Sep 22

Trampoline Safety For Kids

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by Carl Walker

Trampolines are safe for recreational use if proper adult supervision is present, and adherence to strict safety rules is maintained – this is the opinion of most trampoline manufacturers and supporters. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other organizations such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) do not think so.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) states that 95,000 hospital emergency room-treated injuries in 1998 were associated with trampolines. 75 were kids under the age of 15. Then in 2002, the CPSC again estimated that 60,000 trampoline-related emergency room-treated injuries were kids between the ages of 5 and 14. Since 1990, the CPSC has received six reported deaths involving the seemingly harmless trampoline. 

According to the CPSC, most of the trampoline associated injuries were sustained at private homes. The injuries and deaths were caused by: 

1. Colliding with another person while jumping on the trampoline. 2. Landing improperly while jumping or doing stunts on the trampoline. 3. Falling or jumping off the trampoline. 4. Falling on the trampoline springs or frame. 

The majority of injuries caused by using trampolines include sprains, fractures, scrapes, bruises and cuts, and serious injuries to the head and neck which can cause paralysis and death. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), disastrous cervical spine injuries are rare, but head and neck injuries constitute a considerable number of the more serious injuries requiring hospitalization. 

These are the recommendations laid out by the AAP: 

1. The trampoline should not be used at home, inside or outside. 2. The trampoline should not be part of routine physical education classes in schools. 3. The trampoline has no place in outdoor playgrounds and should never be regarded as play equipment. 

These are the safety guidelines issued by the AAP organization if trampolines are to be used: 

  1. Steel frame and springs should be covered with a safety pad.
  2. Impact-absorbing safety surface material for impact areas
  3. Maintenance and repair for tears, rust, and detachments.
  4. Safety harnesses and spotting belts
  5. Setting the trampoline in a pit so the mat is at ground level should be considered.
  6. Ladders may provide unintended access to the trampoline by small children and should not be used.
  7. Only one person should use the trampoline at a time.
  8. In supervised settings, the user of the trampoline should be at the center of the mat. The user of the trampoline should not attempt maneuvers beyond capability or training, thereby putting them at risk for injury.
  9. Personnel trained in trampoline safety and competent spotters should be present whenever the trampoline is in use.
  10. Even in supervised training programs, the use of trampolines for children younger than 6 years of age should be prohibited.
  11. The trampoline must be secured and not accessible when not in use. 

The CPSC also issued additional safety measures while using the trampoline which include:

  1. Somersaults should not be attempted because landing on the head or neck can cause paralysis.
  2. Trampolines should not be used without shock-absorbing pads that completely cover the springs, hooks, and frames.
  3. Trampolines should be located away from structures, trees, and other play areas.
  4. Trampoline enclosures should be considered which can help prevent injuries from falls off trampolines. 

About the author:

Trampolines HQ offers articles and tips about trampolines and trampolining.

Sep 17

Rebounding To Better Health

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by TK Healey

Ever heard of rebounding? Rebounding is a fun way to get great exercise using small controlled movements on a mini trampoline. By using a small trampoline and following a rebounding video, people of all ages can exercise on a rebounder. Rebounding is safe because your feet barely leave the surface and a stabilizing bar can be added which will help if you feel unsteady.

There are different types of rebounders on the market and some even fold for easy storage. Because of the size of these mini trampolines they can be used in your home or even easily transported to your office. Rebounding has been taking up in some of your most popular commercial gyms.

There a vast selection of videos to keep your rebounding workout exciting and new. There are special routines for people of all ages to make it more enjoyable. Some examples of rebounding workouts include first timers, basic, seniors, sports specific, dance, ballet, hip hop, Latin, core, yoga, abdominal, stretch and many other routines. You will never get bored with so many videos to choose from.

What makes REBOUNDING effective?

Rebounding provides many benefits to your body. It has been known to improve your circulation reduces stress, increase muscle tone, improve co-ordination and balance, increases energy. There is no strain on your joints. It simultaneously works all the major muscle groups, provides a calorie burning, cardiovascular, strength conditioning workout, incorporates simple, martial arts based movements in a coordinated way and builds stamina, strength and balance. If you do the techniques of rebounding regularly you will get results and have fun doing it.

REBOUNDING has been on national television shows such as The View with Barbara Walters, The Today Show and has been featured in such magazines as Fitness, Ace Fitness Magazine, and Fit.

Kids love it, adults and seniors love it too! Rebounding has become one of the most beneficial forms of exercise ever developed.

Bounce your way to feeling healthy. A fun workout that builds strength, cardiovascular capacity, and balance without jarring the body like other exercises.

