[gryfft]

Almost everyone I knew who broke a bone growing up broke them on a trampoline. As an adult, every story I've heard involving someone's kids and a trampoline ended up involving a cast at best.

... And yet. I wonder. I can remember the feeling of freedom and joy in my body as a child, joy in movement itself that I have never recaptured in any meaningful way no matter how I ever tried to motivate myself to exercise...

Swimming is also dangerous, but is considered a very healthy and useful activity and skill. I could see a similar cost/benefit analysis for trampolines and other gymnastic equipment.

[dymk]

Backyard trampolines without nets are particularly dangerous. A gymnasium or trampoline park with in-ground trampolines are my go-to if someone wants to learn how to do tricks.

[hgomersall]

Swimming is not dangerous. Not being able to swim or being a weak swimmer is dangerous. Open water is also more dangerous in various different ways.

[cortesoft]

Eh, I knew kids (including myself) who broke bones in all sorts of other ways besides trampolines.

However, everyone I know who had a trampoline did break a bone on it.

Some of those ended in permanent, life long injuries. It isn't always just a few months in a cast.

Swimming has more deaths than trampolines do, but not nearly as many serious injuries.

[astura]

You can take trampolining lessons and to experience that feeling in a much safer environment. Much more expensive though.

Any sort of gymnastics practice, even without a trampoline, gives you a very similar feeling.

[sublinear]

Have you tried lifting weights? That freedom of movement is what it feels like to have a higher strength-to-weight ratio.

You can get there surprisingly quickly and casually if you haven't lifted weights in a long time or ever.

[dbspin]

Came here to say something similar.

I'm someone who suffers from major reluctance to exercise. To be more specific - the first thirty minutes of exercise are hell, always. Doesn't matter how long I've been doing an activity. It feels like the first time. Exhaustion, fatigue whatever.

This basically means stuff like jogging is out, since it takes so long to get over the hump each time my motivation to do it can't be maintained.

Recently (in my late forties), inspired by some friends who go regularly, I've started attending a weight lifting centred gym near my house.

The cardio I do at the beginning and end of each workout is still hell. But the weight lifting itself really is quite freeing, and it's wonderful to see your strength go (gradually up). It's great also to discover my legs are much stronger than I'd have expected (after years of riding a fixie), despite my arms being flimsy noodles.