The fun experience of jumping on a trampoline can become way less appealing if you get sick or nauseous. Unfortunately, many people face these issues as the trampoline is getting more popular among people of all ages. So, why does jumping on a trampoline make me dizzy?
The main reasons behind it are the loss of balance and equilibrium. It can also be caused by excessive pressure on neck and head and the overwhelming stimuli of 3-dimensional motion.
This article is jam packed with useful information to help you jump on the trampoline without you feeling any discomfort.
Is Trampoline Dizziness a Real Issue?
When you jump on the trampoline and have a fun time, it’s easy to write off the dizziness or nausea you feel because of it as a one-time thing. But it keeps on happening again and again and you’re left wondering if this is a real issue.
A huge number of people have reported that they felt dizzy after jumping on the trampoline for a while in various trampoline forums. Unfortunately, this is a real issue, but the good news is that it’s not too serious and you can easily correct it by exercising the right way.
Why Does Trampoline Make Me Dizzy?
Before we take the corrective measures to reduce dizziness and motion sickness while bouncing on the trampoline, it’s good to have an understanding of what causes these issues in the first place.
There are many potential reasons why you might feel dizzy after jumping on the trampoline. Here are the main ones to be concerned about:
Loss of Balance & Equilibrium
The inner ear in the human body makes sure that a person has the right sense of balance and equilibrium. This system consists of three main parts – the semicircular canals, the utricle, and the saccule.
When you jump quickly on a trampoline, you’re making rapid changes in the position of your body. The balance system responds to the changes in your head movement and body position.
When you jump on the trampoline and land on the ground, your balance system detects that it took you longer to get to the ground. That sends conflicting information to your body and impacts the balance system. The constant change in body position completely ruins the balance system and that’s why you feel dizzy.
Not keeping your head straight or doing flips while you’re using the trampoline only makes matters worse and puts off your balance and equilibrium system. Don’t engage in any intense physical activity after jumping on the trampoline, as it can give you a headache as well.
Pressure on Neck & Head
When you jump up and down on the trampoline, it causes a lot of head movement and puts plenty of strain on your neck muscles. The cervical spine rotates around its axis because of the downward movement when you jump up and down when you’re on the trampoline.
When it’s rotated, it puts a great deal of tension on the carotid artery that’s located on both sides of your neck. It can also put pressure on the cerebellum and even lead to a stroke in rear cases.
Overwhelming Stimuli
The human brain is designed to perceive 2-dimensional motion through many years of evolution. You either go forward or backward at a time, up or down, and left or right at a time. The brain is used to you going in any one of the eight directions you can possibly go in.
But when you’re bouncing on the trampoline, all that gets changed, and your brain has to deal with you making movements in different directions at all times. As some people start to do flips as well, that leads to way too many stimuli for the brain to handle and causes dizziness.
How Would You Know If You’re Getting Dizzy?
The effect of motion sickness from using the trampoline is felt differently by different people. Here are the most common signs that indicate you’re getting dizzy when jumping on the trampoline:
Vertigo
The most obvious tell-tale sign of motion sickness from jumping on a trampoline is vertigo, and this is the issue that most people face. This is caused by the imbalance of the inner ear, which we discussed earlier.
When you’re done bouncing on the trampoline, your brain doesn’t immediately adapt to the grounded motion. You may even have trouble if you try to walk straight. Your head can also spin if you have been jumping for a while. The good news is that it’ll only last for a short duration and go away soon.
Nausea
Have you had a meal only one or two hours before you went bouncing on the trampoline? If you did and you’re feeling the urge to vomit, that means you’re feeling nauseous.
Your body reacts adversely to the rapid changes in the body position. Sweating excessively, your heart beating too fast, and your overall body feeling uneasy are symptoms of nausea.
Migraines
It is perhaps the most painful symptom of motion sickness when jumping on the trampoline. You’d feel a pulsing sensation or severe pain on one side of the head. It can have a negative impact on your mental functions, keep you from thinking straight, and reduce your ability to focus on simple tasks.
What Can I Do to Prevent Getting Dizzy on the Trampoline?
While getting dizzy when jumping on the trampoline is a real issue, it’s not something you should be too concerned about. Taking some preventive measures and using this exercise equipment the right way will greatly reduce or eliminate the dizziness you feel because of it.
Follow these tips to prevent being dizzy when using the trampoline:
Keeping Your Head Straight
Too much uneven head movement is one of the main reasons that cause a person to feel motion sickness when jumping on the trampoline. By keeping your head straight, you can reduce feeling dizzy when you’re on the trampoline. You can use headgears to prevent dizziness as they’ll help you keep your head straight.
