Saturday, December 6, 2008

Isstalled Correctly, A Trampoline Offers Fun And Fitness

By Jane Bracken

In order to place the absolute best trampoline on your property, every owner should make sure the land is even in some way. If the land is uneven it could prove to be a hazardous condition to anyone hoping to improve their trampoline fitness.

If not set level the trampoline will tend to tip, rock, or move when someone is jumping on it. This can be an extremely very dangerous situation and can be prevented by digging or raising the ground level in appropriate places.

Your yard may be sloping and not have any good spot to set a trampoline up level. In this case digging holes or a trench where part of the base of the trampoline sits is probably the best way to get a level surface to set the trampoline up on.

If you can't or don't want to dig you can always raise the earth under one or more legs. This will of course have the same effect in leveling out the trampoline surface. This can be a more difficult approach plus raised earth tends to provide less stability than can be achieved through digging.

Once you've set up the trampoline properly it's time to have some fun and get in shape at the same time. Trampoline work stimulates the lymphatic system and thereby helps protect the body from viruses and other causes of illness. It's also a super way to start getting into good physical condition and getting used to regular workouts.

There are some great exercises which are easy to learn, fun to do, and provide excellent physical conditioning. The toe touch, pike and super jacks are three great ones for beginners. Toe touches consist of touching your toes three times while in the air. Of course you have to have achieved some height to do this but this exercise works your mid-section while stretching your muscles at the same time. The toe touch can be done even if there are others on the trampoline at the same time.

Pikes and super jacks are best done alone on the trampoline. Pikes stimulate your arm muscles and your mid-section. You simply jump and pull your legs directly in front of you three times with no prepping. This is very tough to do on the trampoline as well as on the ground. Super jacks involve jumping as high as you can and doing jumping jacks mid-air. The goal is to see if you can do three or more before touching the trampoline.

A couple of final thoughts. Serious injury can occur if landing on the side of the trampoline or missing the trampoline surface completely. It's recommended that your trampoline be installed with a safety net to prevent this type of injury. Another good piece of advice is to stretch before beginning your trampoline exercises. Like any other physical activity, stretching will improve your performance and lessen the chance of muscular injuries.

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