TK Healey is the chief editor for SurfTilYouDrop® a consumer based based website focusing on infomercial products. For more information regarding products you have seen advertised on television, product reviews, personalized searches, video clips and more visithttp://www.surftilyoudrop.com today!

Sep 12

Trampoline Accessory

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The Enclosure Net Trampoline Accessory Can Save Your Child’s Life

A few years ago, a major trampoline manufacturing company was sued by people whose children were injured in trampoline accidents. Many of these accidents were caused by the children being bounced off by other jumpers or by simply falling off from jumping too high or by being pushed off due to wind. No matter the reason, trampoline manufactures had to begin changing the way their trampolines were made and began selling add-on parts to supplement earlier trampoline designs.

The most famous trampoline accessory quickly became the enclosure net which prevents children from flying off the side of the trampoline. Furthermore, the location of the net also prevents people from becoming trapped inside the springs which could lead to lacerations or even broken bones.  By making this trampoline accessory available, deaths and injuries due to freak accidents while on a trampoline have greatly diminished, almost to the point of non-existence. Enclosure nets come in a variety of sizes and can be purchased as a package deal with a brand new trampoline or as a stand alone product for those who already own a large trampoline.

To try and keep the rain and snow from damaging the trampoline, consumers around the world have purchased covers for their trampolines. This trampoline accessory acts much like a pool cover and allows the trampoline’s jumping surface to stay completely dry even during the rainiest seasons. By pulling the cover tight, you can also prevent damage to the trampoline’s springs and jumping platform by providing a makeshift shield to support the heavy weight of rain or snow.

In order to get the most out of their trampoline, many people select improved springs as their favorite trampoline accessory. These more robust springs provide the user with a more powerful rebound for the jumping area which allows people to go much higher into the air. Furthermore, as an accessory or replacement part, better springs will generally prevent your trampoline’s jumping platform from sinking after a heavy rain or snow.

Sep 07

Beyond The Basics on the Trampoline

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Once you’ve mastered the various jumps and moves that involve taking off and landing on your feet, what comes next?  Well, mastering the basics should have given you a good feel for bouncing on the trampoline, and it’s time to move on to more complicated jumps.

Seat Drop

The first movement to learn after the basic feet bounces is the seat drop.  This is because it’s a movement we’re already familiar with, having sat down in numerous chairs through our lives, and also because your bottom is well padded.  So learning a seat drop helps you to feel comfortable about bouncing something other than your feet on the trampoline.  Start in the middle of the trampoline, legs pointed, and drop back towards the trampoline.  Your arms should be behind your torso, with the hands facing towards the feet, not away from the body.  This is so that your elbows are in the right position to flex when you land.  Your body should form a V-shape, with your bottom acting as the bottom of the V.  You shouldn’t bounce with your legs flat on the trampoline and your torso at right angles, because when you bounce back upwards it’s hard to control your body.  Always begin simply by performing the seat drop, without any preliminary bouncing.

Knee Drop

In this move, you drop onto the trampoline and land on your knees.  Your knees should be spread to about the width of your hips, to give extra stability.  Your upper body needs to be at right angles to your knees, so that all your weight is passing in a straight line down through your knees.  It’s important to keep your body in this position as you bounce, otherwise you will get thrown either forward or back on the rebound.

Hands and Knees Bounce

Contrary to what most people think, you do not perform this bounce with your body parallel with the trampoline, but with your body resting back on your calves.  So your body is in fact tucked.  Your hands need to land just beside the knees, not far out in front.  This gives maximum bounce and helps the jumper to impact the trampoline in one movement.  If you try and separate your hands and knees, you end up with two separate impact points, which can cause two independent recoils.  The back can also buckle in the middle, which can result in injury.

Many people think that it’s easy to just get on a trampoline and start performing these drop moves without needing to think about performing them correctly.  This is a mistake, and unless you pay attention to landing the correct way, you can risk injury while performing the drop or when your body recoils awkwardly from the trampoline.

Sep 05

How Were Trampolines Invented?

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Do You Know How Trampolines Were Invented?
by Paul Article

Back in 1930, a young boy went to the circus with his family. He was enthralled by the aerial acts, but more than their in-air stunts, he was fascinated by the way they dropped into the safety net after the act was over, finishing off with flourishes as they bounced back into the air.

That memory never left George Nissen of Iowa, who went on to tumbling and diving exploits while in high school. The sports gave him the same opportunity for artistic touches and freedom of movement, although they ended either on a hard floor, or in the water.

