Trampoline Safety

Quality Toys suggests that you practice all necessary safety precautions when jumping on your trampoline to prevent injuries from occurring. Whether you are an adult exercising on a trampoline, a teenager burning off calories on a rebounder, a child trampoline jumping indoors or a kid jumping on the child mini bouncer trampolines - you must jump with caution.

Read the article below for additional information regarding the safety of yourself and child and suggestions to purchase Trampoline Covers and Accessories.

The Secret of Trampoline Safety

By: Melanie Hudson

The majority of people all over the world know a trampoline to be device that has a rebounding effect when someone jumps on it. This truly unique invention is worth each dime when you see how many joyful moments it brings to your family, your friends and to you as well. The bouncing effect is no more than a consequence of a piece of cloth and some springs attached to the frame with tension so extreme, that bounces off the energy received from a jumper. Trampolines have found their place in the hearts of many youngsters, and remain one of the most positive reflections to their childhood when they grow up.

Families all over the world are installing their private trampolines for enjoyment of their kids and for keeping kids away from the street, showing them a different, healthier way of spending their free time. Investment into a new trampoline pays off only when the product you have bought works seamlessly for at least as long as your children have interest in using it. But reality is quite different and most trampolines are seen to suffer severe damages within a short period of time. Some cracks or from sun burned pale spots on the pad may not seem as something worth worrying about, but this can actually bring the pad to tear up and your kid may brake his legs or worse.

Protecting your family and yourself from trampoline accidents is as easy as buying a trampoline cover, which will not only protect your trampoline from deteriorating, but also prevent kids using it without your permission or supervision. With a trampoline cover close at hand not only does your trampoline get its due of being a wonderful source of recreation but you, as the owner, are ensured your peace of mind.

Outdoor trampolines are exposed to many factors which will in time cause considerable damage if not protected wit a trampoline cover-

1. Trampoline protection with a trampoline cover is the only and still the best way to prevent your trampoline being affected by harsh weather conditions like hailstones, condensed water, big temperature fluctuations and other.

2. The most common source of damage to your trampoline is perhaps natural occurrences like heavy rainfall, sudden gusts of violent wind and also sunshine sharply beating down.

3. Not only for the obvious reasons, but for those rarely noticed ones too, a trampoline cover is a smart thing to consider, especially if you had to save for months to afford brands like Etan or Jaques outdoor trampolines.

A trampoline cover when used can stop dry leaves from accumulating on the trampoline enclosure which is supposed to be the bounce arena.

4. One of the main enemies of your trampoline is the rain water, gathering in the center of the trampoline unless protected by a waterproof trampoline cover.

The producers of trampoline covers have been introducing covers that offer quick and reliable drainage of the rainwater from the cover and besides protecting the trampoline beneath also protecting the cover itself from acidic rain.

Water and humidity can only put so much damage your trampoline, without a trampoline protection other influences combined with rainwater can cause further damage. Excessive glare of the sun can increase the rate of wear and tear of your trampoline. With the accelerating growth of ozone hole, each year the sun bombards the earth with more ultra-violet beams, eventually dissolving the original stiffness of the trampoline, loosing its bounce ability and presenting a danger of serious cracks in the material.

Trampolines are way too much fun to be left unused, but the fun has to be bulletproof in terms of safety. Owing to its shape and to its size, trampolines have a pretty big chance to get sooner or later damaged by a some kind of falling object, tree branches, falling debris or other. A trampoline cover will help your trampoline survive without a scratch all kinds of different events.

Sooner or later, a trampoline without a trampoline cover will be affected, and even if it does not seem as a catastrophe, those small damages can tear up the pad in the the very moment of the highest bounce of your kid. It is not worth risking a single second, leaving this much appreciated device unprotected, while a single trampoline cover can make fun and safe for many years to come.

About the Author

With unprotected trampoline, nobody will be jumping of joy when the pad gives in, possibly in the middle of the highest jump. Protecting your trampoline with a suitable trampoline cover is not just a matter of safety. It is also a way to give your kids many more years of joy on this great device. Finding out the right cover for your special trampoline is not hard. All you need to do is to arm yourself with basic facts on trampoline covers .

(ArticlesBase SC #272134)

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Promoting Physical Activity and Exercise among Children

Physical inactivity has become a serious problem in the United States. More than half of U.S. adults do not meet recommended levels of moderate physical activity, and one-fourth engage in no leisure time physical activity at all. Inactivity is more prevalent among those with lower income and education, and, beginning in adolescence, affects females more than males. A pattern of inactivity, also known as sedentism, begins early in life, making the promotion of physical activity among children imperative. This article discusses the importance of and ways to foster activity and exercise in children.

WHY IS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IMPORTANT?
Physical activity has been defined as "bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure" . There is no debate about the value of physical exertion--regular physical activity has significant health benefits, and even modest increases in energy expenditure can have health-enhancing effects, including: Reduction in chronic disease risk--hypertension, type 2 diabetes, high blood lipids, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Even among children and adolescents, physical activity can prevent or delay the development of hypertension and can reduce blood pressure in those young people who already have hypertension ;

*Lowered risk of colon cancer;

*Increase in bone density;

*Reduction of anxiety, improvement in body image and mood;

*Development of physical fitness;

*Promotion of weight control through caloric expenditure. This benefit is of particular importance to children, who are experiencing the same epidemic of overweight as adults.

