Rebounding: What It Is And Why It’s Good For You

Wondering what rebounding is? Or maybe you know what it is but are wondering why it’s good for you. Find out all the health benefits of rebounding here.

I’ve always loved jumping on a trampoline, even as an adult. But lately, I had been hearing of all these health benefits you can experience from rebounding. Who knew that the activity I used to do as a kid was so beneficial to my health!

We have a large trampoline in our backyard that the kids play on, but there is no way I’m going to head out there in the winter and jump and that thing! So last summer, I took the plunge and bought my own rebounding mini trampoline.

What is Rebounding?

Rebounding is a type of elastically leveraged low-impact exercise usually performed on a device known as a rebounder—sometimes called a “mini-trampoline.” Rebounding is done on a good quality small circular trampoline called a rebounder.  The best rebounders are extremely low impact and designed to absorb the shock of impact through specially  made high quality springs to protect your joints.

Some of the basic movements and actions of rebound exercise include bouncing in place (sometimes also called “jumping”), jumping jacks, twists, side-to-side motions, running in place, dance movements, and a wide variety of other movements, patterned or un-patterned, with or without the use of hand-weights or other accessories.

The idea of rebounding has been around for a long time, but it gained popularity in the 1980s when NASA studied its benefits while trying to find an effective way to help astronauts recover and regain bone and muscle mass after being in space. Astronauts can lose as much as 15% of their bone and muscle mass from only 14 days at zero gravity, so NASA needed a way to help reverse this damage.

How Rebounding Works

Rebounding is unique since it uses the forces of acceleration and deceleration and can work on every cell in the body.

When you bounce on a rebounder (mini-trampoline), several actions happen:

• An acceleration action as you bounce upward
• A split-second weightless pause at the top
• A deceleration at an increased G-force
• Impact to the rebounder
• Repeat

The action of rebounding makes use of the increased G-force from gravity and each cell in the body has to respond to the acceleration and deceleration. The up and down motion is beneficial for the lymphatic system since it runs in a vertical direction in the body.

The increased G-force helps increase Lymphocyte activity. The lymph system transports immune cells throughout the body and supports immune function. For this reason, rebounding is often suggested as a detoxifying and immune boosting activity.

One of the major benefits of rebounding is its benefit to the skeletal system. Just as astronauts lose bone mass in space as a response to the decreased need for strong bones in a zero gravity environment, weight bearing exercise increases bone mass. By increasing the weight supported by the skeletal system with the increased g-force of jumping, bone mass is effectively increased.

Health Benefits of Rebounding

1. Boosts lymphatic drainage
2. Increases endurance on a cellular level
3. Improves immune function
4. Improves digestion & constipation
5. Increases bone mass
6. Twice as effective as running with less risk of injury
7. Improves balance
8. Boosts energy and heart health
9. Improves whole body muscle tone
10. Supports the endocrine system
11. Reduces cellulite
12. Assists weight loss
13. It’s a fun activity!

I’m not a fan of cardio, which is why I love my rebounder! I get the same health benefits as exercise without the impact, and I just spend 5 – 15 minutes per day jumping!!

How to Get Started With Rebounding

Start slowly and according to your own fitness. Most sources recommend rebounding for 15 minutes a day, though this can be broken into multiple 3-5 minute groups. Start with a moderate pace so that you are breathing slightly faster but not uncomfortably. Your feet don’t even need to leave the trampoline you can just bounce up and down by bending your knees.

I personally just jump on mine when I remember. Some days that 15 minutes, some days that 3 minutes. You may have a funny feeling when you get off, your legs feel a little weightless for a few seconds

My personal recommendation for a rebounder is the one from Jump Sport. It’s the one I use and love. I recommend investing in a good quality rebounder because you want one that isn’t going to injure your joints.

Link to Jump Sport Rebounder Canada
Link to Jump Sport Rebounder US

Have you ever tried rebounding? Do you want to give it a try now? Let me know in the comments!

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