Metabolic and Mental Health
Here’s Why Trampoline Is Not Just Another Fitness Tool.
The remarkable health and fitness benefits of trampoline for the last 30 years have made jumping for joy a lifestyle choice for me and many others.
Why Trampoline Is a Significant Invention
A trampoline might look like a simple tool. However, it is a significant invention in human history.
Creating a technology defying the rules of physics for humans is a prominent innovation in my perspective.
The notion of trampoline turned the hard surface to soft to give the better ability to move for humans. It turned out to be a tool to improve the quality of life.
Thus, if someone asks me hypothetically what a single tool I would take to a deserted island if given one chance, my preference would be to take an elastic trampoline with me.
In my opinion, if each household invests in an indoor trampoline and uses it for 10 to 20 minutes daily, we can substantially reduce the risks of metabolic and mental health diseases.
I firmly believe that regular and joyful trampoline use might reduce the risks of heart disease, type II diabetes, obesity, and metabolic disorders like insulin resistance. It may even contribute to reducing the risks of some cancers.
This vision might sound weird or even crazy to some people.
However, after trying joyful workouts for many years, I am confident about the validity and relevancy of my idea.
By the way, I jumped for half an hour before writing this piece, so it is not just a theory.
How About the Cost for Households
Every tool comes with a cost. Some even have a lifetime maintenance cost. And some even consume energy like electricity costing extra.
If a household can afford a microwave, a fridge, a washing machine, a dishwasher, a computer, or a TV set, why can’t they afford a $200 tool which is much cheaper than these tools?
The trampoline seems to be more beneficial than these tools. For example, I have a TV set in my home. Possibly I watched it only around 10 hours in the last 30 years. But according to my fitness journal, I used a trampoline for around 5,500 hours.
I have a dishwasher that I haven’t even used. My wife and other family members use it. I prefer washing dishes with my hands as a daily meditative and therapeutic tool in my mental health kit.
Trampoline facilities in my country (Australia) are still costly. For example, entry for 2 hours is $15.
These fitness facilities are valuable for occasional use, like with family and friends, as a joyful activity, but they are not economical and convenient for everyday use.
Besides, we don’t need to jump for two hours to benefit from a trampoline. In addition, some people prefer to exercise by themselves.
Thus, saving that money from these facilities and investing in one at home for family members can be convenient and economical.
Buying a good quality trampoline for around $500 with a 10-year warranty was a good investment for my health and fitness. I have been using my current one for over a decade, and it is still in good shape.
Besides, it does not require maintenance and does not consume electricity. In addition, the miniature version, which I purchased for $200, can fit the back seat of my car, so I take it with me during my local travel from one city to another in Australia.
In my opinion, reducing the risks of metabolic and mental health issues is worth the cost of investing in a mini-trampoline at home.
Summary of My Experience with Trampoline
Since I enjoy jumping for joy, I have been using a trampoline for over three decades.
After starting as a hobby, the trampoline turned into a lifestyle choice for me. Turning hobbies into lifestyle choices was critical to my health, fitness, and overall well-being.
Jumping on a trampoline for around 20 to 30 minutes during my breaks brought me many health benefits besides allowing me to relive my childhood.
In addition, completing ten thousand steps daily on the trampoline helped me:
reduce stress,
decrease inflammation,
optimize hormones (insulin, cortisol, and growth hormone),
detoxify the body,
initiate autophagy,
renew mitochondria,
tone muscles,
reduce visceral fat,
and get denser bones.
Gaining mental clarity, improving my mood, and sleeping like a baby were just dividends of joyful movements on the trampoline.
Three Major Health and Fitness Benefits of Joyful Movement
Undoubtedly, movement is critical for the human body. Unless we move, we cannot get rid of toxins and pathogens.
Every cell in the body requires movement to function. Our organs, especially the heart and brain, need regular movement.
Muscles can only grow with movement. Fat cells require movement to mobilize. Blood needs movement to flow better.
Here are the significant benefits of joyful movements on the trampoline.
1 — Natural Detoxification
The lymphatic system is the first line of defense against toxins and pathogens. Detoxification is critical to boosting the immune system.
As informed in this paper lymphatic system comprises:
“a complex network of lymphoid organs, lymph nodes, lymph ducts, lymph tissues, lymph capillaries, and a network of lymphatic vessels that carry lymph and other substances throughout the body.”
Jumping on a trampoline has been one of the best detoxification regimes for my body. Habitual exercises on the trampoline increased lymphatic flow in my body.
It contributed to the detoxification process and improved my skin health.
Cleansing the lymphatic system can improve our immune system as it removes toxins and pathogens.
Review studies indicate that circulation of the lymphatic fluid might even contribute to removing cancerous cells in the body.
2 — Low Impact Cardio for Physical Structure
Walking, jogging, and running are useful cardiovascular exercises. However, they might cause structural issues impacting our joints.
Walking is relatively low impact, but jogging and running can significantly affect joints, causing inflammation and leading to arthritic pain.
Therefore, running on soft spaces like grass rather than cement is considered a healthier alternative.
As the trampoline is a soft space, even softer than grass, it can reduce the impact on the joints, preventing inflammation. I touch on the structural aspect in item #5 of the subsequent section.
In summary, regular trampoline use can reduce inflammation, resting heart rate, cholesterol, and triglycerides leading to better cardiovascular health.
3 — Toning Leg and Abdominal Muscles
Since we need to use our legs to jump on the trampoline, continuously jumping on the trampoline can activate multiple muscle groups during the process.
