Healthy activities and lifestyles have become a crucial part of our everyday lives. Individuals keep on looking for new and interesting recreation. That is why the popularity of trampoline parks is steadily increasing. Jumping on trampolines is an excellent and very fun way to exercise as well as takes care of our body and the development of motor skills, coordination, and posture of our youngest. However, it is believed that trampoline parks are not best suited for the development of our children. What is the truth?
Why is balance so important?
There is a huge difference between a playground trampoline used in our backyard and the trampolines available in trampoline parks. The latter is a professional sports prop and a truly excellent means of improving the coordination and motor skills in both adults and children.
A positive impact on a child's body was also proven in a study. The experts of Marmara University have conducted the first study on the impact of trampolines as a sports prop on the development of children. Before starting the study, the hypothesis that training on a trampoline would improve both the static and dynamic balance of a child as well as the vertical jump and the strength of the legs was formed.
Prior studies only researched the impact of jumping on a trampoline on athletes or adults who had already exercised. Consequently, sports educators and coaches were often unaware of the positive effects that physical activity on trampolines can have on our balance, muscle strength, endurance, and coordination.
Balance allows the body to maintain a stable position in many tasks that require motor skills. The body is almost never completely still and constantly moves even though these movements might be completely imperceptible or noticeable on the other hand. The more this ability is developed, the easier it gets to maintain the balance.
A good balance is important in both, everyday life and sports activities. We distinguish between static and dynamic balance. The latter maintains a balanced position of the body during movement while the static balance maintains a balanced position of the body at rest.
The results are visible after 36 hours of exercise
In the aforementioned study, 28 boys aged 9 and 10 who had previously not practiced any type of physical activity volunteered. Half of the boys completed a 12-week trampoline training and the other half, considered a control group, did not participate in any sports activity in the 12 weeks. The trampoline training took place twice a week with one session lasting 1,5 hours.
At the end of the study, the dynamic balance of children who were regularly exercising on the trampoline increased by 63 %. The double-leg stance static balance and double-leg stance vertical jump also improved significantly.
The best prop for top results
The fun of jumping on trampolines can therefore significantly change the coordination, motor skills, and posture of our youngest. The trampoline exercises in these parks are focused primarily on the lower limbs and require great control over the movement as well as an excellent dynamic and static balance.
When exercising in a trampoline park, it is necessary to control the position of the body in the air during a jump and the landing as well as use a correct jumping technique at all times. When propelling your body away from the ground, constant body movement is required and the eyes need to adjust to different perspectives. This greatly affects the improvement of orientation and coordination of our body.
Trampoline park exercise is therefore an extremely effective physical activity for our youngest. It is also a fun way to ensure the suitable development of coordination, motor skills, and posture of children. By visiting these parks, physical activity is attractively introduced into the lives of our youngest who, according to numerous studies, represent the largest share of all visitors to such parks.
If we include activities and modules that will surely attract children, such as climbing walls, interactive walls, and ninja tracks, and effectively promote and operate our park it will certainly be a successful business.
