Van Halen got it right when he sang, “Might as well jump!”  It may sound like a fantasy, but the exercise that delivers on every level is rebounding.  It also happens to be one of my favourite ways to move.  I can always make time for a little rebounding action in my day and so can you.

According to author Albert E. Carter in his book, The Miracles of Rebound Exercise, “Rebound exercise is the most efficient, effective form of exercise yet devised by man.” And NASA claims, “…for similar levels of heart rate and oxygen consumption, the magnitude of the bio-mechanical stimuli is greater with jumping on a trampoline than with running….”

Here are the  TOP 10 REASONS I love to rebound:

1. Stimulates Lymphatic Flow

Rebounding, also known as “lymphasizing” because the exercise stimulates the entire lymphatic system, is my favourite way to detox.  The lymphatic systems, sometimes called “the river of waste,” has no pump of its own, so lymph vessels need to be squeezed by active skeletal muscles in order to take out accumulated toxins.  Rebounding challenges every skeletal muscle for the entire time you are doing it, and is therefore 100% effective at pushing disease causing toxins out of the body.  I love how tight and glowing my skin is as a result.

2. Strengthens And Boosts The Immune System

I learned from Robert’s cancer that there are many ways to fortify the body against disease and that is one of the main reasons I love rebounding.  In as little as 2 minutes, your entire lymphatic system is flushed and cleansed.  During those two minutes, about as long as it takes to send an email, the white blood cell count triples and remains tripled for an hour afterward.  Since those WBCs are responsible for attacking and destroying disease pathogens, rebounding is a powerful way to stay healthy.  For an entire 60 minutes after rebounding, your WBC’s go into hyper-mode as they locate, eliminate and destroy cancer cells, toxins and other disease agents. That’s a lot of immune boosting action!

3. An Efficient Calorie Burning Workout

All 75 trillion cells in your body are exposed to an increased load while rebounding, resulting from the aligned forces of gravity, acceleration and deceleration.  As muscle cells are stimulated in this way, you burn fat faster and for longer periods of time post workout. This makes rebounding workouts highly effective at toning the body and I am sure this is one of the reasons I have been successful at keeping my body lean as I age.

4. An Effective Workout

Fifteen minutes working out on a rebounder are as effective at fat burning as 30 minutes spent running.  This is because cells are receiving a 3 dimensional workout every time you bounce. Cells strengthen as they are squeezed, as many as 100 times per minute, by the forces of gravity, acceleration and deceleration.  Few of us, including me, have hours to train.  Knowing you can get an effective workout in just 15 minutes is a highly motivating factor.

5. Improves Posture

The great fear, as you age, is losing your balance thanks to poor posture. The workout surface of a rebounder is unstable, as is the nature of trampolines.  This instability challenges your postural muscles while you train.   When you intentionally train on the rebounder, the hundreds of stabilizing muscles that otherwise do not get challenged, are working overtime to keep you upright and in alignment.  You will discover this, as I did, after my first few workouts when every muscle in my body let me know I had effectively challenged them!

6. Soft On Joints

No matter what your age or injury, rebounding is gentle on joints and lower back.  That is good news for many of us who are troubled by injuries, disabilities and/or joint pain.

7. Easy And Practical

Rebounding fits into all lifestyles.  You can put your rebounder outside when the weather is good and have a go. You can rebound inside while watching your favourite show.  You can do it anywhere. I even travel with my rebounder, that’s how practical it is to include this method of exercise in your daily life.

8. Effective Heart Lung Workout

Thanks to the efficiency factor of rebounding, I discovered firsthand how this translated into a more powerful heart/lung engine. I was training to run a short distance 10K with my endurance athlete, sister in law.  The only cardio training I did was on the rebounder.  And guess what? I was able to run that distance comfortably and in good time.

9. Improves Mental Clarity

Rebounding improves clarity of mind because it elevates brain waves, shifts thinking and becomes meditative as you jump.  Any time I have a big presentation or appearance, or if I need to boost my creativity while writing, I take 5 minutes to jump on the rebounder and voila!  Creative solutions to my problems pop into my brain!

10. Rebounding Is Fun!

Rebounding is fun and when movement is fun, it is far easier to commit to it.  When you can make movement part of your lifestyle, wellness becomes a reality.  Even while Robert was succumbing to his illness, I found time to rebound because I recognized that I needed to take care of myself during this challenging time. Today I rebound as part of my daily wellness self care practice.

I hope you too can enjoy the benefits of rebounding. It is the one thing I do, no matter what, to remain well and dare I say, youthful.

With love and wishes for wellness,

Tosca Reno

PS. Have you got a rebounder? Tell me what you love about it.  Post in the COMMENTS section below.

PSS. If you want a rebounder, use the code TOSCA here