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Jump Your Way to Health & Fitness
Rebounding’s Stabilizing Effect on the Nervous System
Bouncing on a rebounder is an excellent method of reducing stress. It can put the bouncing person into a trance like state and totally relax him or her. Jumping for health and fitness not only stabilizes the nervous system during the exercise period, but continues to help maintain equilibrium after one steps off the device. The result is increased resistance to environmental, physical, emotional, and mental stress. It may possibly help an individual to avoid psychosomatic disease and mental or behavioral instability.
Rebounding may be enjoyed for a lifetime and adjusted to your own particular level of fitness. It is safe, convenient and inexpensive, and its protective effects against degenerative diseases make it one of the most effective forms of motion in the work place, in recreational pursuits, or in simply exercising for the care of your body and mind.
The Physical Muscular Effect of Rebounding
James White, Ph.D., director of research and rehabilitation in the physical education department at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD), has explained how jumping for health offers a true physical strengthening effect to the muscles. He said, “Rebounding allows the muscles to go through the full range of motion at equal force. It helps people learn to shift their weight properly and to be aware of body positions and balance.”
An advocate of rebounding for athletic conditioning, Dr. White uses the rebounder in his rehabilitation program at UCSD. “When you jump, jog, and twist on this (jumping) device you can exercise for hours without getting tired. It’s great practice for skiing (see Photographs), it improves your tennis stroke, and it’s a good way to burn off calories and lose weight,” said Dr. White (see Table A). “My students tell me it’s so much fun that they often exercise on the rebounders for their own enjoyment.”
Dr. White added that jumping for health is more effective for fitness and weight loss than cycling, running or jogging (see Table B), and it has the added advantage of producing fewer injuries.
As illustrated and explained in my book, Jumping for Health, there are 33 different exercises that may be performed advantageously on the rebounding device. Eight popular rebound movements are shown below (see Photographs).
The gentle bounce of rebounding is effective in returning natural, regular bowel movements to chronically constipated persons. The steady bounce sets up a pulsating rhythm transmitted by the nervous system to the brain area responsible for regulating the intestinal system, which reestablishes one’s rhythmical bowel activity. Digestion is improved as well.
|
Table B |
||
|
Lbs Body Weight |
12 Minutes Jogging |
12 Minutes Rebounding |
|
100 |
47 |
58 |
|
105 |
49 |
60 |
| 110 | 52 | 63 |
| 115 | 54 | 65 |
| 120 | 56 | 67 |
| 125 | 59 | 70 |
| 130 | 61 | 72 |
| 135 | 64 | 75 |
| 140 | 66 | 77 |
| 145 | 68 | 79 |
| 150 | 71 | 82 |
| 155 | 73 | 84 |
| 160 | 75 | 86 |
| 165 | 78 | 89 |
| 170 | 80 | 91 |
| 175 | 82 | 93 |
| 180 | 85 | 96 |
| 185 | 87 | 98 |
| 190 | 89 | 100 |
| 195 | 92 | 103 |
| 200 | 94 | 105 |