Jumpstarting Your Fitness: Taking On A Group Trampolining Fitness Class

This week was my first experience with a class… and I was petrified. People who still have never tried Rebound Revolution will think nothing of dismissing the exercise. Sure, who wouldn’t love a few hours jumping around on the spot? To those people, I beg you to put your money where your mouth is and give it a go. Because you’ll hobble out the door exhausted and I won’t be biting my tongue to tell you “I told you so”. Yes, I’m really mature like that. For my first group class I was feeling nervous. What if everyone was MILES better than me? What if I couldn’t jump as high? What if all the worlds collide and I’m put in the front centre with the entire world (ok 30 people) able to see every flop, tumble or drop? Well, I’m happy to report, none of that happened. Running in and dropping off my shoes, bag (and self-doubt) at the door, I waddled over to Roisin. Roisin is an incredibly fit, kind but hard-working trainer. She might look like she’d be great craic for a girl’s chat, but she’s about to put you through your paces. Don’t be fooled by the welcoming smile… you’re going to be leaving worn out. There was a quick run-through of how the evening would play out for the new members and then we were broken into groups – from absolute beginners, to those who’d been a few times, to the experts. Needless to say, I volunteered myself for the beginner, wobbly-Bambi legs section down the back. For anyone nervous of signing up to something like this alone, I’m going to give you a tip. Join this class. I didn’t know anybody, and my giant pink hoodie could’ve had me standing out like a sore thumb, but we were all in this bouncing, weights, cardio workout together. We were all literally squatting, sprinting, lifting, and bouncing our way to a healthier, if not sweatier, version of ourselves. Then out came the exercise balls, the rotations (doing turns and spins on the trampoline – again easier said than done!), bicycle kicks and crunches, oh and the seat drops. Imagine how long it takes you to learn not to fall forward and keep your balance, and then JUST when you master that, being told to throw your legs out in a sitting position in front of you, falling on your bum and using your legs to push you back up into a sitting position. Needless to say, the girl beside me is lucky I didn’t kick her in the face. There were also burpee runs using weights, jumping jacks between trampolines and more planking than my tired little ‘abs’ could have ever imagined. But what did I most enjoy about the class? How about the fact that there were no amazing athletes. That everyone was ridiculously friendly and we all fell on our asses, picked ourselves back up, and kept on going. That all the exercise routines were broken into groups of 10 minutes and just when you thought your body was about to give way, you were given a rest spot. Or maybe that despite having fun, sweating loads and chatting away to the ladies between gasps I still managed to burn a 1,000 calories and didn’t have to watch my feet strapped to an exercise bike for the pleasure? Next week we’ll be taking it up a level and finishing our challenge… there may even be a video of my ‘progress’. (Don’t worry, I’m scared to watch it too…) If you want to know more about my venture so far, check out how I got on in a one-to-one Rebound Revolution session, or why not check out the health benefits here for taking an hour out of your week for a Jump Zone session! Why not make a change from your usual gym trip and take a fun approach to your fitness this January and check outRebound Revolution trampoline classes at Jump Zone. Suitable for all levels of fitness, the classes will keep you on your toes!