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Allontherebound1 1 PDF
Allontherebound1 1 PDF
On the Rebound, draft 1.0, 2004 Jordan Gruber, All Rights Reserved; Confidential, Please do not Reproduce
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I Prefatory Material
1. Foreword (Houston/LaLane/Millman/Robbins/Wilber ???) NEED TO SOLICIT
2. Preface: A Gift, a Hope, a Prayer, and an Invitation
3. Thanks & Acknowledgements
4. How To Best Use This Book
5. A Note on Usage, Style, & Philosophy
II An Introduction to Rebound Exercise
6. A Personal Introduction: My Purpose, Experience, and Qualifications
7. A New Dimension in Health & Well-Being: Overview of Benefits
8. The Rise & Fall & Re-Rise of Rebound Exercise
9. (Nearly) Everything You Need to Know to Start ReboundingOn One Page
10. Rebounding FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
III The Daily Bounce Manual Part 1: Preparations
11. Safety: Taking Care of Yourself, Your Rebounder, and Others
12. Obtaining a High-Quality Rebounder
13. Clothing & Accessories
14. Where, When, and How Long to Bounce
15. Breath and Body Awareness While Rebounding
IV The Daily Bounce Manual Part 2: How to Actually Bounce
16. Give Yourself a Lift: 4 Primary Propulsion Mechanisms
17. Putting Your Best Feet Forward: Foot Factors & Variables
18. Intuitive Rebounding: Natural Movements, Basic Bounces, Simple Routines
19. Terminology & Types of Bounces
20. A Short Illustrated Catalog of Bounce Types
V The Daily Bounce Manual Part 3: The Big Picture
21. Some Suggested Programs
22. Keeping It Going with Music, TV, Friends, Phones, and Fun
23. A Universal Machine: Rebounding & Your Favorite Sports & Exercises
24. Twenty-One Principles of Rebounding
VI The Benefits of Rebounding: Science, Studies, & Speculation
25. The Benefits of Rebounding: Proven, Claimed, & Speculative
26. Research and Studies to Date
27. Therapeutic & Rehabilitative Rebounding
VII Conclusion: You and a Daily Bounce
28. Bringing Rebounding Into Your Daily Life
29. Integrating Body, Mind & Soul: Bringing Your Favorite Inner Work to Rebounding
30. Fun, Easy, Safe, Convenient, and Highly Effective: Is Rebounding for You?
VIII Resources
31. The Daily Bounce Website (http://www.DailyBounce.com)
32. Bibliography
33. Index To Be Done Later
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Part I:
Prefatory Material
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1. Foreword
[[[Top Choices (alphabetically) to write a foreword (or more than one foreword) for On
the Rebound:
Jean Houston
Jack LaLanne
Dan Millman
Tony Robbins
Ken Wilber
Will solicit after reader feedback is incorporated and next draft is finished. I would like a
blurb, and possibly a forward, from each of these individuals. Jack LaLanne and Tony
Robbins have previously already promoted rebounding; Dan Millman is a former world
trampolining champion; and Ken Wilber is said to have a rebounder.
Is there anyone else here I might be missing? Deepak?]]]
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To let you know how fun, easy, simple, safe, convenient, and effective
rebounding is
To get you regularly bouncing as soon, safely, and effectively as possible
To communicate the ease and value of establishing a Daily Bounce (or at least a
four or five times a week bounce!) as a lifelong practice from which you can reap
great benefits in many areas of your life
It follows that the right way to use this book is to let it encourage you to get a hold of
a high quality rebounder, and to then get on that rebounder and start regular
bouncing as soon as you can for as long as you find value in it. The wrong way to use
this book is to get caught up in an evaluative mode with respect to the potential benefits
of rebounding (proven and speculative), the right way to bounce (as if there were such
a thing), whether or not you personally are likely to benefit from rebounding, whether or
not you will try to do any inner or spiritual work while you rebound, and so on. The point
is, you will only get the many benefits of rebounding if you actually bounce.
Thinking about rebounding just wont do any good. (However, it is possible to have your
rebounding practice affect your thinking process and other aspects of your daily life, as
described in Chapter 22.)
How then can you best use this book to begin, or enhance, your rebounding practice?
If you are a brand new to rebounding, then please start with Part II (An Introduction to
Rebound Exercise), and then go straight to Parts III, IV, and V, which together constitute
The Daily Bounce Manual. Chapter 20 of Part IV is of special importance, as it presents a
Short Illustrated Catalog of Bounce Types, that is, it will give you a whole range of
different rebounding movements and exercises to model after and choose from. Parts VI
and VII, covering the benefits of rebounding and ways of bringing rebounding into your
daily life, can then be read in your own good time.
If you have tried rebounding in the past, then you might want to start with Chapter 12
(on basic equipment, especially if you bought a rebounder for less than $50 a decade or
two ago), then read Part VI on the benefits of rebounding so that you will be encouraged
to give rebounding another try. Next, The Daily Bounce Manual awaits you.
If you are an experienced rebounder with an ongoing rebounding practice, then just
read what strikes your fancy. In any case, everyone should read Chapter 10, Your
Safety. Rebounders are substantial devices and rebounding is powerful medicine. Be
conscious, alert, and follow common sense, and you can prevent yourself or anyone
nearby from ever having a rebounding related injury.
Finally, this book, like rebounding itself, is meant to be fun and easy. So please: enjoy!
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do to get tremendous value from On the Rebound is to actually have a Daily Bounce or a
near-daily bounce.*
Its pretty simple, actually. And its all you need to know if you want to keep things as
simple and practical as possible. If, however, you happen to want a more complete
picture, then this book will also take you about as deeply as you might like into some of
the objective and subjective complexities of rebound exercise and practice.
As for my philosophical orientation for those of you interested in that sort of thing
there are two main strains that come together. The first is a pragmatic, very American,
type of what works philosophy. Rebounding works better than anything else I know to
keep individuals healthy and fit in a fun and easy way, and therefore, whatever will get
the most people onto rebounders on a daily basis is what I advocate. This what works
philosophy goes hand-in-hand with the hierarchy of needs notion put forth by Abraham
Maslow: if you are hungry, if you do not have shelter, if you are afraid of being
physically assaulted, you are unlikely to pay any attention to or have any success in
developing the psychological, intellectual, and spiritual components of your being. So, to
have better overall lives, we have to first handle our physical selves our body and the
best way to do that that I know of is to have a Daily Bounce.
The second philosophical strain in my writing comes from a deep influence by Ken
Wilber and what is now called Integral theory. I owe Ken an enduring debt of gratitude
for the several sets of scales that he has removed from my eyes over time, and I will often
think things through, and sometimes even describe them, in terms first suggested to me
by him. Of course, I have also been influenced by many other thinkers, psychologists,
scientists, philosophers, and writers, as well as those who have written specifically about
rebounding.
From time to time I will refer to some of these thinkers and writers, and even make use of
their terminology. For the most part, I will point out and try to clarify any specialized
language or terms of art that are used. This isnt an academic book, so extensive
footnotes and endnotes are neither necessary nor included. However, I will for the most
part make it possible for you to be able to look up anything that I refer to or cite to,
including the various existing studies relevant to rebounding. Please satisfy your curiosity
about anything and everything in this book, and then please let me know if you find any
errors or omissions. (All mistakes in On the Rebound are, of course, of my own making
and I am entirely responsible for them.)
Finally, my overall style in this book is a fairly informal one. I refer to myself directly
quite often (to quote the Beatles, I dont shy away from I, Me, Mine), and I will often
refer to you, dear reader, as you. Occasionally, I even use the much maligned royal
we, an act that Im certain would be disapproved of by my 12th grade English teacher,
*
If you want even more value, you basically bounce longer, with more focus, more conscious
attention to your body and breath, and more variety and intensity in the movements that you do
with your legs and arms.
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Mrs. Jaffe. (Dear Mrs. Jaffe I cut class exactly once in all of high school, and it was
her class, and of course she caught me as I happened to be going to the principals office
on some unrelated do-gooders errand)
Every now and then, I will even attempt to be funny. I hope you notice when.
Ultimately, as the author of a book that strives to be the best possible guide to
rebounding, I must trust my own ear on matters of style, diction, usage, and level of
discourse. I would therefore like to thank you for your indulgence and kindness ahead of
time. If you enjoy reading this book nearly as much as I have enjoyed writing it, and
especially if you give a Daily Bounce a go for yourself, then I will consider myself to be
very fortunate and to have written a very successful book.
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Part II:
An Introduction to
Rebound Exercise
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In August of 2002 my friend Colleen dropped by, her rebounder in tow, and suggested
that I give it a try. Just step on and start bouncing up and down lightly, she said, with a
twinkle in her eye and a spring in her step. Dont even let your heels leave the floor for
the first couple of minutes.
I followed her instructions, and felt my body begin to rise and fall gently as the thick
metal springs and high-grade velvety plastic mat took my weight and began to gently
pulse me up and down. What I noticed first was that my body felt spacious and buoyant,
as if it were filled with a kind of liquid light.
Now, try jumping a little higher. I gently pushed off the mat, felt my body rise a few
inches, and then felt myself hit the mat with both feet, only to rise again. I smiled with
delight as I instantly realized that I would never quite be the same.
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In truth, within minutes of first trying my friends rebounder, I knew that I had
experienced something that I wanted more of as soon as possible. Not only did I know
right away that I loved the way it made me feel physically, but I strongly suspected that
the positive benefits from a regular rebounding practice would go far beyond the merely
physical. I also knew, almost as immediately, that I would dedicate myself to a
rebounding practice, and that I would then write and communicate to others about my
experience.
My Initial Experience & Rebounding Results
I soon purchased my own quality rebounder. Completely suspending my disbelief, I went
forward with an intense rebounding practice that proved remarkably effective. After
steadily increasing my time for several months, I bounced 45 minutes a day starting in
February of 2003. Next, I experimented with lengthening my bouncing time to an hour
or more on a daily basis by the end of 2003. I found that the more I bounced, the healthier
I became, both physically and mentally. While I have now dropped my practice down to
under an hour in most cases, I find that rebounding continues to make me healthier,
stronger, and happier.
To name a few of the most important physical effects that I have personally experienced:
I rarely get sick any more (probably because of boosted immune function
resulting from increased flow of lymph fluid)
I have substantially decreased my resting pulse rate (down from 72 to 56 bpm
according to my doctor, and as low as 48 bpm when I first wake up)
I have lost weight and maintained that loss without greatly changing eating habits
I have healed long-standing shoulder pain (from a torn rotator cuff) that had
proven resistant to some very talented physical therapists and alternative healers
My balance and coordination have significantly improved
My physique has changed: I have firmed up all through the middle of my torso,
and slowly but surely my body continues to reshape itself into a leaner, longer, me
My digestion and assimilation have seemingly improved
My breathing capacity and oxygen uptake also seem improved
I believe that nearly all of my physical processes and structures are healthier now than
they have been since I was a young man. I also believe that if I continue my rebounding
practice at least a half hour a day, every day, it will substantially increase my lifespan.
Whether thats true or not, only time will tell; the significant point here is that I
previously would have never even dreamed of making such an optimistic prediction for
myself! My long-term hypochondria is just gone and my Daily Bounce time is time
that I feel could not be better spent.
Rebounding as a practice has changed me to (and from) the core, and it has done so not
only on the physical level, but on mental, emotional, and spiritual levels as well. Not only
do I look great (or so Im told) and feel physically strong, flexible, and healthy, but I am
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more confident and more optimistic about everything that I do. Not only do I seem to
have a significantly enhanced immune system, but I have a simple, regular, mechanism to
work through the inevitable stressors that come into my life. Not only is bouncing terribly
enjoyable and often even downright ecstatic, but I have come to look forward to the time
spent rebounding as my daily physical retreat and spiritual practice, as well as a great
time to work through emotional and mental challenges.
In addition to the physical routines that I do on the rebounder, I also meditate, practice
conscious breathing, and bring to bear many of the spiritual and human potential systems
and techniques that I have long practiced or otherwise been familiar with. For the first
time, I have found a type of physical and spiritual practice that befits my modern Western
temperament.
In short, I have come to believe that rebounding is a (not the, or the only, but a)
fantastic physical and spiritual practice for nearly any modern man or woman who wants
to live a long, strong, healthy, wise, and spiritual life. Not only is rebound exercise an
extremely effective form of physical exercise, but it is also safe, convenient, easy, and
inherently fun and enjoyable. Even for those for whom some other exercise form is
primary and preferable yoga, dance, walking, tennis, team sports, conscious breathing,
Pilates, a martial art, swimming, weight training, and so on rebounding (which does not
jar the skeleton) makes a tremendously beneficial adjunct. And it may be that rebounding
offers some physical benefits such as immune system enhancement, and perhaps even
more speculative benefits with respect to gravity driven cellular health that simply
cannot be matched by any other form of exercise.
My Qualifications
Who am I to write a book that aims to raise rebound exercise from relative obscurity to
its rightful place in the worlds pantheon of best health and well-being practices?
Let me be up front with you: I have no training or professional experience as a medical
doctor, a healer, a physical therapist, a body worker, an athletic trainer, or, in fact,
anything having directly to do with the body. But I have been in my body for 44 years,
and during that time I have been blessed with and challenged by more than my fair share
of ecstatic, yogic, and shamanic states and experiences. On occasion I manifest peaks of
physical performance and fits of athletic genius, and I can teach almost anyone of
reasonably good health and hand-eye coordination to catch two Frisbees at once!
It has, to say the least, been an interesting ride on the physical side. My professional
focus, however, has always been on the inner world of thinking and writing, not the outer
world of physical demonstration and interaction. For example, I have several academic
degrees B.A. in philosophy, M.A. in political science, J.D., in law and have worked in
major law firms, corporations, and even at NASA.
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More to the point, for over twenty-five years I have been seriously reading and
investigating the broad range of human potential and spirituality. By fate and fortune, this
had led me to found and shepherd the Enlightenment.Com website, which I run with two
partners from the consciousness hub of Northern California. Both online and offline, I am
privileged to become aware of many spiritual, psychological, and physical healing and
transformational systems. Most of the time, I am told, I do a pretty good job of assessing
and then communicating what does or does not psycho-spiritually work, that is, what
does or does not have genuine transformative value and healing potential.
So while I am not a doctor, a trainer, or an expert in the physical realm, I am an expert in
suspending my disbelief, in getting excited about something new and running with it until
I have thoroughly experienced it and assessed its value. I know how to allow myself
whatever the full experience of the moment calls for, and I know how to evaluate and
record such experiences and then communicate them to others.
Note too that just as I am not a physical level expert, I am also not a professional
scientist. I am, however, a very thorough researcher, and as my PracticalWordsmith.com
website shows, I have written a couple of quite lengthy, fairly complex, technical
treatises about law and electronic recordings of evidence. Along these lines, I have been
trained in statistics and scientific method, and have had good luck in conversing with,
synthesizing, and writing up the ideas of professional scientists. All of these skills are
brought to bear in On The Rebound, as my goal is to bring you the best the most
practical, thorough, innovative, and inviting book ever written on rebound exercise and
practice.
So while I can not promise you that everything in this book will be the ultimate scientific
truth (if such a thing is possible), I can promise you that I will report everything I know
or can find out as accurately and fairly as possible. If I dont know something, I will say
so, and if Im totally making something up, Ill tell you that in advance. To the degree
possible, I will separate my subjective experience from what I know to be (or not to be)
objectively true, and if there is doubt in my mind, I will share that doubt with you,
cleanly, openly, and honestly. In other words, I will always work to give you a completely
accurate version of my experience and the knowledge I have accumulated through my
rebounding adventures, including assessments of what others have said and written about
rebounding.
For certainly, those who bounce, bounce upon the shoulders of giants, the men and
women who have pioneered rebounding and given us many wonderful references to draw
from. In fact, I predict that the future will bring to rebounding new written and recorded
materials of tremendous value. In realms both physical (yoga, ballet, martial arts, etc.)
and more-than-physical (visualizations, breath work, chanting, etc.), my guess and hope
is that one day adepts of all types will produce exquisitely detailed and inspired
instructions and suggestions that will take rebounding to an even higher level. One of the
great beauties of engaging in your own rebounding practice is that there is so much to
discover, enjoy, explore, and share. Even a lifetime of bouncing is probably inadequate to
reveal the many dimensions of possibility inherent in this form of exercise and practice.
