Trampolines are exciting and fun for people of almost all ages. These toys are not only suitable for playing around, but they also serve as a form of exercise. If you’ve recently tried the trampoline, you might wonder, why does it hurt to bounce on a trampoline?
While jumping on a trampoline, you use a lot of muscles in your body, from your legs to your hand. Because of the up-down jumping motion, even those you aren’t using, like your chest or belly, are being used. Human muscles tend to relax when they haven’t worked out. When those muscles are suddenly put back to work, they take time to adjust, and this creates pain in those muscles.
However, we’ll talk about the types of pain trampoline might cause and how to prevent them.
Different Types of Pain, Their Causes and Treatment
We’ve talked about how lack of regular muscle movement causes trampoline pain. However, the reasons go more profound when we talk about specific body parts. Here are the different kinds of discomforts caused by a trampoline, their motivations, and possible solutions:
Calf/Leg Pain
The most used muscles while jumping on a trampoline are your leg muscles, specifically your calves—the muscle group in the back of your leg just below your knee.
Jumping strains your calf muscles, so the muscle fibers get torn apart to build new, stronger muscles. If you jump on a trampoline regularly, you’ll see your calves getting more defined and muscular.
As for treatment, you are getting some rest, and eating correctly should be enough. However, applying some heat treatment should help if it’s too painful.
Lower Abdominal/Tailbone Pain
This section mainly includes your hips. Those lower abdominal muscles get worked up if you move your hip around while jumping by squatting. This segment could also include your buttocks.
We don’t usually use our hip muscles that much, so when they’re put under pressure, they start to stretch and cause pain. Another reason could be bad landings. If you land on your buttocks rather than your legs, that puts considerable stress on your hip joints and can cause pain.
Stomach Pain
Your belly muscles aren’t as easy to activate as the other segments, so they don’t ache due to stretching or stress. There are two leading causes of stomach Pain while on a trampoline,
- The rapid expansion and retraction of stomach muscles
- Having a meal recently or being full
The first condition applies only if you have a huge belly. When that’s the case, your stomach moves up and down along with your jumping motion. This action causes the stomach muscles to change shape, resulting in pain afterward constantly.
Number 2 is pretty standard, not just for trampolines. Doing any demanding movement after just having a meal isn’t a good idea as the food hasn’t adequately been digested. The excessive food causes noticeable pain due to the continuous displacement of the foods.
Both types of pain will require a lot of rest to recover. Stay hydrated to speed up the process. You can also try some glucose-filled drinks.
Neck Pain
Neck pains or stiffness are caused by the sudden displacement of veins around the neck. If you swing your head around too much while jumping, your neck gets stretched a bit, so some of the veins could potentially get displaced, causing severe pain.
However, that is quite rare. The more common happening is accidentally landing on your head or neck. It could result in minor, recoverable injury or significant harm such as fractures.
Heat treatment is pretty much your only viable option in this situation. Staying still in a relaxed position is essential to recovery.
Headache
Spinning and dizziness are some of the most common outcomes of jumping on a trampoline. If you’re not used to those, you could potentially face headaches.
Besides that, while flying around, your brain constantly tries to balance your body since that’s how we naturally move. There’s also the organ of balance or the vestibular system, which senses balance and tries to adapt.
These combined put a decent amount of pressure on your brain, and if you’re not used to that, headaches should be expected. Just laying down for a while or getting a shower should help the case.
How to Prevent Getting Hurt While Jumping on a Trampoline?
If you’ve read through the types of pain and causes, you should be able to tell how to prevent those. But in case you can’t, there they are,
- Warm up beforehand by doing basic light exercises, i.e., running, jumping jacks, push-ups and sit-ups.
- Try stretching out your muscles by doing some aerobatics.
- If you just had a meal, wait till it has been digested or when you don’t feel complete anymore.
- Don’t squat before jumping on a trampoline; it puts unnecessary strain on your hips.
- Be careful of your landings. Try to land on your feet for your first tries.
- Don’t be too close to the edge. Try to stay at the center while jumping and landing.
You should be just fine if you follow these.
Conclusion
Being safe and not having to endure pain while trying to enjoy jumping on a trampoline is a significant relief.
You won’t want to miss out on having fun with your friends and family because now you know why does it hurt to bounce on a trampoline and how to prevent getting an injury. Exercising and warming up is the key!
Frequently Asked Question
Who should not jump on a trampoline?
Individuals with certain medical conditions or physical limitations should refrain from jumping on a trampoline. This includes those with back or neck problems, recent surgeries, heart conditions, or pregnancy. Children under the age of six are also at higher risk of injury due to their developing coordination and balance.
Is jumping on a trampoline bad for your pelvic floor?
Jumping on a trampoline can potentially strain the pelvic floor muscles, leading to issues like incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse in some individuals. It’s crucial to consult with a healthcare professional, especially if you have pre-existing pelvic floor concerns. They can offer tailored advice and exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and minimize any risks associated with trampoline use.
Why do I leak urine when I jump on a trampoline?
Jumping on a trampoline can strain your pelvic floor muscles, leading to urinary leakage. These muscles support your bladder and urethra. When they weaken, such as during vigorous activity, like jumping, they struggle to hold urine properly. This condition, called stress urinary incontinence, is common, especially among women who have had children or are aging.
Strengthening exercises, like Kegels, can help, but consulting a healthcare provider for personalized advice is recommended.
Last Updated on February 12, 2024
