Trampoline coaching - Bouncing safely

Trampoline

Our Coaching team at Springwood Leisure Centre put together some tips for you to practice at home ready for when we can get back to the trampolines.

Bouncing requires a high level of co-ordination of the body just to travel up and down in one area, in a straight shape, and in a controlled manner, let alone to perform various shapes in the air whilst bouncing.

Practicing these shapes individually on the ground, and practicing some body movements on a solid surface, helps the body to make a connection between the brain’s desire to perform the shape, and the body’s capability to.

Examples of some basic practice drills are listed below:

  • Sitting/ lying on the floor, and moving the body from a straight shape into tuck, star, straddle, pike, etc, and back again to a straight shape.
  • Sitting with legs out straight/ sitting on a chair with legs out straight if not flexible enough to do it on the floor; flex and extend the ankle joint – (pointing toes and then pulling toes back towards the shins), to get the idea of how the ankle would be required to move when bouncing.
  • Standing, (near a wall, to help maintain balance if needed), move from feet flat to pressing up onto toes, and back again. (Can add a small knee bend as descended to feet flat to mimic to a small degree how to stop bouncing).
  • From a standing position can practice bending and straightening legs, lifting arms up from by the side as straightening legs – (is important when straightening legs to squeeze the gluteal muscles, and keeping a degree of tension in the core area i.e. being mindful of that area and not just ignoring that area of the body and relaxing it, and also not tensing the area too much).
  • If capable and you have a matted area at hand you could practice rocking backwards and forwards in the tuck, straddle, and pike shapes which adds a degree of movement to them.

Find out more about Keeping Active at Home here

Derby Active offers this site for educational purposes only. Please work to your own fitness level and ability, if you are injured or have any medical conditions we advise you ask for advice from your Doctor before taking part. The use of any information provided on this site is solely at your own risk.