iRebounder.com

Rebound Exercise, the most efficient, effective form of exercise yet devised by man is rapidly becoming the chosen form of exercise by the baby boomers and senior citizens.  It is accepted that exercise is the most important activity in which a person can participate.

 Rebound Exercise for a Healthy Heart

Some of the benefits of heart-healthy rebound exercise are obvious.  We begin by reducing the risk factors for heart disease and lowering cholesterol.  A sedentary (inactive) lifestyle is one of the top risk factors for heart disease.  Fortunately, it’s a risk factor that you can do something about without even leaving the comforts of your own house.  Regular (daily) exercise, any exercise, but especially rebound aerobic exercise, has many benefits, including but not limited to:

• Strengthen your heart and cardiovascular system.
• Improve your circulation and help your body use oxygen better.
• Increase your HDL or “good” cholesterol.
• Increase energy levels so you can do more activities without becoming tired or short of breath.
• Increase endurance and improve muscle tone and strength, balance and joint flexibility, and bone strength.
• Help reduce body fat and help you reach a healthy weight.
• Help reduce stress, tension, anxiety and depression.
• Boost self-image and self-esteem.
• Improve sleep.
• Make you feel more relaxed and rested.
• Make you look fit and feel healthy.

How Do I Get Started?

If you are the least bit concerned about your fitness level, always check with your doctor first before starting any exercise program. Here are some good questions and answers:

            Q:         How much rebound exercise can I do each day?

            A:         Begin with two five minute periods, then increase to two fifteen minute periods.  A half an hour each day, five days a week is ideal for most people.

            Q:         How often can I exercise each week? Rebound exercise is non traumatic so you can rebound every day.

            Q:         What type of exercise should I do? 

            A:         With the rebounder, you can do a health bounce, a strength bounce, and an aerobic routine all at one station in front of your television.

            Q:         What type of activities should I avoid?

            A:”        It is not necessary to do any activity that over extends the joints, causes trauma to the bones and ligaments, or puts your body in harm’s way like running on the streets or pounding the stairs.

            Q:         Should I take my medication(s) at a certain time around my exercise schedule?

            A:         Medications should be taken a half hour before beginning your rebound exercise.

            Q:         Do I have to take my pulse while exercising?

            A:         Only if your doctor tells you to do so.  Otherwise, rebound until you are huffing and puffing or until rebounding becomes uncomfortable.

What Type of Exercise Is Best?

Rebound Exercise can be divided into three basic types:

• Health Bounce. The health bounce increases the flow of body fluids of all parts of the body – especially the lymphatic system. The health bounce is accomplished by gently bouncing on the rebounder without the feet leaving the mat. This takes the place of stretching, which is not necessary unless you are specifically interested in increasing your range of motion and improving flexibility. Only gymnasts should really be concerned about that.
• Cardiovascular or aerobic rebound exercise is a steady physical activity in the middle of the rebounder by walking, jogging, running, sprinting or dancing in place using the large muscle groups; the legs and the abdominal and back muscles (core). This type of exercise strengthens the heart and lungs and improves the body’s ability to use oxygen. Aerobic exercise has the most benefits for your heart. Over time, aerobic exercise can help decrease your heart rate and blood pressure and improve your breathing.
• Rebound Strength exercises on a rebounder are accomplished by jumping high. Rebounding is a cellular exercise, so it strengthens all of the cells of the body all at once. With every bounce the cells of the muscles contract, but so also do the cells of the bones react by becoming stronger. This strengthening effect includes the involuntary muscles of digention, ligaments and tendons. Continue until the muscles becomes tired.

How Often Should I Exercise?

In general, to achieve maximum benefits, you should gradually work up to a rebound aerobic session lasting 30 minutes or more, most days of the week. Rebounding at least every other day will help you keep a regular rebound aerobic exercise schedule.

What Should I Include in My Program?

Every exercise session should include a health bounce, Aerobic bounces, and strength bounces.  Cool down by doing the health bounce for a few minutes.

How Can I Avoid Over Doing It?

