What?! Bouncing up and down on a mini trampoline, also called a rebounder. That sounds ridiculous. Yes, it does! And I’m not recommending it just because I live in Australia. It really IS a very simple fun way to get healthy. It’s such a powerful exercise that NASA looked into it for their astronauts, who lose bone and muscle mass when up in space, with very little gravity strengthening their bodies.
The great thing about rebounding is that it doesn’t really feel like exercise. It feels more like play, having fun like kids do just for the sake of it. Yet it has powerful effects on the body. e.g. your lymph system, which carries away waste products in the body. It’s also an important part of your immune system, which keeps you healthy. Bouncing for just two minutes can completely flush your lymph system.
On top of that, rebounding exercises every single cell in the body. No other exercise does that! Sure, you can do bicep curls for your arms, or squats for your legs, but no other exercise hits every single cell. Muscles, bones, connecting tissue, organs, it effects them all.
How? At the bottom of each bounce, every single cells gets exposed to about 1.5 times the normal force of gravity. This encourages them all to get stronger, the same way that weight lifting produces stronger muscles. At the top of each bounce, every single cell experiences being completely weightless, giving it a complete rest that never ever happens normally while living under the force of gravity.
These two experiences alternate about 100 times a minute. It goes from great stress to total weightlessness, which is a very powerful combination for health and fitness. And it’s simple, and fun, and cheap!
Rebounders come in two basic forms: with steel springs, or elastic bungee cords. A spring rebounder can be found for about $50, while bungee rebounders usually cost $100 or more. Or less on Ebay. But they’re much smoother and gentler on the body, and a better option. Google will find places to buy them, as well as Ebay. Don’t pay more than about $200, as there’s no need.
You can do it as a short break from the computer, or as an active meditation, while listening to music, watching something online, using weights, or even dreaming or planning. If you’re not able to jump high, you don’t even need to remove your feet from the rebounder. Just bounce gently up and down, as low or high as you like. Any rebounding is a great deal better than no rebounding. But make sure you don’t hit the ceiling with your head, or fall off!
Many rebounders come with a wide handle, so you can hang onto it in case your balance isn’t good. But as you practise, you might notice your balance improving. This is very important, as older people often lose their sense of balance, and end up falling and breaking something. Working on your balance like this hugely reduces that risk.
Make sure this isn’t yet one more piece exercise that you buy and stash in the garage unused. It really is a wonderful activity, and doesn’t take much time nor money nor effort.