What is Trampolining? What is it for and Why do it?

Trampoline is often seen as a fun option instead of exercising. Well, adults or general people who have never thought of having a trampoline, like to think of trampoline as exercise equipment. To be honest, they are right to think like that, because trampolines truly are effective exercise tools.

However, teenagers or kids see this fine apparatus as an excuse to play or have fun. Although they think of jumping on trampolines as a fun plaything, their body does take it as rigorous exercise.

Now, as we have seen throughout human history, what is fun can be turned into a regular sport. And where you can show skills, can become competitive. Yes, trampoline jumping can be a competitive sport, in fact, it is.

This sport is called ‘trampolining’ and this is what the blog is all about. Let’s dive in and know more about “what is trampolining and what it does?”

What is trampolining?

Trampolining is also known as trampoline gymnastics. It is in fact an Olympic sport. Ever since 2000, trampolining has been an Olympic sport and part of the Gymnastics family.

It is basically a very competitive sport, especially ever since it became an Olympic sport, but most people simply take it as a recreational activity. It is because it is the perfect tool to learn acrobatic flips on the trampoline. However, competitive athletes take it as a highly demanding and challenging game.

Well, there are both sides to this activity. It depends on you, how you take it.

Some people take this activity as a way to exercise and stay fit. The main advantage of trampoline jumping or trampolining is the fact that it doesn’t put pressure on the joints. This is why people take it as a way of exercising with fun.

Those who are curious push themselves to the next level and learn flips and acrobatic tricks, which ultimately lead to trampolining, the sport.

Trampolining includes jumps in different positions like; straight jump, straddle or pike. There are different flips in different directions and aerial twists and rolls.

How to start trampolining?

Well, to start trampolining, you will need to get comfortable with a trampoline. You can do that by regularly jumping on the trampoline, which is as easy as eating a chocolate cake. Now, that was advice for beginners.

However, if you are someone who’s already quite acquainted with a trampoline and wants to take things to the next level, follow the tips below. These tips below should help you get started with trampolining.

Tip #1 Get the right Trampoline

This one is obvious. You can’t start trampolining on a regular-sized trampoline and definitely not on a mini-trampoline. You will need a large 14 ft size trampoline minimum. It can be any shape, but rectangle shape trampolines are the best for gymnastics and any kind of acrobatic tricks.

Rectangular trampolines provide the most bounce and space for jumping. This makes them optimal for trampolining. So if you don’t have one, we recommend you get one for this purpose.

You can take a look at the Skywalker Rectangular Trampoline or the Upper Bounce Trampoline in our suggestions.

Tip #2 Start with Basic Exercises

Start with simple exercises that will help you build strength. Your overall fitness, mobility, and strength are important to perform acrobatic tricks in the air. The exercises that we are going to recommend will help you build up that strength, fitness, and mobility.

Try these exercises:

1. Trampoline Squat Jumps

The squat is an exercise for your legs. It mainly focuses on the lower body muscles like the gluteus, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves a little. It looks a bit like “sitting on an air chair”.

Basically, to do the exercise, you stand placing your feet shoulder-width apart, and pretend to sit on a chair bending your knees. When your butt is parallel to the ground, you stand up pushing from the heels and knees all the while keeping your arms forward. That’s a squat.

A squat is similar, but you jump up vertically when you stand up or get back to the standing position. Alright, if you got all that, now we can get to the trampoline. Just do the squat jump on the trampoline.

At first, the jumps will be very weak, but you will gain strength quickly as you keep practicing. 10 repetitions for 3 sets are enough. You will be burning a lot of calories as well.

2. Straight Jumps on Trampoline

These are the normal vertical jumps you do on your trampoline. What we want you to do is, increase the number of straight jumps on the trampoline. This will help you build strength over time. 5 minutes a day is enough.

3. Jumping Jacks on Trampoline

Jumping jacks or star jumps are the same thing and everyone knows what it is. You basically jump spreading your legs and arms in the air and forming a pose like a star. Now all you have to do is do it on a trampoline for 20 repetitions for 2 sets.

4. Tuck Jumps

The name says it all. You jump up high and you tuck your legs in. It will be so much easier on a trampoline plus you can combine it with straight jumps.

5. Seat drop to Standing

One of the best advantages of a trampoline is that you can do any kind of movement on a trampoline and you will not get hurt. Trampoline mats are soft and bouncy, so they are not harsh on the joints. That is why we will be doing this exercise.

This exercise requires you to directly sit down on the trampoline mat with your legs spread forward. You sit down on the mat with your butt flat and then bounce back up to the standing pose. Do this for 15 repetitions for 2 sets.

6. 360 Vertical Rotational Jump

This is just a normal rotational jump. This will help you learn the more difficult twisting jumps later on.

7. Straddle Jump

Get on the trampoline and jump with your legs spreading sideways like in a straddle pose. This exercise is great for mobility and flexibility.

8. Pike Jump

Pike jumps are exactly like tuck jumps, but this time you will have to stretch your legs and arms forward. You will have to try to touch your toes while you are in the air with your legs stretched forward. This is a difficult move and requires a lot of flexibility. So you better start practicing.

Tip #3 Slowly learn the Moves

Now that you know all the exercises, it’s time you know the moves. Let’s go through some of the trampolining moves, or tricks as they say.

