When’s the last time you jumped off the ground, even just a little?
For many, it may have been when a DJ played a song called “Jump Around” at a wedding.
Perhaps you’ve avoided jumping due to bladder leakage from a weak pelvic floor after kiddos.
Or maybe you have larger breasts and jumping hurts because they flap up and slap down because no woman has stepped up to make a sports bra that actually works, one that you can breathe in, doesn’t rub you raw from the indents of the straps, and keeps the breasts in check at the same time.
Whatever the case may be, jumping may be the most fun way to strengthen your bones while improving balance and agility.
Turns out NASA found trampolines beneficial for maintaining bone health in astronauts decades ago.
Perhaps that’s why mini-trampolines were all the rage in my childhood, only to be repurposed as makeshift diving boards for our pool and to help me dunk when playing hoops with friends.
Either way, I’m loving the comeback over the last few years.
I’d love to interview someone in their 100s on all the fitness trends that have come, gone, and come full circle over the decades. (If you know someone, please connect me to them!).
With rebounding, not sure why we don’t call it trampolining, I do see the benefit to bringing back the mini-trampoline.
They’re targeting all of us Gen X and Baby Boomers who have fond memories of trampolines from our younger years. Genius!
And we’re all at a phase of life where weight is harder to lose, so why not repurpose it as a lymphatic drainage weight loss tool?
Nothing gets a gal to open up her wallet like something marketed to help with weight loss.
But seriously, there are benefits to trampoline workouts, I mean rebounding.
Last spring, when I was in Tacoma, one of my gal pals let me test out her JumpSport rebounder.
I had so much fun that my facial muscles likely got as much of a workout as my legs.
After my 10-minute trial watching some gal on YouTube run me through beginner jumping, I wouldn’t get off the thing, and it turned into 30 minutes of pure joy!
Never would have seen that coming!
That’s why I had to drill my podcast guest this week, Steve Carver, “Mr. Bouncer” and the spokesperson for JumpSport trampolines, about what’s really happening body-wise when you use a rebounder.
My takeaway from the podcast? I need one, and he’s right. These could be a great option for a gal who’s bored with her usual workouts or has no interest in stepping foot in a gym.
You can get a total body workout that supports your bones, balance, and agility, as well as helps move your lymph in 10 minutes a day.
Taking HRT, bone support supplements, or meds can’t do all that.
The older I get, the more I realize weightlifting is important but can’t be my only focus. I need to challenge my body in ways that keep my nervous system stimulated.
You know that saying, “If you don’t use it, you lose it”? It’s so true, and I believe rebounders are a fun way to get back some of the nervous system skills, like balance, agility, and coordination.
If you live in the northern US, you’ve likely felt the cool autumn breezes coming your way, signaling that ice and snow of winter are coming, so the outdoor cardio days are numbered.
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of the stationary bike, treadmill, rower, and elliptical options at the gym. There’s really nothing fun about pretending you’re going somewhere while surrounded by others in a line doing the same.
With trampolines like JumpSport, you can test out fun variations, from tilting it side to side for ski season training to putting it up on one end to throw balls at it for an arm workout.
Can’t do that with your bike or treadmill, well, at least not without getting hurt in some way.
The best exercise for you? The one you’ll enjoy doing.
I’ve been hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t like a trampoline session.
I even learned it’s great for strengthening your pelvic floor when you ramp up on the rebounding, and I can tell you my pal Dr. Brianne Grogan from Vibrant Pelvic Health has one herself, so I know it’s legit!
While I can’t get back the old rusted steel coiled mini-trampoline I used daily by the pool for fancy tricks as a teenager…
…you’re in luck. Steve Carver from JumpSport explains why my old-school trampoline wasn’t the best for health anyway and shares the science behind why the JumpSport is great for bones, balance, and agility, in addition to being a great workout.
Episode 629 drops today, and if you’re looking for a fun workout that contributes to your longevity as much as it does your overall fitness, you don’t want to miss this one!
Here’s to jumping around more,
Dr. J
PS: In case I inspired you to consider a jumping workout…JumpSport is offering my podcast listeners 10% off with this code: Healthfix