Here are a few guidelines:

• Gradually increase your activity level, especially if you have not been exercising regularly.
• Wait at least one and a half hours after eating a meal before rebounding.
• Take time to include a five-minute health bounce, before any rebound aerobic activity and include a five- to 10-minute health bounce after the aerobic activity.
• Rebound at a steady pace. Keep a pace that allows you to still talk during the activity.
• Keep a Rebound exercise log.

How Can I Stick With It?

• Have fun! Choose a rebound bounce that you enjoy. You’ll be more likely to stick with an exercise program if you enjoy the activity.
• Schedule exercise into your daily routine. Plan to exercise at the same time every day (such as in the mornings when you have more energy). Add a variety of bounces (walking, jogging, running, sprinting, dancing, front kicks, side kicks, back kicks, twist, slalom, etc.) so that you do not get bored. If you exercise regularly, it will soon become part of your lifestyle.
• Find an exercise “buddy.” Put two to six rebounders in the same room. This will help you stay motivated.

Also, rebounding does not have to put a strain on your wallet. Avoid buying expensive equipment or health club memberships unless you are certain you will use them regularly.

Rebound Exercise Precautions for People with Heart Disease

• Discuss your exercise plans with your doctor. However, be aware that many doctors do not understand rebound exercise. Those that do recommend it highly.
• Review your rebound exercise routine with your doctor regularly. This is particularly important if changes have been made in your medications. Ask your doctor about how any medication changes may affect you and your body’s response to rebound exercise before continuing your regular exercise program. New medications can greatly affect your response to activity.
• If you are too tired and are not sure if it is related to overexertion, ask yourself, “What did I do yesterday?” Try to change your activities by starting out at a lower level today (but do not exercise if you are feeling very overtired). Pace yourself and balance your activities with rest.
• Avoid heavy lifting, pushing heavy objects and chores such as raking, shoveling, mowing and scrubbing. Chores around the house may sometimes be tiring, so ask for help.
• Ask your doctor what aerobic and strengthening exercises are appropriate for you and which exercises you should avoid.
• Avoid even short periods of bed rest after exercise since it may reduce exercise tolerance. If you become overly fatigued or short of breath with rebounding, take a rest period in a comfortable chair.
• Avoid exercising outdoors when it is too cold, hot or humid. High humidity may cause you to become fatigued more quickly and extreme temperatures can interfere with your circulation and make breathing difficult. Instead, stick with indoor rebound activities.
• Do not go up steep hills during your activity, whenever possible. If you must walk on a hilly area, slow your walking pace when going uphill to avoid working too hard. Watch your heart rate closely and change the activity as needed.
• Reduce your activity level if your exercise program has been interrupted for a few days (for example, due to illness, vacation or bad weather). Then, gradually increase to your regular activity level as tolerated.
• Do not ignore pain. If you have chest pain or pain anywhere else in your body, do not continue the activity. If you perform an activity while you are in pain, you may be doing more harm than good. Ask your doctor or physical therapist for specific guidelines. Learn to “read” your body and know when you need to stop an activity.

Warning

Stop exercising and rest if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Chest pain.
• Weakness.
• Dizziness or lightheadedness.
• Unexplained weight gain or swelling.
• Pressure or pain in your chest, neck, arm, jaw or shoulder or any other symptoms that cause concern.

Call your doctor or seek emergency treatment immediately if these symptoms do not go away quickly, or if such symptoms continue to reoccur. 

Yours for better health,

 Al Carter, Founder, Author

The Cancer Answer

Rebound Exercise: The Ultimate Exercise of the New Millennium

So how many calories does jumping on a mini trampoline burn anyway? The answer depends on how much you weigh. But to give you some idea of how much you can expect to burn we will use the example of a average weight man. A man who weighs 170lb will burn approximately 7.6 calories per minute while jumping on a rebounder. This may not seem like much until you compare it to the 5 calories per minute he would burn jogging. That’s a whopping 34% more calories burned per minute on jumping on a mini trampoline!