Still, when Nissen graduated at the age of 16, he took some time off before university, to start tinkering in his garage with the idea that had been simmering in his mind since that visit to the circus- a bouncing “table”, that would put him back up into the air.

With the help of friends to weld the frame, and stretch tent grade canvas on it, he soon had his first “bouncing rig”. Nissen then went off to college, but continued to toy with the size and other aspects of design, eventually taking one to summer camp where he worked. The rig was an instant hit with the kids who would rather play on it, than take a break from the sweltering heat by going swimming.

Nissen refined his athletic skills at university, and after he earned a degree, he and two other gymnasts formed the Three Leonardos, a tumbling and balancing act that did small town tours. While in Mexico, they swam at the Y where they learned that the diving board was called “el trampolin”. Nissen anglicized the word to trampoline and patented it for his new invention.

While their performances did result in orders, by the time WWII broke out, Nissen had bought his partners shares in the company. Then he went on to promote the device himself, selling around 100 to military sources for training pilots and parachutists.

Drumming up business in the post-war years was hard work, but as before, performance was the key, and publicity didn’t hurt. A chance photograph that Nissen had taken of himself and a kangaroo in mid-jump on the same trampoline, became as famous around the world, as his invention would become in the next few years.

Discover valuable advice and information about trampolines – which model to choose, what you should look for and what you should avoid. Click http://www.trampolines-info.com/

Paul Johnson works as a software developer, often working long hours under great stress. He considers exercise crucial to his health. When purchasing his own fitess equipment he researched all available products. Now he’s written a series of useful articles on choosing (and using) exercise equipment.

Sep 02

Trampoline Jumping

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by Carl Walker

Though the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and various organizations do not recommend trampolines for recreational use at home, trampoline jumping can be a lot of fun and a good form of exercise if adequate levels of safety measures and precautions are taken, such as using enclosures to prevent falling, safety pads, and safety harnesses etc.

There are two main types of trampoline – recreational and competitive. Both these types may be circular, octagonal or rectangular in shape. Since recreational trampolines are designed for home use, they are typically less strongly built than competitive types. That is why extra care should be taken when using recreational trampolines, such as regular maintenance and repair for tears, rust, and detachments.

Brief History of Trampoline Jumping:

In the early 20th century, “bouncing beds” were used by certain stage acts to entertain audiences, which is considered as the first known trampoline jumping in history, because the “beds” they used were strikingly similar to the trampoline we know today. Eskimos are also known to have used Walrus skin to toss each other up into the air before the modern trampoline was born.

George Nissen, a gymnast and competitive diver, and a friend, Larry Griswold designed and built the first modern trampoline in 1934. Inspired by circus trapeze artists, they manufactured the first prototype – a stretched piece of canvas, with grommets inserted along each side, to an angle iron frame by means of coiled springs. It was a great success and “trampoline” became a household word soon after.

The trampoline has now been used not only for recreational or competitive purposes but also for training in variable body positions in flight to pilots and astronauts.

Trampoline Jumping as a Sport:

Trampolining is a competitive gymnastic sport that was incorporated in the Olympic Games in 2000. The main objective of the sport is to perform acrobatics while bouncing or jumping on a trampoline. Points are awarded to the competitors for feats such as jumps in the pike, tuck or straddle position to more complex combinations of forward or backward somersaults and twists. Trampolining includes competitions such as Individual Trampoline, Synchronized Trampoline and Double Mini-trampoline.

Trampoline Jumping as an Exercise:

The trampoline, if safely used, can be a great fitness tool for activities such as Rebound Exercise, which is a therapeutic movement on a mini-trampoline. Since every part of the body is in motion while jumping on a trampoline, some doctors consider this to be a good activity for therapies such as stimulating the lymphatic system or white blood system. It is further said that rebounding exercise helps remove toxins, and in delivery and absorption of nutrients at the cellular level where it is converted into energy.

Trampoline Jumping and Extreme Sports:

One of the latest innovations to trampoline jumping is the introduction of Bungee trampolines by the world of “extreme” sports. In this gravity-defying sport, the jumper has an adjustable harness attached to the waist, connected to bungee ropes on both sides. This allows various types of somersaults and other airborne aerobics as the jumper is catapulted up to 12 to 20 meters in the air. Bungee trampoline jumping is considered safer than the traditional trampoline by many people because the harness attached to the waist firmly holds the participant, which prevents injuries sustained from falls.

About the author:

Trampolines HQ offers articles and tips about trampolines and trampolining.

Aug 27

Basic Trampoline Moves

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Trampolining – Getting Started

When you first get on a trampoline, it can be very tempting to try and imitate others, by doing bounces then dropping on to your bottom or back.  But these maneuvers require skill and practice.  If you want to become good at trampolining, and avoid the risk of serious injury, then it’s better to start with the basics.