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So what qualifies me to write about this amazing health and well-being practice is that:
Like many others, I have been seriously stressed by the realities of work and dayto-day living in the modern world
Like many others, I resolved to make a substantial positive change in my life,
especially with respect to my health, fitness, and well-being
I personally established a regular transformative rebounding practice
As a result of this practice, I experienced many physical benefits (weight loss,
pain eradication, lower pulse rate, an improved physique generally) and morethan-physical benefits (increased self-esteem, decreased anxiety and worry, and
more openness to and direct communion with what really matters to me)
I am therefore very enthusiastic about rebounding, and think that for many, it may
be among the best possible forms of exercise
My goal is to bring the benefits of rebounding to millions of individuals
I delight in and am skilled at organizing, evaluating, and communicating
information, and I am dedicated to bringing you the most comprehensive,
practical, and inviting volume that has ever been written on rebound exercise
As a lawyer with special expertise in evaluating scientific evidence, I will be
particularly vigilant in separating out substantiated facts and sound reasoning
from mere opinion, bias, and argument
In short, I am doing it, I love doing it, I have thoroughly practiced and studied it, and
now Id like to invite you to find out about rebounding and give it a good try.
The End of This Personal Introduction, the Beginning of a Shared Vision
My personal introduction ends here. Now Id like to invite you to share my vision of
rebounding. Start by reading through this book, or better yet, get on a quality rebounder
and see, feel, and know for yourself the many benefits that can come from being on the
rebound. If you try a Daily Bounce for yourself, if you get On the Rebound, then the gods
of health, well-being, and even longevity may have something quite profound to say to
you as well.
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Other names for this elegantly simple yet extraordinarily effective piece of exercise
equipment include mini-trampoline (a name which is misleading and therefore not a
very good one, as will be explained later), and simply, the bouncer. Please note that the
terms rebounding and bouncing will for the most part be used interchangeably
throughout this book. For those who are interested, a timetable of a Brief History of
Rebounding is found in Chapter 8.
A rebounder usually consists of a special round plastic mat about 30 inches in diameter
connected by 36 heavy-duty springs to a 40 inch wide metal or plastic frame. The frame,
in turn, is supported by 6 legs, some 810 inches tall.
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We live in a world where the natural order is apparently breaking down (e.g., global
warming, massive extinction of species, etc.). In such a world, human happiness can
probably best be brought about by preventing illness and disease, and there is probably
no better way to accomplish this than through immune system health. Thus, rebound
exercise leads to a positive feedback loop (or virtuous circle) in the following manner:
People Experience Being On the Rebound
Boosted Immune Systems and Better Health Generally
Happier People Who Gain Great Benefits In Their Lives
Who Therefore Make The Daily Bounce A Regular Practice
Who Therefore Share Rebounding With Friends & Loved Ones
More People Experience Being On The Rebound
your breathing and your body opens up a space within which you can voyage into and
perhaps use to do healing work, you will find yourself accessing normally hidden parts of
who you are with surprising ease and elegance. Rebounding occurs not only in a new
dimension physically, but in a new dimension metaphysically (or trans-physically) as
well.
Ninety Percent of Success Is Just Showing Up
If you would like to enter into and experience the benefits from this new dimension of
health and well-being, then the first and most critical key, as with any endeavor, is to just
show up. Ten minutes a day of the gentlest heels-not-leaving-the-mat bouncing (often
called a health bounce; see Chapter 19) will substantially boost your immune system,
while 45 minutes a day of vigorous bouncing may bring you extraordinary levels of
health and well-being. Many other physical and non-physical health benefits may also
accrue as you develop your rebounding practice, especially if you increase the vigor and
duration of your activity.
Get yourself a good rebounder, commit to the practice, and see for yourself whether you
become healthier, stronger, and as a result, happier. All you have to do is keep on moving
your body while you are on a high quality rebounder, and you will almost certainly be
better off. A new dimension of health and well-being readily awaits you; just step on up,
and start bouncing.
If you have already tried rebounding in the past and then given up on it, then please just
give it another chance. Make sure this time that you are on a high quality unit (see
Chapter 12), and that you allow yourself to fully breathe whenever you are bouncing (see
Chapters 15, 18, and 19). Soon enough, especially if you give yourself a Daily Bounce
for at least a couple of weeks, you will start to experience the many profound benefits
and effects of rebounding.
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1999 - Dave Hall starts the Center for Cellular Health and creates his half-fold
model. JB Berns publishes his book, Urban Rebounding. Berns, a martial arts
instructor, develops a style of rebound exercise influenced by Asian theories of
wellness. Over time he receives substantial national publicity, including been
highlighted on national television shows such as "The View with Barbara
Walters," "The Today Show," and Donny and Marie. Urban Rebounding finds
its way into thousands of gyms, including Bally Total Fitness, NY Health &
Racquet Clubs, Houstonian Health Clubs, The Sporting Clubs of LA, Equinox,
HealthWorks, Crunch Fitness International, and Golds Gym.
2000 - The Urban Rebounding video by JB Berns is produced. Keep on
Rebounding" video starring both Holly Anderson and Darren Carter is produced
by ReboundAIR.
2002 - Dave Hall's Tri-Fold mini-trampoline debuts said by some to be the
Rolls Royce of rebounders. JB Berns produces two more Urban Rebounding
videos, The Basics and The Challenge.
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2004 Jordan Gruber writes On the Rebound, and The Daily Bounce website
(www.DailyBounce.com) goes online.
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inability of people, especially health and fitness professionals, to see that something new
and different might in fact have extraordinary value.
Both of these explanations have a good deal of validity, especially with regard to why
rebound exercise lost its shine and went down in popularity. Now, however, rebound
exercise seems to be ready for a reprise, or rather, a re-rise.
Why Rebound Exercise May Soon Take Off
Despite the many good books and workout videos on rebound exercise, somehow the
message has not gotten across that for both physical and more-than-physical purposes,
rebound exercise may very well be among the best exercises ever developed. With little
training or experience, anyone, as long as they are willing to commit to getting On the
Rebound and having a Daily Bounce, as long as they can actually find a way to get on the
mat and move up and down for at least fifteen minutes a day, can rapidly improve their
physical health and their sense of (psychological, emotional, mental, and even perhaps
spiritual) well-being. People dont know just how good a Daily Bounce is for them, and
so very few people have ever consistently bounced long enough to get the kind of results
that are often available through this form of exercise.
The ultimate goal of this book, as stated earlier in the Preface (Chapter 2), is for ten
million Americans, and many others throughout the world, to begin and sustain a
rebounding practice. In truth, even that number seems too small to me I believe, in my
heart of hearts, that rebounding is probably the preferred form of exercise for about
twenty-five percent of the human population. Ridiculous, perhaps, but on the other hand,
what other form of exercise is as (a) fun, easy, non-jarring, safe, and convenient, (b)
requires so little instruction or training in order to start, (c) has such a powerful effect on
the immune system, along with other positive effects on things like aerobic conditioning
level, cardiovascular fitness, and strength, balance, and coordination, and (d) is as easy to
sustain as a practice because it works great with listening to music, watching TV, talking
on a phone headset, or working out with others?
Really, I cant think of any other form of exercise that has all of this not yoga, not
weight training, not Pilates, not swimming, not dance, not martial arts, not anything and
for this reason I renew my prediction that, before long, rebound exercise will sweep
though the homes and exercise halls of America and the world like metabolic wildfire.
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There may be no better physical exercise than rebounding: it is fun, easy, safe,
convenient, and powerfully effective; its almost certain effects include an immune
system boost, cardio-vascular improvement, strength, balance, and flexibility gains,
and weight loss or redistribution; it may also make the cells, bones, and the rest of the
body stronger, gravitationally, from the inside out.
Rebounding is more powerful than it may look: go slowly at first, and always be
conscious, aware, and safe when you are on, near, or getting on or off a rebounder.
Choose a high quality rebounder; youll be glad you did in the short and long run.
If you need a stabilizer bar, get one, but many people wont need one, and your
balance and ability to safely bounce and stay on will rapidly improve.
Bounce without socks and shoes if you can, and bounce outdoors when you can!
Your first priority is to keep rebounding for whatever minimum time you set; to do
this, pick five or six Basic Bounces (natural and enjoyable movements) that you can
always come back to, e.g., jumping jacks, twists, arm circles, running in place, etc.
Time flows easily with music, television, meditation, or bouncing with others.
When rebounding, always allow and encourage yourself to fully breathe the master
key to health and healing letting your neck, shoulders, pelvis, and abdomen relax,
while filling your body with as much air and energy as possible, as you work through,
dissolve, and release stuck physical and energetic patterns.
If you ever get out of breath, just relax and keep bouncing, and the rebounder will
begin to breathe you, move you, and recharge your energy.
There are thousands of different ways to use a rebounder, many of which will be
unique to you, e.g., just slightly turning your hands can totally change the effects of a
jumping jack, and barely raising your heels can fully alter your leg usage.
A rebounder is a universal machine in that almost any other type of physical practice
(ballet, martial arts, skiing, etc.) can be brought to it try what you like!
Rebounding can be seen as a universal inner practice as well, as almost any other type
of interior, psychological, emotional, or spiritual practice (meditation, mantra,
mandala, visualization, chanting, singing, sound play, etc.) can be brought to it.
Hand weights may be good for a part of a workout, but keep them light, dont whip
them around, and bounce without them before ending your workout.
Rebounding is a precious, amazing, and vital gift to give to yourself and others.
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MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS
Is rebounding safe for people fighting cancer? Could it spread cancerous cells
through the way it increases the circulation of the lymph fluid?
First, your lymph fluid always moves a bit, even when you move your arm or roll over,
so if it were somehow possible that lymph movement spread cancer cells, you would be
in trouble anyway. Second, it makes no sense to not do something that might help you a
great deal because there is some very small chance that it conceivably could hurt you.
What kind of music is best to bounce to?
Whatever you like, as long as it has a good beat.
What about rebounding outdoors?
It can be truly wonderful (as long as the weather is good). If you can play music outdoors
while you are bouncing, then you have it all.
Can I meditate while rebounding?
Of course. Many types of inner work can be done while rebounding. A long but certainly
incomplete list is provided in Chapter 29.
Sometimes I have a strong urge to go to the bathroom after I start rebounding. Is
that normal?
Yes it is. In the first place, rebounding strengthens the detoxification and eliminative
processes generally. In the second place, many men and women find themselves needing
to stop and go to the bathroom about ten minutes into a rebounding session. Women who
have given birth are sometimes particularly affected in this way.
How frequently should I bounce, and how long during each session?
Really, its up to you. But if you want to give yourself an opportunity to receive the
maximum possible value from rebounding, you should bounce for no less than 15 to 30
minutes a day, at least four or five times a week. A Daily Bounce is even better.
What about my head and neck? Should I keep them still or move them around?
You want your neck and shoulders relaxed, and your head fluid but stable. On the one
hand, if you move your head around too much, you can get dizzy or possibly even injure
yourself. On the other hand, you want to keep your head somewhat loose, fluid, and able
to go where it naturally wants and need to go to. Err on the side of less head movement.
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Part III:
The Daily Bounce Manual Part 1
(Preparations)
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Always be intelligent, conscious, and compassionate in the way that you use your
rebounder, including where and how you store it and get on it and off it;
If there is any question as to your health and fitness, either before or after you
start rebounding, see a physician or other qualified health care giver; and
Common sense is always the best guide: if something hurts, stop bouncing; if you
are dizzy, stop bouncing; if the rebounder or the location where you are bouncing
is problematic, then stop bouncing immediately.
Along these same lines, please do not simply skim or even worse, skip over the rest of this
chapter. At the very least, please read each and every bullet point in this chapter! Your
safety, and the safety of others, depends upon it. (Yes, this sounds a little bit like a
government sponsored commercial, but the fact is that rebounding is strong stuff, and you
must treat it with care and respect or it may, in fact, harm you or someone close to you.)
Before You Even Step onto a Rebounder: Do You Need a Physicians Approval?
To start with, before you even step onto a rebounder, you should be physically qualified
to do so. That is:
Before you undertake any new (or old, but non-recent) physical exercise or
practice, including rebounding, you should thoroughly evaluate your own
condition and see a medical professional if you have any concerns or active
disabilities.
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Dont be fooled by the apparent gentleness of rebounding or the fact that it is truthfully
promoted throughout this book as being fun and easy: rebounding can be very
physically challenging and demanding, and might very well be declared off-limits by a
competent and qualified physician or other health care provider if you have a serious
physical disability or are in recovery from one.
Also, as pointed out in the Personal Introduction in Chapter 6, please remember that I am
not a medical doctor or otherwise capable of giving you professional medical advice
about how to best approach and take care of your body. My belief that rebounding is
arguably among the best exercises ever does not, in any way, clear you personally for
rebounding takeoff.
No one is going to stop you from purchasing and stepping onto a rebounder, so you have
to personally honestly and seriously evaluate whether or not you need to first see a
physician or other qualified health care giver. If you are young and healthy, you might
not need to worry very much about this. But everyone else should soberly and carefully
evaluate their overall health as well as any particular limiting physical conditions they
may have (see directly below), before starting or intensifying a rebounding practice.
Physical Conditions That May Prevent You From Rebounding
There are some people for whom rebounding is simply not appropriate. For example, if
you have ruptured or herniated spinal disk conditions, or if you have a serious (chronic or
acute) knee, foot, or ankle injury, then you may not be able to rebound. If your doctor or
qualified medical practitioner forbids you from rebounding, or if you try rebounding and
the pain you experience is clearly not a good pain but rather is something that is
exacerbating a condition you already have, then rebounding may just not be for you. The
simple rule here is this:
Note, though, that it is also important to follow your intuition with respect to certain
conditions that some conventional medical authorities might say disqualify you from
rebounding. In some cases, these will be exactly the kinds of conditions that rebounding
can best help with. For example, if you suffer from lower back pain, the rebounders
capacity to greatly strengthen abdominal muscles may help that pain. Or if you have
knee problems, the rebounders ability to take 85% of the weight off of your body while
nonetheless giving your body (including your knees) a great workout, may help to open
up and heal the source of that pain.
There are no cut and dried rules here. For some people, any kind of existing pain that
might be stimulated or pushed to its edges through the repetitive motion of rebounding
might disqualify them from bouncing. For other people, the many positive known and
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suspected healing and energizing qualities of the rebounder will more than outweigh that
risk, even if there is some pain (good pain) involved at first.
In a 1999 interview in Andrew Cohens What is Enlightenment? Magazine, Jack
LaLanne, the then 84-year-old fitness guru, pointed out that the human body is different
from any man-made machine because [t]he only way you hurt it is not to use it, that is,
it is a lack of use that ultimately leads to the breakdown or atrophy of the human body.
Although the relationship between physical movement itself and healing is not
completely understood, it is clear to me that in some cases it is nothing more than the
regular movement of the body on the rebounder that brings about healing. For example,
in my case, as mentioned earlier, I was able in two months to work through and heal
longstanding and worsening pain from a torn rotator cuff by doing 100 arm circles in
both directions while bouncing. Yes, it felt a little uncomfortable at first, but as I stayed
with my breath, it didnt take long for the healing to kick in.
If every doctor you see, including alternative practitioners, tells you that rebounding is
not OK for you, then you just may not be able to go forward with it. But if you get
varying opinions, or if your intuition tells you that this is the kind of condition, symptom,
or problem that rebounding can in fact help heal, then you will have to carefully weigh
the choices before you. In short:
Listen to conventional caregivers, but also weigh your choices carefully if you
have a physical ailment that you feel may respond to rebounding
Do not leave your rebounder in an unexpected place, even for a short while,
where someone can or might trip over it!
Im embarrassed to admit this, but when I first obtained a new high quality rebounder in
2002, I was so excited about having it, and wanting other people to have access to it, that
I left it outside on the deck. I promptly forgot that I had left it outside on the ground, and
when darkness came I tripped over it, went flying, and hit the ground. I could have
seriously injured myself, and count myself as being very lucky that I escaped with just a
scrape or two.
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Given how high rebounders are off the ground (about ten inches), they can easily trip an
unsuspecting person. So please, do not leave your rebounder on the ground where other
people are not expecting it, especially outdoors at night, or in any dark or potentially dark
place. Even if you think that youll be coming back in just a few minutes, dont leave
your rebounder in a place where it might pose a danger if you happen to forget about it.
Its just not worth the risk.
If you have a rebounder that folds into halves, thirds, or fourths, follow the
manufacturers instructions carefully about the best way to fold it up. In particular, one
manufacturer of a Quarterfold unit initially had such high tension on the springs that it
was absolutely necessary to have two people present to safely fold up the unit. Other
units, especially half-folds, are under much less tension and can usually be folded easily
by one person. Regardless of what kind of folding unit you have, always follow this rule:
Be especially careful to watch your face, fingers, toes, jewelry, rugs and carpets, spring
covers, and anything else that could get caught as you close a folding rebounder
(including pets and children). Also, remember that these units can snap open with quite a
bit of force as well, so be careful to clear the area before opening a folding rebounder,
and try to open it on a soft surface such as a rug, carpet, or patch of grass. Lastly, over
time the hinges on folding rebounders can loosen up some, so be careful when you are
moving a rebounder about that it doesnt suddenly, unexpectedly, and inconveniently fold
of its own accord.
