Why I Bought A Rebounder!

Have you been hearing about rebounding again? Apparently it was a thing back in the 70’s and 80’s after a NASA study came out touting the benefits of rebounding. That study showed that rebounding was 68% more efficient than running, leading to praise about it being powerful, efficient, and joint friendly.  It saw some popularity in the following decades in the wellness community as an efficient workout of high intensity and low impact. Fast forward to 2020 and it started getting popular again as an at home method of working out. It wasn’t really on my radar until last year, when I started hearing it talked about again. One of my friends bought one and told me about hers. Then a few other friends mentioned they had started rebounding. After my 2 hip surgeries, and especially recovering for the last 6 months from my 2nd hip, I started thinking more about low impact ways to workout and so rebounding caught my attention, so I started doing some research and ended up buying the same one my friend bought, this (Affiliate link) B-Can rebounder. Amazon had the best price at the time on this one. It seems the consensus from most everyone is that the bungee rebounders are the best, as opposed to springs.

I got it on April 1st and Mark helped me put it together. It’s definitely easier with two people, since you have to open up the circle and then get all the bungees strapped into place. They give you tools to help so it went pretty fast after we figured all that out. Definitely do not put them all on one side at a time, you’ll have to start over. Ask me how I know this? So once they are all on, you’re ready to jump.

This one also has a bar, which I would highly recommend. The bar keeps you stabilized and it’s nice to hold on to a handle during certain moves. Get yourself a handy husband to help out when needed. I was struggling with getting the bar clamped on, but Mark got it done. This one isn’t the most expensive, but it seems to have good ratings for the price point and I’ve been very happy with it. I am jumping 5 to 6 days a week, from 10 minutes to 20 minutes. I’ll probably go up to some 30 minute classes and try that soon. I’ve been following these twins on You Tube called I Jump Instead and they have lots of free workout sessions as well as paid ones. I just do the freebies and I would definitely recommend them to get started. It’s so easy to follow a class of theirs by opening my computer and following along. 20 minutes goes by in a snap! They have longer workouts too if you want to work up to that. I haven’t done anything longer than 20 minutes yet, but I will.

So what are the benefits of rebounding??

• Low-Impact Joint Support: Absorbs up to 87% of shock of impact protecting knees, back and ankles.
• Superior time efficiency:NASA research indicates that just 10 minutes of rebounding can provide cardiovascular benefits equivalent to 30 minutes of running.
• Lymphatic Drainage: The constant rhythmic acceleration and deceleration stimulate lymph flow, aiding in immune function and detoxification.
• Bone Density: Acting as a weight-bearing exercise, the gravitational forces experienced while jumping safely stimulate bone growth, which is excellent for osteoporosis prevention.
• Improved Balance: Bouncing on an unstable surface forces your body to adapt, dramatically improving core strength, stability, and proprioception. (I had to look up that word & it’s basically your bodies 6th sense & ability to adapt!)

I also hear it helps to strengthen the pelvic floor and I’m hoping that is true, because I need it! I’ve only been jumping for 6 weeks or so and look forward to seeing the impact it has on my body. One of my friends from church has a rebounder and she’s had her bone density checked since she started and she said it improved, so that’s a huge plus as well. I can use that myself since I’m osteopenia now.

Here’s a little update after both my hip surgeries. I’m coming up on one year in June since my first hip surgery and almost 7 months since my 2nd one. My 2nd surgery definitely has taken longer to recover from and I ended up with more back pain than I have had in awhile. That’s probably all normal after a surgery like this. I’ve had back issues for 30 years and manage it for the most part, but sometimes it is worse than others, especially when I’m bending and stooping and working in the yard. I wear a back brace that helps stabilize my back a bit. I have Spondylolisthesis (which I was most likely born with, it just showed up after I turned 40) and also some scoliosis so I’ve managed them both over the years.

So, after my 2nd hip surgery, my back really pitched a fit on that lower left side and I had nerve pinching constantly in my left buttocks as I was recovering. After dealing with it for a few months and it wasn’t getting better on its own, I went to physical therapy and have been in that for about 2 months. I’m definitely feeling better now and the nerve pain is easing up a lot. It’s not completely gone, but is more manageable. They’ve been working on strengthening my hips, legs and core. I’ve still been working out and doing what I can do to keep moving and going, but have babied my back and tried not to do anything to aggravate it more. Thankfully, it’s easing up a lot and jumping on the rebounder doesn’t hurt my back at all. I already feel more stable and stronger just jumping for 6 weeks, so I can’t wait to keep using it and see all the benefits down the road.

I just had my 6 months followup on my 2nd hip with my surgeon and he said the x-rays showed that both hips look great and the bone is growing in nicely where it’s supposed to, so I’m very happy to be on the other side of these surgeries and hitting my one year anniversary soon on the first one. I told him I bought a rebounder and he said that was fine, that jumping on a rebounder would be low impact and not hurt my hips at all. I had already looked that up so knew it was fine. He just cautioned me on jumping on hard surfaces or down from a wall or something like that. I won’t be doing that!

If you’ve ever thought about a rebounder, I’m telling you it’s a great way to get some exercise without killing yourself. As a senior, I don’t want to beat my body up, but I want to keep moving and doing things that will help me, so this is one thing that I am adding for longevity. I can do this forever! This is going to take the place of walking for me. Walking depends on weather and in the summer it’s especially hard for me to walk in the heat. I’m still going to the gym for now, but those gals I’m following only do rebounding for exercise and they build in muscle toning in their workouts. You can tell by looking at them that it’s working. They are in their 40’s and look great! I’m going to keep doing my weights workout at the gym and also do muscle toning when I jump, so we will see what happens. A lot of women my age are doing heavy weight lifting, but I’m just not into that. I want to stay strong in my legs and upper body and I think this will do that too. I figured if this is something I’m really enjoying that some of you may want to try it too. What I love is I can do it at home anytime of the day. I ended up putting it in my office/playroom space for now. It’s not ideal, but it’s the best spot I could find. I just have to be careful with the fan going that I don’t sling my arms up too high. It’s a great way to workout!