Fitness & Wellness

Beat winter blues with 4 proven tips. Try bright light therapy, gentle indoor exercise, nourishing nutrition and self-care to boost your mood and energy.

A swing frame can be an amazing addition to your backyard to create new and unbound memories with your family. SkyBound USA offers a range of swing frames that can fit perfectly in your backyard with your requirements. We believe in creating and sharing unforgettable memories with your family and close ones. Benefits of Swing Frames   Endless Fun and Adventure: The Joy of Swinging   A swing frame can offer endless hours of entertainment and adventure for your family. It adds an additional way of fun for the children and even adults alike. Here we are going to discuss the key features that you need to know before buying the best swing frame for yourself.Why should I buy Swing frames？   Family Bonding: Swing frames can increase your family bonding by sharing the unforgettable moments you make. Physical Activity: Swing can boost physical activity that can improve balance, coordination, and strength, making it a great form of exercise. Mental Well-being: The swinging motion can reduce stress and promote relaxation for both kids and adults.

Sharing from 80-year-old Christopher and his 77-year-old wife Coralin. Christopher is a retired podiatrist, and his wife is a retired nurse. Christopher says: "I came across rebounders when researching exercise to help oedema in the feet and legs. I then had the task of which one." In the end, the SkyBound Boogie Bounce fulfilled my fitness needs and eliminated all the concerns I had before using a fitness trampoline. Initially, when searching for fitness tools on Amazon, I saw many fitness trampolines, but the reviews mentioned difficulties in installation, which was a concern for both me and my wife. The design of the SkyBound Boogie Bounce fitness trampoline is truly advanced – the trampoline only requires attaching the legs, and I could use it immediately. The assembly of the legs also doesn't require any wrenches or cumbersome tools. Christopher continued, "I have fallen in love with the SkyBound Boogie Bounce. The fitness trampoline is the right choice – it not only helps with edema but is also very gentle on my knee joints. It doesn't cause harm to my knees like the hard floor would."   Bouncing is a great full-body exercise. Coralin said, "When we were younger, we didn't enjoy exercising. Both of us have had surgery for spinal stenosis and suffer from osteoarthritis. Now we realize the need for fitness, and fortunately, everything is still manageable. Many thanks to SkyBound.       Benefits of trampoline exercise: Promotes Blood Circulation: Trampoline exercise is an aerobic activity that enhances cardiovascular function, boosts the immune system, increases resistance, and reduces the risk of illness. It also stimulates overall lymphatic circulation, aiding in detoxification.   Improves Joint Flexibility: Trampoline exercise, with its zero-impact nature, causes no harm to various joints in the body. It contributes to enhancing joint flexibility.   Aids Fat Burning: With its high intensity, trampoline exercise consumes a significant amount of energy, facilitating fat burning. It is an excellent exercise for weight loss.   Enhances Coordination and Balance: Rebounding forces you to engage your core muscles and build strength in your lower body; both of which are critical to balance – especially as we get older.

 We would all love to have bodies that are born and remain in mint condition forever. The reality is that bodies age. While it might be strong and sturdy in your prime years, eventually you face decline. Despite the effects of nature, there are many ways to help keep your body in optimum condition. Eating well, sleeping well, avoiding stress and tension, and of course, exercising can delay the onslaught of old age for quite some time. Ever heard the cliche, “Move it or lose it?” Truer words have never been spoken! The more you use your body, the stronger it becomes, and consequently, the longer it may last.  The four major types of exercise include strength training, balance training, flexibility training, and endurance training.  What is Rebounding Exercise? Rebounding is an aerobic exercise that helps increase both your endurance and strength. Considered a low-impact exercise, it works using your body weight and creating elastic leverage with the help of a rebounder.  A rebounder trampoline, also known as a fitness trampoline or mini trampoline, is a fitness device very similar in design to regular trampolines, but smaller and more appropriate for exercise. Rebounders in particular have a firm mat to allow a better bounce and may even give better results than a mini trampoline. They are typically high quality, safe, and portable.  