Although most quality rebounders have legs that can easily be folded flat, it is easier and
more convenient for your next rebounding session if you can store it on its side, legs fully
extended. If you store your rebounder in this manner, be careful that it is firmly placed
and wont slip down, roll away, or topple over. The best solution is a permanent indoor
storage space where you can leave the rebounder unfolded, legs extended. While
rebounders can be stored outdoors, and are even somewhat waterproof, it is probably best
not to leave them exposed to too much weather, especially rain, snow, and direct sun.
Deploying and Checking Your Rebounder Before Every Rebounding Session
Before every rebounding session you should check to make sure that your rebounder is in
good working condition and ready to go. Here are some of the things to look for:
If you have a folding rebounder, is it fully unfolded and locked into position?
Are all of your rebounders legs fully down and in their locked position (or fully
screwed on if you have an older or lower quality model with screw-on legs)?
Is the mat in good condition (i.e., not substantially frayed, coming apart at the
edges where it is sewed on, or otherwise damaged)?
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Are all of your springs in good shape? (If you have one spring that is damaged or
a bit bent out of shape, you can still rebound, but you should replace that spring as
soon as possible call the manufacturer for replacements because even one bad
spring being off will start to put uneven wear and tear on the rest of the
rebounder).
Is the spring cover caught on a hinge or tangled up in the springs?
Is the mat dry and is there an absence of debris?
In some situations, such as bouncing outdoors in a place where there are trees, plants, and
wind, debris may accumulate in the middle of a rebounding session. It is good to have a
towel or small brush available to get the debris off of the rebounder, but there are times
when you will want to stop your workout, step off the rebounder, turn it on its side, and
lightly tap it with your fingers several times to bounce the debris down and off of the
rebounder. You may be tempted to get little pieces of debris and grit off of your feet
while you are bouncing, but this is not a good practice. Even if you have to break your
rhythm, you are better off stopping to brush it off as this will be safer and more effective.
A whisk broom can come in quite handy.
After a while youll be able to tell if your rebounder is ready to go in about fifteen
seconds or less, but dont be tempted to overlook those fifteen seconds!
The Location Where You Rebound
The location where you rebound can make a big difference to your rebounding
experience. As previously mentioned, I recommend that you try rebounding outdoors, at
least from time to time, if you have the opportunity to do so. Wherever you intend to
bounce, however, ask yourself the following safety questions:
It is very important to make sure that wherever you are rebounding can handle the force
of bouncing that is transmitted through the rebounder legs into the floor. Once, while on
vacation in Mendocino, California, in a rented cabin right on the coast, I put the
rebounder on the second floor and began bouncing. Just a couple of minutes later one of
my family members came racing up the stairs, telling me that the whole house was
shaking and that I better cut it out!
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Unfortunately, there was no place else inside that vacation cabin where there was a high
enough ceiling for me to bounce. So I compromised: I cut short my Jumping Jacks and
other movements that typically extended my hands and arms as high as they could go
above my head. I still got a very good workout, and then mostly bounced outside
(looking at the ocean!) for the remainder of the vacation.
With respect to carpets, most quality carpets are able to withstand the round depressions
potentially made by the force of bouncing transmitted through the rebounders legs.
There have been times, however, especially when bouncing in other peoples homes,
when I have stuck folded pieces of thick paper or cardboard under each of the legs to
avoid any possibility of permanent damage. Some types of coasters also work well, but if
they are too rigid or brittle, they might break.
Finally, when bouncing indoors, be especially careful about objects potentially toppling
over (like pieces of furniture or large home theater units), or small objects on top of
pieces of furniture slowly but surely migrating over from the ongoing vibration of
bouncing and then crashing to the floor. You can usually tell pretty quickly which objects
are questionable, but sometimes it helps to have someone who is not bouncing to give
you a stable third-party perspective.
Getting on and Off the Rebounder
By definition, rebounders are spring loaded, so that when you first get onto the rebounder
you may have a tendency to bounce off of it. More importantly, once you are in the
middle of a rebounding session, there is a tendency to forget that the rest of the world
isnt as soft and forgiving as the mat you are currently bouncing on. (See the Principle of
Adaptation and Re-Adaptation in Chapter 24.) You can injure an ankle if you leap off
of the rebounder with too much force.
Always pay attention when getting on and getting off a rebounder; do not leap
onto a rebounder, and be especially careful not to leap off one!
description of these types of bounces. The point, though, is to move slowly into your
workout so that your body can adjust to what comes next.
Also, while rebounding, there are at least a few particular bounces that can be thought of
as Stretch Bounces, as specifically described in Chapter 20.
At the end of a rebounding session it makes sense to slow down and let your body come
back to equilibrium. Less vigorous movements including, once again, Breathwork
Bounces and Bodywork Bounces are a particularly good way to go about this. Once I
have finished a session, I find it particularly valuable to stretch a bit and let my body
relax and unwind. Although rebounding as a whole adds flexibility and seems to stretch
out the entire physical structure, it is nevertheless very helpful to, for example, stretch out
over a big gym ball (or Swiss ball) and let your body just hang out in a relaxed,
partially or fully inverted, position. If you have expertise in yoga, there are many asanas
(yoga postures) that will naturally occur to you as supplementing your rebounding
workouts. Another great thing to do is to walk on a rug, fully extending and stretching
your toes, feeling your body get re-acclimated to regular gravity and the hard ground.
In sum:
On the Rebounder
Once you have safely set up and stepped onto your rebounder, there are a number of
safety considerations worthy of your attention. First, it is important that you bounce
safely, that is, that you bounce on the rebounder in a way that it was designed to be
bounced on. To that end:
Bounce anywhere you want on the mat itself, but do not bounce on the springs,
spring cover, or on the frame of the rebounder.
Do not attempt stunts (seat drops, back drops, flips, and so on).
Do not bounce on a rebounder if you outweigh its poundage rating.
Do not bounce with shoes that will harm the rebounder (if you bounce with shoes
at all)
Most quality bouncers have mats that are about 28 inches in diameter, including the
stitched outer ring. That leaves a diameter of about 25.5 inches to bounce on, and
anywhere on this 25.5 inches is fair game for bouncing. I typically try to move my body
and feet all the way around the mat, turning in all directions during any one rebounding
session, so that my rebounder will wear evenly over time. On occasion, you may find that
you have bounced on the stitched outer ring, on the spring cover, or even directly on a
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spring. It typically wont hurt you or the rebounder to do so (well, bouncing on a spring
can hurt a bit), but you should get back to bouncing in fair territory as soon as you can.
As for stunts, it should be obvious why these must not be attempted. Rebounders are not
trampolines, even if they are sometimes described as mini-trampolines, and performing
stunts is an easy way to hurt yourself or the rebounder. Simply, dont do stunts.
As for weight, most quality rebounders are rated at 300 pounds, and some are rated at 400
pounds. If you weigh near the top end of what your rebounder is rated for, and you
bounce long and vigorously, you may find that your rebounders parts, especially the
mats and springs, wear out faster than you had originally hoped for. Also, even if you
only weight 200 pounds or so, you may find that with very vigorous bouncing, certain
foot positions (such as landing on your heels; see Chapter 17), can lead you to bottom
out, that is, have your heels descend through the mat and hit the floor beneath the
rebounder at the bottom of the bounce. See the next Chapter, Chapter 12, for a discussion
of quality rebounders, including a chart that indicates which units are prone to bottoming
out.
As discussed in Chapter 17, I generally recommend to people that they bounce without
shoes or socks, but some individuals with special needs will need the foot and ankle
support that shoes provide. If you are going to bounce with shoes, then make sure that
they are not the type that will harm your rebounder. No cleats or high heels!
In addition to bouncing on your rebounder only in ways that it was designed to be
bounced on, it is important that you otherwise bounce safely. Here are some precautions
to observe:
Do not rebound if you are dizzy, drunk, or otherwise inebriated so that you might
fall off or hurt yourself.
Do not start out too quickly: moderate your intensity as well as total length of
bouncing for your first few rebounding sessions.
Do not bounce so high that you tend to bounce off the rebounder.
If you are about to fall off, then do so as gracefully as possible: remain calm,
safely catch yourself, and reestablish your balance on the floor. Then, get right
back on. Note that sometimes it is better to gracefully fall off than it is to try to
stay on at all costs, since this can lead to falling off in an out of control manner.
If you experience a glitch (or hitch, or twang) while doing fast or forceful
bouncing, accept that such glitches sometimes happen, adjust your style if
necessary, and keep on with your workout.
Watch out for dogs and children during mid-session.
As to the first of these above points, you should obviously not bounce when you are
inebriated or otherwise incapable of bouncing safely. Second, make sure you start slowly,
a topic that will be addressed again later. There is no contest here, and it is important that
you give your mind and body a chance to adjust to whatever level of intensity you
eventually settle on.
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With respect to bouncing high, while there are advantages to doing so (as described in
Chapter 20), if you bounce too high you are likely to find yourself bouncing off the
rebounder, a situation which is both unpleasant and potentially dangerous. You can get
virtually all of the same benefits by keeping your high bouncing under control.
Is it possible to otherwise find yourself bouncing off or falling off the rebounder? When I
first started rebounding, I would, every now and again, find myself falling off, usually
pretty gently, that is, in a manner where I could easily and gracefully catch myself. Even
today, after many hundreds of hours of bouncing, I still occasionally find myself
stumbling and actually or almost falling off. For example, if I make eye contact with
someone who walks nearby and suddenly wants my attention, I can lose my focus and
potentially stumble.
The good news here is that almost everyone who bounces with attention will very quickly
find that their balance (and their sense of body awareness, also called proprioceptive
awareness) rapidly improves to the point where they very rarely fall off. The one
exception to this is that, sometimes, when bouncing at a very rapid rate or otherwise
bouncing very forcefully (e.g., running fast in place with knees very high), it is possible
to experience a kind of glitch where your smooth movement will somehow get
interrupted and it feels like you could fall or bounce off. This can also be thought of as a
hitch in your stride, or as if you were a guitar string that had been plucked and twanged
at the precise wrong moment. In any case, youll know it when you feel it. If this kind of
glitch should happen to you (and eventually it probably will), simply adjust the style of
the bounce that you are doing and keep on going. In other words, stay aware, dont panic,
and you will probably be able to continue with your workout just fine.
Finally, during mid-session, be aware of animals, especially dogs, who may try to jump
on the rebounder. As dog lovers know, every dog is quite different, and some of them are
either annoyed by or fascinated by rebounding enough to the point where they will try to
get on the rebounder with you. It is easy to have your balance thrown off and possibly
even fall if another mammal (including a child or adult!) gets on your rebounder while
youre bouncing, so do what it necessary to avoid this.
Children, the Elderly, and the Infirm
Children will inevitably be attracted to your rebounder (they love to bounce!). You must
therefore always be aware when children have access to your rebounder so that they can
be properly supervised. I generally do not let young children (under 12) bounce alone,
because they will inevitably drift towards unsafe movement or start leaping onto and off
of the mat. Even older children should not be left unsupervised unless it is your judgment
that the child in question is mature enough to understand and respect the rebounder, and
always act safely on and around it. Letting older children supervise younger children is
not recommended unless you have absolute faith in the older child.
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As for the elderly or infirm individuals, it is possible to buy a stabilizing bar (see Chapter
27) that fits onto the legs of the rebounder and gives a place to hold onto while bouncing.
If you do not need a stabilizing bar if you can bounce at all without one I recommend
against them, because they limit the movement of your body and the variety of bounces
that can be done. But if you do need one, they can make it possible for you to get most of
the benefits of rebounding. A step further in this direction is the bounce back chair, a
spring-enabled device that you sit in and then bounce on (see Chapter 19). In short:
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I say this not because two brands of high quality rebounders are offered through the Daily
Bounce website (http://www.DailyBounce.com) as of this writing, but because of my
personal experiences with inferior rebounders. First, as described in my Personal
Introduction in Chapter 6, like many others I bought an inexpensive rebounder in the
early 1980s. I used it for about a week, and then I put it away. Eventually, it rusted and
fell apart. Here is what it looked like when I discarded it:
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Second, a friend recently gave me an inexpensive rebounder that was taking up space in
her garage. I agreed to take it, thinking that it might be useful to have an extra rebounder
around. But once I got it home and tried it, I was thoroughly disappointed (but not really
surprised). Bouncing on this inexpensive unit was completely unsatisfactory: it hardly
gave any lift or buoyancy, my back and knees felt jarred and uncomfortable, and most of
what I am used to doing on a rebounder was simply not possible on this unit. Even my
then four-year-old daughter wouldnt have anything to do with it!
The Elements of a High quality Rebounder
Although there are many differences between high quality and inferior quality
rebounders, some of the most important differences to consider are these:
When I first stepped onto a high quality rebounder about two years ago it was a Dave
Hall model I immediately understood the difference. What I have come to learn is that a
quality rebounder uses a Permatronor equivalent mat, which will not distort or bend as
your feet hit the mat. This ensures foot, ankle, and leg safety. While mats made from
more generic polypropylene nylon may be adequate, a Permatronmat is currently
considered the state of the art and best suited to rebounding.
A quality rebounder uses thick, heavy-duty, wide-bellied (thicker in the middle, tapered
at the end) springs to ensure a good, buoyant, bounce. While there are different types of
springs and resulting bounces (e.g., one U.S. manufacturer, Needak, uses a type of spring
that is heralded as delivering a soft bounce), there is a world of difference between
cheap springs (which can easily break) and the overall bounce and user experience that
quality springs deliver.
Usually, thirty-six springs are used. In older rebounders the springs were attached directly
to the frame of the rebounder, but over time it became clear that attaching the springs
through hardier pins that sit in the frame was a more durable solution. Depending on the
exact configuration, the use of pins can also make it easier to change out a spring if one
should break.
Almost every manufacturer of quality rebounders highlights pictures of their springs
versus an inexpensive units springs. Seeing the heavy-duty wide-bellied springs
compared to the cheaper ones leaves no doubt in ones mind that there is a real
difference. As a consumer, what you need to know is that not all heavy-duty wide-bellied
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springs are created equal, and sometimes manufacturers, in order to save money, will buy
cheaper heavy-duty springs or get a bad batch. In some ways this is a repeat of the
dynamic that first drove down the qualities of rebounders in the 1980s, as described in
Chapter 8.
Fig. __. The left unit is a ReboundAir half-fold, while the right is
a no-name sports store brand. Note four things. First, the heavyduty springs on the left simply dwarf the springs on the right,
and represent the wide-bellied shape that has become standard.
Second, you can see the pin that attaches the spring on the
bottom of the ReboundAir unit, while the spring on the
inexpensive unit is attached directly to the frame. Third, the leg
on the ReboundAir model is folded down (attached by piano
wire that you can not see here), while the leg on the inexpensive
unit merely screws off. Fourth and finally, the spring cover on
the ReboundAir is much higher quality and more durable than
the inexpensive units cheap plastic cover.
In addition to the mat, a high quality rebounder will simply be made better throughout,
with heavy-duty hinges (on rebounders that fold), and better metal and plastic. Keep in
mind that on average, you will bounce up and down about 100 times a minute when you
are on a rebounder. If your Daily Bounce is just 15 minutes a day, and you weigh 150
pounds, then thats some 225,000 pounds of force (at the bottom of the bounce) that the
rebounder and all of its components has to deal with each day you bounce. If you weigh
175 pounds, and you bounce every day for a month for twenty minutes a day, then thats
over ten million pounds of force that the rebounder must accommodate that month. (This
same sort of calculation shows why even using light hand weights can give you a terrific
upper body workout.) The point here is that a quality rebounder is built to last, and for the
most part will do so, with the exception of the occasional spring or mat that needs
replacement if you are a hefty and vigorous bouncer. An inferior rebounder, in addition to
giving you a far less satisfactory bouncing experience, will eventually just fall apart.
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There are other differences between quality rebounders and inferior ones. On a quality
rebounder, the legs (which are about 9 inches tall) are attached by piano wire or a similar
mechanism; on inferior rebounders, the legs just screw on and off, and the screw threads
will eventually wear down or the legs will become lost or rust off (see Fig. __ above). A
quality rebounder will also have a good spring cover, and will usually come with a
carrying case. (The ReboundAir half-fold carrying case has a zipper, which means that
you can, in theory, take it on an airplane as luggage. I have personally had better luck
with air travel when presenting my rebounder in its original shipping box, so you might
want to save your box if you travel a great deal.) A quality rebounder will come with a
substantial warranty, and you will be able to get replacement parts if necessary, including
springs and even mats. Inexpensive sporting goods store type rebounders almost never
have replacement parts available.
