Actress Eva Longoria recently shared her bouncing workout on Instagram, jumping about on the back of a yacht. She’s seen jumping on a rebounder, a trampoline, at home, twisting her legs, getting the donkey kicks in, and making it all seem like it’s a walk in the park while getting her endorphins pumped.
Rebounding, which is an exercise routine performed on mini-trampolines, or rebounders, was developed by the NASA to recreate the zero gravity feel for their astronauts. It has since transformed into a low-impact fitness trend catching up around the world.
Because it’s not only Eva who took her workout to literally new heights jumping on rebounders but also celebrities like Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Goldie Hawn, Miranda Kerr, Jacqueline Fernandez, Alia Bhatt, Shilpa Shetty and Shahid Kapoor. They’re all jumping on little trampolines for an hour of intense challenge to their heart.
Incidentally, a recent NASA study found that just 10 minutes of bouncing on a trampoline is a better cardiovascular workout than 33 minutes of running. Another study published by the International Journal of Sports Science says that the bouncing workout is twice as effective at improving aerobic fitness and 50% more efficient at burning fat than running.
So what exactly is it?
Rebounding comes in all forms, from dance-based cardio to strength-training jump sessions.
Zaineb Ali, a certified Pilates’ instructor, further explains. “Jumping on a trampoline works the whole body. The G—force produced by bouncing helps in building muscle and burning off fat quickly, which firms up every part of your body including legs, thighs, arms, hips and stomach,” she says.
How does it work?
A low-impact cardiovascular exercise, rebounding is great for beginners.
As per fitness expert Meenakshi Mohanty rebounding can also be mixed with acrobatic exercises. “Jumping is fun and is a great form of exercising; all you need is a mini-trampoline and enough space to jump,” she states. “One of the most studied benefits of rebounding is that it helps improve balance, agility and coordination, all of which are necessary as we age.”
No child’s play, this
If you’re tempted to discard jumping on a trampoline as nonsense, think again. While rebounding can boost your workout and help you lose weight, it’s its low-impact feature that makes it even more desirable.
“Exercising on a trampoline is great for people with knee and joint ailments. It’s much easier on the body than high-impact exercises such as running,” articulates Zaineb though she adds a tip. “Ensure you’re pressing into your heel and using your muscles and not allowing the jumps’ momentum to do the work.”
Calories to burn
Rebounding sessions should depend on your fitness level. According to Meenakshi, beginners can start with shorter workouts and build as they adjust.
“You may start enjoying many benefits with as little as 15–20 minutes of exercise on a mini-trampoline,” Meenakshi reiterates. “Being low impact, rebounding exercises help you burn the same amount of fat in 10 minutes, which, say, running would achieve in 30 minutes — and that’s up to 1,000 calories an hour.”
Meenakshi shares tips for beginners
First, warm up your muscles with a few easy jumps. Ensure you stomp your feet on the trampoline and jump up an inch or two. Now, move on to a basic jog, keeping your back straight, lift your knees in front of you one at a time to jog in place. Once you get comfortable with the form, move on to an advanced jog — moving from one side to another on the trampoline, with your hands above your head.
l Try out the jumping jacks, pelvic-floor bounce etc.
l Once you’re comfortable with jumping, add weights to increase your workout intensity.
More benefits of rebounding
l Helps in coordination and control of arms and legs, and in creating awareness of your body.
l Improves whole body’s strength.
l Improves bone mineral condition as the musculoskeletal system is put under a repeated though slight stress, which strengthens the bones.
l Jumping on a trampoline can help combat anxiety and stress by increasing the amount of endorphins released by the brain.
l When you bounce, three forces come into play — gravity, acceleration and deceleration — which strengthen and cleanse your cells at once while combining to squeeze out toxins from your cells.
