Flip out Chatham Maritime: Kent and Medway's new trampoline park

by My Kent Family reporter

mykentfamily@thekmgroup.co.uk

SPONSORED EDITORIAL

The countdown has started to the opening of the county's newest trampoline park.

Flip Out Chatham, the latest addition to the Flip Out Trampoline Park family, is set to open in the autumn. It will give Kent families a fun solution to keeping energetic kids entertained, seven days a week.

Flip Out, also known as the Big Green Trampoline, is great for the whole family, with arenas boasting built in floor to wall trampolines, basketball hoops, foam pits and an onsite restaurant for refuelling.

But trampolining isn't just for keeping the kids happy. It has many health and fitness benefits, meaning it can be a great addition to a weekly workout regime, or encourage anyone to start one up.

From improving balance and developing motor skills to cardiovascular fitness and strengthening muscles and joints, trampolining has a lot more to offer than you may have thought.

An hour on the trampolines is a great work out for abs, thighs and bums and just 10 minutes bouncing is equal to a 30 minute run in terms of cardiovascular fitness. Flip Out at Chatham Maritime will be offering separate sessions for fitness classes, mums and toddlers, plus much more.

THE BENEFITS OF TRAMPOLINING

Balance, Coordination and Motor Skills: The unstable trampoline surface means even trying to bounce on the spot helps to develop a keen sense of balance and coordination throughout the entire body. It also helps the brain construct neural synapses and pathways, and that’s before you start adding flips and somersaults!

Bone Density: Repetitive bouncing on trampolines puts just a small amount of stress on bones and over time is enough to actually compress bones and create a higher bone density, resulting in stronger bones and a reduced risk of osteoporosis and other such ailments.

Low Impact: One of the main disadvantages of running is the pressure and strain placed on the lower limbs and joints, especially if an individual is overweight. Trampolines absorb most of the impact as opposed to running where the surface has no give at all. In fact, trampolining takes up to 80% off the stress of weight bearing joints.

Mark McGill outside Flip Out in Chatham Maritime

Improved Lymphatic System: The lymphatic system collects toxins and extracellular fluid from around the body. Recent research has discovered that an effective way to stimulate the lymphatic system is by jumping on trampolines, increasing flow by as much as 15 times!

Strengthen Cells: When bouncing every cell within the body begins to move up and down. In order to maintain their integrity and prevent harm coming to the contents, the cell membrane is forced to strengthen itself.

Cardiovascular Fitness: Running improves the flow of oxygen from the heart to the lungs and the rest of the body but a recent study by NASA stated that the effects of trampolining yielded the same results after one third of the time. In effect, 10 minutes on a trampoline, equates to over 30 minutes running.