Dance Club or Fitness Studio? The Art of the Trampoline Workout

Through the many perks of my job, I was invited to try out a new fitness class that’s sure to gain some popularity among dance and Zumba enthusiasts.

Jumping Lifestyles on Broadway off Canal Street in New York City is a new trampoline studio offering customized workouts using individual “jump stations” (aka, trampolines with pogo stick-like handlebars). Not only is the workout tool unique in itself, but the room is also equipped with black lights, flashing lights, spinning disco balls and a high-tech sound system to mimic the inner workings of a dance club. So not only are you getting “more bounce” literally from jumping up and down, you’re also getting amped up on the same feeling you have on a Friday night out with the girls (sans the Saturday hangover! …though it might be replaced with Saturday soreness).

Offering two different styles of classes, Jumping Lifestyles has both the JumpGym class and the JumpDance class. I had the pleasure of attending one of the JumpDance classes, led by the studio owner. I was a little skeptical at first, as I’ve been to zumba a couples times and pretty much just felt out of place (I don’t have the gene that enables you to shake your hips like Shakira, or anyone with any kind of dance talent). But when we started bouncing around, I tried to just let myself enjoy the fun of it and get the best workout possible.

The workout is definitely unique. It’s low impact because of the trampoline, so it’s easy on your joints. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy in general. We did a lot of stepping, running in place, kicking, and even shuffling around the circumference of the trampoline. More often than not, I needed to leverage the front handlebars to stay balanced and/or avoid falling off the trampoline (and amazingly, no one in my class fell or bounced off during our hour-long session). With the music pumping and lots of excited encouragement from our instructor, the whole experience felt like a glorified dance-zumba-kicking-bouncing party that made me sweat a whole lot more than I thought it would.

I’ve been told the JumpGym class is a little more vigorous cardio-wise, using free weights along with the jumping routine to build strength. I think runners like me would appreciate that class a little bit more and it probably would have been a little more my style, but I definitely relived my younger bounce house days and enjoyed myself!

Classes at Jumping Lifestyles take place on evenings and weekends (full schedule here). A single class is $28 (but just $15 for first timers!), and first-timers can also get packages like 3 classes for $55. If you live in the NYC area and need to switch up your routine, or just need to have fun, check it out!