As for shape, while you may find non-circular (square, rectangular, or trapezoidal)
rebounders available for sale, these are not recommended. Time has proven that any
shape other than circular yields rebounders that wear unevenly, both in their springs and
in their mats. Additionally, while it might be nice to have rebounders that are somewhat
larger, almost all high quality modern rebounders are about 28 or 29 inches across (and
weigh about 25 to 32 pounds). When I get complaints from individuals who state (usually
before trying one) that this mat width is just too small for a rebounder to be a truly usable
device, the complaining individual has inevitably had experience on a full-size
trampoline and is mentally making comparisons to his or her past experience. I explain to
such individuals that a rebounder is not a trampoline, not even a mini-trampoline, but
rather, is its own, unique, exercise device. I tell them that even though 28 or 29 inches
may seem small at first, if they give it a chance they will discover there are worlds of
possible exercises and probable benefits on a high quality rebounder.
The Daily Bounce.com website has links for purchasing rebounders from Needak and
ReboundAir, two of the venerable American rebounder manufacturers. Dave Hall also
produces a fine rebounder under his Cellerciser brand, although it is a bit more expensive.
JB Berns, who created and promotes the popular Urban Rebounding program, sells a
home rebounder for as little as $120 at the time of this writing. Mr. Berns is providing a
great value here, as he includes not only his half-fold rebounder but a stabilizing bar and
several workout videos as well.
The problem with the Urban Rebounding units is that they do not use a Permatron
mat. As stated in the FAQ on Rebounders and Rebounding Equipment in Chapter 10,
Permatron is a DuPont product which has been the gold standard against which all
other rebounder mats have been measured for quite some time because of its resiliency,
durability, smooth feel, and excellent bounce characteristics. Mr. Berns has stated that
because of its calendered nature (calendering is a way of finishing a material by
pressing it through rollers so that is smooth and glossy), he finds that Permatron mats
are slippery when wet or used in sweaty gym environments. However, as stated several
times in this book, I strongly recommend to everyone that they rebound without shoes or
socks, because there is a great deal of the rebounding experience that is intimately tied to
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the feedback you receive from your feet, including the substantial changes that you may
experience while rebounding from just slightly adjusting your feet. (See Chapter 17 for
an in-depth discussion of foot factors and variables in rebounding.) My belief and
experience is that most people who bounce barefoot find Permatron mats preferable.
However, if you plan on rebounding in a gym with shoes on, or otherwise need to or
prefer to bounce in shoes, or if you dont care about the difference in mats, then the
Urban Rebounding units, which appear to be quite durable, provide a truly excellent
value.
There are a number of non-U.S. rebounders also available, some of which are up to
several hundred dollars in price. My advice is to stick with the half-fold from
ReboundAir or Needak, or one of the Dave Hall rebounders, or if you dont care about
the mat difference, one of JB Bernss units. Anything less and you are probably wasting
your money and time, and anything more such as rebounders which are supposedly
electrically tuned, or contain springs of hand-made Irish Steel may be overkill. On
the other hand, if you happen to have one of these units, and have had great success with
it, please let me know. Maybe there are springs that never break and mats that never wear
out, and Ill just have to upgrade!
Are quality modern rebounders perfect? Well, no. Several of the rebounders I have
bounced on have had problems with mats that have severely frayed and come apart where
they are sewed on. (JB Berns and now ReboundAir have been experimenting with
increasing the amount of stitching on their units.) Other rebounders that I have used have
experienced spring breakage. (Theres nothing quite as disconcerting as having a spring
break while you are in mid-session! You can still bounce with one spring down, but it
changes the bounce, and is not particularly good for the other springs or the rebounder
itself. You are better off dismounting and replacing the spring as soon as possible.)
In my experience, both Needak and ReboundAir have been very good in honoring their
warranties for springs and mats they will usually send you a package of springs if one
breaks, and it is not that hard to replace a spring once you get the knack of it. (If,
however, you are not handy or dont have good hand strength, you might want to invite
over a mechanically oriented friend.) Keep in mind, though, that if you buy a high quality
rebounder you may never experience a spring breaking or a mat needing replacement. (I
weigh close to 200 pounds, and tend to bounce long, hard, and forcefully, and think of
myself as a kind of back-roads-of-Morocco road-testing device for rebounders.)
A high quality rebounder generally costing between $170 and $400 may be more
expensive than you prefer, but it is very much worth making this investment, even if you
have to save for it. Compare rebounding to the price of joining a good gym, which will
cost you $40 to $100 a month or more. Is a device that you can use at home, in good or
bad weather, that will enable you to have fun while you boost your immune system, lose
weight, increase your aerobic capacity, become more flexible, and even obtain
psychological and spiritual benefits, worth a couple of hundred dollars? I certainly think
it is, and encourage you to make the investment, because I have found and earnestly
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believe that establishing a regular rebounding practice is one of the best investments in
time and money that you can make.
The following chart sums up some of the current rebounders being offered and my
experience with or knowledge of them:
Brand
Type
Bounce
Rating
Cost1
Notes
Dave Hall/
Cellerciser
Dave Hall/
Cellerciser
Life-Tec
Soft and
buoyant
Soft and
buoyant
Soft and
buoyant
Soft and
buoyant
Soft and
buoyant
Firm and
buoyant
300 lbs.
$399
300 lbs.
$315
Excellent, said to
be best for travel
Excellent quality
300 lbs
$170
300 lbs.
$250
300 lbs.
$217
Rebound
Air
TriFold
HalfFold
HalfFold
HalfFold
NonFold
HalfFold
300 lbs.
$223
Rebound
Air
NonFold
Soft,
trampoline like
Quarter Firm and
-fold
buoyant
NonVery
Fold
firm and
buoyant
300 lbs.
$204
400 lbs.
$276
Needak
Needak
Rebound
Air
Urban
Rebounder
Urban
Rebounder
Basically a copy
of the Needak
Can bottom out if
too heavy3
?
Recommended?2
**
Yes
Yes
?
Yes, unless bottoming out concerns
?
Reliable, great
bounce
Cost given is the Internet or online price that you can typically find for the unit in question at
the time of this writing in the Summer of 2004, and does not include shipping or sales tax.
Shipping typically runs around $25 for rebounders shipped within the United States, and
substantially more for shipping outside the United States.
2
? means that I have neither tried the rebounder in question, nor do I have any reliable sources
who have tried it.
3
Weighing almost 200 pounds, I found that on some rebounders I would occasionally bottom
out, that is, my heels sometimes hit the ground underneath me, when I bounced vigorously on
these rebounders, especially if I landed with my heels. I am therefore somewhat cautious in
recommending these units to anyone who weighs over 185 pounds.
4
Constructed mainly from hard black plastic, this unit has not yet been perfected. I experienced
some significant problems with springs breaking and shooting through the air (with no spring
cover provided), and with mats severely fraying. ReboundAir has stated that they have since
reworked the stitching and corrected a problem in the springs that were being used. Also, this unit
is potentially dangerous to fold because of great spring tension.
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For those who want or need a stabilizer bar, as described in Chapter 27, these typically
cost about $50. They are relatively easy to install, as they just slip up and over two of the
rebounders legs.
Rebounder Storage
Most quality rebounders are advertised as being all weather. This means that if they get
wet, they will not be harmed, and that the sun will not destroy the mat if it is left outside
for a day or two. Nonetheless, your rebounder will last longer if you store it indoors, or in
a shed or garage. In particular, in the long run, any kind of regular exposure to the
elements will in fact more quickly degrade your rebounder. Like any other piece of
valuable equipment, you should take good care of your rebounder so that it can take good
care of you. Finally, if the springs on your rebounder get squeaky, then you may want to
spray some WD40 or other lubricant on them.
As stated in Chapter 11, it is best if you have a permanent indoor storage place for your
rebounder, one where you can always return it to so that it will remain in good condition
and never pose a tripping danger to anyone. If you have to store it outside your home,
then a garage or shed is best. If you have no room at all inside of any kind of building,
then cover your rebounder with a tarp. After snow or rain storms, make sure that water
has not puddled in or around the legs, springs, or elsewhere.
A Safety Reminder About Rebounders that Fold
The folding rebounder, first created by Al Carter in 1984, was a great innovation, as it
made rebounders more accessible both for folks with limited storage space and those who
travel. As discussed in Chapter 11 on Safety, always follow directions about opening and
closing half-folds, tri-folds, and quarter-folds. Since the units are under tension from the
springs, they can in fact close dangerously if you are not careful. If the instructions say
Do not close without the help of a second person, then make sure you have that second
person available. Keep the instructions handy, and read them again if you have not closed
the unit for a while. As always, safety first.
The Bottom Line
Spend the money to get a high quality rebounder. Youll be glad that you did.
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outsides of my feet, or from putting more weight on the heels versus the balls of the feet
versus the toes, and so on. (These issues are discussed in detail in Chapter 17.) Wearing
socks and shoes on a rebounder is, for me, not too different from wearing a raincoat when
making love. You can do it, but why would you want to?
Of course, if its cold where you are bouncing, or if for some reason your rebounder mat
is slippery, then you might want socks and shoes. Similarly, if you need special support
shoes for orthopedic or other medical reasons, then you should of course wear whatever
is necessary and appropriate.
Please note, however, that I may be in the minority on this. Al Carters The New
Miracles of Rebound Exercise (1988), has some bare feet in it including Al himself on the
cover, but there are more pictures with shoes than without. Als newest book, Rebound
Exercise The Ultimate Exercise for the New Millennium (2003), has an occasional
picture with bare feet or socks, but is for the most part illustrated with people wearing
shoes on the rebounder. Linda Brooks Rebounding To Better Health (1995) is almost all
shoes with some occasional socks; James Whites Jump for Joy (1984), while
spotlighting bare feet on the gorgeous cover pictures, is otherwise illustrated with shoes
and an occasional socks or barefoot shot; Harry & Sarah Sneiders Olympic trainer
(1981) is mainly socks, with some occasional bare feet; and JB Bernss Urban
Rebounding (1999) is shoes all the way.
The one exception seems to be Karol Trumans Looking Good Feeling Great (1982),
where the line drawings throughout the book seem to show bare toes and feet on the
rebounder.
I recently (Spring of 2004) spoke to Mr. Berns about this issue, and he simply pointed out
that in a gym environment participants need to wear shoes for hygiene reasons. He also
stated that certain rebounders have surfaces that are more slippery than others when wet,
so that anyone who sweats while rebounding barefoot should be careful.
It certainly makes sense that in a gym environment, where many people use the same
rebounder, or even in a home environment where there are multiple individuals
rebounding, a rebounder should be regularly wiped down and occasionally disinfected.
What I can ultimate say here is this: try it out for yourself. Do ten minutes with shoes and
socks, and ten minutes without. See which way feels better to you, and which way gives
you access to more rebounding possibilities, that is, more exercises, more different types
of bounces, and more of a feeling for what is possible in all dimensions on a rebounder.
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Bounce when and where you can, for as long as you like, but make sure
you get in a Daily Bounce of at least ten to fifteen minutes a day, on
average, over the course of a week.
With respect to the three variables of when, where, and how long, you may have to make
sacrifices. If you want a longer session, you may not be able to bounce outdoors, or in the
family room, or wherever it is that is your first preference. Similarly, if there is a specific
time that is your absolute favorite time to bounce, or maybe the only one you can fit into
your schedule, then youll just have to take whatever is available whatever you can
make work during that time slot. And if there is a particular place that is your absolute
favorite place to bounce, you may have to bounce there at a time or for a duration that
isnt your first choice. As an old friend of mine once said, when you compromise, you
harness.
Sometimes I wish this were more straightforward, and that there were definite set-instone rules about when, where, and how long. But the real world is full of infinitely
variable needs, preferences, and requirements, and what will work for you will not
necessarily work for anyone else, and vice-versa. So find a way, your way, the way that
works for you so that you can make sure you get in a Daily Bounce.
Lets look now at some generalizations with respect to the when, the where, and the how
long of rebounding.
When to Bounce
Exercise books often assert the importance of establishing a regular time for your
workouts. For some people this does indeed work best: find a time of the day when you
are usually, regularly, or almost always free, and set aside that time for at least your
minimum length daily bounce. In this way, as a regularly scheduled activity, you and
your body will soon grow used to rebounding and even come to expect it at this time of
day or night.
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If this method works for you, great. But for many people, life is more chaotic than that,
and rebounding, like everything else, will have to fit in when it can. But dont make the
mistake of waiting until the end of the day and then being too tired. Make rebounding a
priority, at least during your initial explorations, so that you can see for yourself whether
a Daily Bounce has the benefits proclaimed in this book. Be empirical, and be
disciplined. Once you get what rebounding can do for you, it will become easier and
easier to make sure you fit it in every day, or nearly every day.
Exercise books also usually point out that you dont want to exert yourself too intensely
after a heavy meal. Not only does this hold true for rebounding generally, but because
people have a tendency to underestimate the physical power and effect of rebounding,
you have to make extra certain to pay attention to this general warning.
Bouncing tends to activate the digestive system, so please take that into account in your
plans as well. This may be more of a where then a when issue, but be aware that you
may need to go to the bathroom quickly at a certain point during your Daily Bounce.
Having to urinate about ten minutes after you start bouncing is not uncommon.
Sometimes, more than urination will be called for! If you have to interrupt your Daily
Bounce to take care of personal needs, thats fine. Just get back on the rebounder as soon
as you are ready.
As to when during the day, some people like to exercise early in the morning, others later
in the evening. Everyone has their own cycle, with some of us being more lark-like and
others of us being more owl-like. Once again, use the rule of thumb of When should I
most often bounce to make sure that I get in a Daily Bounce?
If you bounce early in the day, make sure that your body is sufficiently
warmed up, either by taking a shower or bath, by doing some other physical activity (like
stretching or walking), or by going nice and slowly during the beginning of your Daily
Bounce. In other words, it is perfectly fine to warm up on the rebounder itself, especially
if you do some Breathwork Bouncing and Bodywork Bouncing, as described in Chapter
20s Catalog.
I like to bounce in the late afternoon, after I have already gotten in a good days work on
my computer. Rebounding almost always gives me a lot of energy, and in this way I am
alert and fresh for the evening. (See near the end of Chapter 25 for a description of the
vestibular system and its effect on general arousal.) A friend of mine bounces late at night
and has no problem at all going to sleep after she does so, but I suspect that for some
people late night rebounding will result in some difficulty in falling asleep.
With respect to other exercise, I like to bounce after I have lifted weights or done yoga.
In both cases, I always feel that rebounding speeds the recovery time from these other
kinds of exercises and amplifies their benefits as well. In general, rebounding is a great
way to take some time off from and de-stress from other exercises, especially intense
ones. Lance Armstrong, are you listening?
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You do not have to do all of your rebounding in one session each day. One friend of mine
keeps his rebounder out in his living room and every time he walks by it he gets on for
about two minutes. Using a rebounder like this is very different than undertaking
rebounding as a focused athletic or transformational activity, but it will nonetheless
provide basic immune system, aerobic, stress reduction, and dose-of-daily-fun benefits.
Sometimes Ill bounce for just two or three minutes soon after I wake up in the morning.
Given the increased energy and alertness I feel, Im always glad I did so.
Where to Bounce
Intimately connected to the issue of when is where? Some people will have plenty of
options for where to bounce, being limited only by the necessary safety and minimal
amount of room requirements previously described in Chapter 11. (The bottom line there,
as you recall, is that you need enough room to be able to extend your arms fully out, and
fully over your head, while you are in mid-bounce, and you need a floor and structure
that can handle the force of rebounding.) You may have a perfect place in your home,
indoors or outdoors, for bouncing, but only have unfettered access to it for a limited time
each day. Be wise, be crafty, and be persistent, and the right opportunity for you to
bounce will show up each day.
Whether to bounce around others or bounce in private ties in here. Some of us dont mind
if others are around, but others of us, in truth, like to bounce by ourselves. Rebounding
does make a great social activity, and I personally like bouncing with other people who
are bouncing or just when others are around, but there are people I know who are only
comfortable when they bounce alone. And thats just fine. It just might make it a little
harder to get to bounce where you want to and for as long as you want to if you are one
of these people.
My personal favorite place to bounce and this is one of the great advantages of living in
Northern California is outdoors on my deck when the sun is shining. I have an outdoor
sound speaker, I put my favorite music on, and despite what my neighbors might think
about hearing some of the same albums over and over again, my daily bounce time goes
by quickly and enjoyably nearly every single time. But, of course, sometimes outdoors
isnt a possibility like in the rain, or in the cold, or in the dark and during those times I
bounce indoors. I should add that it is possible for me to bounce outdoors when it is
already dark if I turn on our outdoors lights, but my experience has been that unless it is a
particularly warm night, bouncing in the illuminated dark is not nearly as nice as
bouncing in the daylight.
As described elsewhere, I have found it very useful to have a pair of wireless headphones
available for those times when I am bouncing indoors and there are other people around
who dont necessarily want to be subjected to my musical choices. Indoors also typically
poses space problems, but often it is possible to rearrange furniture and objects just
enough to make it possible to bounce. Once again, human creativity and ingenuity should
never be underestimated.