Rebounding works by jumping on a rebounder, at a speed chosen by you. You can also incorporate rebounding with rest periods or aerobic stepping to pace yourself and do a well-rounded circuit.  There are so many health benefits of jumping on a trampoline. When you jump on a trampoline, it engages many parts of the body at once. You use the muscles of your legs, back, buttocks, and abdominal core, and you also stimulate your lymphatic system. This makes it a wonderful full-body workout.  Is Rebounding Good Exercise? Rebounding has a long list of benefits and serves as a low-impact fitness option for people of all ages and sizes. Benefits include:  Lymphatic System Boost (Detoxification)—the lymphatic system is a complex network of organs, tissues, and vessels, designed to drain toxins, waste, viruses, and other unwanted materials from the body. It collects excess particulates and fluids and moves what’s collected back into the bloodstream to help maintain fluid levels and basically works like a drainage system. This drainage depends on your movements and gravity to work properly. When you engage in trampoline exercise or bounce on a rebounder, the body creates a vacuum of sorts, putting the lymphatic system into overdrive and ridding your body of excess lymphatic fluid. Lymphatic System Boost (Decreased Cellulite)—similarly, the lymphatic system is also responsible for stagnant lymph systems. Basically, fat collects in the form of cellulite, largely due to a lack of movement and maldistribution of body fluids. When you bounce, the lymphatic flow increases and helps to decrease and disperse both hereditary and non-hereditary cellulite.  Building Bone and Muscle Mass—rebounding puts minimal pressure on the bones and joints. In fact, it actually strengthens the skeletal system over time. It increases the amount of G-force on the body, which promotes building muscle mass and improves both bone density and bone mass.  Improving Posture and Balance—another key benefit of rebounding is the way it engages your core muscles. This, coupled with increased muscle mass in properly developed muscles, results in better posture. It also increases your balance, coordination, and overall motor skills, especially after long-term rebounding. Rebounding is also shown to reduce lumbar back pain! Decreased Cholesterol and Improved Blood Sugar—interestingly, rebounding helps to limit the amount of cholesterol in your body and has a positive impact on blood sugar levels. Weight Loss—since rebounding is a cardiovascular exercise, it is an excellent tool in helping you lose weight. Bouncing speeds up the heart rate and increases metabolism, resulting in a higher caloric burn. For some great mini trampoline exercises, head over to our guide! Low Impact—as mentioned, rebounding is very low-impact, much more so than running. This helps protect your ankles and knees from shock and possible injury. It’s especially ideal for the elderly, or people with joint injuries and bone weakening conditions. Just make sure your rebounder has a safety balance bar. Improved Blood Flow—the bouncing motion increases your heart rate, speeding up your blood flow. This increase in blood flow has a positive effect on every part of your body, including your skin and hair. It also encourages and improves cell repair processes, allowing your body to recover faster. Increased Collagen Production—if all of the above still isn’t enough for you to “jump aboard,” rebounding even for just small amounts of time regularly helps boost collagen production. It also decreases the production of cortisol which helps minimize collagen loss.    Boosts Mood and Relieves Stress—there are numerous studies that link physical exercises to the release of happy chemicals in the brain. This relieves stress and boosts your mood, in addition to calming the nervous system and flushing cortisol from the body. Plus, bouncing is an extremely fun activity. You just can’t be sad while doing it!  Tips for Rebounding Now that you know rebounding is good for you, keep in mind there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to how much time you spend doing it.  Age, weight, and any underlying health conditions should always be factored in.  Generally, 10 minutes is a safe time limit, especially for beginners.  Choose your rebounder based on your height and weight to prevent damage to the rebounder and yourself. Before starting any new exercise routine, consult with your doctor. Rebounding exercise is a fun and easy way to incorporate more movement into your day and support your health and fitness, without causing undue damage to your joints. Doing a rebounding workout improves bone mass, muscle mass, lymphatic drainage, and weight loss, and it's a great cardio exercise for your entire body. You’d really be hard-pressed to find any downside! So, what are you waiting for? Check out all the best rebounders and mini trampolines from SkyBound USA.

