|
|
The whole family can jump for joy
PEOPLE of all ages are jumping for joy after realising that trampolining is the key to their fitness. With well over 100 people on the books, the Activ8 trampoline club of Erdington is proving that high kicking is not just great exercise but also great fun. And coach Deborah Danks (Left) says children and adults are realising the benefits of a good bounce. "It is great for the heart and lungs, in fact it is one of the best exercises for heart and lungs," says Deborah who helps run the club and teaches at schools across the Birmingham area. "It is good for circulation and it is also good for balance and co-ordination. You need a certain amount of co-ordination to do this but if it is a bit weak, you can really improve it because so many of the jumps are co-ordinated. "And there is a real social side to it. Everyone at the club gets on really well." Trampolining also has the advantage of being a form of exercise for all the family. "We can take children from three or four years old but they do need to be assessed at that age," says Deborah. "I think at the moment our youngest is four but if a child is not ready, we will always say try again in six months. "But we recently had a mum, who had been bringing her child to the club, say that she would like to give it a go. It is great to have an activity that families can take part in." Activ8 meets four times a week at Stockland Green Leisure Centre, based at Josiah Mason College in Erdington, and trains people from complete beginners to elite. "We are a competitive club and we train people to that level," says Deborah, whose 17-year-old son John is one of the club competitors at national level. "You don't have to compete but that is the level we are coaching to." The club, which has been operating for more than 15 years, has just received a boost thanks to its chief fund-raiser Kathryn Broome. A Cadbury's new product development worker, Kath applied for cash for new equipment through the Bournville-based company's Activity Fund and gained £1,000. This was topped up by £200 raised in a club sponsored bounce and by kind-hearted Kath donating £300 she gained as a Cadbury Big Heart Award winner. The extra cash has meant the club could invest in a double mini trampoline, a new form of the sport. "Our fund-raising has gone so well we have been able to subsidise coaching courses, allowing us to reach out to more children and adults in the local community," says Kath. The club has proved so popular there is a waiting list for some of the groups but anyone wanting to know more is welcome to pop along to a novice class which take place on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5-6pm at the leisure centre. Other classes are 6-8pm on Mondays, 6-7pm on Wednesdays, advanced 5-8pm on Thursdays and elite 9am-12 noon on Saturdays. Source www. birmingham.gov.ukGRAD |
This is the greatest marketing idea of all time - in a FREE book Here