Try rebounding exercises on a mini trampoline if you have big plans but little space for a serious exercise program. NASA research confirms that rebounding, simply jumping up and down on a trampoline, is almost 70 percent more efficient for fitness training than jogging for an equivalent time. However, rebounding inflicts little of the impact risk a running program can.
Equipment
A mini trampoline is circular, only 3 feet across and 9 inches high and composed of a flexible, rubberized sheet held under tension by springs or elastic ropes from all sides. Many manufacturers market models with a stabilizer bar for safety, useful when you are first learning how to rebound. Some offer hand-bars all around for children or unsteady users. A few models fold for storage. Weight limits on most units range between 175 and 250 lbs. As of 2011, prices typically ranged from $40 to $150.
Exercise Quality
Every time you bounce on a trampoline you lift your body weight against the pull of gravity. You can exercise harder by jumping higher to burn more calories. Depending on height, you will experience two to three times the force of gravity, or two to three times your stationary weight, when you land, increasing the energy you expend to make your next jump. Rebounding requires your balancing ability when you jump up, when you are momentarily weightless in the air and when you land, exercising a wide variety of muscles throughout your body.
Graded Exercises Program
Try five progressively more intense exercises, taking trampoline safety into consideration. Begin with a two- to five-minute basic health bounce. Simply bounce on your toes rhythmically without leaving the mat. This helps detect balance and stamina issues. After a week, progress to the basic walk, lifting only your heels in a jaunty walking motion. Use your arms for balance or hold a stabilizer bar. In phase three, progress to the basic jog -- go airborne -- lifting 1 to 2 inches off the mat with each step. Phase four is a full jog with a higher bounce and alternate feet kicked forward on each step. Phase five is jumping jacks. Each phase may last a week or more depending on your exercise tolerance. You can work toward 30- to 40-minute sessions.
Lymphatic Circulation
In addition to exercise and balance, rebounding enhances flow of lymphatic fluid, a key waste removal system in your body. Your lymphatic system, a circulatory system roughly parallel to your blood vessels, carries clear lymph fluid filled with immune cells, antibodies and waste cast off from your muscles and organs, back to your bloodstream for processing and elimination. Your lymphatic system does not have its own pump but relies on body motion to induce flow. Rebounding increases this vital flow as much as 15 to 30 times the rate at rest, enhancing your immune and body repair systems.
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