Mini-Trampoline Rebounding

Mini trampoline rebounding is a wonderful health and wellness activity. The simplest, most gentle up and down movements stimulate your entire body unlike any other form of exercise. Rebounding burns calories beautifully, too. Because you’re entire body is working straight up against gravity, you build overall strength with one exercise.  At the bottom of the bounce your body weight (G-force) is multiplied. Here are some more fantastic, shock-absorbing effects of rebounding the experts throughout the world report:
 

Rebounding Exercise...
 

Develops coordination, balance and rhythm. Rebounding may help Increase bone mass—which may help prevent osteoporosis. It is beneficial for heart and lung capacity, improving muscle tone, and increasing energy. The up and down movements are good for skin and connective tissues (including breasts). Rebounding helps fighting stress and depression because it stimulates endorphins—your body’s naturally-produced anti-depressant and painkiller. It can help detoxify your body, improve blood flow, digestion and elimination, and certainly help with weight loss.

These benefits of rebounding are all factors in fighting the negative effects of aging. I share the opinion that it is the one type of exercise that effectively and efficiently satisfies all four elements of exercise: 1) Strength  2) Flexibility  3) Endurance  4) Aerobic Capacity.
 

Rebounding exercise increases oxygen flow to all the cells of your body.  It gets you to burn more calories, wipe out germs, and improve heart function. This keeps you healthier, stronger and better at fighting disease.  Plus, many exercises make you feel tired.  But rebounding makes you feel more energetic.

Rebounding is relaxing and fun. Even if I feel fine, I feel even better and happier after doing it. There are important chemical reactions that take place in your body when you do quality exercise. I think it makes you feel better about yourself and makes you more alert too. If you combine bouncing with a better diet (everyone can upgrade their eating habits—you can too!) you’re sure to boost your mood, sleep better and therefore handle stress way better.       

Rebounding stimulates a body system most people never give a thought to… a body system that doctors seem to hardly ever mention… the little-known bodily system that I say has been “held hostage” by mainstream medicine, to the point that very few people have even heard of it… your body’s built-in, disease-fighting, internal cleansing system that if properly stimulated, can massively boost your health and well-being…     Your Lymphatic System     

Did you know that you had a system of vessels (in addition to your blood vessels) that carries away and filters out poisons and waste products throughout your body? 

If you’ve never heard of the lymphatic system before, or don’t know what it actually does, in a moment you’ll be amazed at what it accomplishes, and why rebound exercise is critical to get it functioning at peak levels.    

It’s a vast network of vessels, ducts, lymph nodes and other structures that interact with every organ and tissue of your body.  It is the body system that is responsible for immune function—fighting disease.  It is the system that is dedicated to the circulation and production of your body’s disease fighting ‘superstars” – the white blood cells (lymphocytes).       

The lymphatic system also produces immune cells called monocytes, as well as plasma cells, which produce antibodies.  It also transports essential fatty acids to the blood circulatory system.  Lymphatic vessels carry lymph fluid, which transports substances your body removes from its tissues.  The lymphatic system is the “garbage collector” of your body.  It sucks out all the junk from your organs and tissues.     

Ignoring Your Lymphatic System Can Be a Deadly Mistake!     

A peak-functioning lymphatic system keeps you healthy and fights the nasty effects of aging. On the other hand, if your lymph is not flowing well throughout your body, the fluid becomes toxic. Your body gets bogged down by its own waste products, and can become a… Cesspool for Infection     

If toxic lymph fluid gets into your bloodstream, infection can spread anywhere in your body. Poorly moving lymph fluid is much like “stagnant water.” If it just sits still—it becomes polluted. Germs get locked into your lymphatic system if the fluids aren’t pumping throughout the vessels freely and efficiently. 

Anti-aging professionals consider this to be one of the major causes of degenerative disease, rapid aging and early death.  This is one of the reasons lymphatic drainage is studied in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. A fouled up lymphatic system can end up carrying cancerous cells to other parts of the body. This is called metastasis. If your lymphatic system is working poorly, and your lymph nodes (the filters of the immune system) cannot trap and destroy the cancer cells… the lymph nodes themselves can become cancerous too (Hodgkin’s Disease). This is why rebounding is being recommended to cancer patients by many savvy doctors.  

A poorly functioning or diseased lymphatic system can result in swelling in many areas of the body, and drastically reduce your body’s ability to fight infection.      

