A friend of mine was telling me about her small, indoor trampoline that she uses for working out. She said 6 minutes on it doing her workout was like walking a mile. I’m intrigued. Anyone else use these or know anything about 'em?
Never used one so I don’t know how much work they are but I will say there’s no way six minutes is the same as walking a mile.
There’s a specific demand for oxygen to cover a mile on foot. If you can’t walk or run a mile in six minutes then you can’t work out hard enough on a mini-tramp to get the same result.
Six minutes is like mile? I guess it depends on how you use it.
I have used these and like anything, they can work, IF you use it. But there are no shortcuts.
The one thing I would say about them is they put a lot more stress on the ankles than normal. For most people this isn’t a problem, but if you start out too fast you can hurt your ankle, or Achilles tendon, so go slow at first till your ankles and tendons have gotten use to the motion. It’s definately stressfull till you get use to it.
I have one. I like it, but I know that 6 mins on it is not the same a running a mile. I mean, I have done both and I definitely get more exercise running an actual mile. I like using it because I sneak exercise in when I wouldn’t normally, like during the commercials of a program I’m watching.
How do you not hit your head on the ceiling? 
I guess you can’t be too tall to use one? Or have unusually high ceilings? I mean, even someone who is 5’6" would have trouble…you figure regular 8’ ceilings, the trampoline is 6" off the ground, that’s two feet of vertical clearance…seems small.
You can’t bounce very high on those little trampolines, though.
I am a walker and biker and these things kick my butt. If you sit on it and bounce, your ab muscles will be yelling about it for days. The deal with these things, as I have found from experience, is that they vary wildly in quality depending on the cost. There is a huge difference between the cheap ones at Walmart and the good ones, which will set you back but are so much better to use. They have more bounce and give, it’s not like jumping up and down on your bed (not that I know how that feels… I’m just guessing). There’s a lot of brouhaha out there about bouncing up and down being good for the lymph system but that could be all hype from the rebounder manufacturers.
No, the claim was WALKING a mile. There’s no way I would even be capable of RUNNING a mile.
Well, I’m 5’3" in very thick socks so I don’t have much to worry about. They don’t bounce you very high–not like those outdoor trampolines at all.
The main benefit is they reduce stress on your knees. to have a positive effect on your cardiovascular system you need to go 10,000 steps a day, whether walking, running or bouncing.
There are no magic bullets.
I used to run 6 minute miles, but it was hell on my joints.
Sorry, totally read it wrong. I guess it depends on how vigorous you jump on it and your normal walking pace.
My mother had one of those, and it was fun. I DID hit my head on the ceiling, but it was a low (and false) ceiling. It did nothing for my mother, as she never got on it, and I didn’t need to lose any weight and was pretty fit and just did it for fun. And to see if I could hit my head on the ceiling.
Trampolines do a couple of things more than just walking, running in place, jumping in place, one of which is helping to strengthen your core, because you need a certain amount of balance–the surface is less stable. (The last time I had a personal trainer, she was crazy for unstable surfaces.)
So there really is a difference between a cheapo one and a good one, then? If I look into it I should get a decent one?
So is a trampoline that has a bar…type thing that you lean on bad for your core, because you’re not balancing?
And is holding onto the side of a treadmill bad for you? I don’t do it anymore but I did at one time and I had someone tell me not to.
You get a better workout if you don’t hold on. It makes your body work harder at balancing and you have to carry your full weight. Of course, if you have issues that make balancing difficult and you can’t work out safely without holding on, holding on is better than not working out at all.
But leaning on any bar while you walk/bounce/climb the stairmaster makes it easier. At the gym you can see people sometimes practically laying half their weight over the top of the stairmaster. I want to tell them, you could get a better work out in half the time you spend on that if you just stood up.
I would guess a trampoline gets you as good a workout as anything if it gets your heart rate up. Really it does not matter much what you do as long as you get into your zone for cardio. If you like it and it’s fun for you, great. You can jump, dance, run, climb stairs, etc. and different exercises do work different body parts more, but all will give heart benefits if you do it at a good intensity.
If you just touch it very lightly for balance, I wouldn’t say it’s bad for you. You get more of a workout without it, but it really depends on whether you merely have your hand there, just to steady yourself, or whether you’re holding on for dear life and supporting most of your upper body.
It’s a funny thing, I seem to balance much better if I’m holding on to something, even if that something is not at all connected to what I’m balancing on. Like a tightrope walker, maybe.
You only bounce a few inches, nowhere near two feet. It’s probably the size that’s the limiting factor, but they’re not all that bouncy at all. We were disappointed to find this out when our parents bought one back in the late 80s.
So what she is saying is that in six minutes she gets the equivalent of a mile of walking, so about 80 calories or so, depending on your weight. 80 calories in six minutes is a LOT. I burn about ~10 calories a minute running, so unless she’s got her heart rate up to 85% of her max or more, there is no way six minutes = a mile walk. If that were true, everyone would use a trampoline!
That said, used properly, they can be great for fitness and core.
Just my experience, they rock. Try a simple experiment: jog in place for 1 minute on the floor or ground. Rest a while. Then try jogging in place for 1 minute on a trampoline.
Measure your heart rate (if you NEED to to tell that it is significantly higher than when doing the same movements on solid ground.)
Same effect occurs when jogging/jumping and lifting weights or doing other movements to tone…it amplifies everything.
The trampoline was first used (and might still be) to train and tone astronauts…its zero gravity and passive resitance elements have particular benefits not easily replicated with other exercises or devices.
I find that exercising on one, even if I am just jogging/dancing while moving 2 lb weights around for 20 minutes a day is roughly equivalent to an hour of other such aerobic and/or toning activity.
ETA, well of COURSE the giant tramps are way more fun and more effective as exercise…but even a good mini can impart similar benefits, ime.
They’re great for a little YEM action…
What’s YEM mean?