Entertaining Your Kids

A reluctance to exercise can often be due to the simple fact that you might not enjoy it. The physical demands of exercise aren't even necessarily the issue, and it could be that all the forms of exercise you've tried so far have been a bit boring for you. Jogging? Yawn. Regular visits to the gym? Tedious. CrossFit? Heck no. Sometimes the key to unlocking your desire to exercise is a matter of finding something that you genuinely enjoy. Fun is in the eye of the beholder, but some forms of exercise are definitely more enjoyable than others. Have you thought about bouncing your way to fitness?

Not Just for Kids

Although trampolining is an Olympic sport, you might dismiss it as just being something fun for kids. Sure, kids are going to enjoy themselves bouncing around, but they're also undertaking an intensive cardio workout that burns a lot of calories. So why shouldn't you do the same?

Calories

You can burn up to 325 calories per hour with recreational trampoline activity. Sure, you can burn more calories by undertaking a structured cardio workout, but think of it like this, you're working out by doing nothing more than playing. You can't really say that about CrossFit.

Find the Best Time

The trouble with trampolining is that (unless you have your own trampoline), you need to find an indoor trampoline park. While this shouldn't be difficult, you might find it hard to exercise when there are a lot of children using the facilities. Ask the staff if they happen to have any kid-free time slots. This might not be possible, but you could at least ask about their busy periods, allowing you to find the best time to bounce away without interruption.

Take It Slow

You might be a bit self-conscious the first few times you're on a trampoline, but you're doing precisely what the device was intended for, bouncing up and down. Don't overexert yourself, and take care that you stretch properly first. Trampolining uses a lot of different muscle groups, and while the trampoline mat absorbs much of the impact (which is great news for your joints), you don't want to inadvertently pull a muscle.

Refine Your Technique

By this point, you might have found a physical activity that you enjoy. Who knew exercise could actually be fun? Your ultimate goal might not be a place on the Olympic squad, but you can refine your technique so that you receive a more intense cardiovascular workout. Ask the trampoline center if they actually have exercise classes.

Bouncing on a trampoline isn't just for kids, and it's remarkable how fun an efficient workout can be.