Trampoline safety – have fun while being cautious!
The trampoline is popular as a home recreational piece of equipment and a means to exercise. Nevertheless, if you are not careful enough, accidents can occur, especially when children play on the trampoline. Each month, especially during the summer, hospitals confront themselves with many cases of trampoline injuries. Most occur because the person jumped too high and fell near the trampoline rather than on it. Here are some guidelines as to how to position your body while jumping and how to react in the case of a fall.
Trampolines vary in size, from the small ones used for personal exercise, to large ones that people use for yard play. The number and brutality of trampoline injuries is in a positive relationship with the increased recreational use of such equipment. Injuries are significant among all age groups, but children are the ones who most commonly get hurt while using a trampoline.
Most of the times, injuries occur because we try to make tricks or flips, we collide with or land on another person on the trampoline or someone may push you off. Landing improperly on the trampoline, falling off the trampoline, coming in contact with the frame and jumping off the trampoline are also causes of injuries. Trampoline safety rules advise you not to attempt any of these dangerous activities since it is very possible that you will end up in the hospital.
Supervision is among the most important things to do to prevent trampoline accidents. You should always watch your children carefully when they are on the trampoline. Kids get brave when adults are not present and attept all sorts of tricks, so make sure you have an eye on them. Make sure of the fact that only one person uses the trampoline at a time. This will diminish the chances of collision between people.
Never jump onto a trampoline from a higher place. Make sure that the ground under the trampoline is completely clear of objects, especially sharp or blunt ones. Carefully inspect the trampoline before using it. Make sure that the springs are secure and that the bed of the trampoline is intact. Also, you should check for any sign of frame bending, as this can be dangerous while jumping. The padding should be securely fastened in order to avoid any incidents. Another trampoline safety rule is that you should not allow children less than 6 years of age to use it. In addition, you will need to make sure you remove trampoline ladders after use to prevent the unsupervised access of small children.
To sum all this up, as long as you take some trampoline safety measures, jumping the trampoline may turn out to be not only a fun activity, but also a form of exercise. Several types of safety precautions, such as padding and nets, are available to increase the security of trampoline jumping. While they may decrease injuries, they will not eliminate them all together, so follow some simple guidelines to keep you out of harm’s way. Keep in mind that these safety precautions should never take the place of adult supervisions.