Rebounding Exercise - Getting a Jump on Great Health and Flexibility
by Jutta Tobkin
Certified Reboundologist
Since I have been giving presentations at the Cincinnati Wild Oats Community
Market several people have asked me to give some basic explanation about
rebounding. At the monthly demonstrations I have met a gentleman who is a
not only a fan but also a solid advocate of rebound exercise. His name is
Tom Tate and he has come out on several occasions to share his enthusiasm
about the benefits of rebounding. He proclaims that he is 70 years young and
has been doing rebound exercise for the past 17 years. He certainly is a
picture of great health and flexibility. When he is around people watch his
excitement and joy! Now, let's explore why Tom has so much fun rebounding.
What is rebounding?
Rebound Exercise is the therapeutic movement on the mini-trampoline. Because
it moves all parts of the body at once we can also call it a cellular
exercise. Now, this my be a completely new concept for many of us. When we
think about the bodily functions, we know that the heart is the pump for the
blood, but the lymphatic system (white blood system) does not have a pump.
It is only moved by physical activities. And rebounding is the perfect
activity, because it gets everything moving at once. As a cellular exercise
rebounding not only gets the juices flowing, but it also helps to remove
toxins and then deliver and absorb nutrients at the cellular level where it
can be converted into energy.
As an exercise it is superior to any other because it not only uses gravity
but also two other forces, acceleration and deceleration. At the top of the
bounce you experience weightlessness, and at the bottom your weight doubles
pulling you into the center of the rebounder.
As a therapy it is as beneficial as massage or reflexology, since the whole
body is involved, it is truly a cellular exercise.
Main Benefits of rebounding
a) CELLULAR EXERCISE STRENGTHENS every cell. Because of the extra forces of
acceleration and deceleration your weight doubles at the bottom of the
bounce or from a time point of view, an hours worth of regular exercise can
be done on the rebounder in a half hour. Overall it is 68% more efficient
than regular exercise.
Albert Einstein made the discovery in 1911 that the body doesn't know the
difference of the forces, it only recognizes the double impact. Because of
the longer springs, every move is easier and more gentle on the knees and
ankles.
b) DETOXIFICATION EFFECTS of rebounding. Rebound Exercise circulates the
lymphatic fluids and cleanses the lymph system. It works with and against
the gravitation pressure. It also increases the white blood count, thus
strengthens the immune system.
One most important aspect is the return of the trapped blood proteins.
Requirements of effective exercise
Rebound Exercise fulfills all four requirements of effective exercise:
Strength
Aerobic capability
Flexibility
Endurance
Strengthening
Strength training is not only for body builders. Muscles need to be kept in
working order. As a resistance exercise it helps to keep the muscle flexible
and strong and also strengthens the bones. Healthy stress like exercise on
both is good since they were designed to be used. By using all muscles and
stressing the bones daily, we can improve everything from physical
appearance to athletic power and metabolic function. For individuals
interested in weight loss, this aspect of exercise increases metabolism and
tones and slims the body. Without some kind of strength training it is
otherwise impossible to stay slim and trim into old age. Muscles burn more
calories than fat. Strength training not only helps with weight loss. It
also increases endorphins which are warding off depression, anxiety and
stress. It's exhilarating to jump up and experience weightlessness for a
split second and then come down with an extra G-force. Anytime you jump
higher you increase the G-force. For the benefit of oxygen absorption, 4 G
is the most efficient. An experiment where athletes were able to develop as
high as 8 G's showed, that the maximum oxygen absorption was measured at 4
G. (Our body weight measures 1 G.)
In this sense strength training is advantages against aging. An increased
metabolism keeps energy levels and vitality high. Increased blood flow keeps
the skin and hair healthy. Strength training also increases bone mineral
density and has been shown to improve balance, thus protecting against
falls.
The bottom line is that strength training helps provide the cells with the
essentials of life: oxygen and nutrients.
Advantages of aerobic effect
The greatest benefits of more vigorous exercise is the increase of oxygen.
Increased oxygen helps us burn more calories, destroys toxins, gets rid of
bacteria and fungus and stimulates cardiovascular health.
Why is breathing so important? Oxygen is essential to many chemical
processes in the body. The absence of oxygen breads disease. Breathing
carries the oxygen into the cells and takes carbon dioxide out of the body.
With the carbon dioxide other toxins are taken out of the body and fat is
removed. This is important to understand when on desires weight loss. With
rebound exercise we can combine these two important aspects: strengthening
and aerobic.
Flexibility
Because of the rebound effect this exercise is not only 68% more efficient
but also provides 87% shock-less bouncing to the knees and ankles. The
health bounce is perfect for warming up and relaxing the body. Everybody can
do the health bounce and stretch and loosen the muscles and every cell. By
tucking in the stomach we can realign the internal organs and lift them back
into place.
