Exercise Trampoline

Bounce Back Without Waking Little Ones

• What: Exercise trampoline
• When: Before, during, and after kids
• Why: Easy, low impact, quiet, and fun
• Where: Amazon

I know trampolines have gotten a bad rap of late, but I don’t mean the outdoor kind. I have discovered in the past year the sheer joy and ease of those tiny indoor trampolines popular in the 80’s for exercise. You know what? There’s a reason they were so popular back then.

These trampolines, measuring about three feet across and maybe a foot off the floor, have been repurposed in gyms for kids across the country with the simple addition of a bar for kids to hold on to. I’m not talking about those, either, though. I mean the simple ones from back in the day, meant for adults only.

It turns out, you can get some great exercise and stress relief (not to mention bouncing fussy babies) on these simple jumping surfaces. You can put in some ear buds and hook up some tunes and get to bouncing while the baby sleeps (or doesn’t), and not worry one whit about waking up a sleeping infant or toddler – or bigger kids if it’s late at night. You don’t have to leave the house, you don’t have to pay a membership fee, you don’t even have to find a sitter. You don’t even have to get dressed, so don’t worry about people seeing you.

The trampoline can be stored on its side against a wall. (Mine doesn’t fold, or at least not that I know of.) I like mine near a window, because generally I find looking outside less depressing than staring at the wall while I get my groove on in private.

We scored a trampoline at a yard sale for a whopping $7. My husband got it for the kids, and I won’t lie. It comes in handy for using up some of their incredible supply of energy, especially during the winter or on days where we’re all stuck at home while the youngest naps. But I love it and use it much more for myself. I can walk, run, march, jump, hop, bounce, and dance my way into bliss and feel less guilty. I can bounce while watching TV and erase any sort of guilt that I should be doing dishes or folding laundry or any number of other mundane household tasks. After all, I’m exercising, taking care of myself, and making sure I live longer to continue to provide service for everyone in the household. If it happens to be fun, too, well, who’s going to judge?