CHILDHOOD OBESITY: A CAUSE FOR CONCERN
More children today are overweight or obese than ever before. "Overweight" means that the individual weighs more than is recommended for a given height; when this excess weight is in the form of fat, health problems may develop. "Obesity" is an excess of body fat. In children obesity has been variously defined as 1. >=20% over the recommended weight for height;

2. >=85th percentile for Body Mass Index, which is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared; or

3. >=25% of weight as fat for boys and >=30% of weight as fat for girls .

When the percent fat definition is used, data indicate that 11% of 6-11 year olds and 14% of 12-17 year olds are obese, double the prevalence of 30 years ago. This is of particular concern because body weight and overfatness in children are significant cardiovascular disease risk factors, and the risk tracks into adolescence and young adulthood if not checked in childhood. In addition, obese children often experience exclusion from social groups and low self-esteem.

Particularly detrimental to health is central (abdominal) body fat, which is linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Studies examining the relationship between physical activity and abdominal fat suggest that those who are more active are less likely to deposit fat in the abdominal area. Physical activity is thus a key element in the prevention and treatment of both chronic disease and obesity.

HOW MUCH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS ENOUGH?
Health benefits can be derived simply from becoming more physically active, but the greatest benefits come from engaging in planned and structured exercise. Cardiovascular risk factors can be reduced and physical fitness enhanced with low to moderate levels of physical activity (40-60% of a person's maximal aerobic capacity) . And, low- to moderate-intensity activity is less likely than vigorous exercise to cause musculoskeletal injury and sudden heart attack death during exercise (a very rare occurrence even for vigorous exercisers), while it is more likely to promote continued adherence to activity.

Current recommendations state that children and adults should strive for at least 30 minutes daily of moderate intensity physical activity. An alternate approach that may be equally beneficial would be to engage in 5 to 10-minute bouts of moderate intensity activity throughout the day, for a total accumulation of at least 30 minutes for adolescents and adults and 60 minutes for children. Walking briskly, trampoline jumping, biking for pleasure or transportation, swimming, engaging in sports and games, participating in physical education, and doing tasks in the home and garden may all contribute to accumulated physical activity.

Children and adults who already engage in regular activity may benefit from more vigorous activity. The specific amount of energy expenditure needed by children to decrease their risk of cardiovascular disease is not known; for adults, approximately 3 kcals/kg of body weight/day has been recommended. Weight in pounds can be converted to kg by dividing by 2.2. Thus, a 140-pound person (140/2.2 = 63.6 kg) should expend about 192 kcals/day (63.6 X 3).

HOW CAN WE PROMOTE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE? QUALITY DAILY PHYSICAL EDUCATION
In addition to being physically active, children need to learn fundamental motor skills and develop health related physical fitness (cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition). Physical education, provided at school, is an ideal way to encourage activity and develop fitness among children and, for many children, will be their only preparation for an active lifestyle. For this reason, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), and the American Heart Association all recommend comprehensive daily physical education for children K-12. Over the years, state requirements for daily physical education have eroded, and today no states currently have such a requirement. Not surprisingly, only a quarter of high school students participate in daily physical education, and only 19% of high school students are active for at least 20 minutes a day during physical education class. The School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS), conducted by CDC, determined that just 47% of middle/junior high schools and 26% of high schools require at least 3 years of physical education.

Physical education offers many benefits: development of motor skills needed for enjoyable participation in physical activities; promotion of physical fitness; increased energy expenditure; and promotion of positive attitudes toward an active lifestyle. Evidence also exists that physical education may enhance academic performance, self-concept, and mental health .

OTHER WAYS TO INCORPORATE ACTIVITY INTO SCHOOLS
In addition to physical education, schools can promote physical activity in a variety of other ways :
*Promote collaboration between physical education and classroom teachers. For example, physical education teachers might provide ideas for "fitness breaks" to classroom teachers, where 5-minute aerobic activities could be used to break up the school day.

*Provide extracurricular physical activity programs. Interested teachers and parents might be encouraged to establish developmentally appropriate clubs and/or intramural activities of a competitive and noncompetitive nature. Walking clubs, in-line skating, jumping rope, water aerobics, trampoline jumping and intramural swim teams provide a few examples.

*Coordinate physical activities with community agencies. Schools might allow use of school facilities by community agencies that sponsor physical activity programs, facilitate training programs for volunteer youth coaches, invite community groups to an "activity fair" for students in the school gymnasium, or provide a listing of community physical activity resources to students.

*Encourage and enable parental involvement in physical activity. Parental activity level is very important in promoting activity among children. Schools can help encourage activity in parents by sending home activity homework that parents and children do together, recruiting parent volunteers for physical education classes, and sponsoring parent-child activity programs at school.

*Provide physical and social environments that encourage and enable physical activity. For example, schools might allow access to facilities before and after school hours and during vacation periods, encourage teachers to provide time for unstructured physical activity during recess and during physical education class, and help school personnel to serve as active role models by enabling and encouraging their own participation in physical activity.

CONCLUSION Inactive adults have twice the mortality of adults who are at least somewhat active. Schools that promote physical activity may have a significant impact on reducing childhood obesity, chronic disease, and, ultimately, adult mortality. Insofar as physical activity has been associated with increased academic performance, self-concept, mood, and mental health, the promotion of physical activity and exercise may also improve quality of life.