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I also like rebounding in an entirely different where, that is, wherever it is that I happen
to be when Im traveling or on vacation. Yes, it is a bit of an effort to bring my rebounder
with me, especially if I have to fly, but honestly, I dont like to go more than a few days
without rebounding, especially if Im being subjected to the stresses of travel.
Rebounders have several travel-specific benefits. These include its ability to stimulate the
digestive system and keep elimination on track, and the way it boosts the immune system,
which is particularly beneficial if you sleep poorly on the road or if you have to deal with
the increased germ exposure level that is part of airplane travel. Think about getting a
folding rebounder (see Chapter 12) if taking it with you when you are traveling sounds
appealing or likely to you.
In the past year, I have been able to rebound in the town of El Portal, not far from
Yosemite National Park, on the veranda of a hotel room directly facing onto the Merced
River. I have also rebounded on a deck in Mendocino, California, right on the coast,
looking directly at the ocean. Sunsets over the ocean never look better than when you are
rebounding! And then there was rebounding at the Burning Man Festival, held deep in
the desert of Nevada. I could only bounce there during the first few hours of the day;
otherwise, it was just too hot. You might be surprised at how handy the shade from an
RV can come in during such circumstances.
Ultimately, where to bounce is a matter of what you like, and what is available. Try to
find some place in or around your home that usually works, and then look for a few
alternative locations to spice things up when you have the opportunity.
How Long To Bounce
You should bounce as long as you like, or as long as you can. Here again is the basic rule
of thumb:
Bounce when and where you can, for as long as you like, but make sure
you get in a daily bounce of at least ten to fifteen minutes, on average,
every day.
But what, exactly, does this mean, especially the phrase at least ten to fifteen minutes,
on average, every day?
Daily doesnt mean that you have to do it every single day and never ever miss. What it
does mean is that on a good 5 or 6 days of every week, you will be rebounding for at least
ten or fifteen minutes. If you are doing anything less than that, then you are probably
denying yourself even the most basic benefits that rebounding has to offer. In my
experience, anyone who has really demonstrated the benefits of rebounding to himself or
herself will indeed find a way to rebound pretty much every day.
In this sense, rebounding becomes more of a way of life than an exercise that you go
out of your way to do. Indeed, it becomes part of the way that you do things, and as a
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result of regularly bouncing, because of the health and well-being benefits, youll find
that the total number of other things that you can do in your life increases. Its pretty
simple: if you feel better, have more energy, and get sick less, even if you have to pay a
time price to do it, that price is well worth it.
Note too that the term ten to fifteen minutes, on average, every day, is used here. While
it is definitely preferable to bounce every day or nearly every day (in this way, the
immune system benefits will be most likely assured), for some of us this goal is just too
impractical. Some people will only be able to bounce three or four times a week. If that is
your situation, then make sure, that on average, you are rebounding at least a good tem to
fifteen minutes a day, which means that if you do three sessions a week, then each of
those sessions should be about twenty-three to thirty-five minutes long. That may seem
like a lot if you are reading this book straight through and have hardly yet spent any time
on a rebounder, but dont let it scare you. Rebounding is inherently so much fun, so easy
to do by yourself, and so good for you, that a half hour is nothing, really, if all you can is
three sessions a week. Again, it is better if you can rebound every day, or nearly every
day, but if you cant, then youll have to make it up in volume (of minutes) during the
days when you can bounce.
But what, really, is optimal? Once again, this will differ for each person. What are your
goals in taking up rebounding? What is your current health and fitness level, and what
would you like it to be? Do you have any particular rehabilitative goals that you are
aiming at? Do you just want to make sure you get the minimum immune system boost, or
are you aiming at total transformation through rebound exercise?
For most people, a Daily Bounce of ten to fifteen minutes a day will produce substantial
benefits. If you want to spend less time, you could bounce for just five or so minutes, but
then you shouldnt expect very much from your rebounding. If you want to spend more
time, then like me, you might want to shoot for a period of days in a row where you
bounce for 45 minutes a day, or even an hour, to see what impact that has on your body
and your mind.
If you get into any of the inner work approaches described in Chapter 29, and your
rebounding and your meditation or other inner work have become one, then it may be
appropriate to bounce for even longer. There are times when its nice to not have any
time limits, especially when you are feeling good and in a nice environment, and then just
let yourself bounce as long as you want. In this sort of bounce trance, time can pass
extremely quickly and pleasantly.
A good solid workout, covering aerobic fitness, immune system boosting, as well as a bit
of breath and body work, can be done in a half hour. A half hour is also, of course, the
amount of time that a typical TV program takes, and for those who like to keep up their
Daily Bounce with a daily dose of TV, watching a half-hour program while doing a
rebounding workout is a great way to go.
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While bouncing is truly wonderful, it is important that you dont bounce for so long that
you have no time for other, regular gravity-based, exercise, including walking and
whatever else you like to do. In other words, dont become too used to only rebounding. I
like to make sure I get in some walking and some biking, as well as a bit of weight
training, on a regular basis. When were not on the rebounder, we have to remember that
we have to deal with gravity the way we normally experience it, and you dont want your
body to forget how to easily and smoothly do that as well! (See Chapter 24 on the
Principle of Adaptation and Re-Adaptation.)
Finally, although this has been said several times elsewhere in this book, it is very
important not to bounce for too long when you are just starting. Recently a friend of mine
who once ran a very famous retreat center for ten years got himself a rebounder. I gave
him a call to see how he was doing, and he admitted that he had gone too far, and that all
the muscles that he used to oppose gravity were darn sore. This happened even though
I warned him to go slow!
The problem, of course, is that once we like something, we want to do a lot of it right
away. But because rebounding is fun and easy, people tend to underestimate its impact on
the body. Once again, then, when you first get a rebounder, be kind to yourself, and work
your way up 3 or 5 minutes every day or two until you hit your time goal. There is no
need to start rebounding 30 minutes a day during your first week, and if you do try for
that, you are likely to get sore, disappointed, and give up. So be smart, go as slowly and
gently as you can stand, and in a very short while you will be up to the Daily Bounce
time that you desire.
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Note that the first of these four reasons is agreed to by everyone; the second and third are
generally agreed to, but considered somewhat skeptically by standard science; and the
last, while very real and obvious to many holistic health professionals and practitioners,
is completely ignored (or more frequently, simply denied) by the conventional medical
paradigm.
The importance of taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. Better (fuller,
deeper, diaphragmatic) breathing brings more air into the body, along with more oxygen,
airs most critical component. Similarly, fully breathing out rids the body of carbon
dioxide, our chief metabolic waste product. The cellular mechanics of why human beings
need oxygen to function, and need to get rid of carbon dioxide, are well studied and well
known. (Oxygen is necessary to convert glucose into energy, and carbon dioxide is the
waste product that results from this reaction. Note that the air that we breathe in is
typically 4% higher in oxygen and 4% lower in carbon dioxide than the air that we
breathe out.) Suffice it to say, without breathing, without taking in oxygen, without
getting rid of carbon dioxide, we die, while cutbacks on the amount of available oxygen
quickly result in decreased body and brain functioning.
The connection between breath, mind, and emotions. Many books on breathing, as
well as many ancient and modern spiritual systems, point to the connection between
breath and emotions. Recent writings have particularly focused on the fight or flight
mechanism. We learn to hold our breath when we are frightened, and we eventually
forget that we dont have to hold our breaths quite as often or as long as we tend to. At a
certain point, dysfunctional breathing patterns can lock in, that is, become both
neurologically and physically imprinted.
Interestingly, the great Freudian disciple Wilhelm Reich claimed that neurosis was
always linked to incomplete breathing patterns. (Reich went further and stated that
anyone who did not breathe fully, completely, and smoothly was by definition neurotic
and incapable of experiencing a full orgasm! Such talk, among other things, resulted in a
great deal of trouble and an unhappy end for Reich.) Today, contemporary practitioners
agree that full, deep, regular breathing is associated with relaxation, peace of mind, and a
feeling of being centered, calm, and present.
The necessity for and benefits from a fully flexible structural system. It is impossible
to fully breathe in and out without a physical structure that is open and flexible enough to
accommodate such breathing. That is, better breathing and a fully functioning and
flexible structural system from bones to muscle to connective tissue go hand-in-hand.
Similarly, full breathing also yields the benefit of internal organ massage, that is, as
your breathing musculature, especially your diaphragm, contracts and expands, the
various internal organs, including your heart, spleen, liver, and even your stomach and
intestines, are stimulated and in effect given a good internal rub-down. (Studies on heart
disease and breathing suggest that good breathing habits may contribute towards
preventing heart disease.)
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Many people dont breathe fully because they cant breathe fully. They stop short,
usually on the in-breath, because to breathe in more fully is to have to expand to the point
where they encounter discomfort, resistance, or outright pain. The extreme case of this is
when we have fully exerted ourselves and get a stitch in our sides, or when we have a
rib or vertebrae out of place and may benefit from a chiropractic adjustment. For many
people there is a lack of full breathing simply because they have unconsciously restricted
themselves to avoid any possible pain or discomfort that might be caused by more fully
pushing out, extending, or stretching out their physical structure. Fortunately, in perhaps
most cases, the best way to move through such blocks and constrictions is simply to
breathe into and through them, thereby expanding the bodys capacity for fuller
breathing.
Taking in more than just oxygen, letting out more than just carbon dioxide. Some
feel that when you breathe in you not only bring more air and its most critical component,
oxygen, into your system, but that you also energize your body with a type of subtle
energy variously known as chi (or ki), prana, orgone (Recihs term), od, bio-energy,
kundalini, life force, Holy Spirit, vital force, and so on. Similarly, when you breathe out,
some claim that not only are you discarding harmful carbon dioxide, but that you are
cleansing and purifying your mind and body of negative thoughts, emotions, energetic
complexes, physical holding patterns, and of course, subtle energy waste products.
A simple way to work with this is to say whatever it is that is bugging you or bothering
you whenever you breathe out, and to state what you want every time you breathe in.
You can do this aloud with just a word or two, or do it silently. In this way, you can
coordinate your psychological intention with the physical elements of the breathing
process.
The arguments about the existence of subtle energy are long, complex, and hoary, and
there is no need to discuss them in any detail in this book. It is just worth considering,
however, that there might be something to the thousands of years of claims that have
been made and experimented with in this area.
Better Breathing Generally
There is much that students and teachers of better breathing agree upon, and a good deal
that they do not agree upon. What everyone seems to agree upon is this:
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usually think of as the diaphragm, in the center of the torso, below and directly
attached to the heart), as well as several different sets of muscles involved in
breathing (the primary respiratory muscles including the diaphragm itself, the
abdominals, the intercostals muscles that expand the rib cage, and the secondary
respiratory muscles include, from bottom to top, the pectoralis minor, the
trapezius, the sternocleidomastoid, and the scalenes)
Diaphragmatic breathing (sometimes called belly breathing) is the most
efficient and effective way to breathe (for reasons having to do with gravity,
blood flow, the lungs, and oxygen exchange) and is where most breath work
appropriately focuses; to facilitate this, we must be willing to let our bellies go
as we breathe, regardless of how we think we may look, a point made in several
places throughout this book
Many people do not exhale completely, but instead grab for breath before the
exhalation is completed, and also do not allow for a beneficial pause after
exhalation
Muscular tension in the abdomen, chest, throat, pelvic, or anal area can distort or
prevent full breathing, that is, the more relaxed we are throughout our entire body,
the better our breathing will be
For the most part, we should breathe through our noses, complex structures
designed to optimize the delivery of oxygen to our lungs; however, there is
nothing wrong with breathing through the mouth when we have peak breathing
needs during, for example, intense exercise (including running in place or
jumping rope while rebounding)
Where there is less agreement is on issues such as the relationship of length of in-breaths,
out-breaths, and pauses after each. Ancient and modern texts on pranayama (a Sanskrit
term meaning restraint or control of prana) go into great detail on theory and exercises
for alternate nostril breathing and extending the pause after inhalation or exhalation.
Other breathing systems abound, including those associated with different types of yoga,
meditation, and alternative healing. Taken together, there is no general agreement here
among these systems as to the best way to breathe other than that in-breaths and outbreaths should be long, regular, and deep, should primarily focus on the diaphragm, and
that a pause after exhaling is probably beneficial (there are physiological and cellular
respiration reasons for this as well as psychological ones).
Better Breathing While On the Rebound: the Big Picture
A body that breathes more deeply and fully is a healthier body, and this holds true
regardless of what medical or metaphysical paradigm holds sway in your mind.
Experientially, then, not only is the following equation usually true for most people:
Better Breathing (fuller, deeper, diaphragmatic) Healthier, Happier Individual
But this equation is true as well:
Rebounding naturally and semi-automatically Better Breathing
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Go ahead and allow, and even consciously cultivate, this full exhalation. Then, having
been more fully emptied out than normal, you will tend to breathe in more fully as well.
Over time, this ongoing gentle mechanical nudge to exhale more fully leads you to better
breathing on both the exhalation and the inhalation parts of the breathing cycle. Note that
it may also be that during the upwards part of each bounce there is a natural and
automatic tendency to pull in more air for inhalation. This tendency can be explained
mechanically, muscularly, and in terms of air pressure differential.
The power of the rebounder to naturally induce deeper breathing can also be seen when
you have done a particularly fast or intense aerobic bouncing set, leaving you a bit out of
breath. If you keep moving your body, if you keep bouncing up and down, you will very
quickly and naturally find that your breath evens out and returns to normal.
Paradoxically, this return to normal seems to happen even more quickly if you continue
to move your arms as part of performing a Bounce Type that suits you. (Again, see
Chapter 20s A Short Illustrated Catalog of Bounce Types.) Keeping the whole body
moving by pumping with the arms seems to take the burden off of the breathing system
as ordinarily used, thereby allowing a faster return to normal. In this way, you can use
your mind to direct a part of your body other than the part that is exhausted to help the
exhausted part to recover more quickly. Does this seem like cheating somehow, that if
there is an oxygen debt there is an oxygen debt and there is nothing you can do about it?
Perhaps, but there may be more to the power of the rebounder to work with breath than is
obvious at first, and its simple mechanical powers may enable us to do extraordinary
things with our bodies.
Why is the term semi-automatically used in the above equation? Even though the
rebounder will naturally entice, invite, and even induce you to breathe better, more fully,
and more deeply, it is all to easy to turn down this invitation, that is, to subconsciously
resist these new openings and to allow previously existing patterns to continue to control
breathing. In other words, it is not an absolute guarantee that bouncing will automatically
improve your breathing. As a semi-automatic function, however, with just a little bit of
effort on your part, rebounding may easily help you improve your breathing. If you give
yourself, your existing physical structure as well as your energetic patternings, just a little
bit of a nudge in the right direction, then you may find yourself easily and naturally
experiencing better breathing when you are On the Rebound.
Better Breathing While Rebounding
As described above, your rebounder will mechanically assist or invite you to exhale more
deeply and fully at some point during your breathing cycle. There is, however, even more
that you can do to consciously breathe better on a rebounder, and gain the many benefits
of doing so, as follows:
First, place your attention on your breath and body awareness: When you
first step onto your rebounder, place your attention on your body and the way it
breathes; with just a little bit of initial focus and attention, you may soon be able
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to allow and lock in the better, fuller, breathing patterns that are naturally drawn
out by, induced by, and that want to take place on, a rebounder;
Second, relax your body from your neck and shoulders to your pelvis and
abdomen: pay special attention to your neck, shoulders, pelvis, and abdomen;
what you are actually aiming at relaxing is the entire internal body cavity that
goes from your pelvis and sacrum all the way up to your neck and shoulders,
including your back, chest, and sides; it is particularly helpful, though, to focus on
first relaxing your neck and shoulders (with your shoulders coming back and
down, and your chin pointing slightly down and gently tucking in), and second,
your pelvis, perhaps tucking it under just a bit, all the while keeping your
abdomen soft; the key, here, is to relax so that your body can, of its own accord,
find, uncover, or rediscover its own essential breathing pattern;
Third, fill all of yourself up and out, leading with your belly-button: fill up
your torsos inner body cavity with as much breath (and energy!) as possible,
stretching your body out in all directions, beginning with the full expansion of
your belly (your central diaphragm, a tough dome-shaped muscle, is flattening
down here and pushing out your abdomen), making yourself longer and more
open, as you then fill up the middle of your torso, and finally your chest;
importantly, forget that you have something called a waist (an artificial
construct of the fashion industry), and instead allow and invite your entire torso
your entire inner body cavity from your pelvis through neck and shoulders to
slowly and deeply fill up and expand outwards with as much breath as possible,
leading with the belly button; and
Fourth and finally, empty all of yourself out by fully expelling that breath:
just let go of your deep in-breath your body will relax and your belly will
contract back in (as your central diaphragm returns to its original position) as you
take about as long, or perhaps a bit longer, to complete the exhalation, all in a
natural, rhythmic, pattern, with the exhale being assisted by the mechanical nature
of rebounding; you may want to apply just a bit of muscular effort to contract our
abdomen at the very end of the exhalation, and then pause for a brief moment
before you begin the next inhale; note though, as my friend Harmon Hathaway of
Alignment.org points out, it is not necessary to empty every last bit of breath from
your body, because retaining some breath helps your structure remain more erect
and enables it to become larger and more expanded over time.
