EXPERIENCE THE ADRENALIN HIGH – AND MEGA CALORIE BURN – OF TRAMPOLINING.
EXPERIENCE THE ADRENALIN HIGH – AND MEGA CALORIE BURN – OF TRAMPOLINING.
You love the rush of endorphins that comes after high-intensity workouts. Oh, the feel-good hormones that make you feel ready to conquer the world… What if doing the workout itself gets you giggly, too? Introducing a new heart-racer: trampolining. All you need to do: Step onto a rebounder, unleash your inner kid, and jump. In between, do squats, kicks, shuffles and a few goofy moves. Loads of laughter guaranteed.
According to studies by NASA in the US, trampolining is 70 per cent more effective as an exercise than running for the same amount of time. Plus, it reduces the impact on joints by up to 80 per cent. Hello, happy knees!
However, to reap maximum body benefits, you’re better off joining a class than going freestyle (bouncing at your own pace and style) in a trampoline park.
The Shape team tried Boogie Bounce Xtreme, a trampoline fitness class that’s taking the cardio world by storm. It was madly fun, crazy tiring and super addictive – and we can’t wait to do it again. Turn the page to find out why.
Boing, boing! Imagine jumping on the bed as a kid – that’s the kind of unadulterated fun you can expect in a trampoline fitness class like Boogie Bounce Xtreme (BBX).
“We were born to bounce,” says Felicia Kaw, a freelance trampoline fitness instructor, who also teaches zumba, spinning, aerobics, and kickboxing, as well as pilates and other strength and conditioning workouts. “Look what happens when you bounce a baby on your knee. It starts smiling and giggling,” she says.
Happiness, indeed. The Shape team was full of joy and laughter when we tried BBX, the latest workout to gain favour among fitness enthusiasts, and especially lovers of heart-pumping cardio exercises. The 50-minute class involves bouncing on a mini trampoline, with intervals of jumping and stomping, to the beat of chart toppers.
Since BBX was rolled out here last October, classes have been snapped up faster than you can spell Boogie Bounce Xtreme. So what exactly makes this trampoline workout such a hit? Besides the instant mood lift, here are four other legit reasons to jump onto the bouncing bandwagon.
1. YOU BURN AN INSANE AMOUNT OF CALORIES.
“Depending on the workout intensity, how much effort you put in, as well as your weight and muscle mass, a 50-minute class burns 400 to 800 calories,” says Felicia. She uses high-intensity interval training techniques in the first 30 minutes of her BBX classes to maximise fat burn. Expect your heart rate to soar when you do these moves: jumping jacks, frog leaps, split jumps, stomping and on-the-spot running.
2. YOU SCULPT YOUR ABS AND THIGHS – BIG TIME.
“In BBX, the aim isn’t to bounce high or perform gymnastic tricks, but to perform a series of small, controlled movements,” says Felicia. To do that, you’ll need to activate every fibre of muscle in your core, as well as those in your quads, hamstrings and calves. And, as landing on a wobbly surface requires an enormous amount of stability, you won’t just score a toned body, but a strong sense of balance as well.
3. IT’S KIND TO YOUR JOINTS.
This is one high-intensity workout that doesn’t result in high impact on joints. Thanks to the elasticity of the trampoline, the pressure from each bounce is greatly absorbed. “I turned to BBX partly because my knees started to hurt from long-distance running over the years,” says Felicia. “With BBX, I can enjoy the benefits of a high-intensity workout without having to worry about straining my joints.”
4. YOU ENJOY A WELL-ROUNDED WORKOUT INSTEAD OF PURELY CARDIO.
Besides bouncing and jumping, you’ll be throwing jabs and punches similar to those in a body combat class, so your arm muscles get some love, too. During the last 15 to 20 minutes of the BBX class, Felicia incorporates ab- and arm-strengthening exercise, like crunches and dips, as well as gentle stretches to cool down.