Front Flip and Back Flip

These flips are very easy to do if you are already an expert on tuck jumps. All you have to do is jump up tuck your legs and pull your arms in, and push forward or backward using your momentum and core strength.

It will take a lot of practice, but don’t worry you will get there. If you ever fall on your face or at a weird angle, don’t worry, you won’t get hurt if you fall on the trampoline mat. The trampoline mats are soft and rubbery, so they will absorb most of the fall impact.

Side Flip

It’s like a roll or a twisting jump. You just choose a side and you flip your body to that side while in the air. It requires aerial mobility and a lot of core strength.

Back Drop

This is just like the seat drop, except this time you will drop on your back this time. Just drop on your back and then jump straight back up.

Somersault

This is a traditional move. The iconic full-body flip-up in the air. It can be done anywhere, but it’s a lot easier on the trampoline. If you can learn it on the trampoline, you can perform it anywhere on the ground. It is high aerial mobility demanding trick.

And that’s it. If you have learned all the moves we have listed so far, you have already learned trampolining. If you want to go even further, we advise you to join a trampolining club. That way you will have competition and maybe even a coach.

What are the rules of trampolining?

Alright, let’s say that you really want to take trampolining seriously. Well then, you will need to know some basic trampolining rules. Let’s get started.

• Start and finish a full set of moves, also known as a ‘routine’, within 60 seconds after appearing on the trampoline. Make sure you start and finish your routine on your feet.
• You can and must only perform moves in tucked, pike, and straight positions.
• You are allowed only one “out bounce” to control your height at the end of your routine right before finishing with your landing.
• When the routine ends, you must stop completely and hold still for 3 seconds. This also includes the trampoline bed not moving.

That’s all the rules you will need to start off as a beginner. You will learn more about the sport, hopefully as you proceed. For now, these basic rules will get you going.

What is trampolining good for?

Now, we all know how beneficial trampolines are for the health and social aspect. Trampolines are great for high-intensity acrobatic training without putting pressure on the joints. This is the only form of cardio that moves the entire body without hurting the knees.

Trampolining has different benefits compared to regular trampoline jumping.

• Better cardio

We don’t need to explain this any further. We already know how effective trampolines are at burning calories. And trampolining is a step further from just bouncing on a trampoline.

• Improved blood circulation

Of course, if you get the opportunity for better cardio, you will have improved blood circulation. This will happen not only while you train, but also while you are out of the trampoline. As you become healthier, your blood circulation will improve. Your metabolism will also be well under control.

• Great lymphatic drainage

Trampolining is great for lymphatic drainage, no doubt. This will greatly improve your health and life span.

• Improved core strength

Almost all exercises require core strength. However, the intense acrobatic skills performed in trampolining require a strong core and abdominal strength. So, practicing trampolining will definitely improve core strength.

• Improved agility and balance

Your mobility and agility will increase greatly. Your ability to stay calm and react with haste will only become better. 

• Strengthen muscles

Since trampolining targets the entire body, it will definitely strengthen your body muscles.

We hope these points are enough to convince you to start trampolining with a long-term goal.

How to get better at trampolining?

The only way to get better at trampolining is by practicing. There is no alternative to practice.

Trampolining requires high aerial mobility and body control. You will need a lot of total body strength and agility to perform those moves as you rotate and flip your body in the air. You won’t perfect these moves if you just sit and watch. You will need to practice a lot and that is the only way to get better at trampolining.

F.A.Q.s

Should you choose Trampolining as a career?

There are many success stories of those who became successful from competitive trampolining. Although trampolining is fun and healthy, when it comes to competitiveness, it can be tricky. However, we see no reason not to try, since there are so many successors. Even if you can’t be the best, you can still make a lot of bucks opening a trampoline park.

Is trampolining considered a sport?

Yes, it is in fact an Olympic sport. It has been an Olympic sport ever since the year 2000 and it has been a part of the Gymnastics family. So yes, it is a pretty dynamic and well-involved sport.

What is trampolining scored out of?

In trampolining, the scoring system works based on two factors; the difficulty of the skills performed and the execution of the skills performed. On the difficulty side, the judge’s score starts from 0.0 and rises as the athlete performs more difficult skills. On the execution side, the judge’s score starts at 10.0 and drops only when the athlete’s execution is poor.

At what age can you start trampolining?

Anyone aged above 13 years can start trampolining considering their physical condition.

Can you lose belly fat by jumping on a trampoline?

Yes, you can lose a lot of belly fat by jumping on a trampoline. Trampoline jumping as an exercise is very physically demanding, although it is not hard on the joints. For this reason, it can help reduce a lot of body fat.

Is jumping on a trampoline bad for your knee?

Not at all. Trampoline jumping is the easiest thing in the whole world and it is not harsh on the joints at all. The soft pad of the trampoline is perfect for safe exercise.

Final Thoughts

Well, now that you know what is trampolining, are you willing to learn what it takes? We are not asking you to become a trampolining athlete and make a career out of it. We want you to keep it as a fun tool to mess around on your trampoline whenever you like.

You don’t have to learn all the flips and jumps of trampolining. You definitely don’t need to become an expert. What you can do is get enough knowledge about the sport and the skills involved. This way you will be able to spread knowledge about an amazing sport like this.

You can learn some very simple flips and tricks all by yourself. This will only increase the fun on the trampoline for you. Not to mention the physical exercise you will get done through this.

So, are you interested?