Is Jumping on a Trampoline Bad for Your Back?

Do trampolines cause back problems?

There are lots of benefits associated with jumping on a trampoline. Not only is it a fun activity, but you can also get yourself a good workout and strengthen your overall physical fitness. That said, is jumping on a trampoline bad for your back?

Jumping on a trampoline is not bad for your back, but you should not overdo it as it can cause stress on your intervertebral discs. If you have an existing back issue such as a herniated disc, you should consult your medical professional for advice first.

In this post, you will learn more about back issues when jumping on trampolines and how you can navigate them properly.

Benefits of trampolining

There are many benefits to jumping on a trampoline or similarly on a rebounder that not many other exercises can rival. Without going into every single one of them, here is one huge advantage of trampolining.

It entails increasing our G-force, which is the gravitational force exerted on the body.

Each time you jump on the trampoline, you will experience acceleration and deceleration.

All 600+ muscles flex and relax alternately, toning the entire muscular system.

There are many different sorts of workouts that target certain muscles, but this is the only one that works every muscle in the body.

Even simple bounces have a lot of advantages.

The higher the jump, the greater the G-force required to return the jumper to the mat, affecting every muscle and cell in the body.

Is jumping on a trampoline bad for adults?

Trampolines are a lot of fun for grownups and they are entirely safe when you take the right precautions.

In fact, they are an excellent way to get some exercise which can improve your cardiovascular health and improve your balance and coordination through play.

Trampoline activities can be enjoyed for years by both children and adults, so investing in a high-quality trampoline is always a good choice.

Adults can utilize trampolines regularly, and there are many fitness and gymnastics establishments that include trampolines, so even if you do not have one at work, you can still gain access to them quite easily.

Why does my back hurt after jumping on a trampoline?

Muscle strains are the most common cause of trampoline back pain, which occurs when muscles are strained too hard or too quickly.

Jumping on a trampoline causes the body to tense the back muscles in order to protect the spine, resulting in lower, middle, and upper back pain.

This muscle tightening can potentially harm your spine if you have a herniated degenerative disc or scoliosis.

This is why you may find that jumping on a trampoline hurts your back much more than before.

As I mentioned earlier, if you have any existing back conditions, you must consult a medical professional before going on a trampoline.

Pre-existing conditions can make things worse, so make sure not to make this mistake for a moment of fun. Furthermore, if someone falls off the trampoline, they may suffer a major spinal injury.

How can trampolines hurt your back?

We know that muscle strains are the most likely culprits of causing back pains to trampoline users, but what are the common mistakes that make it happen?

Here are the 3 most common ways that people get back pains when jumping on trampolines:

• The individual does not understand how to correctly land on their feet after jumping from the trampoline
• When they land after jumping, they bounce excessively on their front or back legs
• During the jump, they land on their stomachs or lean too far forward or backward

This is why you need to practice the right technique and get yourself used to the action right from the start. Poor form can be eliminated.

Besides that, there might be some issues that we are not clearly aware of before jumping on a trampoline, and we might mistakenly attribute our back pains to trampolining.

Most commonly, I see some friends who are always desk-bound get out for physical activity and they end up with some muscle strains, particularly in the back.

If you belong to a group like this, I encourage you to stand up every 30 to 60 minutes and do some light stretching.

Being active will greatly reduce some of these problems.

Can jumping cause lower back pain?

Those who enjoy jumping on a trampoline may experience lower-back pain. The trampoline basically exercises the muscles in your back, legs, and pelvis and it is the muscles’ job to protect the spine from the force of the collision.

Those with weak muscles, on the other hand, are more likely to have lower back pain after jumping on a trampoline.

In order to protect the spine, their muscles must work harder. As a result, muscles stiffen up, resulting in muscle fatigue and pain.

In the worst-case scenario, landing in an unfamiliar position could result in a torn muscle or a spine injury.

As a result, we recommend taking it easy on the trampoline, more so when you are a beginner.

How to know if your back has been hurt?

Well, there are of course some instances where it is very obvious you have gotten hurt, but there are also subtle tell-tale signs you should look out for if you feel unwell after a trampoline session.

• Feeling a burning, scorching pain in your upper or lower back
• Acute muscle pain and stiffness that persists for more than a couple of days
• Arm and leg weakness

In the interim, you might want to try out over-the-counter drugs and the application of cold and heat on a regular basis to help relieve back discomfort.

I would not recommend going for a massage as you might just aggravate any issues.

If you are not feeling better within 2 to 3 days, see a doctor.

How long should you jump on a trampoline for a workout?

It really depends on what you are after. Some just want to keep active and exercise a bit during their day, while others are serious about losing weight.

The wonderful thing about bouncing on a trampoline or rebounder is that the benefits are often magnified.

It is estimated that bouncing on a trampoline for 20 minutes is almost like running for 2 to 2.5 miles.

For the casual user, there is no harm at all to bouncing on a trampoline for 10 to 20 minutes a day, especially an indoor rebounder which is much more accessible.

There are even benefits to your skin when you use a rebounder!

How do you stop a trampoline from hurting your back?

You would want to have some safety precautions in place while using the trampoline, that’s for sure.

Most of us are not Olympic gymnasts so trampolining is not exactly second nature to us.

Here are some basic tips to keep you safe, and hopefully not hurt your back while having fun:

• Get a trampoline with a safety net enclosure
• Anchor your trampoline to the ground
• Never have more than 1 jumper at a time (yes, I know it is super tempting, but try to avoid it. A rectangular trampoline would be better if you want to have multiple jumpers)
• Land with your knees slightly bent so that they can absorb any wayward impacts
• Warm-up first
• Do not try out trampoline tricks if you are a beginner. Increase the difficulty gradually, please!

Ways to strengthen your back

There are a million videos out there that will teach you how to strengthen your back, but most importantly, will you take it seriously enough?

Having a strong back is so important to our daily lives.

The problem is that a lot of us live a sedentary life right now and our backs are not well taken care of.

I recommend that you get off the chair at least once an hour and do some basic stretches. Then do a few exercises that will strengthen your glutes and stretch your hip flexors.

Watch and follow this video below and thank me later.

You can also do many other sports such as swimming, cycling, and brisk walking, and good for you if you do. But for those who are strapped for time, you should really consider my advice above at the minimum.

How to fix back pain from jumping on a trampoline?

Honestly, the answer is to see a professional. But I understand that most of us are really stubborn people who want to try fixing ourselves first.

There’s some good in doing that as most issues are just muscle strains that can be taken care of by hot and cold compress and letting them heal over a couple of days.

Needless to say, if you feel a searing pain in any part of your body, or if you observe any curving in your spine, call emergency services right away.

Don’t try to be a hero. Live another day to jump again.

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