 It’s not a stretch to suggest that our modern-day world is often a sedentary lifestyle. Many spend their whole day in front of some kind of screen, whether sitting in a chair, reclining on a couch, or lounging in a bed.  As comfy as that sounds, the unfortunate reality is that it can cause your body to weaken and deteriorate at a rapid pace. Without daily movement and exercise, your body can start losing necessities like muscle and bone density.  Even so, let’s be honest. Not many actually like tearing their muscles over and over again, sweating buckets, and putting in a superhuman effort to be physically fit. Enter the beauty of mini trampolines. What is Mini Trampoline Exercise? Trampoline exercise, also known as rebounding, is an aerobic exercise designed to strengthen your muscles and bones, plus increase your endurance and flexibility.  So, what is rebounding exercise? It’s a convenient way to engage your whole body in exercise to become stronger and faster, while also having a great time. It has a wide range of benefits and there are plenty of ways to incorporate it into your workouts.  Note that there are different types of trampolines. For adults who want to use them for exercising, it is best to opt for mini trampolines. This is because they are closer ground, making them more stable and secure and reducing the risk of injury. Mini trampolines are strategically designed for aerobic exercise, with different models available to accommodate different height and weight ranges.  Benefits of Mini Trampoline Exercise for Weight Loss The benefits of rebounding are multifold. They include: Improved mental health due to the release of hormones like dopamine, serotonin, and adrenaline.  Better coordination, balance, and posture by strengthening muscles and bones, plus sharper reflexes to help maintain balance and coordination.  Full-body workouts by engaging the abdominal core and back muscles for balance, along with legs and buttocks to overcome the effects of gravity.  Improved blood, oxygen, and nutrient flow as it pushes the heart rate higher because of the adrenaline rush.  Increased lymphatic flow and lymphatic drainage, which strengthens the immune system, flushes out toxins and helps maintain fluid levels.  Faster weight loss from increased metabolism and detoxing. Best Mini Trampoline Exercises Sure, even just jumping on a trampoline has many health benefits. However, you can increase the benefits of jumping on a trampoline by performing certain exercises while rebounding. A few to try include: Jump Squats—consider this one a leg day essential. Squats are both effective on the ground and off it. Jump squats build and strengthen the leg, hip, and glute muscles. Develop a steady bounce, placing your feet hip-width apart. Widen your stance every time you jump, lowering your body just below the knees. Hold this position and repeat.  Jogging—this is a great one to help you adjust to the feel of a bouncy surface. It’s low-impact cardio that’s suitable for all levels and age groups. Keep your back aligned and feet hip wide to minimize strain and maximize benefits. Jog in place for as long as you can handle. Speed Bounce—this exercise engages the thighs, buttocks, lower back, and legs, and it’s a great way to make your workout more intense. Start with a steady bounce and flex the hips, leaning forward slightly as you increase your bouncing speed.  Twists—this move engages the full body including your core, legs, and upper body. Stand centered on your trampoline and begin a steady bounce. While you bounce, twist your legs to one side as you twist your upper body to the other, ensuring you keep your hips and core tight. Alternate repetitively.  Jumping Jacks—these have long been excellent cardio exercise, both on solid ground and on mini trampolines. The bonus is that using a mini trampoline as a surface for jumping jacks allows your joints and bones to absorb less impact than on the ground, which allows you to go for longer periods of time. Start with a steady bounce and alternate between closed and open legs, simultaneously moving your arms away from the body and up above your head in a circular motion and then down again.  Seated Bounce—best used as a warm-up, seated bounces make for an ideal mini trampoline exercise for beginners. It engages the upper body, core, and thighs at the same time. Start by sitting on the edge of the trampoline with your knees bent and your feet placed on the floor. Push yourself up and down in a bouncing motion using your thighs.  Ab Rocks—as the name suggests, ab rocks are designed to engage the core muscles while sitting down. Place your feet firm on the ground and seat yourself on the edge of the mini trampoline. Lie back with your hands placed behind the back. Bring your knees in towards your midsection, while pushing your lower back and stomach into the trampoline.  High Knee Punches—we dub this one ideal for experts or people with boxing experience. It is a more intense exercise than jogging alone and completely engages the arms and legs. Start by jogging in place, moving your knees up to chest-height (or as close as possible), while bringing your hands close to your chin. Punch using the arm opposite to the knee you’ve lifted.  Planks—arguably one of the most intense whole body moves that engages nearly every major muscle group, it’s even more intense propped on your mini trampoline. Depending on your ability, hold yourself in a push-up position on your forearms or palms. You can also lift a single leg at a time to modify its intensity.  Hold this position for no less than 30 seconds.  Trampoline training, a rebounding workout, trampolining-- whatever you want to call it, it's clear that there are numerous cardio workout options that can raise your heart rate and burn fat all with a simple fitness trampoline. The best mini trampoline exercises are those that challenge you without being too difficult. So, check out all the best options from SkyBound USA! We have a variety of mini trampolines for you to choose from to get the best work out in. Remember to warm up and cool down to maximize the benefits of your mini trampoline workouts and above all… have fun!  Coming from: https://www.bellicon.com/gb_en/news/news-and-events/mini-trampoline-exercises