There are more factors to consider when choosing an exercise for weight loss than simply how many calories you burn. Arguably one of the most important factors is now much you enjoy it. By choosing an exercise such as rebounding, which most people instantly fall in love with, you are a lot more likely to spend more time doing it, which inevitably leads to more calories burned. Happy Rebounding!

When you bounce on a mini trampoline not only are you stimulating circulation and cleansing of your lymphatic system you are also building muscles throughout your entire body. When you bounce on your mini trampoline your every time you come in contact with the mat every muscle in your body reflexively contracts. This in includes all the tiny connector like the ones between your ribs. This contraction of all the connector muscles helps to rapidly tone your body in a way that almost no other exercise match. When I first started bounding on my mini trampoline I was amazed that after only a few weeks of rebounding I could see a noticeable improvement in my muscle tone. A side benefit of strengthening all these tiny muscles throughout your body is that it ends up being much easier to maintain good posture. This was great for me as posture has been something I have had to work on most of my life.

Are you new to rebounding? Looking for a good mini trampoline exercise DVD to help you get started? Here are a few of our most popular titles.

Our consistent top selling exercise DVD is Sneider’s Perfect 20 Minute Workout. This DVD great for people just getting started but also demanding enough that those who have been rebounding for a while will still get a good workout.  If focuses on cardiovascular fitness, building coordination, balance strength and muscle tone.

Another extremely popular mini trampoline exercise DVD is Cardiolates. This DVD combines the core alignment exercises found in Pilates with the cardio weight loss and endurance benefits of rebounding.  This DVD is great for anyone looking for an intermediate to advanced rebounding workout.

Finally for a good senior rebounder exercise DVD check out Bouncin’ In The House. It is easy to follow and provides an fairly intense workout which includes jogging, sprinting and some basic jumping moves.

For a complete listing or our mini Trampoline / rebounder exercise DVDs visit our video section.

Here are a few safety tips that you can follow when using your mini trampoline.

1. Make sure that you set your mini trampoline up in an area with a good amount of vertical clearance so that you don’t bump your head while rebounding.  If you are using your rebounder in a room with a low ceiling, start out slow so you get a feel for how high you can safely jump.

2. Unlike full size trampolines, Mini trampolines are designed to be used by one person at a time. It can actually be quite dangerous for two people to attempt to use a rebounder simultaneously.  The extra weight can cause springs to break while in use or in some cases stitching to fail which could lead to someone falling off the rebounder and getting hurt.

3. Never attempt gymnastic maneuvers such as somersaults or back flips. If children will be using the rebounder it is especially important that you explain to them that these things are not allowed.

4. If you are older or have issues with balance place the rebounder near a wall so that you can reach out and stabilize yourself if need be.  Alternatively rebounders like the needak rebounder can be purchased with a stabilizing bar for support.

5. As with any new physical exercise always start out slow and pay attention to what your body is telling you.

So what rebounder/mini trampoline is the most portable?

There are a number of reasons one might want to have a highly portable rebounder. Perhaps your a frequent traveler and want to bring your rebounder along  so you can continue your workout routine on the road. Or perhaps your local gym offers rebounding classes, but requires you to bring your own equipment.

Here are a few thing to think about if portability is a concern for you.

First we will look at the Bellicon rebounder which comes in two sizes the 39 inch and the 44 inch. Now obviously the 44 inch Bellicon has some significant advantages to its littler brother. For example, because of its larger size, exercises like jumping jacks are much easier to perform. Also you will tend to over-pronate less on a larger rebounder. But that being said if you plan on traveling and want to take your rebounder with you  the 39 inch is going to be a lot more convenient. You will also want to get the folding leg version which will reduce setup time.

The second rebounder we will look at is the Needak. The choice here is actually pretty easy. The Needak soft bounce folding rebounder takes portability to a new level. On the needak folding rebounder not only do the legs fold but the frame itself also folds which reduces the size of the rebounder by half. After folding the whole thing fits into a convenient carrying case, with a shoulder strap for easy mobility.

When working on the rebounder legs, always do so in a comfortable manner so as not to strain yourself.  

