the middle and you can easily see that Olympic trampoliners earn the high praise they receive.

All these movements in the professional realm are required to be performed within a 2 meter (about 6 feet) by 1 meter (3 feet) rectangle. That’s a matter of simple safety, but it’s also required in order to demonstrate control. Staying within that zone requires precise placement of the feet, accurate timing, correct angles and force, and a host of other skills.

Some of the most complex routines involve ‘flying’ - a move in which the arms are spread like wings and the athlete lands on the chest. But more than just a simple splat, the result has to be a graceful bounce and recover. When you get to that level, you’ve learned the most rigorous technique to get out the most exciting fun.

That’s trampolining.

There are today so many different types of trampoline that a buyer could spend weeks just reading up on all the different models. Gone are the days when you could get your choice of colors, so long as it was brown. Gone are the days when you had many sizes to choose from, so long as it was exactly 12 feet across. Joking aside, there is in fact no end to the available options.

The full-sized trampoline is still a popular choice. It provides a large surface area, well supported by springs or elastic straps. But now that has been supplemented by models that come with helpful add-ons. Safety nets around the perimeter prevent falls to the ground after a wild jump. Some are completely enclosed by a high, mesh cloth wall.

On the other end of the scale, there are trampolines that are perfect for a single person. They fit easily inside a room for some gentle exercise while watching TV or listening to music. They’re typically lower to the ground and you can step right into them like stepping up to a curb. They don’t support as high a bounce, but you get similar cardiovascular and joint benefits as a regular model.

No longer are they just rectangular, either. Trampolines come in all shapes. They’re available in octagons, which can be a perfect fit and provide a very stable surface. Square-shaped trampolines are still a good choice. There are round ones and even triangular trampolines.

Some trampolines are designed primarily for indoor use, others for outdoor. Outdoor trampolines are sometimes made of a more plastic-like surface material, which might make them somewhat less comfortable to bounce on in shorts. But they clean up very easily and are rustproof. They are generally larger and enormously sturdy. They can be used on the patio, a large deck, or even on the grass if it’s level.

Indoor trampolines are designed with lower bounce height in mind and to save space. They provide a very comfortable working surface that will last a long time. The cloth-like surface is easily removable and can be popped into the washer, then re-stretched and re-attached.

Many trampolines are now age-specific. Those built for younger children often have a U-shaped bar to allow for ultra-safe bouncing. Some adult supervision is helpful to ensure that the child doesn’t try to bounce freely with the bar in place. That can lead to a nasty head bump.

Adult-specific trampolines can be divided into sport or competitive and exercise or recreational. The former are designed for athletes who want to get the ultimate workout and practice for competition. Those can be official events or just organized by a local gym. Recreational trampolines are primarily built with fun in mind. But fun here brings with it numerous health benefits. In the UK they’re sometimes called urban rebounders.

Whatever reason you might have for wanting a trampoline - good fun, great exercise or serious sport - there’s a type that will suit your needs.