Taking Deep Breaths
Take deep breaths before you start jumping on the trampoline, and be aware of what’s around you. Give yourself time to readjust before you jump again. Relax, sit down and stand up slowly to minimize the chances of feeling dizzy.
Making Smaller Jumps
When you’re on the trampoline, it’s a good idea to make smaller jumps instead of taking big leaps. Smaller jumps make it easy for your balance and equilibrium system to adjust to the changes.
Once you’ve done that for a few weeks, you can progressively go for higher jumps. But increase only a little at a time making sure that your balance system has ample time to get used to the changes in the body positions.
Avoiding the Stunts
When you’re just getting started with using the trampoline, you’d naturally feel the urge to do flips, high kicks, and whatnot in mid-air. But it’s important to resist that urge to prevent the overload of stimuli to your brain.
As with most things, it’s important to take time to let the brain adjust to the change in positions first. Master jumping first before you move on to fancy tricks.
Strengthening the Neck Muscles
When you’re jumping on the trampoline, it causes a great deal of head movement. There’s liquid inside the brain that provides some cushioning when you make so much movement or get hit in the head.
The neck muscles in your body do a similar job, and they need to be strong to support the movement of your head. You can do neck strengthening exercises to prevent your head from making too much movement when you choose to bounce on the trampoline.
Knowing Your Limits
Every individual has a limit up to which he can bounce without feeling dizzy. It’s good to know your limit and stay within it. Start by bouncing slowly on the trampoline and see if you get dizzy.
If you don’t, keep increasing the height a little at a time. A point will come when you’ll start feeling dizzy, and you need to remember that point as your limit. Relax and get back to the trampoline but don’t cross the limit.
Bounce just a little less high than your limit to prevent getting dizzy and give your body the opportunity to get used to the new height. Don’t be disappointed if you can’t jump too high without being dizzy at first. You’ll be able to push your limits by training your body with time.
Making Sure You’re Okay
You need to be feeling good when you jump on the trampoline. If you’re already feeling weak or sick, it’s not a good idea to jump on the trampoline as it can make things worse.
Also, use your common sense. If you had your last meal a short while ago, you’re more likely to feel nauseous when you’re on the trampoline. So, make sure that you’re feeling okay and light before using the trampoline.
How to Deal with Feeling Dizzy After Jumping on a Trampoline?
If you’re feeling dizzy when you’re bouncing on the trampoline, you need to get off it immediately and take some deep breaths so that you can recover. Follow these steps to alleviate some of the pain if you’re feeling a headache:
- Place both your hands on the two sides of your head.
- The thumbs will go under the ears, and the other fingers will go towards the back of your head.
- Squeeze the thumb and all your fingers together.
- Hold this position for a minute.
- Lower your head towards the ground after a minute such that they’re pointing at your feet.
- Lower the pressure gradually, but still, keep your head down for half a minute or so.
- Put your fingers back in the original position at the time of starting the exercise.
- Repeat the above steps two-three times, and your pain should be reduced.
Why Are You Feeling Sick after jumping on a trampoline?
Jumping on a trampoline is a popular and fun way to exercise, but it can cause some people to feel sick or uncomfortable. The reasons for this can vary and may include motion sickness, dehydration, overexertion, or underlying medical conditions.
Motion sickness can occur due to the bouncing motion of the trampoline, while dehydration may result from the physical demands of the activity. Overexertion, such as pushing oneself too hard during a workout, can also lead to discomfort or injury.
It is advisable to take breaks as needed, stay properly hydrated, and avoid advanced moves without proper training or supervision.
Wrapping It Up
By now, you know the main reasons behind why does jumping on a trampoline make me dizzy and the steps you can take to fix or significantly reduce the negative effects of jumping on a trampoline to a great extent
Bouncing on the trampoline is undoubtedly one of the most fun recreational activities out there. But if this fun activity is causing you trouble and making you feel dizzy or nauseous, you need to be alert and take actions to fix it.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can jumping on a trampoline cause an injury?
Trampoline is a safe piece of equipment for the most part and they’ve been around for ages. But if you’re not careful when using it, it can cause you an injury just like other exercise equipment.
2. What is the right age for a child to use a trampoline?
As per the recommendation of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), parents should wait for their children to be at least six years old to start doing physical activities with the trampoline.
3. Do I need to be fit to jump on the trampoline?
You don’t need to be fit or in very good shape to jump on the trampoline. But if you have underlying health conditions like heart issues or back pain, they can get much worse by jumping on the trampoline.
Last Updated on August 25, 2023
