As anyone within earshot of a back garden that is frequented by rowdy children probably knows, trampolines are the must-have item of this summer. Bouncing, Zebedee-like, on a mesh-and-metal frame has become the biggest summer sports craze since Swingball, reflected by the huge increase in sales on the high street. John Lewis alone has reported a 57 per cent rise nationwide in sales in the last week of July compared with the same period last year. Yet while the fitness benefits of trampolining are significant, so, too, are the risks.
There was one death and at least three broken necks last year alone after trampoline accidents, although the most common injuries are fractures to the arm and shoulder dislocation. According to a recent study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, four children out of ten injured while bouncing require operations. The latest statistics from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) showed that in 2002 (the last year for which the society has figures), 11,500 people in the UK went to hospital as a result of injuring themselves on a trampoline. Of those, accidents on home trampolines had risen fourfold with 4,200 under-15s being hurt.
So, should we stop kids trampolining or find a safer way to spring? The first option may be difficult: British toy retailers report that trampolines are the third most popular gift among the 5 to 13 age group. Despite the scare stories, well-meaning parents continue to buy them to increase their children’s activity levels. They are a fraction of the cost of a swimming pool and can be purchased everywhere from garden centres to DIY stores, with the most popular being the 14ft-diameter models, which cost several hundred pounds. Proponents say that trampolining offers tremendous fitness benefits: regular bouncing improves strength, stamina, co-ordination and balance, and you burn 150 calories for every 30 minutes of jumping up and down. But others give warning of serious problems when trampolines get into inexperienced hands.
Brian Stocks, the president of British Gymnastics, the governing body for trampolining in the UK, says that the equipment can be dangerous if used inappropriately. “You would never allow a child to swim in a garden pool unsupervised and parents must treat trampoline activities in the same way,” he says. “A trampoline has the ability to maim or seriously injure if activities are allowed to get out of control.” RoSPA advises that as children under 6 are more prone to injury, they should use only trampolines designed for their size and age.
In a report by RoSPA in 2002, it was revealed that many gardens are unsuitable for trampolines because they are too small or because the ground around the equipment is too hard. Bouncing off the equipment on to a patio or hardened mud can cause serious injury.
One way to prevent accidents is to invest in a safety cage, which you can fit to the trampoline, enclosing the bouncing area. Prices start at £60 depending on the size of the trampoline. And it is worth it. According to the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery research, which took its figures from admissions to Waterford District Hospital in Ireland last year, 70 per cent of accidents occurred when there was no protective barrier.
However, it’s not just poor landings that cause problems, collisions are also common. According to the A&E department of Southampton Hospital, most trampoline injuries to children that have been treated over the past few months have been the result of more than one person bouncing. “The person weighing less is five times more likely to be injured than the heavier person,” says John Beer, Britain’s national trampolining coach. “As someone depresses the bed of the trampoline, the forces throw the other person off balance.” He adds that children should never attempt somersaults or jumps involving rotation without being properly trained.
Manufacturers, it seems, are beginning to take responsibility. Super Tramp, one of the UK’s biggest sellers, has launched a safety initiative to encourage more responsible garden trampolining. It stresses the importance of bouncing in the middle of the trampoline, and offers two free lessons with the purchase of every new trampoline in the range.
It is a first step for the fitness industry and Peter Cornall, the RoSPA’s head of water and leisure safety, says that the scheme “gives purchasers of trampolines the opportunity to be trained in their use by coaches and has to be welcomed as a good idea”.
By far the best route to learning how to trampoline safely is to join one of the 360 registered clubs around the country. According to British Gymnastics, there are more than 7,000 qualified trampolining coaches working at clubs and schools, all of whom adhere to the sport’s strict safety standards. Look for a club that carries the British Gymnastics “GymMark” label (www. british-gymnastics.org), a new Kitemark for safe teaching. If you attend a session, be prepared to stick to the rules: long hair should be tied back, T-shirts tucked in, jewellery should be removed (it might get caught in the webbing, and rings, for instance, might tear fingers out of their sockets), and to keep your socks on in case toes become trapped and dislocated.
Spotters stand around on each side of the trampoline at all times so that, should you bounce off, there is someone there to protect you. Crash mats are positioned around the edge for a soft landing. Done regularly and safely, trampolining can help you to get fit. “It is a bit like swimming in that it uses most of the body’s main muscles at any given time,” Beer says. “Each time you depress the bed you are working against gravitational forces to maintain your position and to jump again, which takes huge muscular effort, particularly in the core stability muscles of the trunk.”
He adds that simply trying to keep your head (“which weighs around 10lb”) still and aiming to keep the body towards the centre of the mat when you bounce is a “weight training exercise in itself”. Because they are low-impact, trampolines are excellent for vulnerable joints. Many physiotherapists recommend bouncing on a mini-trampette to help to strengthen previously injured body parts; David Beckham used one when he broke a bone in his foot in 2002.
There are other benefits. Visual orientation and balance improve as the eyes adjust to rapidly changing scenes and the body develops a leaner, more toned appearance as it becomes flexible and stronger. The key is to build up gradually until you can keep bouncing for several minutes. “I challenge anyone who has just started to try to jump continuously for one minute without finishing completely exhausted,” Beer says.
So is it worth buying a trampoline for your back garden? Provided you set it up safely and supervise children at all times, the answer is yes. Which will, no doubt, have you jumping for joy.
Jump to it
For more information and details of your local clubs contact British Gymnastics (www.british-gymnastics.org) or Super Tramp (www.supertramp.co.uk) to buy a trampoline. Bouncing in numbers
11,500 people went to hospital in 2002 as a result of injuring themselves on a trampoline
4,200 of those people hurt were under the age of 15
4 out of 10 children injured on trampolines require operations
70% of accidents occur on trampolines that don’t have a protective barrier
