Since 2000, trampolining has been part of the program of the Olympic Games, pilots and astronauts, professional athletes and fans of jumping fitness train for them. Popular sports equipment is installed in malls and water parks, and large and small street trampolines are increasingly appearing in summer cottages.
We will tell you what a modern trampoline is, what options manufacturers offer and what to look for when choosing. And let's start, perhaps, with a question that worries many parents: is a trampoline a pampering or a real health benefit?
Trampoline for children and adults
People appreciated the benefits of jumping on a soft spring surface in the 19th century. The prototype of the Eskimo trampoline was the skin of walruses, while the Europeans used ordinary blankets, though not out of sporting interest, but insured them with people jumping out of burning buildings.
Classes on a modern trampoline are very effective cardio loading: 10 minutes of active jumps in energy consumption are comparable to 30 minutes of jogging. And an hour of classes allows you to lose from 600 to 1000 kcal, but there will be no fatigue experienced by runners or cyclists.
A street trampoline installed in the courtyard will become a universal simulator for children, parents, their guests and, possibly, neighbors, because no one will refuse to receive an incredible boost of vigor, and if you deal with the system, then significantly improve your health.
Here are the benefits of regular trampoline training:
- reduced risk of cardiovascular disease;
- prevention of diseases of the musculoskeletal system: flat feet and osteochondrosis;
- improvement of the vestibular apparatus;
- normalization of intestinal activity;
- cure for seasickness;
- weight loss.
Trampoline jumping speeds up metabolism by increasing blood flow and oxygen saturation of the blood. In this case, the main muscle groups are involved, but there is no serious load on the spine and heart. Thanks to the release of endorphins and the development of the “hormone of happiness”, both the child and the adult immediately after class embrace feelings of joy, lightness and vivacity.
Nobody will refuse to get a street trampoline, the main thing is to choose the suitable option.
Types and principle of action of a trampoline
Manufacturers of sports equipment produce 2 types of trampolines: wire-frame and inflatable. In the first case, the simulator is a design of a round, oval or rectangular frame on the legs with a stretched mesh web. The fabric itself is static, and the buoyancy is created by the springs stretched around the perimeter, and the more there are, the higher the jumper will fly up.
Game street inflatable trampolines are intended for the smallest jumpers, therefore they are produced in a variety of fun variations: slides, houses, steam locomotives, entire cities with figures of fairy-tale characters. They are made from a dense film or fabric materials that do not allow air to pass through. Jump on such a trampoline will turn out no higher than a few cm, and the kids no longer need. But these models work from a compressor that constantly pumps air, and they do not create difficulties when choosing.
Therefore, we dwell on the design features of frame structures for children from 3 years and their parents.
Trampoline dimensions and diameter of a jump zone
First of all, you need to decide for what purposes a trampoline is acquired. It happens that parents are indifferent to sports and are not going to jump, then you should pay attention to children's street trampolines with a jump canvas size of 100 cm or more. This is an option for a 3-6 year old child. But if there are two jumpers, they obviously will not want to play in turn, so it makes sense to consider options from 155 cm so that children do not collide their foreheads.
Manufacturers have provided options when the whole family wants to jump, so they produce trampolines with a diameter of the jumping zone up to 545 cm. Large structures with legs up to 90 cm are equipped with special stairs.
When choosing, it is important to take into account that the dimensions of the simulator are measured at the extreme points of the frame, for example, a trampoline with a canvas diameter of 455 cm will occupy a 518 cm circle on the site.
And of course, the manufacturers made sure that the sports equipment was safe entertainment for the child.
Safety net
Both frame and rubber trampolines allow you to protect the jumping zone with a protective net, which is included or purchased separately. A child of 3–8 years of age needs a mesh fence, older children - at the discretion of the parents.
Fooling around, children do not calculate their movements, and a street trampoline with a net will not allow the baby to fly outside the jump zone.
The protective net is fixed on the support racks, in the set there are from 4 to 10. The more racks, the more reliable the protection and the greater the load the fence can withstand, which is important if several children play.
According to the type of arrangement and fastening, there are 2 types of nets:
- external, when the fence is located outside the jump zone, and the springs, covered with protective mats, remain inside;
- inner, stretched along the contour of the canvas, while the springs are outside.
The second option is preferable for young children who have not yet developed good coordination of movements. Such a trampoline resembles a playpen, where there are no traumatic elements, even along the edges.
Springs and protective mats
The buoyancy force and the height of the jump depend on the number of elements in the spring block. Different versions of street trampolines contain from 34 to 108 springs made of high-strength galvanized steel. And in the designs of the leading manufacturer of trampolines Springfree Trampoline, instead of springs, fiber-optic shock absorbers are installed, providing additional safety and soft jumps.
On the simulators having 64 springs, you can tumbling in the air, bending your legs. A large street trampoline with 108 springs allows you to perform more complex tricks, and professional rectangular models make it possible to fly up to 10 m in height.
To prevent injury to jumpers in the event of an accidental fall on the edge of the trampoline, the spring blocks are protected by special sports mats made of polypropylene or foam, with a thickness of 10 to 18 mm.
And the last important parameter that is taken into account when choosing a trampoline is its load capacity.
Maximum load
The jumping cloth for street trampolines is made of durable, resistant to moisture and UV materials, but if you do not calculate the load, the fabric will burst and it will naturally fail to be sewn up.
Sports equipment for training are available with the following load capacities:
- for children (50–70 kg);
- for adolescents and adults (per 100-130 kg);
- for adults and practicing professional tricks (up to 220 kg).
With the most intensive, but proper operation, trampolines adequately develop their operational resource, which is up to 5 years.
How much is a trampoline for giving?
The price for a street trampoline depends on its size, configuration and quality of materials. Buying in showrooms is more expensive than in online stores, and many suppliers offer bonuses: free delivery, assembly and gifts to choose from.
The average cost of inflatable models for the smallest is from 15 to 50 thousand rubles. Large children's complexes can be bought for 150 and 200 thousand rubles .. Frame designs for babies offer from 3 thousand rubles, professional sports equipment cost more than 100 thousand rubles.
If we consider the option for the whole family, then a street trampoline with a diameter of the jump zone of 427 cm with an internal protective net and a ladder in the kit, with a load of up to 150 kg can be bought for 26 thousand rubles.