KIDS In America was high in the charts the last time I went trampolining. I remember pogoing to the Kim Wilde hit at a 12th birthday party, fuelled by Wagon Wheels and Irn Bru.

Some 35 years have whizzed past since, but I was keen to see if that 12-year-old child was still lurking somewhere deep inside as I signed up for a fitness session at Energi Trampoline Park in York.

The park opened six months ago and is already proving popular, with its lines of trampolines, foam pits and dodgeball zone. Besides general trampolining sessions, it also offers a choice of fitness classes, led by instructors, using all the facilities at hand.

It was Friday lunchtime when I joined five other derring-do dames for an hour of frolics (or should that be folly?).

We warmed up on the trampolines with marshal Paddy Wintie putting us through our paces. First we began bouncing on the spot, then Paddy encouraged us to go higher, and higher.

Immediately, I wished I had visited to loo to empty my bladder before the class. Luckily, I remembered some basic Pilates exercises and engaged my pelvic floor to keep everything under control (you have been warned!).

As we jumped higher, Paddy introduced a foam cube and instructed us to scissor our legs in the air and pass the cube through the gap. He made it look so effortless and graceful, and it brought to mind the supremely talented gymnasts who amazed us all at the Olympics.

But take my word for it, it is anything but easy. The trampoline is quite small (I am obviously a lot bigger than when I was 12) and as I leapt up and down the warning video shown to me at the start kept flashing through my mind. It tells you to always land in the middle then illustrates 101 ways you could injure yourself. OK, I exaggerate, but it does say in black and white that trampolining can lead to death. You could say the same about crossing the road (watch out for that double decker bus) or eating a pretzel (anyone know the Heimlich manoeuvre?). The point is, trampolining is a risky business and can lead to injury - the most common being sprains, but broken bones are not uncommon too.

So it is important to follow the safety instructions. Which brings me back to the small trampoline. I had to concentrate pretty darn hard to keep landing in the middle, to the extent that I daren't go any higher, let alone start performing star jumps mid air.

Those worries were soon gone, however, as we moved on to some other fitness challenges. Paddy split us into teams and we did a relay race where we had to bounce off a trampoline and launch ourselves into a giant pit of foam cubes. My teammate seemed to swim across the sea of blue barely breaking into a sweat, whereas I sunk like a stone, deep into the middle and had to muster all my upper-body strength to drag myself out. It was fun though.

Next we had to face each other at opposite ends of another pit. Armed with giant doofahs, we had to tightrope-walk into the middle and try to knock each other into the masses of red foam. I only managed a few steps on the tricky cylindrical bridge before leaping to safety as my opponent launched herself at me with all the intent of a kamikaze pilot.

I played the "I'm A Celebrity" card at the next station: a stepping stone challenge across the foam pit, but with each "stone" set high on pedestals of varying heights. It looked like a good way to break an arm, a leg, or worse. So I chickened out. Credit to my classmates though - they each made the crossing several times over, never loosing their balance.

I was back in for the next round in the dodgeball arena. Again, we were three against three, facing each other on trampolines, and at the sign had to race into the middle and grab a ball. We had to hurl it at each other - one strike and you are out; one catch and the thrower is out. I loved this and could have played it for the whole session!

Finally, Paddy led us back to the trampolines and we did a cool down and stretch.

The hour had flown by and we all left the trampolines feeling energised and buzzing.

Helen Wright, 34, from York, has been coming to the session since May. She is a keen runner but has been injured and said trampolining was a good way to keep fit during her rehabilitation. She added: "I wanted to do something different, something inside, something fun, something I'd never done before and make new friends.

"Also I work from home, so it is nice to come out at lunchtime and do something sociable."

Sharon Normanton, 45, from Easingwold, is another regular. She suffers from arthritis in her hips, so the types of exercise she can do is restricted. "I thought it would be easy - just jumping up and down. But oh no!" she says, breaking into a smile. "It is easier however the more weeks that I have come. My fitness is certainly getting better and there are certain things I can now do and do for longer. Also about half the things I can do in here I would never be able to do on a floor - like star jumps. It's also a good laugh."

Fitness instructor Hannah King teaches at Energi. She said: "Trampolining has so many benefits. Ten minutes on a trampoline is the equivalent to 30 minutes' running. It increases your metabolism and calorie burning, it is biometrically challenging yet is low impact. It also requires hand-eye co-ordination.

"Also it doesn't matter what ability you have or what age you are. We had a 72-year-old granddad come with his grandson and one lady came to a fitness class for her 67th birthday."

Puts me to shame!

Find out more at energileisureparks.com/york