Trampolining is the new fitness craze in Australia as SkyFit studios opens

QUESTION: What burns as many calories as an hour and a half of walking or an hour and twelve minutes of sex? Answer: Trampolining — and that’s exactly why it’s the fitness craze taking Australia by storm.

Stephen Parker takes Amanda Breen, Amy Van der Jagt and Amy Townsend through a trampoline aerobic class.

QUESTION: What burns as many calories as an hour and a half of walking or an hour and twelve minutes of sex?

Answer: Trampolining — and that’s exactly why it’s the fitness craze taking Australia by storm.

From humble beginnings in the United States in 2004, the fitness trend which is actually more like fitness fun has finally made its way to Aus. Known as SkyFit, the franchise features a wide array of classes and low-impact activities like the Open Jump, Ultimate Dodgeball and SkyRobics, all done on trampolines. To make things even more exciting, some of the trampolines are angled so you can literally bounce off the walls.

But if the fun aspect doesn’t convince you — or the fact that you’re legitimately going to a trampoline park to exercise — SkyFit’s fat-burning powers might.

Just thirty minutes of jumping about burns 480 calories, which is equivalent to:

— 1 hour and 12 minutes of sex

— 1 hour and 37 minutes of walking

— 59 minutes of skiing

— 42 minutes of swimming

— 42 minutes of running

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If that doesn't float your boat, let’s compare trampolining to food intake. 480 calories is equivalent to:

— 1.6 Hamburgers

— 1 small bowl of hot chips

— 1.2 bowls of potato chips

— 3.1 bottles of beer

— 5.6 glasses of red wine

Now, while we don’t recommend you use this as an excuse to drink 5.6 glasses of red wine on a daily basis, we do recommend you test out the craze if you use ‘busyness’ as an excuse not to exercise.

“SkyFit is perfect training for the time-poor,” adds Shane Byrne, co-founder of SkyFit. He also believes that SkyFit works because you actually forget you are exercising.

“This is exercise that is accompanied by smiling, laughter and genuine enjoyment,” he says.

“It’s fluky fitness where you manage to forget the intensity of your workout and instead join every moment of your session.”

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The first of ten SkyFit franchises has opened in Australia at Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Parks in Sydney’s East in Alexandria. Find out more at SkyFit trampolining.