With summer set to be a scorcher, Team TMN were anxious to find a way to shake up our fitness routines before cabin fever takes hold. First on our list, the highly anticipated free-jumping sensation just over from Australia…
What: BOUNCE Free-Jumping Revolution Dubai
Where: 32, 4B Street Al Quoz, Dubai (behind Ace Hardware on the Sheikh Zayed Road)
When: Saturday – Wednesday, 10am – 10pm; Thursday, 10am-12am; Friday, 9am – 12am
The promise: “BOUNCE offers the thrill of high-octane adrenaline sport to anyone who feels like jumping around. It’s like a giant skate park made out of trampolines. Stunt grade airbags and circus grade padding – think Parkour made easy, or gymnastics gone freestyle in an environment where anyone can do it!”
Did it deliver? Surprisingly easy to find and just off the Sheikh Zayed Road, Team TMN made it to BOUNCE just in time for our 5pm slot – we’d planned ahead and booked online, which is vital if you want to secure a spot as the session was already fully booked – a sure sign of its burgeoning popularity.
The converted warehouse was a perfect fit for the urban street vibe created by BOUNCE, with the whole venue coordinated in the blue, yellow and pink colours of the brand. We quickly signed-in, picked up our complimentary grip socks and headed upstairs, placing our bags and shoes in the locker area (a quick note – there are no locks available on any of the lockers, so ensuring your valuables are safe is a bit tricky). On our way back down we passed the café which overlooks the 80-interconnected trampolines – great if you want to grab a drink, catch your breath or do a spot of people watching.
We were amazed at the number of activities available, and it soon became clear that an hour was all that was needed to feel the full effects of a trampoline workout. The dodge ball court was a Team TMN favourite, perfect for a bit of healthy competition amongst a group of friends or colleagues, and the giant air bag was another novelty which won us over; proof that none of the activities were geared exclusively for kids or adrenaline junkies!
While it was pretty busy – BOUNCE has a capacity for 115 individuals at any one time – it was a smooth running operation by the staff who were helpful and involved, from refereeing the dodge ball matches and lending a hand with trampoline techniques, to ensuring that queues for the activities went quickly and everyone abided by the one-person-per-trampoline rule.
Tiring quite quickly but unwilling to accept defeat just yet, we spent the rest of our time taking part in some good old-fashioned bouncing, trying out a few tricks to some Top 40 hits and finally wondering exactly how many calories we’d worked off without noticing.
The verdict: BOUNCE has opened just in time for the summer months, and at a rate of AED 80 for an hour, it’s the same price you’d pay for an average gym session but unquestionably more fun. While it’s great for kids and adults alike, we would avoid the danger of being overrun by the after-school crowd by booking later in the evening. A new gem in the Dubai activities arena, there really isn’t a better way to spend an hour or two – and you even get to call it exercise!
