Jumping for Joy – Why Trampolining is Good for Your Family’s Mental Health

Feel-good factor

Jumping up and allowing gravity to bring you swiftly back down again – and repeating this movement – is a great way to get some aerobic exercise. As well as burning calories and improving lung capacity, this kind of exercise helps to release endorphins.

Endorphins are known as the “feel-good” hormones and are released when we exercise—one of the key reasons experts link physical activity and mental health so closely. However, the repetitive bouncing up and down of trampolining allows these hormones to get released quicker than other forms of exercise – kind of like shaking a sauce bottle.

Endorphins flowing through the body help to lift your mood and promote a positive feeling.

Serotonin is another chemical that can be produced while trampolining. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, which helps reduce anxiety. When our bodies have low levels of serotonin, we are more prone to feeling low and depressed.

To give you an idea of the kind of feel-good chemical serotonin is, a form of it can also be found in chocolate, although we don’t recommend chewing on chocolate while bouncing on a trampoline!

The heart of the matter

Have you ever jumped on a trampoline and tried to get that little extra height with each bounce? Depending on your level of expertise or experience, you may start with a few easy bounces, and before you know it, you’re scraping the sky.

This gradual feeling of excitement happens when the activity itself triggers the production of adrenaline.

Adrenaline helps us feeling energized and excited. It helps to get our heart pumping, which sends blood around our bodies, carrying oxygen to the brain and giving us a sense of exhilaration.

That excitement that we feel helps to lift our mood and gives us a positive outlook. Adrenaline can contribute to better focus and alertness. It stimulates the nervous system and provides a greater general sense of awareness.

Improved Sleep Quality

One of the lesser-known benefits of trampolining is its positive effect on sleep. Engaging in physical activity during the day—like a trampoline jumping session—can help regulate your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. Not only does bouncing release feel-good hormones like serotonin, which helps prepare the body for rest, but it also uses up physical energy in a healthy way.

Simply put, getting active makes you a little more tired in the evening, which is exactly what you want when it’s time to wind down. Over time, regular trampoline exercise can contribute to more consistent sleep patterns and improved overall sleep quality for both kids and adults.

Striking the right balance

Trampolining requires the ability to balance and control your body position. OK, this might take some beginners a little while to master, but once you do, you’ll be able to improve your motor skills. You’ll see your whole family develop better balance and agility.

Although trampolining, on some level, can help you experience a feeling of weightlessness, it can also help improve things such as balance and coordination.

Improved motor skills and coordination can help to improve brain function. A well-stimulated brain can help improve your mental health because it allows the brain to focus on a range of different thoughts and challenges.

Keeping your brain active can prevent the onset of anxiety and depression because it will not allow you to dwell on negative feelings. Whether it’s you or a family member doing the bouncing, the stress is more likely to fly away on a trampoline.