Jumping -- it's for everyone

In the high-flying world of trampoline playgrounds you don't have to be a circus performer, a world-class athlete or even a limber teenager to bounce off the walls and feel like a kid again.

On a recent Saturday morning at Sky Zone trampoline park in Plymouth, the smell of sweat and rubber permeated a basketball court-sized trampoline gymnasium as about 30 participants giggled and bounced their way through SkyRobics, an hourlong trampoline fitness class that's gaining in popularity.

"It's a great workout but didn't feel like exercise because it was so much fun," said Anjali Justus, 26, of St. Paul. "It's one of the coolest things I've done in a long time. ... I felt like I was back in tenth grade."

Indoor trampoline parks with wall-to-wall bouncy courts surrounded by soft padding are springing up across the United States. Minnesota will see its fourth indoor facility open in Mounds View at the end of the month. The spacious entertainment centers are attracting athletes, kids' birthday parties and even local businesses that rent out the sites for corporate retreats. Who wouldn't want to play their boss in a game of dodge ball, which is one of the playground's offerings.

"This could catch on and be huge. People are always looking for something new and different, and this is very new and different," said Dave Kennedy, recreation director for Gleason's, a Twin Cities gymnastic school. "It's a trampoline; how can that not be fun?"

Of eight Sky Zones open nationwide, the Twin Cities area has two: in Plymouth and Oakdale. Local franchise owner David Hustrulid said business is going so well that he plans to open a third location in the south metro.

"We feel like the population here supports it," Hustrulid said.

In addition to Sky Zone, AirMaxx Trampoline Park opened this fall in St. Cloud and Zero Gravity Trampoline Park will open at the end of the month. "Living in Minnesota, winters get long and Sky Zone is definitely one way to get those wiggles out," said Shannon Dodds, a Shakopee mother who has taken her three sons to the Plymouth facility several times. "My young boys had a great time jumping, running, diving and flipping. The baby and I even bounced in our own little square."

Trampolines "in" again

Trampoline parks were a fad in the 1960s that faded with a rise in personal injury lawsuits. But as extreme sports, such as snowboarding, kite surfing and ultimate fighting have taken hold, trampolining has made a comeback.

At Gleason's Gymnastic Gym, which has offered adult trampoline classes for 15 years, local snowboarders and skiers recently began asking for individualized instruction time so they can practice their flips and tricks on trampolines.

"There's a lot more people flipping around these days," Kennedy said. "Those foam pits provide a great place to crash and burn."

Others just want a fun way to burn some calories. Sky Zone officials claim that jumping on a trampoline takes 30 percent more energy than running on a treadmill and can burn up to 1,150 calories an hour. Corey Schiminski has lost more than 30 pounds since he started taking SkyRobics fitness classes in May. Now, the 23-year-old Otsego man is a SkyRobics instructor.

"It's an extremely fun way to exercise," he said. "I can't say the same thing about running on the treadmill for an hour."

Jean Forrey was surprised at how difficult the workout was.

"I totally loved it, but it was hard," the 57-year-old Crystal woman said. "It looks really easy to jump, but it takes a lot of muscles and lung capacity to keep the momentum going."

Bounce at your own risk

Participants are encouraged to go at their own pace, but people do get hurt, Hustrulid said. Jumpers must sign a waiver and are encouraged to wear Sky Zone's special high-top shoes for support.

"It's an extreme sport, but our injury ratio is pretty low," Hustrulid said.

Despite safety precautions such as a padded perimeter and court monitors enforcing rules -- no double flips or double bouncing, for example -- the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages the use of trampolines for recreational purposes and says that kids under age 6 shouldn't use them.

"Unfortunately, this is humongously dangerous," said Dr. Stella Evans, a pediatrician at the Fairview Children's Clinic in Minneapolis. "I am not an advocate for these parks in general. Even with supervisors, injuries are unavoidable."

If you're heading to Sky Zone, book your reservation online early, because the playground often reaches capacity, especially on weekends when birthday parties often are scheduled back-to-back.

Teri King of Eden Prairie signed up early and brought her 9-year-old son and two of his friends to Sky Zone for the first time last weekend. She said her kids had been asking to go for a while.

"A lot of the kids in Eden Prairie are doing this for their birthday parties now," she said. "It's the 'in' thing to do."

Aimée Tjader • 612-673-1715