AS A KID, my sister and I were obsessed with our mini-trampoline. Our cousins were the creators of a videotape called Jump to It – the ultimate workout on your rebounder. We were obsessed with the video and did it almost every day. Little did we know that decades later the mini-trampoline, or rebounder, would show up as one of those things that we should have kept around and not grown out of because of its many health benefits.
There is plenty of research on the rebounder and why it is one of the best pieces of equipment we should have in our homes to help with our overall health. Back in 1979, the Journal of Applied Physiology reported that the biochemical stimuli is greater with jumping on a trampoline than with running. So NASA confirmed this with their Biomechanical Research Division and compared 4 different forms of exercise including running, jogging, walking on a treadmill and jumping on a trampoline. Running on a treadmill caused 2 times the amount of g-force on the back and the forehead as did jumping on a trampoline. What that meant is that there was no undue stress on the body with jumping on the trampoline. Also, there was less output and less demand on the heart versus jogging, running, walking or running on a treadmill. The oxygen consumption on the trampoline was 2 times as efficient as treadmill running.
Let’s talk about how it works. So, when you are rebounding, at the top of the bounce your g-force is completely eliminated, meaning that you are weightless for a split second. At the bottom of the bounce, the g-force is doubled which provides an adequate stress on every single cell in your body to promote change. The vertical acceleration and de-acceleration causes the 75 trillion cells in your body to flex approximately 100 times a minute. That means your eyes are getting a workout, your toenails are getting a workout, your earlobes are getting a workout! You try and find me another exercise that will do that!
So, what are the benefits? Let’s get into the good stuff. Jumping on the trampoline increases the cellular excretion of toxins and it also protects against cellular degeneration, which means that it is a great preventative measure for degenerative diseases, ie an anti-ageing tool, and who doesn’t want that? Also, it improves lymphatic flow. The lymphatic system does not have any chambers, it doesn’t have any pumps like the cardio-vascular system, so as a result it requires the body to use muscular movement to push things through your lymph system. So by jumping on the trampoline you are increasing the rate at which cellular waste is excreted from the body. In other words, it is a great way to de-toxify.
It also increases muscle tone and coordination. There was a study published recently in Gerentology and Geriatrics where a group of geriatric women were studied and it was found that their balance and co-ordination significantly improved. This also demonstrated that you can use the rebounder at any age. It decreases the appearance of cellulite. How it does that is that because, again, it increases lymphatic flow, it helps to stretch and strengthen the myofascia covering the muscles and strengthens your muscles. And those 3 things are what we believe to be the contributing factors to the appearance of cellulite. Also, it is a great osteoporosis therapy and the reason why is that there is a low level of trauma to the musculo-skeletal system and there is an increase in mineralisation and blood flow to the cells of every bone in your body. One of the reasons why this is important is because NASA found that astronauts returning from space were losing about 20% of their bone density when they returned to earth and it was necessary to find an exercise to help them increase their bone density – another reason why they were so interested in studying the rebounder.
And then there are the ‘fun’ benefits – stress rejection. One session can generate up to 90-120 minutes of a relaxation response in the body. It improves sleep and it also helps to improve mood. Now here’s the thing; you cannot physically jump on a trampoline and not smile once! I think it’s a reflex, similar to women opening their mouth when they put on mascara – which I’ve never understood, or with yawning when someone else yawns. You cannot jump on a trampoline and not smile. It is just not possible. It is safe for all body types so no matter what your weight, what your physical condition, there are ways to modify jumping on a trampoline to achieve all the health benefits without putting stress on your body.
As far as how often should you jump, I recommend every day. Spend 5 minutes in the morning as part of your morning routine to wake up and energise your body just by doing a gentle bounce. That’s enough to increase your blood flow, get your lymphatic system activated, so 5 minutes a day is fantastic. The other thing that I recommend is that you can do HIIT training at home, by going as fast as you can for 30 to 60 seconds and then resting until you fully recover and then doing that again and again for 15 to 20 minutes. This is a great way to stimulate fat burning for 24 to 48 hours afterwards.
In summary, I can honestly tell you that rebounding is probably the ‘Yoga’ for the cells in your body. You are going to be amazed at how you can strengthen your body, stretch your body, detox your body and get amazing cardio-vascular benefits. So, really consider getting one for your own gym at home and recognise that it really doesn’t take much to keep you healthy.
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