We All Bounce On A Little Trampoline

To the tune of We All Live In A Yellow Submarine:  We all bounce on a little trampoline, a little trampoline, a little trampoline.

Now try and get that out of your head today!  lol.

We were given a little trampoline years ago, and it has sat in the garage and then in the shed.  I often thought of getting rid of it but (and don't laugh), it was just cute and I felt I may need it some day. 

Since then my neighbor called and asked if we would like their big trampoline, its 14 feet across, and her kids have outgrown it now.  I said yes.  Her husband, daughter, my son and I, all rolled this trampoline down the street to our backyard-yes we almost lost it a few times.  My kids have been enjoying it, literally spending hours on it.  Imagine being told to go jump on the trampoline between math and science?  Another great benefit to homeschooling.   I decided to join in the fun and after 5-10 minutes I got off.  Wow, how do they do this for hours?  They flip and run and jump all over the place.  I basically bounced, not jumped, my feet stayed in tact with the surface below me.  I came in to lie down-why was jumping, or bouncing, so exhausting? 

I have done some research and it turns out jumping, or bouncing, is one of the healthiest exercises around.  You can google it and its out there.  Here is a list of some of the health benefits of trampoline jumping:

~ helps combat depression
~ normalizes blood pressure
~ helps prevent cardiovascular disease
~ improves coordination
~ enhances digestion
~ gives relief from neck and back pain
~ strenghtens the immune system
~ better mental performance
~ good for the lymphatic system

The last one really intrigued me:  the lymphatic system.  The lymphatic system is responsible for carrying nutrients to the cells and waste away from the cells.  It doesn't move on its own, it relies on us to move to get it going.  If we don't exercise, our cells will just sit in their own waste and be starved of nutrients.   This of course contributes to aging and diseases.  So why is jumping up and down one of the best ways to get it moving?  The fluid in our vessels moves in one direction-up; up the arms, legs and torso.  This is why jumping up and down is so effective, especially on a trampoline, a trampoline gives where the ground does not; less chance for injury to the bones etc... 

I am not a doctor by any means, these are things I read on the internet on several sites.  It makes sense to me and I wanted to share it.  I am enjoying bouncing with my kids but I am also glad I kept my little trampoline, which will be moving from the shed to the house!   

We all bounce on a little trampoline, a little trampoline, a little trampoline......