5 Reasons To Jump More

10/09/2015

Written by: @GabDiesendorf

Jumping ropes, on trampolines or even big bedroom beds – it is fun and does good for your health, without a doubt. Jumping is an exercise that is easy to begin with, but impossible to give up, and it helps in both physical and mental development. This is especially important when it comes to kids, and if you have trouble with trying to make your child practice some physical activities – this should put a smile right on his or her face. Do not hesitate to practice jumping exercises yourself, because it is a great calorie burner.

Improves Balance and Coordination

A better coordination and balance overall is achieved by simply jumping around. With a better developed sense of timing and rhythm, children used to jumping are less likely to get hurt in sport activities (basketball, volleyball, skating, skiing) or simple things like falling off a bicycle. Due to better coordination and balance, they know how to protect themselves if they happen to fall. So, hurry up and teach them some jumping rope games, or seek businesses that offer jumping castle hire and you will have a jumping session for the whole family.

Breathing and Cardio

Jumping is a great cardio and breathing exercise for kids. Ten minutes of jumping on a trampoline are equated to 33 minutes running (according to a NASA study), by improving lung and cardio capacity. There are special trampoline parks you can visit with your children, with regular, dodgeball and basketball hoop trampolines. Playing dodgeball or dunking while jumping on a trampoline will make your kids focus on their breathing and concentration.

Body Strength

Jumping works in favor of upper and lower body muscles (arms, shoulders, abs, and legs) and builds strength. Besides muscles, it also makes the bones stronger, which is crucial for the teenage period when kids start experiencing rapid body growth and other physical changes.

Synaptic Development

The main function of a synapse is to pass signals between nerve cells, and it is what children’s brain development depends on. The number of synapses in a three-year-olds brain is much higher than in an adult’s brain, making the toddler’s twice as active. That is why children at this age enjoy outdoor activities like climbing, running and jumping. If children practice heavy outdoor activities such as these, the number of synapses will rise. They learn to coordinate their movements, while the center of gravity varies depending on their position, and this enables synaptic development.

Fun

Jumping is good for both individual enjoyment and social interaction. It is so fun and you will realize jumping games are something you do not have to force your child to participate in. It is easy, exciting and a game in which everybody wins. Thus, kids become more self-confident and courageous, and there is always something new they can learn or create. By thinking of a completely new jumping game with new rules, both body and mind are stimulated. Play them some music during a jump rope game, and look at your kids’ creativity being promoted through different tricks and footwork.