Rebounding, or small trampoline bouncing, has been around for decades, but many women have never heard of it. Here is some basic information to inspire you to check out this fantastic exercise.
First of all, know that I am not a fan of lots of exercise equipment and gadgetry. Unless you are one of those people who is really into having a home gym, I feel that most of us can accomplish all our fitness goals with very little in the way of fitness “equipment”.
The one piece of equipment I do recommend, however, especially for the over 40 crowd, is the rebounder. While mine sits idle most of the spring and summer when I am active outdoors, it earns its keep during the colder months when I depend its many virtues.
NASA has studied rebounding and considers it, “the most efficient and effective exercise yet devised by man”.
I can’t say it any better than that!
The Benefits of Rebounding
It provides clinically proven load bearing and aerobic exercise in one fun package.
Load bearing exercise stimulates increased bone density and greater muscle mass, while aerobics raises heart rates, improves oxygenation, and builds stronger cardiovascular systems. Both of these boost metabolism, lower blood glucose, relieve stress, reduce hot flashes, and improve mood.
Rebounding has proven to be extremely popular with my clients who can bounce according to their needs and fitness levels. Not only is it lots of fun, the wide range of benefits becomes apparent within a short period of time. Rebounders, or mini trampolines, can be used by women of all ages, allowing load bearing exercise and bone building to occur without risk of harm to the joints or bone structure. In addition, bouncing stimulates lymphatic circulation, improves balance & coordination, and appears to improve physical and cognitive functioning in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. If that wasn’t enough, it appears to increase our levels of human growth hormone, which improves our body’s ability to heal and repair itself, as it boosts our metabolic rate.
Lymphatic circulation is one of the most overlooked functions of our immune system.
More fluid (lymph) flows through our lymphatic vessels than blood in our blood vessels, yet our lymphatic system has no pump (like the heart) to move it. Lymphatic circulation depends on muscle contraction or bouncing. Lymph helps remove excess fluid from tissues, and helps carry many toxins out of our bodies. The lymphatic fluid also transports nutrients like fatty acids to the circulatory or blood system. The lymphatic system moves immune system cells throughout our body as they are produced and needed.
Unfortunately, the lymphatic system also provides an inner highway for cancer cells to move and implant at new sites, a process called metastasis. Despite this, good lymphatic circulation is critical to health. Many of us believe that inadequate exercise and hydration prevents the lymphatic system from circulating freely and helping us rid ourselves of the dangerous toxins that lead to poor health and even cancer. This is one reason why I and others believe that bras are harmful to us. Incidentally, if you bounce, try to do so braless. If this sounds painful, know that the discomfort lessens over a short period of time and as the muscles holding the breast tissue are finally used, you will actually sag less. Lymphatic circulation improves with every bounce. Knowing that a few minutes a day of bouncing braless may significantly lower breast cancer risk is motivating. Studies have found that braless bouncing (on or off a rebounder) reduces the incidence of fibrocystic disease and can potentially result in the complete elimination of those tender and not altogether harmless lumps.
Good balance is critical for staying physically active. When balance is diminished, fear of falling naturally follows, and combined with anxiety about falls and injury, leads to further cutbacks in physical activity. Rebounding “tunes” the brain and inner ear balance mechanisms.
Cardiovascular benefits are significant. Rebounding helps normalize blood pressure and cholesterol & triglyceride levels. It increases collateral circulation, lowers resting hear rate, and actually increases the red blood cell production within the bone marrow. Rebounding floods your body with oxygen as few other exercises can. The entire heart muscle appears to benefit, beating more regularly and with the ability to return to normal more quickly following exertion.
Neurological benefits include reports of improvements in behavior and motor skills of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease patients. As far as I know, these reports are anecdotal only. It is already well known that the more these patients move and exercise, the better they do in many areas. It makes sense to me that an activity that stimulates so many areas of the body would have positive repercussions in their overall wellness status. Hopefully, researchers somewhere have rebounding in their sights for future studies.
Inflammation is what I believe to be responsible for most of our country’s health problems, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Any and all exercise is known to reduce inflammation, and often for periods of time well past actual exercise time. Reduction in inflammation leads to reduction in pain, edema, and improvements in tissue function. So just by reducing inflammation, a myriad of other health benefits immediately follow.
