Trampolines are one of children's favorite pastimes. A terrain where you can bounce, jump and laugh out loud. Whether in parks or fairs, in establishments full of them or installed in the garden at home, a trampoline guarantees the entertainment of the little ones for a long time.
But regardless of whether they have fun, the truth is that jumping on a trampoline brings surprising benefits for children. Apart from being a physical activity that helps them strengthen muscles, bones and the cardiovascular system, improving mobility, flexibility and coordination, it also has advantages for their feet.
It was the podiatrist Neus Moya who, through her Instagram account – with 437 thousand followers – shared a video highlighting the benefits of the trampoline for children. The expert notes that “all the muscles responsible for forming the bridge of the foot work on the trampoline.”
As Neus explains, the tibialis anterior comes into action, which helps in the formation of the bridge; the tibialis posterior, which is a stabilizer of this bridge and, in addition, there is an anchorage of the fingers to the ground. Thus, “all the flexor muscles and plantar fascia work also helping the foot to straighten.”
In this regard, he clarifies that it is not even necessary to jump on the trampoline for it to exert its virtues on the little ones' feet, but it is enough to walk on it for them to work. “Less shoes that support the foot and more active work,” emphasizes the podiatrist.
Now, whenever children are ready to jump on a trampoline we must take into account a series of precautions. First of all, let only one child jump on it to avoid trampling, tripping, crashing or falling on top of each other. They should also not jump next to an adult because, as the podiatrist warns, "the child will not be receiving the bounce from him, but from a person weighing 30 kilos more."
Also, make sure that they do not venture into pirouettes or somersaults, as they could injure their back, neck or joints. Do not jump with balls or devices inside and always keep the zipper closed, for greater safety. Finally, the podiatrist points out that, in children with a lot of hypermobility and poor tone, “it is true that there is a certain risk, so they can walk on it.”