If you position your body in this way, first relaxing your shoulders, neck, pelvis, and
abdomen, and then expanding from the belly-button all the way up and out, and finally
relaxing fully and letting the breath out, the rebounder will help you to do the rest. You
do not have to worry about synchronizing your breathing with your bounces or with your
feet hitting the mat, and you do not have to specifically arch or tuck your pelvis back and
forth (although a gentle tuck in the middle of ongoing rebounding often enables even
better fuller breathing), or otherwise specifically direct how the breath goes into and out
of your body. Instead, just fill up your entire inner body cavity, leading with your belly
button and expanding outwards, allowing the air to go in and out of your body as you
bounce, and then let all of that air out, relaxing fully, and perhaps pausing for a second or
less at the end of the exhalation.
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Then let all that air out, exhaling deeply and completely, all the while keeping
your shoulders and neck above, and your pelvis below, relaxed
Stay aware and repeat, applying this better breathing to as much of your bouncing
as you can and is appropriate
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Part IV:
The Daily Bounce Manual Part 2
(How to Bounce)
15. Give Yourself a Lift: 4 Primary Propulsion Mechanisms
16. Putting Your Best Feet Forward: Foot Factors & Variables
17. Intuitive Rebounding:
Natural Movements, Basic Bounces, Simple Routines
18. Terminology & Types of Bounces
19. A Short Illustrated Catalog of Bounce Types
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first definition for rebound is To spring or bounce back after hitting or colliding with
something.
When rebounding, we hit, collide with, strike, or just land and press into the mat of
the rebounder with our feet.* The mat then transfers our energy into the springs, which
first stretch out, and then spring back into their original shape. As the springs do this,
they transfer the energy put into them back through the mat, which then pushes, forces, or
impels our feet, and with it the rest of our body, in an upwards direction. From the
perspective of our feet and body, the following stages occur in any one bouncing cycle:
we reach a maximum height, and then, pulled down by gravity, our feet make
initial contact with the mat
our feet and body weight descend through the plane of the mat as the springs
stretch out
the springs reach their maximum extension, and then start contracting back to
their original shape as our body first reaches its maximum point downward, and
then reverses directions and starts rising
our body start heading upwards, and depending on how much force we are
bouncing with and what we do with our feet, we may leave the mat entirely
we reach a maximum height, and then, pulled down by gravity, our feet once
again hit the mat
Figure __ illustrates a single bounce cycle, starting at the maximum height reached from
the previous bounce. It consists of 21 still video images taken 1/30th of a second apart.
Here, it took 7/10ths of a second to go through one bouncing cycle. Note how far the
springs stretch out at the bottom of the bounce.
Typically, when rebounding, we bounce up and down between 90 and 120 times a
minute, that is, in each minute we experience about 90 to 110 full bouncing cycles. If you
bounce very high, or otherwise create a lot of hang time, it is possible to bounce as
little as 80 times in a minute, and if you bounce very fast, with feet barely leaving the mat
or not leaving the mat at all, you can get in up to about 140 cycles in a minute. (It is
possible, of course, to leave some of your feet in contact with the mat during the entire
time you are bouncing, that is, you can lengthen the time of mat contact pretty easily. The
above discussion mainly concerns bouncing when your feet both leave the mat, that is, it
does not concern what was traditionally defined as the health bounce, as described in
Chapter 19.)
On average, though, we can say that most people bounce about 100 times per minute.
This means that a typical bouncing cycle is 60 seconds divided by 100 cycles, or sixtenths of a second per cycle. Obviously, there is a lot going on in this six-tenths of a
second!
*
For purposes of this chapter, we will ignore abdominal exercises (V-ups) done on the rebounder,
assisted bouncing, and any other type of rebounding that does not primarily use the feet to land
with when bouncing.
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Interestingly, when broken down a step further (based on videotaping myself and
watching many up and down cycles), it turns out that typical bouncing consists of about
3/8ths of a second when you are in contact with the mat, and about 2/8ths of a second
when you are in the air. (Add those two numbers together, and you get 5/8ths of a second,
which is equivalent to .625 a second, which is very close to the six-tenths of a second per
cycle average mentioned above.) Individuals of different weights, with different quality
bouncers, springs, and mat tensions, may find somewhat different results here. As they
say online, YMMV (your mileage may vary).
A higher bounce, or a bounce with more hang time, can add a bit of time to the total
cycle, bringing it up to .7 seconds, as illustrated in Figure __, or up to .75 or even .8
seconds (although this is difficult, at least for me, to achieve). Note that if you do manage
to bring it up to .8 seconds, you will have added an extra 2/8ths (1/4) of a second to the
amount of time typically spent in the air. We may be dealing with small differences here,
but these small differences can have tremendous psychological and perhaps even physical
repercussions. Learning to lengthen your hang time is a fascinating and rewarding
process, and will be discussed further in Chapter 29.
Now that we have taken a first look at a single bouncing cycle, the rest of this chapter and
all of the next one will focus on two critical questions that set the stage for the whole
bouncing process:
How do we generate the force that propels us through each bouncing cycle?
What happens with our feet as we bounce?
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When bouncing, we typically mix and match and use combinations of all four of these
propulsion mechanisms. Nevertheless, each of these four mechanisms generates its
propulsive force from the body in a distinctly different way, and each one adds a unique
quality to any given bouncing cycle. Just for fun, I recorded myself achieving liftoff from
the rebounder mat using each of these four propulsion mechanisms in turn. That is, I
attempted to isolate and use only one propulsion mechanism at a time to give you an idea
of what it might look like. Of course, to a certain degree we always use our legs and our
core torso muscles every time we bounce. Nevertheless, it is possible to isolate and
mainly use only one of these four mechanisms, as Figures __ through __ demonstrate.
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Fig__: Attaining Liftoff just by Lifting with Knees and Thighs (kangaroo-like Jump);
I typically do not recommend this method, because even though you can achieve
a lot of height with it, it is very easy to get out of control bouncing like this!
Fig__: Attaining Liftoff just with Lifting Knees and (Running in Place);
Arms were used here mainly for balance, not to provide lift
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Now that weve seen an example of how liftoff can take place using the four different
types of propulsion, lets experientially explore each one in turn.
[Note that before performing any of these propulsion exercise, it is probably best to first
warm up with some simple, gentle, bouncing for just a few minutes. If you havent
peeked ahead yet, take a look at Just Bouncin Chapter 20s Catalog.]
Propulsion Exercise # 1: Flap Your Arms
As you flap your arms, your entire body will begin to move up and down. Your feet, of
course, are involved throughout, and at a certain point your upper legs and even your
torso muscles will begin to play a role, especially if your heels or feet begin to leave the
mat. Nevertheless, the primary propulsion mechanism here is undoubtedly the force
generated by the movement of your arms, which in turn comes from your shoulders,
chest, and upper back. You also give your shoulders, chest, back, and core torso muscles
a good workout.
Arm propulsion plays a role in many of the bounces described later in this book. When
you use your arms, you not only give your heart and circulatory system a tremendous
workout*, but you can also increase the hang time of your bounces. Using both of your
arms also necessarily involves using both sides of your body and your brain, so you gain
any benefits that may come from integrating your left and right sides. You also use your
shoulders, chest, back, and arm muscles as well.
I love to use my arms while bouncing, whether Im doing so to gain more height, to
loosen up and help heal any arm, neck, or shoulder tightness or injuries that I might have,
and to tighten and tone my arm, chest, and shoulder muscles (a process which can be
enhanced with the use of light hand weights, as described in Chapter 20s Catalog. Arms
*
According to Dr. Morton Walker in Jumping For Health (1989), p. 33, Your heart has to work
250 percent harder to pump the same amount of blood through your arms as it does to pump it
through your legs. This is why people die while shoveling snow in the wintertime. It is not due to
the cold weather. Their arm movements are placing a tremendous burden on the heart muscle to
deliver oxygen and nutrients in the blood to the upper limbs.
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are also great for twists (where your arms add force to your movements but not in the up
and down direction), and just for general fun and self-expression, especially when
bouncing to music.
Propulsion Exercise # 2: Push Down With Your Abs & Core Torso Muscles
Moving down the body we arrive at the most powerful and most frequently used
propulsive force: our abs and core torso muscles generally. To get a sense of this, do the
following exercise:
Although the propulsive force here is generated mainly from your abs and quadriceps
(thigh muscles), other muscles come into play as well, including your gluteus
(buttocks muscles each buttock is comprised of three muscles, the gluteus maximum,
the gluteus minimus, and the gluteus medius) and the muscles of your lower back. Put
another way, in addition to your core muscles, the gluteus and quadriceps act as hip and
knee extensors and enable you to push down with substantial propulsive force.
This type of core torso propulsion is at the very heart of rebounding. Virtually every time
you bounce you are, to some degree, making use of your core torso muscles, especially
your abdominals. This has led Al Carter to create something called the Amazing
Abdominal Strength Demonstration, which is purported to show that even 20 seconds of
rebounding will produce tremendously strengthened abdominals, at least for the shortterm, in just about anyone.
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In Propulsion Exercises # 3 and # 4, the primarily muscle being used to lift your legs are
the hip flexors and the hamstrings. If you are trying to achieve as much height as possible
when bouncing, you may be tempted to put your hip flexors and hamstrings to great use,
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and jump kangaroo style, so you can jump as high as possible. But be cautious here. As
will be explained in the next chapter, I personally do not like and do not recommend this
kind of kangaroo jump, as it tends to create an out of control and sometimes unsafe
bounce. If you want to achieve more height, there are other and better ways to do so.
On the other hand, running in place, using your hip extensors and hamstrings to lift one
leg at a time, is a wonderful movement that I heartily endorse. For one thing, you can lift
your knees sequentially so that they are parallel to the ground or even higher than that,
and in doing so you give your lower back muscles a wonderful stretch, loosening, and
overall workout.
Propulsion Exercise # 5: Pushing Off With Your Lower Legs & Feet
Although your feet are involved in every bounce you take (except, again, for abdominal
work and assisted bouncing), there are many bounces where your lower legs will not act
as a significant source of propulsion. In fact, in some bounces, you will essentially
immobilize your feet, ankles, calves, and lower legs overall, and allow other propulsive
forces to mainly drives your motion.
Except for abdominal work and assisted bouncing, your feet are physically involved in
every bounce you take. In many bounces, however, your lower legs will not act as a
significant volitional source of propulsion. In fact, in some bounces, you will, to the
degree possible, immobilize your feet, ankles, calves, and lower legs overall, and allow
other propulsive forces to mainly drive your motion.
Note, though, that because of the way the nervous system works, your legs and feet will
still respond reflexively and be involved to some degree on every bounce. You can think
of your feet and legs as being somewhat like shock absorbers: as you move downward
and compress the mat and springs, the muscles involves are loading, and as you release,
the muscles are unloading. There is a natural, neurologically-based, reflexive tendency to
push when you feel a muscle unload, so your feet and legs will automatically get
involved to a certain degree, even when you make no volitional attempt to engage them.
Putting aside this always-present neurological and physical involvement, it is possible to
bounce in such a way that there is relatively little or no conscious engagement of the feet
or legs. On the other hand, as Propulsion Exercise #5 shows, your lower legs your feet,
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ankles, and calves can be the main propulsive focus and can in and of themselves move
you up and down or otherwise make a significant contribution to your bouncing. On
some of my favorite high bounces with the most hang time, I find that I can effectuate a
kind of lever action by powerfully press down through my feet and lifting up with my
heels.
Taken together, these four methods of propulsion arms, core torso, thighs/knees, and
feet/lower legs are what make bouncing up and down possible. As you go through the
above exercises, try to really feel and separately distinguish each form of propulsion. It
may also be useful for you to set up a full-length mirror or a video camera so that you can
see what your own body looks like as you explore each of these propulsion methods.
Remember, too, that as you go through your ordinary bouncing sessions and workouts
you will be mixing and matching these different forms of propulsion and, for the most
part, not really paying very much attention to them at all. That is, they will remain in the
background and will naturally and automatically come into play as needed unless you
choose to focus on and particularly emphasize one or more of the propulsion methods.
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Vertical Pitch: Are your feet flat as they hit the mat, or are they vertically rotated
on their long axis to some degree, with either toes or heels lifted
Radial Yaw: Are your feet pointed straight ahead on the mat, or are they radially
displaced, with either the heels closer together and the toes splayed out, or the
toes closer together and the heels spread apart?
Edge Roll Pressure: Do your feet have even pressure on the whole foot, or more
pressure either on the inside edge (similar to pronation) or the outside edge
(similar to supination)? (And, yes, I do like my edge roll with soar sauce.)
Lateral Displacement: Are your feet even with each other, or is one foot farther
forward on the mat compared with the other foot (that is, is one foot closer to the
mats edge, assuming your body is otherwise centered on the rebounder)?
Horizontal Separation: Are your feet shoulders width apart, or closer together
or farther apart than that?
Vertical Lift: How far do your feet come off the mat on any particular jump (and,
related to vertical pitch, do all parts of your feet rise to the same height)?
In-Out Differential: Are your feet in the same position as they first make initial
contact with the mat versus their position when they are in final contact with the
mat (about one-third of a second later), particularly with respect to vertical pitch?
Successive Bounce Differential: Do your feet pretty much remain the same on
each consecutive bounce in a series of bounces, or does their position repeat in a
specific pattern on every second step (called a two-step), often in coordination
with your torso and arms?
Overall Symmetry: Are both of your feet doing almost the exact same thing with
respect to each of the above variables or are they doing different things, and if so,
is that by accident or is it conscious and purposeful?
There are some exceptions here where the feet do not touch the mat, including abs work and
assisted bouncing.
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As you can see, there really are a lot of variables and possibilities that can be studied with
respect to each foot separately, and both feet taken together, on every bounce and even on
patterns of successive bounces. Some of these factors need no further explanation, some
bear a short discussion, and one factor, vertical pitch in the context of the in-out
differential, will necessitate a somewhat more elaborate explanation as it affects many
options.
Barings Ones Sole
[[[[[FROM ROBERT TO INTEGRATE:
BARING ONES SOUL -- the foot is conditioned when not supported by shoes ...
it is like running in sand, each vairation in contact forces the foot to adjust;
strengthening of intrinsic muscles each time -bouncing with shoes on is CRAZy
* more proprioceptrs in the botom of the feet than anywhere in the body
* everything that adjusts the foot adjusts ... as you compress the way ...
each one of those foot contacts forces the foot to adjust, and that adjustment
is an adjustment of a muscle group in the lower leg -if you put shoes on, you wipe all that out --
if a person is wearing orthotics ... one of the thigns they can do is simply put their shoes
off, and never leave the mat, and just lightly bounce, and feel their feet pushing off ...
they are engaging the muscles again, maybe for a long time ... it starts a process of
rehabilitation ...]]]]
Before discussing the various foot factors and variable, the strong recommendation given
earlier in favor of barefoot bouncing bears repeating. The bottom line here is simple: your
feet are the bottom line, that is, your feet are the most downward part of you, the place
where you come in contact with the mat over and over and over again as you bounce. As
one of the arguably most anatomically complex parts of the body, with a great range of
potential response and differentiation, slight changes and shifts in how you use your feet
will give you markedly different bouncing experiences. Except for people with special
bouncing needs those who require shoes for support, those who need to wear shoes for
sanitary reasons in a gym environment, those who want to bounce outdoors in cold
climates, and so on my strong feeling and recommendation is that barefoot bouncing is
a far better choice for almost everyone.
From a personal perspective, when I bounce with bare feet (especially on a Permatron
mat; see Chapter 12 for a discussion of equipment), I find that I can really feel the mat as
I land, including how my weight comes down. I then can really feel how I am propelled
upward as my feet leave the mat. With bare feet, it also feels to me that there is a much
cleaner transfer of energy from the springs and mat into my body. Along these lines,
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while bouncing I often think of my body as a foot-body, that is, as one unit, as one
mass with one center, that is bouncing up and down and that makes primary and initial
contact with, and through, my feet. Lastly, with bare feet, I can feel my toes fully
articulating, my ligaments stretching, and all the rest of the marvelous anatomical
complexity of my feet being fully deployed. With shoes on, it is much harder to pay
attention to, no less have any real flexibility with, many of the factors discussed
throughout this chapter.