Digestive benefits include improvements in transit time of food through the system, and normalization of regular bowel movements.
Bones and joints are strengthened by rebounding. Jumping and landing stresses bones in a way that encourages them to become denser. Bouncing has been reported to reduce or eliminate arthritis pain within weeks. Joints benefit by being challenged but without the jarring hard landings that they would experience in coming down on a hard surface. The gentle give of the rebounder absorbs the shock.
Can ill persons or pregnant women bounce?
Please consult your physician for the answer to this. I think very gentle bouncing (not jumping!) is probably safe for most people, but only you and your doctors can determine what is safe for you.
Can elderly persons bounce?
Again, please consult a physician. I would make the stabilizing bar a requirement and possibly have the person use a rebounder only if someone else was present. Having said that, some of my most successful and dedicated bouncers are older women aged 75 to 85. (See Patsy’s story on the Testimonials page)
More benefits are to be had, but I only have so much space here! There are many books on the subject, including these three:
Rebound Exercise: The Ultimate Exercise for the New Millennium by Albert Carter
Rebounding to Better Health: A Practical Guide to the Ultimate Exercise by Linda Brooks
Jumping for Health by Morton Walker
You can find instructional DVD’s in most bookstores or sporting goods stores, and some rebounders come with instructional DVD’s of their own.
I emphasize to my clients that they don’t have to bounce hard to reap the benefits. Completely coming off the rebounder at the height of the bounce is great and results in momentary weightlessness, but I don’t recommend that everyone start out bouncing that hard. Even gentle bouncing is helpful. Then, the more you bounce, the harder and longer you will be able to bounce!
I like bouncing to music—partly because I like music, and partly because I know that I am one of those people who will exercise longer and harder while listening to music that has a good beat to it.
How long and how often should you bounce?
Well, every rebounding expert has their own answer. I will tell you that on average most suggest at least three 10 minute intervals per day. I usually tell my clients to jump on it for a couple of minutes as many times a day as they can. Some experts recommend 30-40 minute sessions, but I haven’t met anyone who is that dedicated. I also believe that long sessions may be too much of a good thing for some people. My conclusion is that two 15 minute or three 10 minute sessions are probably best for most people. Once you have found your rebounder, set it up in a place where you won’t “forget” to use it. Mine is a little out of the way, but it is where I can look outside or easily move it outside (which I often do), or watch TV while I bounce.
Where can you find a good rebounder? What do you look for?
Be sure the rebounder is appropriate for the weight of the users. Different brands will have different weight limits.
Be sure the bouncing mat is attached to the frame by strong springs and not stretchy bands or cords. Velcro has its uses but this is not one of them! The springs should be shielded to avoid pinches or broken ankles due to your foot falling between them.
Know that you will get what you pay for. Cheaply made rebounders may actually do you more harm than good if the springs don’t have the right tension and stretch in them, or if the mat breaks down and you step through it. The legs should be steel and securely welded or attached to the frame. Some models have legs that fold up for easy storage, but these must be well designed. Don’t fall for a badly made model that focuses on its folding legs.
A stabilizing bar can be very important. I rarely use mine, but it’s nice to know that it is there if I need to catch myself. This bar should be adjustable in height so that it is at the right level for you to hold on to or to grab if you should lose your balance.
There are dozens of rebounders on the market today priced from $30 to $500. One of the top of the line brands is Needak®, and most of its models are in the $300 plus price range. They are US made (as of this writing) and have a lifetime frame guarantee. I have no doubt Needaks are worth their price, but they were a little too pricey for me, so I went with what I have found to be a good fit for me, (though too small for my husband) a mini-trampoline by Gaiam for just under $100. (You can access Gaiam directly through my homepage link).
I’ve had mine for three years now and it is still serving me as well as when I bought it. The stabilizing bar is included and is easy to adjust or detach.
NASA Research Report; Journal of Applied Physiology 49(5): 881-887,1980
Rebounding Benefits the Body in 30 Healthful ways July, 1995 issue of the Townsend Letter For Doctors, pages 42 -48.
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