09 July,2017 11:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Anju Maskeri
We sign up at the country's first-ever trampoline fitness workout, and return feeling undaunted and as weightless as tiramisu
Instructor Bhavna Harchandrai leads the way during the trampoline workout at Rush
It's 10 am and we are at Rush, a fitness park in the business borough of Ballard Estate. While the outside area looks inviting with its pop-coloured walls, twisted slides and scattered Lego blocks, it's the room next to it that holds more intrigue. This is where we'll be attempting a first-ever trampoline session for adults introduced recently at the fitness spot that also boasts of a toddler gym and zip-line.
Branded as an intense cardiovascular workout, trampoline exercises are meant to pump endorphins into your body, helping you rejuvenate your senses with feel-good hormones. While we're brimming with excitement already, there's also a bit of nervousness tugging at us. "People have all kinds of fears before attempting a trampoline workout - whether they'll break bones, feel giddy or fall off the mat. But it's safe as long as you take necessary precautions. For instance, never jump down but step down from a trampoline," says our lithe instructor, Bhavna Harchandrai.
The last leg of the workout involves stretching on the trampoline mat
Our feet almost sink in the moment we step on the trampoline mat, which is designed to absorb some of the high impact shock prevalent in other exercises like skipping, jogging and running. This is therefore considered a much safer option with less pressure being exercised on the joints.
We begin with a warm-up where we jump to groovy beats frequently peppered with enthusiastic exhortations from Harchandrai. The jumps are a combination of trampoline squats, twist bounce (twisting your body from your waist) and tucks (bringing your knees up to your chest once airborne). It takes us a couple of minutes to find our balance while following the instructor's moves.
Unlike popular belief, trampoline workouts don't put pressure on the joints. Pics/Bipinâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Kokate
There are moments when it's difficult to keep up with her with our buckling knees. But, that's when you slow down and find your feet, literally. "While you can jump high, it's not necessary. If you're two to four inches above ground, it serves the purpose," she says. The balance improves gradually as we move on to other jumps like the side-to-side bounce. It's obviously a lot of fun, for at no point do we feel like tapping out. However, what we find most rewarding is the sense of weightlessness that we experience with each bounce. By the end of it, you aren't tired, just happy high.