This all comes especially clear to me when I am engaging in High Bouncing, as described
in Chapter 20s Catalog. Some of the time when I am bouncing my biggest and
highest, I can really feel how I catch myself on the outside edges of my feet, then move
my weight inwards to the balls of my feet, and the finally feel the rest of my feet make
contact, down to my heels. On the way up, I can feel, in a distinctly articulated fashion,
the exact opposite happening. It is much more difficult, if not impossible, to feel any or
most of this when wearing socks and especially shoes.
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Fourth, with respect to lateral displacement, you generally want to have your feet
directly under your body, that is, roughly the same distance away from the edge of the
mat (unless, of course, you are bouncing off center, which is fine to do from time to time,
as always bouncing exactly in the center of the mat is not feasible or even possible). The
point is that if you are bouncing a bit off center, your feet can both exhibit no lateral
displacement yet be different distances from the edge of the mat. The exception to this is
if you are doing some type of a back and forth shuffle, where you are consciously
engaging the principle of lateral displacement. (See, for example, the description of
Alternate Feet Shuffle in Chapter 20s Catalog.)
Fifth, with respect to vertical lift, this is something to notice and watch, and to cultivate
with respect to high bounces and increased hang time, as will be described later. Note,
however, that it is not necessary to bounce high, and that traditionally a whole category
of bounces the so-called health bounce (see Chapter 19) took place without ones
feet even leaving the mat. On the other hand, one of the most prominent long-term
theories behind the value of rebounding has stressed bouncing as high as possible
because by doing so you subject yourself to a higher gravitation force or g force.
Chapter 25 will have a great deal more to say on this subject. Whether the g force
theory or the alternative Force Flux explanation put forward in On the Rebound (near
the end of Chapter 25) is more correct with respect to why bouncing high seems to have
particularly positive effects on the human body, it seems likely that bouncing high for at
least some part of each rebounding session is desirable.
Sixth, as to successive bounce differential, it is likely that during some series of bounces
you will not be doing the same thing with each foot. In some cases you will develop a
two-step pattern where your every other bounce has your feet returning to the same
position. For example, I like to keep my heels in the same place while turning my toes
out radially quite a bit on bounce one and then back to being straight ahead on bounce
two. Advanced bouncers and those with aerobics and dance backgrounds may find that
they sometimes do opposite movements with each foot over a series of bounces.
Seventh, with respect to overall symmetry, simply notice over time whether both of your
feet tend to be doing pretty much the exact same thing or not. Often they will be, but
sometimes they will not. Most of the time you will want symmetry. If there is a deviation
from symmetry, ask yourself whether in this case it is a good thing and something you
want to continue. In certain cases, a lack of symmetry can indicate a physical or energetic
pattern or system that needs attention or healing. Sometimes I notice that my left foot
doesnt relax as much as my right foot, and this makes sense because of an old injury
there. Once I notice that my injured foot is not in accord with my other foot, I have the
opportunity to place attention on, work with, and perhaps even heal the old injury.*
*
For those inclined towards doing inner healing work, when bouncing you may have the
opportunity to envision a healthy physical or energetic pattern as you let go of an unhealthy or
nonfunctional one. Over time, it may be that we can move towards healthier patterns if we give
our bodies enough of an experience of those patterns both subjectively and physically while
we are in the gravity-altered, new dimensional, state of bouncing.
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SUSTAINABLE?
COMMENTS
Yes
5 Heels mainly
Heels mainly
6 Heels mainly
Not really
An even odder
movement
Fig. __ : Combinations of Initial and Final Mat Contact in Any One Bounce
Going through the chart, Combination # 1, where you land on your toes, balls, or toes and
balls, and then take off with the same configuration, does not represent an in-out
differential, but sets the stage for Combination # 2. Note that Combination # 1 can be
done for a short while, and provides intense foot, calf, and lower leg work. This is the
situation illustrated in Figure __ at the end of this Chapter.
With Combination # 2, as illustrated in Figure __you initially make contact on your toes,
balls, or toes and balls together, and then you roll down to your mid-foot or even your
heels as you take off. Combination # 2 can be sustained longer than Combination # 1 can,
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and it provides you with a lot of vertical lift as your heels roll back up as part of the
takeoff. In other words, if you initially land with your toes, balls, or toes and balls, and
then you roll down to your mid-foot or heel, then as part of the take-off you must lift your
heels again so that they will be in the up position before you land again. Although this is
a somewhat odd combination, it can be quite a bit of fun and provide you with a lot of
lift. The following exercise will give you a taste of these two toes and balls patterns.
Vertical Pitch In-Out Differential Exercise # 1:
end of this Chapter, and Combinations # 3 and # 4 can be experienced through the
following exercise:
Vertical Pitch In-Out Differential Exercise # 2:
The final two Combinations start with making initial contact with most of your weight on
your heels. (Note that when you land this way, you will still be making some contact with
the outside of each foot, as well as the balls of each foot.) Combination #5 has you
making final contact with most of the weight in your heels as well. This combination is
only sustainable for a short while, and may feel a bit odd. It is sometimes easier to do if
you lock your knees (which is only safe because the rebounder takes roughly 85% of
your weight as you bounce.)
An even odder movement (which you will not be asked to experience as an exercise!) is
Combination # 6, where you make initial contact with your weight mostly on your heels
and then you roll down to your mid-foot or even your toes and balls upon final contact.
While theoretically possible to achieve, this is not really a sustainable move, and does not
accomplish very much.
Now that we have reviewed the methods of propulsion, the variety of foot factors, and the
intricacies of combinations of vertical pitch in-out differentials, it is time to move our
focus to the great variety of bounces that you can choose from and experience while On
the Rebound. So while it was (I hope) useful for you to get a detailed look at the role that
the feet play, it is important not to get hung up here. That would de-feet the entire
purpose of this Chapter. For the most part, your feet will take care of themselves while
you are bouncing. From time to time, though, you may want to consciously place
attention on and play with the different foot factors to see if you can improve your
experience even more.
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Fig. __, Combination # 2: Toes/Balls In, Roll Down Heels, Balls/Toes Out
[Total elapsed time: 1/2 second]
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Fig. __, Combination # 3: In Whole Flat Foot, Out Whole Foot Flat
[Total elapsed time: 1/2 second]
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Fig. __, Combination # 4: In Whole Flat Foot, Roll Up, Out with Balls/Toes
[Total elapsed time: 1/2 second]
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opportunity is continually presented for you to go inside and work with your intuition in
order to find out what will personally benefit you the most.
In order to take advantage of this golden opportunity, and in order to make trusting your
intuition as fun and easy as possible, it is helpful to experiment with and parse out, ahead
of time, your own Natural Movements, Basic Bounces, and Simple Routines. First, you
want to see what your own Natural Movements are on a rebounder; next, you want to
determine your personal set of standard or Basic Bounces, the ones that you can easily
come back to and use time and time again; and finally, you want to set forth several
Simple Routines which bring together your Basic Bounces so that you can be sure that
during any given bouncing session you will have covered all the bases for yourself. The
relationship of these three categories is illustrated by the set of concentric circles in Fig.
__:
Natural Movements
Basic Bounces
Simple
Routines
In other words, from the set of all your Natural Movements you will discover and settle
on a set of Basic Bounces, and from that set of Basic Bounces you will put together and
regularly make use of at least a few Simple Routines.
Natural Movements
First, experiment with and discover your own Natural Movements on the rebounder.
What comes easily to you? What do your legs want to do? How high do you naturally
bounce? What do your arms do? How about your wrists? Do they stay firm, or do they
sometimes flap around a bit? What about your feet? Do they stay in the same place, or do
they move in and out, or back and forth? What part of your feet do you like to land on?
What feels most comfortable with your feet? Your legs? Your torso? Your arms? What is
the most fun? What does your favorite music entice you to do when you listen to it? How
about your neck and head? Do they stay still, in one position, or are they somewhat loose
and do they move about a bit as you bounce?
How about hand weights or their equivalent? Do you like holding them and jumping with
them? If so, what types of movements come to you easily and painlessly when you are
using them? Do you like to go to the point where you just cant do another rep, or do you
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like to stop earlier? What about jumping rope? If this is something youve done in the
past it may come easily to you and be a great deal of fun. Or how about running in place?
Or dancing? Or performing martial arts kicks, punches, or kata movements?
The point here is to truly allow yourself the freedom to find out what comes naturally to
you on the rebounder. Experiment. Try things out. Allow your body to do whatever it
wants to do, regardless of how silly or odd you think you might look. Be aware of your
body, but dont be self-conscious about what you are doing. If you are coming in with a
spiritual orientation and already do some kind of inner work, see if whatever that work is
can naturally and easily can be performed on the rebounder. (See Chapter 29 for more on
inner work.) Or if you have a favorite physical exercise or sport, see how it translates to
the rebounder. (See Chapter 23 for more on bringing favorite exercises and sports
movements to rebounding.) Once again, the rebounder is a universal machine, and
thousands if not tens of thousands of different exercises, movements, and bounces are
possible on it. Be creative, expand the envelope of what has been done and can be done,
and rest assured that your own intuition, your own natural sense of what is right and
possible, is the best guide that you could possibly have here.
Basic Bounces
From the large universe of Natural Movements anything and everything that comes
naturally to you on a rebounder, including anything you might want to try from A Short
Illustrated Catalog of Bounce Types presented in Chapter 20 it is then helpful to pick a
series of Basic Bounces. I sometimes think of these as maintenance bounces, because I
know that if I include most of my Basic Bounces in a rebounder workout, I will, at
minimum, be getting a very thorough and rigorous physical workout that will at least
maintain my current level of generally excellent health. My personal Basic Bounces
change somewhat over time, but almost always include all of the following (all described
in Chapter 20s Catalog):
Awareness Bouncing
Bodywork Bouncing
Jumping Jacks (many varieties)
Arm Circles (both directions)
Twists
High Bouncing
Tapping (a kind of bodywork)
Running in Place
Hand Weights Bouncing (several types)
If I am bouncing along, listening to music, and suddenly dont know what to do next, I
merely turn to one of my Basic Bounces. If Ive already done that Basic Bounce earlier in
the session thats no problem, because in the long run, whether in my current bouncing
session or in the next one, Ill get them all in. Moreover, I never have to struggle to
remember what my Basic Bounces are my body does the remembering for me. All I
have to do is tune in, breathe deeply, and let myself go, and I inevitably find myself
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moving towards one of my Basic Bounces or a Simple Routine that includes several of
them.
Of all my Basic Bounces, there are a few Jumping Jacks, Twists, Running in Place
that I turn to the most. I suppose these are my Most Basic Bounces. You will probably
develop your own Most Basic Bounces, the ones you consistently return to when you
have pushed the envelope and are out of breath, or just want to happily and ecstatically
experience your body moving through space and time.
Going even one step further, among all my Most Basic Bounces, there is usually one in
particular that I tend to return to at any given time. Typically this is a type of Jumping
Jack or High Bounce, that is, something that uses both my arms and my legs in a
powerful fashion. Time goes by quickly when I use this Most Basic Bounce Of All, and I
find it is often especially useful when I want to put my body on a kind of autopilot so I
can do meditative or other inner work, as described in Chapter 29.
After just a few weeks of rebounding at most, you will probably settle on your own Basic
Bounces. Nourish them, cherish them, and allow them to be simply perfect for you. By
having Basic Bounces that you can turn to at any time during your workout, you free
your mind from worrying about whether youve done the right thing, done enough, and
so on. Instead, your bodys great intelligence can take over, and you can bounce freely
and happily, knowing that every time you bounce you are treating yourself to a great
health, fitness, and well-being workout.
Simple Routines
A simple routine is merely two or more Basic Bounces that are performed together in
sequence. For example, I personally usually move from Jumping Jacks to Arm Circles in
one direction back to Jumping Jacks and then back to Arm Circles in the other direction.
Or Ill go from The Twist to Bodywork Bouncing to give myself a chance to settle down
and work through the results of intensely twisting. Once again, in service of keeping
things fun and easy, and allowing your mind to be free from worry or concern, it is very
useful to have these Simple Routines readily available.
The best way to discover your own Simple Routines is to see what happens naturally, that
is, which Basic Bounces tend to follow each other in the normal course of your
rebounding? Notice the patterns that occur, and then pick up on them so you can
remember and make use of them. Write them down if you like, or videotape yourself
some day and see what sort of patterns you intuitively put together.
Over time, as with your Basic Bounces, you will find that your body automatically
remembers several Simple Routines. Like a programmer who reuses blocks of code, or a
songwriter who has favorite melodic riffs and sequences, you will find yourself blissfully
repeating some of your favorite sets of bouncing exercises, especially if, like me, you
repeatedly bounce to some of your favorite music. In fact, music can easily become the
driver of your bouncing workouts (see Chapter 22), and you will find that, like a young
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child at play, you gain great joy from repeating the same movements in the same places
to the same songs. Simple Routines are fun, easy, efficient, and effective. (I once learned
in a seminar that efficiency is getting the job done right, while effectiveness is getting
the right job done.)
Although rebound exercise can be made quite complex, with choreographed dance or
martial arts workouts, it can also be quite simple. Having several Simple Routines, which
are based on your own Basic Bounces, which in turn derive from your own Natural
Movements, will enable you to follow your real-time intuition as to what feels good and
does good for you, your body, your mind, and beyond.
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is possible to get a type of rebounding workout at least with regard to the lymphatic and
aerobic benefits of rebounding (see Chapter 25) using any of the following apparatus:
For starters, it is possible to get a rebound-like workout from a bed, a hobby horse (if you
have a really big one!), or almost anything with springs. (How many times have you seen
children jumping up and down on a bed?) Beds and other objects like this are not
designed to provide a continuous or rigorous workout, however, and they will not last
long even if you do manage to get a good bounce out of them.
If you have access to a medium- or full-sized trampoline, it is certainly possible to get a
good rebounding workout on one. In addition to their size, however, there are some
distinct disadvantages to using a trampoline for the type of health and fitness focused
rebounding described in this book. First, trampolines may, but do not usually, give the
same kind of tight controlled bounce that a rebounder does. Second, it is harder to stay in
one place and go through the powerful patterned repetitions that are at the heart of
rebounding as an energizing health and fitness practice.
Third, on a trampoline, most people are eventually tempted to do at least an occasional
gymnastic movement or stunt that would be inappropriate for a rebounder. This is fine
if you are interested in doing these kinds of movements, but it is distinct from what
makes rebounding so fun and beneficial and may prevent you from establishing a regular
rebounding practice. Forth, trampolines are not nearly as portable as rebounders are. You
cant, for example, set them up in your living room so you can watch TV or listen to
music, and you cant easily take them with you on vacation. Bottom line: trampolines are
great, if you have one, if you like them, and if you want to be trampolining. But if you
want to be practicing and experiencing rebound exercise, you will need to do it on a
rebounder.
The bounce-back chair is another way to have an invigorating rebound-like experience.
Especially made for those who are physically challenged, with the bounce-back chair you
sit in a seat which is attached by springs to a large metal frame. Although you are not
holding up your own weight (these units are sometimes described as being zero
impact), by working with your core torso muscles, and by using your arms, you can get
an intensive workout on a bounce-back chair that will bring you many of the benefits of
upright rebounding, including lymphatic/immune system benefits, aerobic conditioning,
and the toning and building of arm, torso, and leg muscles through repetitive movement.
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[replace pic with 300 dpi version that I shoot, ideally with Molly Hale)]
Finally, there are jump boots, also described as low impact rebound sport shoes. With
jump boots, you are in effect able to take rebounding on the road and get an especially
intense cardiovascular workout. It takes surprisingly little time to become comfortable
with these boots the hardest part for me was figuring out how to snap them down tight
around my feet and ankles. The upsides are obvious: you can get out of the house and
have a rebounding-like workout on the beach, in a park, or in your neighborhood. The
downsides are that your feet are quite confined, and much of the free flight experience
of rebounding is lost. Those who like jump boots tend to like them a lot; one friend of
mine claims that he gets a better cardio workout with them than with anything else he has
ever tried (including upright rebounding).
For our purposes, the terminology used to describe bounce types will focus only on what
is possible on a rebounder, and not with what is possible on beds, hobby horses, bounce
back chairs, or jump boots. Other activities that give a rebounder-like experience, such as
horseback riding, bungee jumping, and intense sexual activity, will not be directly
considered here.
Traditional Language used to Describe Bounce Types
Rebounding as we know it goes back to the mid-1970s. Since that time, a particular set
of terminology has come into use that has been repeated in almost every book that has yet
been written on rebounding. This terminology, introduced primarily by Al Carter (see
Chapter 8), categorizes bounces into five main types:
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Health bounces
Aerobic bounces
Strength bounces
Sitting bounces
Assisted bounces
As traditionally used, a health bounce is one in which some or all of your feet remain in
contact with the mat as you bounce. Even though there may be very little exertion here, if
someone is on the rebounder and moving at all even with a very gentle bouncing
motion with the feet remaining in one place and not leaving the mat at all that
individual will still receive at least some of the benefits of increased lymphatic
circulation and boosted immune system functioning. (See Chapter 25 for an in-depth
scientific look at the claim that rebounders boost immune system function.)