Your Lymphatic Vessels Need Your Help To Move The Lymph Fluid Throughout Your Body!      

Your lymphatic system doesn’t have an automatic pump—unlike your cardiovascular system, which has your heart to do the job.  Proper lymphatic flow requires body movement… specifically contraction of skeletal muscles.  There are little lymphatic valves, which contract and relax during muscular movement… But not just any movement will get the job done effectively. Here’s where rebounding exercise comes into the picture: 

The gentle up and down motion of rebounding is by far the most effective means of opening and closing these valves and stimulating the lymphatic pump!       

How would you like to learn the fastest, easiest technique that will instantly rev up your immune system?      

The “Health Bounce” will turbo-charge your lymphatic pump… to fight disease and slow down the effects of aging. It doesn’t get any easier than this. There’s no skill required. You can be terribly unfit, elderly, or ill… even handicapped, and still perform it with ease and comfort.  All you have to do is stand on the rebounder, with your feet flat on the mat… and gently move your body up and down. Keep in mind that you are NOT jumping… your heels and toes don’t even come off the mat.      

Quality Rebounding Equipment is Essential     

I only endorse the safest, premium quality brands on the market. I could get an account with every company, but I can only with good conscience recommend two brands, both of which I personally use at home and office: Bellicon (Made in Germany) and Needak (Made in U.S.A.).        

I do NOT endorse or provide any of the Asian manufactured rebounders, and I strongly discourage the use of cheaply made mini trampolines found in retail stores. Using a cheap rebounder is a joint-jarring, back breaking mistake!

Even professional gyms make this crucial mistake…and equip their facilities with low-cost “mini-trampolines” instead of top-notch rebounders.  The sporting goods stores sell these toys for $50-$100. Simply put, they are not worth the box they come in. And even worse, bouncing on these cheap mini-trampolines (sorry, but I can’t even call them rebounders) is likely to cause injuries.  

As a specialist in conditions related to spinal injuries, I’ve personally tested all kinds of equipment. The cheap equipment causes shock to your back, feet, knees and hips. I couldn’t believe myself at first. Over 25 years ago, when I first heard about rebounding, I bought a $30 model at our local sporting goods store. I thought it was cool at the beginning. But my wife soon was complaining that it was hurting her back. I didn’t believe it was caused by the trampoline at first, but was soon convinced. Once we bought the proper rebounding equipment, it was truly like night and day.     

Don’t make the crippling mistake of pinching pennies when it comes to a rebounder. The cheap brands do not absorb the impact, and are like jumping on concrete compared to the good ones. It is sad how many junky mini trampolines are on the market. The December 2003 Readers Digest reported: "Some mini trampolines cost less than $100, but the surface of these inexpensive models can be unstable and allow too much recoil too quickly which can throw your ankles, knees, and hips out of alignment...”   

Do yourself a HUGE favor: lose weight, get fit and healthy with either a Bellicon or Needak. A rebounder is a serious piece of exercise equipment, and it is unwise to bounce on a cheap device. 

The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of a Perfect Exercise     

In Grand Rapids, Iowa in 1936, George Nissen invented the trampoline—a device originally intended for gymnasts to perform moves that couldn’t be done before.  Little did George know his creation would decades later be responsible for a new Olympic event (He was 86 years old when trampolining was officially recognized at the 2000 Sydney Olympic games).       

You can imagine George’s delight when his invention led to what many modern, enlightened physicians and fitness professionals call the perfect exercise: mini-trampoline rebounding. The first “mini” trampoline was created by Ed Russell way back in 1938. But it wasn’t patented until 1975 by Victor Green. The major breakthrough came when wrestler/gymnast, Albert Carter formed a professional performing trampolining team. Their performances thrilled hundreds of thousands of spectators.  

Then Carter began to wonder if his superior strength and his family’s extraordinary health came from jumping on the trampoline.  With much perseverance he fulfilled his quest to discover why bouncing on a trampoline was so wonderful for the human body. In 1980 NASA published a research study which revealed great benefits of trampoline exercise in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Albert Carter was finally armed with the scientific proof he needed. And he coined the term, “rebounding”—exercising on a mini-trampoline.       