Trampolines aren’t just fun apparatuses for kids, they’re great entertainment for adults too. And, not only are they a ton of fun, they actually provide quite the workout!  In fact, trampolines have been used for fitness for decades, probably since some time in the 1980s. In the year 2000, trampolining even became recognized as an Olympic sport. If that doesn’t tell you a little something about how beneficial it can be to your fitness, we got nothin’!  Whether it’s a large trampoline you jump on while playing with the kiddos, or a small trampoline or rebounder you use exclusively for working out, there’s no denying that trampolines and rebounding exercise can provide numerous health and wellness benefits that should not be ignored.  Benefits of Jumping on a Trampoline Improves Blood Flow  Jumping on a trampoline is classified as a cardiovascular or aerobic exercise. This means that it increases your heart rate, pumping your blood through your body faster. This increase in blood flow affects every part of your body positively. For the same reasons, it also improves your heart health.  Full-Body Engagement Bouncing on a trampoline engages all the major parts of the body. It forces your leg muscles to work hard to balance out the gravity and push you upward. It also causes the muscles in the legs and buttocks to contract and release frequently, which in turn makes them stronger and helps tone them. Hello, sexy hams!  Bouncing also uses your abdominal core as you twist to stay balanced and move in the air, making your abdominal and back muscles contract each time you jump. Builds Muscle Mass Since jumping on a trampoline increases something called g-force, it engages all your major muscles and bones. G-force is the force that’s generated when you jump into the air, and gravity and acceleration force you back down.  Imagine jumping into the air on a trampoline. You have a split-second moment where you’re utterly weightless before gravity takes effect and pushes you back down to earth. The bigger and higher your jump, the stronger the g-force.  The effects of g-force ultimately result in an increase of muscle mass and muscle tone, so that you can withstand the impact without injury. To learn how to build muscle and burn fat rebounding, check out our article on mini trampoline exercises to lose weight.  Increases Bone Density  Jumping on a trampoline has also been shown to have a positive effect on your bone mass. Bones—much like muscles—can grow weaker without regular exercise. However, they typically become stronger under stress. Jumping on a trampoline forces your whole body to experience the impact of g-force. That means your bones grow stronger as a way to withstand it.  Increases Oxygen and Nutrient Flow Trampoline health benefits don’t stop there. The blood in your body carries oxygen and other nutrients with it. When you jump, your lung capacity increases. As your lung capacity grows, your blood flow also increases With increased blood flow, the amount of oxygen that every organ receives is boosted significantly. This oxygen boost makes you feel alert and energized.  Increased oxygen saturation also makes your body inhospitable to germs and harmful cells, which can help improve your body’s resistance to colds, cases of flu, and other diseases. Enhances Endurance, Flexibility, and Strength As mentioned, jumping on a trampoline engages all the major parts of your body. Since your whole body is moving and working, it enhances your endurance and stamina, strengthens your muscles, and improves your flexibility. It’s like oiling up with invisible lube to optimize your performance.  Minimizes Impact on Joints and Bones  Unlike most aerobic exercises, jumping on a trampoline does not create strain on your joints and bones. That means you can work out longer, without feeling pressure or worse, pain in your joints. Increases Lymphatic Flow The lymphatic system is responsible for maintaining healthy fluid levels in your body, draining waste and toxins, and infusing your bloodstream with lymphocytes that help boost your immune system.  Trampolining increases your lymph flow because of the alternating sensations of weightlessness and double g-force. Think of it kind of like jumping up and down with a garbage can that has a flip lid.  When you jump, gravity forces the lid down. When you drop back down to the ground, the lid flies up. Similarly, this is how your lymph valves work when flushing your lymphatic system. Improves Your Immune System  Trampolining reinforces your entire immune system, helping to make it stronger, by enriching it with nutrients and cleaning out toxins at a rapid rate. Lymphocytes, also called white blood cells, are designed to defend your body against attacks from germs, bacteria, and viruses. Rebounding increases the number of white blood cells up to 3 times, and transports these cells through your body to help create a strong line of defense.  