Mini Trampolines

Jump your way to cardiovascular fitness

Remember what it felt like to be a kid? Maybe you were lucky enough to have parents who weren’t worried you’d break you neck or you had a friend whose parents were much cooler than yours - either way you probably got the opportunity to jump around on a full-size trampoline at least once. If not, now’s your chance to get a taste of what it’s like. Mini trampolines are a great way to burn calories and work your entire body, and they’re a lot safer than the full-size versions too.

Why mini trampolines are good

• Easy on the joints - You won’t be pounding the pavement or even walking on a hard treadbelt, which means even those with joint pain will find mini treadmills low-impact.
• Improve balance - With consistent use a trampoline can improve balance. If you’re shaky to start out with look for one with a handlebar. You can also buy a stabilizing bar separately.
• Cheap - A basic mini trampoline costs as little as $30, but some will cost up to $300. There’s usually not as big of a quality difference as there can be with some cardio equipment.
  

• Weight rating - Make sure the trampoline will hold the weight of everyone who will be using it. If you’re getting close to the rating it’s not a bad idea to choose one with even more capacity.
• Size - Many trampolines have legs that can be folded so they can slide under a couch. You can’t get much smaller workout equipment than that. You also have to consider shape - some are circular, some square and some oval.
• Handles or bands - Some fitness trampolines come with handles so you can do even more moves. Even better are the ones that come with resistance bands attached to the sides so you can strength train during your cardio.
• Instruction - Of course you’re not going to need a lesson on how to bounce, but a trampoline that comes with a good instructional video can show you more exercises than you would have thought of on your own, so you’ll never get bored.
• Bounce meter - Some higher end trampolines will tell you how many bounces you’ve done and what your calorie burn is. It’s always nice to be able to gauge your progress.
  

The bottom line

Sure high tech cardio machines such as treadmills are coming down in price, but why bother when you can get a cardio workout that rivals what you’d get with a skipping rope (one of the best cardio workouts around). Just make sure if you buy a mini trampoline, that you’ve got a good sports bra.