Endurance
Again, endurance is not only important for the athlete alone. Every
individual wants to feel vital and not experience an afternoon droop or have
to go to bed with the sun. We want to have enough energy to last us through
the day to have muscle strength and endurance for whatever task we choose.
That is muscular endurance. There is also metabolic endurance. We need
enough good food and fuel to keep the body going from a nutritional point of
view.
One would think that any exercise makes you tired. Rebound exercise
works at the cellular level. The mitochondria (which is the power plant or furnace of
the cell that produces energy or ATP - adenosine triphosphate) transforms
glucose and oxygen into energy. The mitochondria divides itself and
multiplies according to demand. During exercise the mitochondria creates
many more mitochondria. When the body returns to it's resting state, the
energy production goes back to normal, as do the number of mitochondria.
If we can supply the body with good food (glucose) and enough oxygen (air)
in a consistent way, then the body knows how to give us the energy we need
for a whole day and beyond. Just as we eat three meals a day, we need
regular workouts. When we can accomplish this kind of consistency we feel
more alert, have fewer muscle aches and pains, and do more in a day without
tiring.
Other benefits of rebounding
Increases oxygen delivery and blood flow.
Promotes Mind-Body Unity - better learning, intuition, balance of two
hemispheres of the brain.
Creates homeostasis which is the general balance of all systems of the
body. Sickness represents blockages in the body. Rebound Exercise can help
to remove the blockages, return blood flow and circulation back into the
diseased parts.
Who can do it?
Anybody can do this exercise. Young and old, even the sick. In fact, it is
good to health bounce and get back your strength. The shock absorbing
springs allow 87% shock-free movement to your knees and ankles.
Where can you do it?
Any place where you can fit the dimension of 40 inches and have enough head
room to bounce. It is perfect for home-bound people and many home-based
business owners are using it. Especially if you work on the computer a lot
or don't have much time. You can always spare 10-20 minutes.
On the west and east coast it is becoming popular to have a whole gym set up
with rebounders and have 10-15 people jump and doing routines together.
When and how long?
The more and the longer you do it the better. 5 minutes is better than 3 or
30 better than 10. You have to find your own routine and do it every day or
at least 3-4 times a week.
I do my routines for 30 minutes in the morning every day. And often I do it
again when I come home from work and sometimes before going to bed. The
benefit for that is that you can relax before going to sleep and you'll
sleep better. I would not suggest a really straineus workout, just some
gentle bounces and meditation.
You need a quality rebounder
Rebounding on a Soft-Bounce rebounder reduces shock by over 90%.
You will find several quality rebounders below that give a more gentle bounce.
Various movements on the rebounder
Health Bounce
warm-up
relieves tension, relaxes
rehabilitates after bed rest
stabilizes vestibular (inner ear)
stimulates the nerves in the joints, ligaments, and muscles.
creates balance between mind and body, slows the brain waves to alpha
level which is the level where we connect with the inner world, learn better
and can relax
improves vision
This move bounces you gently without leaving the mat. Just the up and
down movement starts the flow of the lymphatic. 2 minutes will increase the
lymph flow up to 14 times.
Strength Bounce
The body weights 1 G at resting point. The higher you jump you increase the
G force where at 4 G you access the maximum oxygen absorption.
For this bounce you want to spread you legs shoulder-wide and move up
and down leaving the mat. For more fun you can kick your legs up and
forward. By leaving the mat, even your feet get the benefit of massage when
you touch the mat again. That stimulates all the reflex point on the bottom
of the feet. You can try to land on your toes and roll the foot down toward
the heels. That is added stimulation to the internal organ.
Aerobic Bounces
jogging
sprinting
twist
shuffle
kick legs
curling legs
cris-cross legs and arms
jumping jacks, etc.
The important thing is to have fun. We don't have to overdo it. To avoid
getting bored, do a variety of bounces. Lifting the arms above the heart
will increase the heart rate and the oxygen flow.
For this bounce you want to get your heart rate up. By moving vigorously
on the rebounder, this can be accomplished and should be kept up for 20
minutes to get the most benefits. By adding the deep diaphragmatic breathing
it can be accomplished with any move.
Buddy Bounce
The buddy bounce is for invalids who can't jump for themselves. You can
have them sit on a chair and bounce their legs. Or they sit on the rebounder
and you bounce for them. The same can be done for babies or animals.
Sitting Bounces
The V-bounce can strengthen legs and the abdominal muscles. Sitting on the
rebounder and bouncing yourself can be beneficial for
anybody who can't stand up.
Our #1 Rebounder Resource:
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