Improves Digestion Did we mention the tummy benefits yet? The rhythmic up-and-down motion of jumping on a trampoline promotes the contraction and release of the muscles in your small and large intestine, along with the rest of your digestive tract. This helps promote better absorption of nutrients in your body, reinforcing overall good overall health, and reducing the likelihood of uncomfy constipation. No small thing, since many believe constipation to be the mother of all disease! Improves Coordination and Posture Jumping on a trampoline has been shown to have a positive effect on balance, coordination, and posture. No big surprise there! Jumping strengthens your back and abdominal muscles, and when those muscles get stronger, it automatically improves your posture. Jumping also stimulates the ocular nerves and inner ear canals, conditioning your body to react faster and allowing it to better coordinate between muscles and reduce your risks of falling.  Promotes Detoxification  Since the lymphatic system naturally flows in an upward direction, the drainage function of your lymphatic system depends entirely on your movements to help circulate lymph fluid through the body. That’s where the bouncing motion comes into play and helps promote lymphatic circulation so that it can gather up all the toxins and flush them out quickly.  Strengthens the Eyes  Interestingly, along with most all other muscles in the body, trampolining also strengthens your eye muscles. This is due to the increases in g-force on the body. When rebounding, you’re helping to stimulate the cells of the eye lenses, which may even restore their original shape and function. Who knew? Reduces Varicose Veins  Since regular rebounding increases blood flow, it also helps reduce the pressure caused by varicose veins, and may even decrease the pain and inflammation that often comes with them. Promotes Weight Loss As mentioned, jumping on a trampoline increases your metabolic rate, prompting your body to burn through calories faster. This causes weight loss. The increases in your lymphatic flow also help you in losing weight and have even been shown to help reduce the appearance of cellulite.  Rebounding is considered to be a much more efficient form of exercise than jumping or running. Twice as effective in fact, according to a NASA study, but only as long as g-force is kept to about 4. Promotes Mental Health  Finally, arguably one of the best benefits of jumping on a trampoline—although potentially true of most all other exercises, too—is the rush of chemicals and positive hormones that flood the brain when you exert yourself for a period of time. These goodies include adrenaline, resulting in more energy and sharper reflexes, dopamine, considered the “feel good” chemical, and serotonin, the chemical that stabilizes your mood and impacts your overall health, including eating, sleeping, and digestion. There’s no mistaking how good for you jumping on a trampoline can be. Trampoline jumping can improve muscle tone, bone mass, bone density, blood circulation, reduce stress, and aid in the drainage of lymphatic fluid all without placing undue stress on the joints. These multiple benefits that impact not just your physical health, but also your mental and emotional health too. It doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult, either.  So, what is rebounding exercise and who can do it? Rebounding is so simple even the elderly can try a gentle “health” bounce on a sturdy rebounder and reap many rewards. The health bounce is simply bending at the knees and bouncing gently, without letting your feet leave the surface of the trampoline. This can be done for 10 minutes a day to start with, and slowly increases as your strength and ability increases.  Why not let your inner child out to play and experience for yourself the many wonders of jumping on a trampoline? If you’re convinced, check out the variety of trampolines offered by SkyBound! From mini options, to large, full-sized options, we have a high-performance trampoline to fit your needs. Visit our website today for more details!

For most people living today, the trampoline has been something that has always been around. Plenty of people have fun memories of jumping on a trampoline in their own or a friend's backyard during the spring or summer.  But have you ever thought about the history of the trampoline? Who got the idea to invent the first trampoline, and what gave that person that idea? On top of that, when was the first trampoline made? In many ways, the trampoline is as old as human history itself. However, the version of the trampoline most people are familiar with dates back to the early 20th century. Where Did Trampolines Come From? Trampolines are most likely much older than you think. Ancient cultures are believed to have used an apparatus similar to today's trampolines for fun and recreation. Evidence of these early day trampolines can be seen in drawings created by people living in ancient Egypt, Persia and China.  Beyond ancient cultures, there is more evidence of early use of trampolines or trampoline-like devices. In some cases, the use of the equipment might not be what you'd expect. 