These movements cause the muscle fibers to fatigue and microtears. When the body fixes these tears, new muscle fibers form. So toning of the muscle group happens with movement.
While hopping on the trampoline, the abdominal muscles are activated to support the legs and maintain balance. Thus, toning of the abdominal muscles is also possible.
In addition, frequent movement cause more blood flows to the leg and abdominal muscles, contributing to the toning process.
When I did trampoline in a fasted state (empty stomach) like Eliza, I burned more visceral fat from the overall body and abdominal area allowing the muscles to show in these areas.
I owe my defined body to joyful movements on the trampoline.
Five Byproduct Benefits of Joyful Movements
Workouts affect our genes and cause epigenetic effects.
Here are the five byproduct benefits of joyful movements on the trampoline.
1 — Mindfulness and Brain Health
Trampoline made me more mindful, watching my breathing and movement simultaneously.
As we need to pay constant attention while jumping on the trampoline, our mental alertness can increase.
Thus, while physically training the body, we also teach the brain to grow by increasing focus, attention, and task switching.
Joyfully jumping on a trampoline with music can increase BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), which is critical for brain and mental health.
2 — Fitness
Adding a trampoline to my exercise regime helped me become fitter.
For example, my heart rate used to go very high in the earlier stages. However, nowadays, my heart rate does not go as high as in previous years.
In addition, my heart rate variability has significantly improved. Heart rate variability is an indicator of fitness and cardiovascular health improvement.
3 — Sleep Quality
After each session, my sleep quality significantly improved in my first year. Then, my stress reduced after several years, and sleep deprivation disappeared.
As we know, cumulative stress cause sleep deprivation. As the trampoline is a joyful activity, it can reduce stress and increase joy. Also, the meditative aspect of the trampoline contributes to sleep.
As the lymphatic system is activated and toxins are removed from the body, we gain a better hormonal and neurotransmitter balance.
4 — Improved Structural Balance
I got excited when I learned that jumping on a trampoline could stimulate the vestibular and the semicircular canals in the middle ear and improve my balance.
Jumping on the trampoline in different movement patterns helped me improve my balance. Improving our balance is critical as we age. One of the critical health conditions for the elderly is falling down.
Lack of balance causes health issues and shortens lifespan. This is a critical item in longevity studies.
The most noticeable physical manifestation of balance was an improvement in my posture.
5 — Postural Improvement and Bone Density
Jumping on a trampoline can increase bone density.
As I use Dexa Scans (Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) twice a year, I experienced a noticeable improvement in bone density.
My consultant physiotherapists and osteopaths also mentioned that regular jumps on trampoline activity might prevent skeletal decay.
Safety Measures and Cautions
Even though I haven’t experienced any side effects of using a trampoline for 30 to 60 minutes in moderation for many years, I still believe we need to be cautious.
As I point out in my articles, every good thing comes with some risks. Even water and food bring many dangers to our lives if we don’t use them carefully.
Falling from the trampoline is possible if we don’t pay attention and lose control. Therefore being mindful at all times is critical.
In addition, we need to ensure that no sharp objects around the trampoline exist to prevent injuries.
When I perform the trampoline activities at home, I ensure the device is on a smooth carpet in my fitness room.
Overdoing the trampoline can be problematic. Thus, listening to the body is necessary. When we feel muscle discomfort, we need to take a break. Muscle spasms can lead to injuries.
As the trampoline is a cardiovascular exercise, it impacts the heart. Thus, too long sessions can stress the heart.
In addition, too much physical stress can elevate cortisol levels and imbalance other hormones like insulin, leptin, and growth hormone.
Trampolines might be risky for children and the elderly.
Children are good at jumping on trampolines, but their attention span can cause them to lose balance. For small children and the elderly, holding their hands while doing small movements can be useful.
In addition, for small children and the elderly, putting a protective cover like a net around the trampoline can be valuable in reducing risks.
Conclusions
As a product of our thinking brain, a trampoline is not just another tool, as it changes the way humans move.
Our movement on a trampoline affects our body and brain-changing our mental state via hormones and neurotransmitters.
In my opinion, an indoor mini-trampoline should be a household device like a microwave, fridge, dishwasher, or TV, as it can benefit as much as these tools.
Our metabolic and mental health is critical for our well-being and life satisfaction.
However, like all good things, a trampoline might not suit everyone. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain advice and guidance from qualified healthcare professionals before using a trampoline for fitness and health improvement.
We need to be extra careful about children and the elderly.
Takeaways
1 — Consider investing in a trampoline for home use.
2 — If you cannot afford it, consider joining health centers with trampolines.
3 — Start slow, like five to ten minutes, and take breaks.
4 — Gradually build fitness using the trampoline.
5 — Consider adding music while using the trampoline at home.
6 — Be mindful while using a trampoline to improve focus and attention.
7 — Act cautiously to prevent risks of falling and muscle injuries.
8 — Check fitness websites or YouTube to get ideas for using trampolines effectively.
9 — If you have health conditions, please discuss using a trampoline with a physician before starting it.
10 — If you are a carer for children or the elderly, adding extra protection to a trampoline is a critical health measure.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
Apart from lifestyle factors, significant contributors to the imbalances of neurotransmitters are excessive stress, chronic inflammation, neurodegenerative disorders, traumatic brain injury, stroke, brain atrophy, infections, and genetic mutations.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
As a new reader, please check my holistic health and well-being stories reflecting my reviews, observations, and decades of experiments optimizing my hormones and neurotransmitters. I write about health as it matters. I believe health is all about homeostasis.
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