The most basic maneuvers in trampolining involve changing positions in the air, rather than altering which part of your anatomy you bounce on.  The six basic movements all involve bouncing on your feet, and performing the maneuver while airborne.  Mastering them helps you to get a feel for using a trampoline, as well as developing your skills.

Tuck Jump
For this jump, you take off from the trampoline, arms high in the air, and just as you reach your maximum height, draw your knees up to your chest and hold on to them with your arms.  It’s generally best to lean forward slightly at the same time.  As you drop back to the trampoline, extend your body fully again.

Piked Straddle Jump
Bounce up from the trampoline, and as you reach maximum height, spread your legs out in a v-shape, at right angles to your body.  The hands reach forward to rest on the ankles, although a variation is to hold your arms out straight between your parted legs.  The body curves forward slightly.  Return to the extended vertical position as you drop back to the trampoline.

Piked Jump
This is very similar to the previous jump, except this time your legs are held together, toes pointed.  The hands rest on the ankles.  It’s very important to keep your legs firmly together; otherwise the jump becomes untidy very quickly.  Return to the vertical as descending.

Splits Jump
Generally more popular with women, in this jump one leg is raised forwards, one backwards as maximum height is reach.  So basically the trampolinist is performing the splits in the air, hence the name.  Arms can be held in a variety of positions, including out to the side, or one up and one down to form a cross in the air.

Half-Twist Jump
This jump is slightly different to the previous four, because the movement commences as soon as you leave the trampoline, rather than at the height of the bounce.  As you push off from the trampoline, turn the upper part of your body in the direction you wish to twist.  This creates torque, and the rest of the body will follow in the same direction.  It’s important to control the amount of torque you create in your body; otherwise you will over rotate the jump.  Your arms can be in a number of positions, including by your sides, one in the air and one across your stomach, or one behind your head and one across the stomach.

Full-Twist Jump
This jump is basically the same as the previous one, except that more force is applied when leaving the trampoline, causing extra torque and forcing the body to do a full rotation in the air.

These jumps may sound quite simple, and they are certainly the most basic maneuvers on the trampoline, but it will still take some time to get them exactly right.  It’s particularly difficult to apply exactly the right amount of force in the twisting jumps.  Once you’ve mastered these basic skills, you can move on to some of the more complicated movements.

Aug 27

How Trampolines Can Be Used In Competition

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by Jeb Taylor

The first competitions were held in colleges and schools in the USA and then in Europe, with the first World Championships being held in London in 1964. Kurt Baechler of Switzerland and Ted Blake of England were the European pioneers and the first ever televised National Championships were in England in 1958.

Soon after the first World Championships, the inaugural meeting of prominent trampolinists was held in Frankfurt to explore the formation of an International Trampoline Federation. In 1965 in Twickenham, the Federation was formally recognised as the International governing body for the sport.

By 1969, the first European Championship was held in Paris and Paul Luxon of London was the winner at the age of 18. The ladies winner was Ute Czech from Germany. From that time onwards, European and World Championships have taken place in alternate years-the European in the odd and the World in the even.

At first, the Americans dominated the World Championships, but due to many lawsuits over trampolining, less was allowed in educational institutions and the high level of performance of the Americans went down. The Europeans gradually began to dominate the sport and in recent years, athletes from the former Soviet Union have almost completely dominated the sport.

Germany, France has been the other strong nations in trampolining and the first four ranking places in World Trampolining would go to USSR, France, Britain and Germany. Although in most countries trampolining started about the same time in the fifties and sixties, some countries have not been able to develop as strongly as the major European countries.

Physical benefits

In the US, it was quickly realised by the Physical Educators that the trampoline had something new to offer by observation of the physical benefits which trampolining had produced during the war years and also the enthusiasm of those who participated, and trampolining was introduced into school physical education programmes.

There were, of course, the detractors who felt that the activity was dangerous and reduced the strength of the legs because the springs assisted the jumping. However, the threshold of skill is low so that almost anyone of any age can get on and do something which is fun, exhilarating, aerobically effective, and caters for the highest level of skill and daring which some are capable of.

It is particularly popular amongst the very young, who now have something better than their parents’ double bed to jump upon; although many parents complain that the kids jump even more on their beds to try to reproduce the fun they have in the gym. It is also a form of plyometrics-a form of strength training.

Find out all you need to know about trampolines. How to use them for best exercise results, and which models to buy. Daily updated blog of news & articles. Clickhttp://www.trampolines-101.com/