Bellicon rebounder with screw on legs:

 What you should find in the box:

a)   The Rebounder frame with mat and bungee bands attached to it.

b)   A small box with 6 rebounder legs.

c)   A small plastic bag with 6 rubber tips.

Remove the box with the legs from its attachment to the frame (you can throw away the two bungee bands with which the box has been fixed to the rebounder frame) and open the box.

Also open the small plastic bag with the rubber tips and place the rubber tips on the closed end of each leg.

 Remove the safety plastic caps which are placed over each of the six threaded posts on the rebounder frame and carefully screw on all six legs. Be careful to thread them on gently before screwing tight.

Bellicon rebounder with folding legs:

What you should find in the box:

a)    The Rebounder frame with mat and bungee bands attached to it.

b)    A small plastic bag with 6 rubber tips.

c)    A small box with 6 rebounder legs.

Remove the safety plastic cap which is placed over each of the six leg posts on the rebounder

by pulling the leg down towards the center of the rebounder and lift off the cap.

When unfolding the legs, be careful not to pinch yourself with the leg. Hold the frame away from the post with one hand and lift the leg up and out with the other hand.

When folding the legs, be careful not to pinch yourself with the leg. Hold the frame and leg in the same manner as when unfolding the rebounder. Pull the leg out towards yourself and lower it.

Position the Needak rebounder upright or open with the legs in place (as if you were going to jump on the rebounder).

Each spring cover has two hinge patches. One of the patches has a seam where the fabric and internal banding join.

Each spring cover has 8 hook & loop straps. Two are located at the hinge patch and 6 are located at the leg positions. Hook & Loop is a material very similar to Velcro™, however it is a two sided material with the rough hooks on one side and soft loops which grab the hooks on the other.

Center the seamed hinge patch above a hinge (over the frame seam on a non-folding rebounder) and wrap the hook & loop strap nearest the legs around the frame to the left of the adjacent leg on the left and the right of the leg adjacent on the right. This allows maximum movement of the internal banding of the spring cover.

Wrap the hook & loop strap under and around the frame back onto itself.

This photo illustrates the hook & loop strap to the left of a leg. Continue around the frame wrapping each hook & loop strap until all 6 near the legs are in place. If you have a folding rebounder, the hook & loop straps at the hinge are left loose at this time. If you have a solid frame rebounder, the straps may be wrapped around the frame.

Adjust the lower band of the spring cover under the frame.

NOTE: Some people install the spring cover by wrapping the hook & loop straps around the leg tube instead of the frame. This is acceptable as long as the spring cover is installed with the legs in position as shown at left. However, if the leg tubes are released for folding, they may pinch the hook & loop strap between the frame and leg tube making the unit unstable and damage the hook & loop strap. If this method is used we would suggest complete removal of the spring cover before folding.

We recently added a large selection of mini trampoline workout DVDs. Anyone who owns a rebounder knows how much fun rebounding can be. One of the things that makes exercising on a rebounder so much fun is the enormous variety of workouts that can be done.

We have selected the most popular, fun and educational rebounder exercise videos available. You will find titles like Cardiolates which mixes Pilates with rebounding to deliver an entirely new and exciting workout.

Another popular titles is Sniders Perfect 20 minute workout  which focuses on developing muscle tone and improving your cardio  fitness.

To brows our selection of mini trampoline dvds  click here.

With all the great aerobic and cardio exercise routines that can be done on a rebounder it’s easy to overlook some of its other great uses. And no I am not talking about as a dog or cat bed, sorry Fido.

Here is an exercise that works you triceps, chest, shoulders and abdominal muscles.  

Start by squatting down with your back to your rebounder. Reach behind you and grab the frame of you rebounder for support. Extend your legs out in front of you so that just your heals are touching the ground while supporting most or your weight with your hands. Lift your hips so that your body is more or less straight. From this position bend your arms to lower yourself as close to the floor as possible and then push yourself back in to the starting position. Repeat this exercise as many times as you can for a great upper body workout.