Keep in mind that rebounders are not designed for gymnastic moves… they’re for simple, safe, easy and effective exercise that anybody to do—at home, on the road, or at the office. Between 1981 and 1984 rebounders were "selling like hotcakes."  Over 70 billion dollars were spent on them.  But practically overnight, they became dinosaurs—another flash-in-the-pan exercise fad gadget come and gone. The reason: more than 100 manufacturers (in the United States alone) began pumping out rebounders at warp speed. Then third-world countries jumped on the rebounder bandwagon, and the competition became fierce.  Price wars resulted in the manufacturing of pitiful quality junk.  

People used these little trampolines for a short time and quit. The fact that these mini-trampolines more or less became extinct turned out to actually be a good thing—because these cheap pieces of garbage (which were basically overpriced toys) created more problems than they helped, like back pain, foot pain, knee pain and hip pain! This was not what Albert Carter had in mind. He knew that a properly constructed rebounder would be fantastic.  

Even though the 80’s fad had fizzled fast, an “underground” movement stayed alive, supported by various professionals and celebrities.  Thankfully, highly reputable manufacturers, Bellicon (Germany) and Needak (USA) manufacture top-notch rebounders.  

Rebounding vs. Running: The Long-Lost Fitness Revelation Discovered in a NASA Laboratory     

If you’re a die-hard jogger or runner, what I’m about to tell you may make you think twice about lacing up those running sneakers and pounding the pavement.  Exercise doesn't have to be "rocket science," but apparently it couldn't hurt.  Here's the story:     

Albert Carter, the “father of rebounding” was determined to figure out exactly why bouncing on a trampoline was such a magnificent exercise.  He was certain that rebound exercise was “the most efficient, effective form of exercise.”  His research led him to various libraries.  At the University of Washington’s library, he was shocked when he dug up a trampoline research study conducted by NASA.     

It turned out that NASA was considering using trampoline exercises to help counteract astronauts’ loss of bone mass and weakness caused by space flight. They wanted to see if there would be something superior to running.  Treadmills have long been used for health and fitness research. But trampolines had never been researched before. The study was conducted by the Biomechanical Research Division, NASA-Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, with the Wenner-Gren Research Laboratory of the University of Kentucky, Lexington. The scientists compared various measurements on 8 young men performing running on a treadmill, as well as jumping on a trampoline. Using various examinations and medical technology, they tested their: Pulse - before and after exercising... Oxygen intake during exercise... and G-Forces at their ankles, lower back and forehead     

The scientists were stunned by the results of the study...   The NASA Scientists Discovered Trampoline Exercise Was 2-4 Times More Efficient Than Treadmill Running!      

What this means in plain English, is that when you jump on the very forgiving surface of a properly constructed trampoline, your entire body shares the G-force impact. This is the critical and unique benefit of rebounding, that the NASA study confirmed… When you rebound, the up and down movements to the cushioning surface, the forces of acceleration, deceleration and gravity are lined up in one plane of movement, all at the same time. This is quite a contrast from running—where your feet, ankles and legs bear most of the force and fatigue.       

In the NASA study, the G-force on the ankles was more than twice than on the back and forehead.  NASA also found that the rate of oxygen consumption was twice as efficient as treadmill running!  This is a very good thing because every cell of your entire body gets quality exercise stress to build strength…without trauma to any one part of the body.  In other words… the intense, pounding trauma of running can cause injuries to the feet, legs, knees, hips and back… and this is ELIMINATED with rebounding.       

To sum it up, their study revealed that bouncing on a trampolining was an extraordinarily efficient form of exercise—significantly better than running, to counteract some of the negative effects of space travel on astronauts.  Their findings also helped us understand why rebounding is an outstanding exercise for the elderly and even some handicapped people: low impact, efficient, safe and great for building cellular strength.       

No Pain... No Gain?       

This is one of the biggest myths people believe when they begin an exercise program.  Fitness gurus and sports coaches love to tell you, “No pain, No Gain.”  But once you begin a fast, easy and fun rebounding exercise program, you’ll know from firsthand experience that... It’s Dead Wrong!      

There’s just no need for exercise to hurt.  You’ve probably heard the term, low-impact, right? Well, there’s no better low-impact exercise solution than a properly constructed rebounder… But it is critical that your rebounder is well-built.  Bouncing on a cheap rebounder will likely cause many of the same high-impact problems of running.  If you do it right, your exercise efforts will energize you… and it will feel good to exercise!  

If you are interested in purchasing a rebounder, Google either Bellicon or Needak companies (the only ones I advocate).