1. Inuit Blanket Toss The Inuit people live in Alaska and Arctic parts of Canada. They created something called the "Blanket Toss," which uses a device very similar to the modern trampoline. A group of 30 or more people will stand in a circle, around the edge of a large, circular piece of walrus skin. Each person will pick up the side of the skin, and one person will climb on top of the surface. The others will push in on the skin, then pull it taut so the person standing on top flies into the air. These days, the Blanket Toss is all fun and games. The people who get tossed into the air often throw candy into the crowd. The goal of the game is to either see who can jump the highest or who can stay standing the longest. If a person falls instead of landing on their feet, their turn is over. Initially, though, the Blanket Toss played an essential role in hunting. The person who volunteered for the Blanket Toss was able to see much further than those on the ground while in the air. This meant they could see where any potential prey — or predators — were lurking in the distance. The Blanket Toss initially fell out of favor around the beginning of the 1900s. But renewed interest in it as a cultural activity led to its return in the 1930s. Nowadays, the Blanket Toss often takes place during festivals and other special events. 2. Firefighters' Safety Net  Another early form of the trampoline was something known as a Browder Life Net. If you've ever watched a cartoon where a group of firefighters break out what looks like a large trampoline and encourage someone to leap from a burning building onto it, you've seen a Browder Life Net in action. The device is named after its inventor, who first patented it in 1887.  The concept behind the life net seemed to be that the canvas fabric stretched taut across a metal ring would provide enough bounce to sufficiently break a person's fall. The reality is that in some cases, the safety nets weren't so safe. While the nets often proved useful if people had to leap from a window on the second, third or even fifth floor, they typically didn't save lives when people had to jump from the seventh floor or higher.  Despite the fact that they weren't particularly helpful when it came to preventing death or serious injury, the safety nets remained in use up until the 1970s. By that point, many fire trucks had ladders that could reach high enough to help rescue people trapped in the upper floors of a burning building. Who Invented the First Trampoline? The earliest form of the trampoline as you know it dates to the 1930s. George Nissen, a swimmer and gymnast, was inspired by a trapeze act he saw at a traveling circus, which was performing in his hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The trapeze artists finished their performances by landing on a safety net and bouncing away. Nissen thought it would be cool if the artists continued to jump and use the safety net as a springboard for more tricks.  It was that inspiration that led him to create the proto-trampoline, in his parents' garage, in 1934. He called his creation a "bouncing rig." It initially featured a sheet of canvas stretched across a rectangular frame, made from steel.  With the help of his gymnastics coach, Larry Griswold, the barely 20-year-old Nissen added inner tube tires to the design. The tires connected the canvas to the frame and gave it more bounce. Those tires would eventually be replaced with springs. Nissen didn't come up with the name "trampoline" for his invention until later on. He took his bouncing rig on the road, performing in an act called the "Three Leonardos." While performing in Mexico, Nissen learned the Spanish word for a diving board is "trampolin." He stuck an "e" onto the end of the word and had a name he could trademark: "trampoline." Nearly a decade after he and Griswold first invented and then refined the trampoline, the pair started their own company, the Griswold-Nissen Trampoline & Tumbling Company. The brand began to produce and sell the trampolines commercially.  Trampolines for Fun From the early days, trampolines proved to be crowd pleasers, especially when kids were involved. Nissen and Griswold often took their trampolines to schools, where they demonstrated how to use them during assemblies and invited schoolchildren to participate. Across the U.S., "jump centers" appeared at gas stations. While parents filled up their gas tanks, kids could take a break and jump on trampolines.  The pair also tried to invent games designed for playing on a trampoline.  One such game is "Spaceball," which was played on a rectangular trampoline that had a net stretched across the middle and raised sides. In some ways similar to volleyball or tennis, the goal of the game was to send a ball through a hole in the net over to the opponent's side. Unfortunately, the game never really caught on, so you're unlikely to come across many — if any — spaceball courts these days. Trampolines in the Military and Space Program In the early days, trampolines weren't only for kids playing in the backyard or for acrobats and gymnasts. The U.S. military and later on, the Russian and U.S. space programs, found a use for trampolines as training devices. During the second world war, the military used trampolines to train pilots. The feeling of weightlessness a person feels while jumping in the air on a trampoline is similar to the sensation of weightlessness while flying or in space.  Nissen himself had a hand in convincing the military to use the trampoline as part of its training program. Thanks to his efforts, his fledgling company got so many orders for the equipment that he ended up having to delay enlisting in the armed forces himself. The military's involvement with trampolines led to a slight change in the construction and design of the device. At the time, nylon webbing was a new fabric, used for parachute straps. Nissen realized it could also replace the canvas fabric in his trampolines, providing a more durable surface, and perhaps most importantly, more bounce. Trampoline World Championships After the war and the space race, trampolines were able to return to being fun again. In 1960, Nissen thought it would be fun to train a kangaroo — rented from a place on Long Island — to jump on the apparatus. During his kangaroo training session, he was able to get the animal to stand on one side of the trampoline while he bounced on the other. The result was a now-iconic picture of Nissen and the kangaroo in mid-air, looking like they're having a grand time. A few years after his kangaroo photo-op, the first Trampoline World Championships took place in London. Twelve countries participated in the first championship competition, with jumpers from the U.S. taking home both the men's and ladies' gold medals. The championships initially took place yearly but switched to an every other year schedule in the 1970s. In 1999, the championships moved again, this time taking place in the year before the Olympics.  