Does Jumping on a Trampoline Help You Lose Weight?
By Flexi Muscles — 18 July 2026 · 6 min read
Yes, you can lose weight jumping on a trampoline — but the bouncing is only half the equation. In a 10-week trial of 48 overweight women, mini-trampoline training paired with a 500-calorie daily deficit produced significant drops in BMI, body fat percentage, and waist-to-hip ratio. A separate study measured energy expenditure during rebounding sessions at 6.9 kcal per minute, around 317 kcal per hour-long session. Skip the calorie deficit, and the same trial found high-intensity training alone barely moved the needle at all.
Shop Rebounder Trampolines at Flexi Muscles
What the Research Actually Says
A 2023 trial split 48 overweight women (average age 32.7, average weight 75.2 kg) into four groups over 10 weeks: mini-trampoline training with a calorie deficit, high-intensity interval training with the same deficit, calorie restriction alone, and a no-intervention control. Only the mini-trampoline group combined with the deficit showed a significant drop in body fat percentage and waist-to-hip ratio. Notably, the HIIT group — working just as hard, without the deficit built in the same way — showed no significant change in body composition at all.
Separately, a study measuring exercise intensity during mini-trampoline sessions in overweight women recorded an average energy expenditure of 6.9 kcal per minute, totalling roughly 317 kcal across a full session. That's a real, measured number — not a marketing estimate — and it lands in a similar range to brisk jogging, minus the impact load on your joints that jogging carries.
Calories, Duration, and How Often
The protocol behind the body-composition results above was three one-hour sessions a week for 10 weeks — the number to aim for, not a rounded-off guess. Shorter sessions stacked more frequently still add to the same weekly total if an hour feels like too much on day one; consistency over the full 10 weeks matters more than any single session's length.
What rebounding won't do is replace the calorie side of the equation. Every trial that showed real fat loss had a deficit built in alongside the exercise. Bouncing for an hour and eating back the 317 kcal you burned in a snack cancels the session out.
A Simple Weight-Loss Trampoline Workout
Rotate through these five moves for 45 seconds each, resting 15 seconds between, for four rounds:
- Basic bounce — small, controlled jumps to warm up the legs and find your balance on the mat
- High knees — drive knees toward chest height, alternating legs, to raise heart rate
- Side-to-side jumps — small lateral hops across the centre of the mat for balance and calf work
- Squat bounces — land in a shallow squat each rep to add leg and glute load
- Twist jumps — rotate the hips slightly on each landing to bring the core into the movement
Four rounds runs close to 20 minutes. Add a fifth round, or repeat the circuit twice, to work toward the one-hour sessions used in the research above once your fitness allows it.
Does It Target Belly Fat Specifically?
No, and this is worth saying plainly because it gets marketed otherwise constantly. Spot reduction isn't how fat loss works on any piece of equipment, rebounders included. In the 10-week trial, waist-to-hip ratio only improved in the group doing mini-trampoline training with the calorie deficit — the HIIT group, working at similar or higher intensity but without that same deficit, showed no significant change anywhere on the body. The deficit is the variable doing the work on your stomach. The trampoline is the variable making the deficit easier to sustain without wrecking your knees.
Who Should Be Careful — or Skip It Altogether
Skip rebounding, or get medical sign-off first, if any of these apply:
- You're pregnant and haven't cleared high-impact cardio with your doctor
- You're recovering from joint, hip, or spinal surgery
- You manage severe osteoporosis or another condition affecting bone density
- You experience pelvic floor weakness or stress incontinence during impact activity
- You have a diagnosed balance disorder or significant vertigo
None of that means weight loss is off the table — walking and swimming produce a similar calorie deficit with far less impact risk, and either is the better starting point until you're cleared. Rebounding is a tool for a specific situation, not the only route to the same result.
What to Look for in a Rebounder for Weight Loss
If you've confirmed rebounding suits you, these are the specs that matter most for a workout you'll actually keep doing three times a week:
- Bungee vs. spring tension — bungee cords absorb impact more evenly and run quieter over frequent sessions; springs bounce higher but transmit more noise and joint feedback over time
- Weight rating with headroom — check the rated capacity leaves margin above your current weight, since landing force during jumps exceeds static bodyweight
- Mat diameter — a wider mat gives room for the lateral and twist movements above without stepping off the edge mid-set
- Non-slip base — rubber feet that grip the floor matter once sessions get sweaty and frequent; a rebounder that creeps across the floor is a hazard, not a quirk
Browse rebounder trampolines at Flexi Muscles — every listing states the mat's weight rating and frame diameter up front.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you really lose weight by jumping on a trampoline?
Yes, but only combined with a calorie deficit. In a 10-week trial of 48 overweight women, mini-trampoline training paired with a 500-calorie daily deficit produced significant drops in BMI and body fat percentage. The same trial found high-intensity interval training alone, without the deficit, produced no significant change in body composition.
How many calories does rebounding burn?
A study measuring energy expenditure during mini-trampoline sessions in overweight women recorded an average of 6.9 kcal per minute, or roughly 317 kcal across a full session. Actual burn varies with bodyweight, intensity, and how much you're using arms and core rather than just bouncing.
How long should I jump on a trampoline to lose weight?
The 10-week study that showed measurable fat loss used three one-hour sessions a week. If an hour feels like too much to start, shorter, more frequent sessions still add up — consistency over weeks matters more than the length of any single bounce.
Does jumping on a trampoline reduce belly fat specifically?
No. Spot reduction isn't how fat loss works on any exercise, including rebounding. Waist-to-hip ratio only improved in the group combining mini-trampoline training with a calorie deficit — the deficit is doing the work, not the trampoline targeting your stomach.
Is trampoline jumping safe for everyone?
No. Anyone pregnant without medical clearance, recovering from joint or spinal surgery, managing severe osteoporosis, dealing with pelvic floor weakness, or unsteady with balance should skip it or get sign-off from a doctor first. Walking or swimming delivers a similar calorie deficit with far less impact risk.
How often should I use a rebounder for weight loss?
Three sessions a week is the frequency behind the published body-composition results. Daily short sessions can work too, provided the calorie side of the equation — what you eat — is also in a deficit, since bouncing alone rarely creates one on its own.
Related at Flexi Muscles
Sources
- ScienceDirect: Exercise Intensity and Energy Expenditure During a Mini-Trampoline Rebounding Session in Overweight Women
- Koomesh Journal: Effects of HIIT and Mini-Trampoline Training With Calorie Restriction on Body Composition in Overweight and Obese Women
- Arthritis Foundation: Are Trampolines Safe for Joint Health?