Jump! Jumping Fitness on the trampolines at TUI BLUE

Pure glee. I can’t fully describe the feelings that flowed through me as I bounced up and down on the trampoline in the BLUEf!t Park. “Jumping Fitness” is the latest fad from Hollywood stars and fitness gurus – the sports craze is really just about the good ol’ trampoline. One might be tempted to think that this is just for kids, and I actually had a hard time getting started without feeling completely ridiculous. What adult hops on a trampoline? My initial skepticism, however, crumbled quite quickly when I learned more about Jumping Fitness. I was able to enjoy the spring-powered exercise and get a solid workout, because jumping on the trampoline was real work. Who would’ve guessed?

Jumping Fitness in the BLUEf!t Park

Jumping on the trampoline looks simple and weightless, but half an hour of training packs in a lot! That’s what I noticed when I found myself in the TUI BLUEf!t Park with one of the competent BLUEf!t Guides showing me the exercises. As a newcomer to Jumping Fitness, it was best for me to begin with a warm-up, even though I wanted to leap into the full-swing workout. But as with other sports: safety first! If cold muscles are immediately forced to work at peak performance, there’s a higher risk of injury. So initially I just stepped on the taut, springy surface and slowly got a feel for the unusual movements. I rotated by arms and shoulders and stretched my back, reaching my arms up over my head. If you thought that only the legs were required for the trampoline, you were wrong: when jumping, about 400 muscles in the whole body are involved. Fitness Trainer therefore recommends Jumping Fitness as a holistic exercise for strengthening muscles, increasing endurance, and even for psychological well-being. My BLUEf!t Guide nodded in agreement: “That’s true. When jumping on the trampoline, you train your balance, strength, and endurance. Your cardiovascular system is working hard and your deep musculature gets used. Because of the unstable surface, the muscles need to work harder to keep your body balanced. Last but not least, trampoline jumping also clears your head: you can get rid of your aggression – a similar effect to hitting a punching bag.”

Jumping is fun

After the warm-up, I started with shallow jumps and bouncing footballs off the surface. Slowly, I found an even flow and jumped to the rhythm. Inevitably, I just had to start laughing – trampolining is FUN! I got bolder and jumped even higher. After the first wave of euphoria passed, I lowered my jump to the appropriate level to continue with the exercises. I practiced quarter and half turns, jumping jacks (which I already knew from the Bodyweight Course), and pulled my legs to my body like a cannonball at the height of my jump. While my legs worked, my arms also had plenty to do, swinging, stretching, crossing, and twisting in different motions. You need good coordination here, which quickly became clear to me!

After ten minutes, the first break was announced. While I grabbed a water bottle form the refrigerator, which was available in the BLUEf!t Park, my BLUEf!t Guide gave me some impressive facts: “In ten minutes of trampolining, you have effectively burned as many calories as half an hour of jogging.” Wow, I would not have thought that! “In addition, jumping is much healthier: the trampoline is much gentler on the joints and presents a lower risk of injury.” Good to know: Pregnant women and people with back problems, ligament injuries, or knee problems should skip Jumping Fitness. Otherwise, the trampoline is suitable for every age and weight for getting fit. Speaking of fit, let’s get to the second round!

After 45 minutes, the big jumps were done and I just swayed on the trampoline to cool down and stretch. I bent and stretched my tight muscles to avoid the awful soreness the next day. My BLUEf!t Guide praised me: “You’ve done very well for your first time! The more regularly you jump, the fitter and stronger you’ll become. There’s a reason that the trampoline is part of the training regimen for many professional athletes – even astronauts bounce around on a trampoline when they come back from space and have to go through basic training again.” Fantastic – as though I could ever compare with astronauts! The BLUEf!t Guide laughed: “You can also take it as a preparation for your next ski holiday, because trampolining is also very helpful for that.” I was satisfied with the outcome; after the successful Jumping Fitness session, I went to reward myself with a nice post-workout smoothie.

I went trampolining twice more in the next few days and had enormous fun each time. What can I say? I think I’ve found my new favourite sport and I can only recommend that everyone try it out. Have lots of fun with it!