Trampolining in the Olympics Although trampolining has been a sport since the 1960s, it didn't make it into the Olympics until the year 2000 for the Sydney Olympics. Trampolining has been part of every summer Olympics since then, with events for both men and women.   During the 2000 games, Aleksandr Moskalenko and Irina Karavayeva, both from Russia, took home the gold. Moskalenko had been a three-time medalist during the Trampoline World Championships and came out of retirement to participate in the first Olympic games.  The Evolution of the Trampoline in the 20th and 21st Century Even from its earliest days, the commercial trampoline has seen a considerable amount of change. In some cases, trampolines evolved as better, more advanced materials became available. One example of that is the switch from canvas to bouncier nylon webbing. Today, most trampolines are made from either a waterproof canvas or woven polypropylene. Another example is the shift from using rubber tires to coil springs to attach the bounce mat material to the frame, and ultimately, the addition of padding around the perimeter of the trampoline. Types of Trampolines Along with a change in the materials used to make trampolines, there has also a been a shift in the kinds of trampolines available. Concerns about safety, resulting from injuries and lawsuits throughout the 20th century, have led to the development of safety features on many trampoline models. You can divide trampolines into two major categories:  Competitive: Competitive trampolines are designed to give a jumper more lift and often come with a much higher price tag. Recreational: If you're looking for a trampoline for your backyard, you're most likely in the market for a recreational one. If you're in the market for a trampoline, there's a lot to consider. Recreational trampolines differ regarding size and shape. Smaller models are often about 8-feet in diameter or across while larger models can be as wide as 16 feet or, in the case of rectangular trampolines, up to 10 by 17 feet. How many people will use the trampoline also time influences the size that's right for you. If just one person will jump at a time, an 8-feet model is sufficient. But if you want to jump with your friends, you'll need a model that's at least 10 feet wide.  How many people will jump at once can also influence the shape of trampoline that works for you. Round trampolines tend to be the most commonly available variety because it is particularly sturdy, without adding a lot of weight. The circular shape also helps to keep a person in the center of the trampoline, rather than close to the edges. If just a single person is bouncing, it's pretty easy for them to stay in the center of the trampoline.  Oval trampolines can often be ideal if more than one person will jump at a time. The oval shape allows each jumper to have their own area of the trampoline to bounce on, which can reduce the chance of people bumping into each other.  However, trampolines don't have to have curved edges — square and rectangular shapes are also available. In fact, rectangular trampolines are the most commonly used shape in competition since they are so large. Another benefit of square or rectangular trampolines is that more than one person can jump at a time with less of a chance of people colliding mid-air.  Safety Concerns That Led to the Trampoline Today One of the critical changes in the design of the modern-day trampoline was the development of particular safety features. A particularly important safety feature on recreational trampolines is the safety net. Ideally, safety nets will surround and enclose the trampoline. They can be made from a range of materials, but polyethylene is often preferable. Polyethylene usually lasts longer than materials such as polyester and polypropylene, which tend to rip more easily because they don't have as much give. Polyethylene is also considerably easier to clean and care for than other materials.  Another key feature of the safety net is the zipper used at the entrance. Kids — and adults — are likely to bounce around freely while using the trampoline. It's crucial that the zipper is strong enough to withstand any force or pressure from bouncing people. Safety pads are another feature developed to protect people while they use the trampoline. The metal springs that attach most jump mats to the trampoline's frame can pinch, poke or otherwise hurt a jumper. A pad that not only provides cushioning in the event of a fall but can also withstand wind, rain and other elements is a must.  Find Quality Trampolines From SkyBound USA Now that you know all about the history and evolution of trampolines, take a look at some of the models available from SkyBound USA. We have trampolines in a range of shapes and sizes. Each one comes complete with safety features to protect your kids from injury. If you have more questions about trampolines or need help choosing the model that's perfect for you, feel free to contact us today. Shop Now