While shopping for a garden trampoline for my kids this Christmas I came across this rather interesting history of trampolines and trampolining.
I recall seeing silent footage of stage performers using a ‘bouncing bed’ as a prop in their act. Made up to look like a bed the prop was actually a precursor to the modern trampoline.
Trampolines have become the must have fun and fitness accessories owned by many UK households. But as trampoline ownership has soared so has the number of trampoline related injuries.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) figures tell us that, in 2002, 11,500 people went to hospital after suffering a trampoline accident. This figure was a 50% increase on the previous year. Approximately 75% of injuries occurred when there were 2 or more people on the trampoline and the least heavy person is five times more likely to be injured. A particularly worrying statistic for parents is that children under the age of six are particularly vulnerable to injury.
Injuries vary, from minor grazes, bruises, strains and whip lash, to broken bones and more serious injuries resulting in paralysis and even death.
The chartered institute of physiotherapy have published some common-sense safety guidelines that anyone owning a trampoline should be familiar with.
To avoid injuries they recommend:
Their twelve point safety advice for trampolines is:
Another key point that should not be overlooked is the quality of the trampoline itself. The current trampolining popularity means that the market has been flooded with cheap trampolines that may not be as safe as those which have been fully tested and verified. Take a look at the detailed description of this 14ft trampoline: Alley Oop Power Double Bounce. You can see from the comparison table the details of the features that make this reputable trampoline the favoured option.
They’re everywhere these days. I’m referring to those ubiquitous round garden trampolines that every home with a little outdoor space appears to have. If you own a trampoline you will already know how popular they are with the children. Maybe your youngsters will progress to become the next Olympic trampolining champions.
Trampolining originates from the 1930s when George Nissen noted that trapeze artists would sometimes use their safety nets to perform bouncing tricks. The word ‘trampoline’ is actually derived from the Spanish word for diving board, ‘trampolin’. This is because George used his first, home built trampoline to develop his diving skills.
Trampolining became an Olympic sport in 2000 and many countries now incorporate trampolining into their school’s physical education programmes. Trampolining is a great exercise. It improves cardiovascular fitness, helps develop balance and can even help the immune system by increasing the movement efficiency of lymph.
Providing your children with a garden trampoline is clearly a great way to help them to keep in shape and to develop their balance and bouncing skills. Maybe it will also serve to bounce them onwards to world champion status.