A health bounce thus defined can easily be done by almost anyone, including those
individuals who need to or prefer to bounce with a stabilizer bar or a wall nearby to keep
their balance. The health bounce, then, was conceived both as a warm-up exercise for
more intensive rebounding, as an end in and of itself, since it provides increased lymph
flow, a cardiovascular training effect, and had at least a minor effect on other body
systems (e.g., the vestibular or inner ear system, the bodys proprioceptive mechanisms,
some muscle tone and flexibility increase, and so on).
Next came the aerobic bounce. Walking fast, running in place (all the way up to
sprinting), dance steps, kicks, and so on, were all considered aerobic bounces. The
point here, of course, was to get ones heart rate up (to a safe range), and to work the
cario-vascular system. Anything that moved the body fast enough was considered an
aerobic bounce.
The third category was the strength bounce. Here, the idea was to bounce as high as
possible, or at least significantly up from the mat. According to Al Carter, This is called
the Strength Bounce because the vertical loading of acceleration, deceleration and gravity
creates an increase in the G force to which each cell of the body has to adjust. The higher
the bounce, the greater the G force. As will be explained in Chapter 25, the equation of
bouncing high and an increase in cellular strength due to increases in g-force is an
interesting and even provocative claim, but not one that has been proven. It may be true,
but we dont know that it is true, and it is not necessary to explain why rebounding feels
so good, and in fact is so good, for the human body.
The fourth category was sitting bounces, which just as easily could have been named
abdominal bounces. Fifth and last came assisted bounces, which describe ways to use
a rebounder for those who are differently-abled and want to take advantage of the many
health benefits that flow from bouncing (as discussed in Chapter 27).
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work well for you. But you will almost certainly also make up your own Bounce Types.
Your body already knows how to move, and as you gain confidence on the rebounder,
you will bring your own knowledge to bear and undoubtedly you will find ways to
bounce that particularly suit you. Its like that old TV commercial: Oh theres nobody
else in the whole human race, with your kind of style, and your kind of grace
Traditional/Alternative Name
Health Bounce
Aerobic Bounce
Resistive Bouncing
Strength Bounce
Sitting Bounce
Figure __ presents the terminology used in the Catalog, along with the traditional term
that may have been used to categorize the types of bounces in question (or any other
alternative term that is commonly used). Bounce Type is the term used to describe an
entire category of bounces. For example, At Ease, Frequent Flower, High Bouncing, and
Sitting Abdominals are all Bounce Types. A total of a dozen different Bounce Types are
included, and each of these is illustrated by one to five specific examples, along with
variations on some of those examples. For example, the Frequent Flower Bounce Type is
illustrated by four examples: Just Bouncin, Jumping Jacks, The Twist, and Free Flow
Feel Good.
The reasons for mostly abandoning the older terminology are given above in this chapter.
Youll note that a majority of the Bounce Types do not have a traditional equivalent. This
is mostly because the traditional terminology had only three main categories, and that
was simply not enough to account for even the major types of different bounces that are
possible.
In addition, there are a few categories, including Motion Maximizer and Structured
Strength in Motion, whose terms are newly invented for On the Rebound. I put these
categories in not because I like to come up with new names for things (which, admittedly,
I do like to do), but for two reasons. First, in many cases, the Bounce Type in question
Bodywork Bouncing is a good example has been entirely missing from previous works
on rebound exercise. Second, these terms evoke (at least within me) a strong sense of the
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possibilities inherent within the Bounce Type being described. This will become clearer
as you read through and then consult the Catalog over time. Now, on to the Catalog!
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Categories of Bounce Types, of which there are 12, is the broadest classification;
an example of a Category is Fast Bouncing
Bounce Types, of which there are over 30 types listed, fall into the Categories;
Running in Place is a Bounce Type that is part of the Fast Bouncing Category
Bounce Type Variations, indicating different ways that Bounce Types can be
performed, are given for most Bounce Types
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Catalog Examples
Page
CATEGORY:
Rebounding is a fun easy way to vibrant health and well-being. To a great extent it is
the ease that we bring to rebounding that makes it so effective. This is true both for
rebounding as a health and fitness practice generally, and as an activity that can be
simply and regularly returned to, day after day, month after month, year after year.
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Comments: This is about the simplest Bounce Type possible. Note that the feet do
sink into the mat here, so there is an actual up-and-down pulsing motion and vertical
displacement of the body. Generally, the arms will not move very much, but may be
needed for balance. This is an excellent movement to perform while also practicing
Breathwork Bouncing.
Variation # 1: Try putting your feet closer together, even right next to each other, or
separating them out as far as they will go while remaining on the mat.
Variation # 2: Place your feet in a V configuration, with heels together and toes
separated, or with toes together and heels separated. Along these lines, the various
positions of ballet (e.g., first position, second position) can also be tried out while
Pulsing in Place.
Variation # 3: Loosely hold a hand weigh in each hand as you are Pulsing in Place.
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Comments: This movement is reminiscent of taking a stroll in a park. Note how the
right foot is behind the left foot in the 2nd image, but has passed in front of it by the
third image (1/30th of a second later). This is another excellent movement to do while
practicing Breathwork Bouncing.
Variation # 1: Consciously swing your arms with your feet, moving your right arm
forward as your right foot goes forward, and your left arm backwards as your left foot
goes backwards, and vice versa.
Variation # 2: This time, swing your arms in the opposite direction, that is, as your
right foot goes forward your left arm goes forward, and so on. Note that by moving
opposite arms and legs forwards and backwards, you activate the cross-crawl
principle, which is said to help with left brain/right brain integration.
Variation # 3: Start with your feet horizontally closer together (up to right next to
each other) or spread farther apart (farther than shoulders length apart.)
Variation # 4: Experiment with how far you vertically displace your feet (e.g., do
they barely change places with respect to which one is further forward, or is there a
substantial gap by the time one foot has moved all the way forward and the other has
moved all the way backwards?). You can also experiment with how far you swing
your arms backwards and forwards.
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Comments: This is an easy and powerful movement which, like one of the At Ease
Variations, engages you in a cross-crawl motion. In addition to focusing on your
feet to generate the twist, you can also focus on your core torso muscles and generate
the twist mainly from there. Let your arms swing freely, of their own accord.
Variation # 1: Start with your feet horizontally closer together (up to right next to
each other) or spread farther apart (farther than shoulders length apart).
Variation # 2: With your feet close together (as in Variation # 1), try pressing your
knees and thighs together as you twist (unless you have or are susceptible to cartilage
damage, specifically medial meniscus damage). Please note that although not always
specifically pointed to, there are many Bounce Types throughout the Catalog
where, if you hold your knees and thighs together as you bounce, you may
experience the movement in a radically different, beneficial, and wonderful way.
Variation # 3: Focus on twisting from your core with gusto: really feel your
abdominals and core muscles as the part of you that generates the twist.
Variation # 4: Experiment with how far you swing your arms. Does it feel very
different if you hold them close versus giving them an extra big swing in each
direction? How about if you lift your arms vertically up and down (so that your hands
get as high as your head) instead of swinging them horizontally?
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CATEGORY:
BODYWORK BOUNCING
Given the many schools and types of self-massage, Touch for Health, Reiki,
acupressure, and so on, it should not be surprising that self-administered touch
during a rebounding session might have positive effects. What has surprised me,
however, is just how essential I have found Bodywork Bouncing to be during my
own ongoing sessions. I almost never let an entire session go by without doing
some holding, pressing, tapping, or slapping. (Yes, slapping!) In some cases, Ill
spend up to a fourth or even a third of a session on Bodywork Bouncing.
Over time, I believe that Bodywork Bouncing may come to be recognized as an
important part not only of rebound exercise, but of holistic and alternative self-care
generally. I urge you to experiment and come up with new forms of Bodywork
Bouncing that meet your needs while engaging your skills and creativity.
The four Bounce Type examples (plus Variations) provided for the Bodywork
Bouncing Category are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Holding
Pressing
Tapping
Slapping
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Comments: Here you simply hold the body part in question or place your hands over
it. If you pay attention to your breathing as well (see Chapter 15 and the next Catalog
Category), you may experience not only greater body awareness, but the coming to
awareness of (and perhaps even the healing of) dysfunctional or blocked physical or
energetic patterns.
continued next page
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Comments: In the images above my fists start out pressing into my upper buttocks,
then move up just a bit to my pelvis, then up a bit more into my lower back, and
finally end up at my mid-back. You can keep your fists in any one place as long as
you like, or move it up and down every several bounces as suggested in these images.
When doing this kind of work, it is important to stay aware of your breath, keeping
your neck, shoulders, pelvis, and abdomen relaxed. As for how hard to press, this
depends on you. Some people have much higher tolerances for pressure than others
one persons pleasure may be another persons pain. As always, do what feels good,
and pay careful attention to how your body feels when you are done with this Bounce
Type.
Variation # 1: As suggested in the description of Holding, try pressing into the sides
of your neck with your thumbs.
Variation # 2: Try Pressing into your lower back, as illustrated above, with your
knees and thighs held together (see previous page for an illustration of knees and
thighs held together).
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Comments: When you tap on your body with your fingertips you encourage full
breathing and body awareness. Not only does energy seem to move through and
invigorate the body, but it becomes easy to note how you are breathing and
consciously participate in your breathing patterns (see the Breathwork Bouncing
Category). Tap lightly but firmly, moving the tapping up and down your torso,
making sure that you keep your neck and shoulders, as well as your pelvis and
abdomen, relaxed.
continued next page
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Variation # 2: Tap on other parts of the body than the ones described above. Try
places on your back, on your sides, and wherever else you are drawn to (or can reach).
Variation # 3: Instead of tapping by volitionally moving your hands and fingers (or
the side of your hand in the case of the karate chop points) to a spot on the body, try
holding your hands or fingers steady and bounce yourself into them. In other words,
on the upward part of each bounce cycle, if you hold your hands and fingers steady,
different parts of your body will naturally come into contact with them. This is a very
different way of making contact with yourself. See what it becomes or wants to
become, and what you can do with it.
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Comments: The slapping sequence illustrated above goes by the fun name of
Spanking the Bun Chi. (See Chapter 15 for references to chi.) Now, Slapping can
sound a little odd to the untutored ear, and can look even odder to someone who
sees you doing it. But dont worry about other people, and if you prefer, do your
rebounding and especially your Slapping alone. The point is what helps you, what
feels good to you, and what works for you.
Slapping can be surprisingly invigorating and is certainly well worth trying. I try to
include some Slapping in nearly every rebounding session, because of how effective it
often seems to be. I prefer, however, to only make contact with parts of my body that
have a layer of protective clothing over them! This isnt about pain for pains sake, its
about moving energy, waking up, and experimenting with what may be useful.
Variation # 1: The thighs are another excellent place to slap, as illustrated below.
continued next page
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Variation # 2: Just as you can Tap up and down the body, as described earlier, you
can also Slap up and down the body, although you may want to Slap with less force on
your torso or head, for example, than you would on naturally padded areas of the
body such as the buttocks!
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CATEGORY:
BREATHWORK BOUNCING
Breathwork Bouncing lies close to the true heart of rebounding as a health and
wellness practice. As Chapter 15 goes into at some length, breath is intimately tied
to physical, psychological, and even spiritual well-being. And while breathing is the
simplest thing in the world we all do it automatically and autonomically, between
five and twenty-five thousand times a day, as long as we are alive it is also true
that many people have breathing patterns that are far less than optimal for them.
Most of the examples of Breathwork Bouncing provided here can be done and in
fact must be done along with other bounce types. That is, you apply, or add on, a
component of Breathwork Bouncing to some other Bounce Type that you are doing.
The bottom line for breath work is for you to be (or become) aware of your
breathing, relax your neck and shoulders, and allow your abdominals, stomach, and
entire pelvic region to relax as well. Yes, you can tuck your pelvis under a tad and
make sure you are tall, long, and aligned, but forget about being fat; forget about
having a waist; forget about everything but allowing as much air as possible to
come into and out of your central body cavity on a regular basis. Yes, when you
fully breathe in, when your diaphragm expands fully, you will have more of a
belly than usual (see the first frame above) and thats great! You are the bigbellied Buddha, laughing at how wonderful it is to breathe fully! Breath is life: let
as much of it come into and through you as possible.
Note that this will be the least well-illustrated section of the Catalog, as it is hard to
photographically capture the physical correlates of breathing during rebounding.
The three Bounce Type examples (plus variations) provided for the Breathwork
Bouncing Category are:
1. Awareness Breathing
2. Patterned Breathing
3. Work-it-Through Breathing
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Two-Step: switch between inhaling and exhaling on every bounce cycle, that
is, every time your feet hit the mat you change from inhale to exhale; this
pattern, somewhat reminiscent of the yogic breath of fire, can become very
intense and difficult to hold for long
Two-Count: Inhale to a count of two (your feet hitting the mat twice), then
exhale for a count of two
Three-Count: Inhale for a count of three, then exhale for a count of three
Four-Count, Five-Count, etc.: Inhale for the number of counts you
determine, then exhale for the same number of counts
Increase then Decrease Count: Starting with a two count, inhale and then
exhale to successively larger numbers of counts, stopping when you find you
have reached your limit, and then count back down until you reach two again
Comments: Breathe in and out completely as you do any of this Patterned Breathing.
If you are breathing in or out to too large a count, you wont be able to get full breaths
in and out, a signal to cut back. If you can get up to a five-count, thats pretty good.
Variation # 1: Do a Two-Step Patterned Breathing count to any of the Jumping
Jacks, where you exhale each time your arms come down and legs come together.
Now reverse this exhale each time your arms go up and your legs separate and see
which way feels easier and more natural. (I like the first of these much better.)
Variation # 2: Do a Two-Step Patterned Breathing count while using hand weights to
do an Above Head Press. Here, exhale each time your arms go above your head and
inhale as they come down. It is easier and more natural when using hand weights to
exhale as your arms move up and away from your torso.
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CATEGORY:
FAST BOUNCING
Many books have been written on exactly how hard and how far to push ones heart
rate and breath stream (e.g., setting target heart rates based on your age); an in-depth
discussion of these topics is both widely available and beyond the scope of this book.
Suffice it to say that if you want to strengthen your heart, increase your maximum
oxygen uptake level, and generally create a maximum aerobic training effect, you will
need to rapidly move your body on the rebounder for at least part of each session. As
mentioned earlier in a footnote in Chapter 16, vigorously using and pumping your
arms is an especially effective way to achieve aerobic fitness.
Given the physics of rebounding and the way that energy is re-circulated through the
spring and mats, you can get yourself up to a powerful Fast Bouncing sequence pretty
quickly. For example, you may be able to run (in place) as fast as you want for longer
than you ever could on hard ground. Take advantage of Fast Bouncing on your
rebounder one or more times each workout session to increase bodily health and to
just have a good time. Listening to music with a fast driving beat is an especially good
way to bounce fast. Fast Bouncing is just plain old fun!
Nearly any bounce type can be speeded up to give a good aerobic effect. The three
Bounce Type examples (plus variations) provided for the Fast Bouncing Category
are:
1. Pulse Pace Bouncing
2. Arm Pulsing
3. Running in Place
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Comments: Pulse Pace Bouncing can be a lot of fun, especially to music. You can
get yourself moving quite fast, up to 130 or 140 cycles per minute if you work at it.
This can be quite a sprint, so make sure you dont overdo it and exceed your
maximum safe heart rate.
Variation # 1: Perform Pulse Pace Bouncing to a favorite fast song that you would
normally only move to on every other beat.
Variation # 2: Put a clock where you can see it and determine a time that you will do
Pulse Pace Bouncing for, such as one minute, two minutes, three minutes, etc. If you
have a favorite fast song that can use to set the pace here, then you can do one
minutes worth, two minutes worth, etc. of that song. (Try using David Bowies
Suffragette City if you have it available.).
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Comments: Arm Pulsing is also a lot of fun, especially to music. You can really
throw yourself into (and out of) this particular bounce and get a very intense
workout. Your arms, shoulders, and upper- and mid-back also receive a nice workout.
Variation # 1: Instead of moving your arms backwards and forwards, start out with
them spread wide as shown below, bring them in horizontally until almost touching,
and then spread them out again. In addition to aerobic benefits, you will give your
shoulder and chest muscles a good workout this way.
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Comments: Running in Place offers not only a thorough aerobic workout, but as you
alternately lift each leg your lower back is given an opportunity to stretch out and
relax. I often feel a greater sense of a loose relaxedness in my lower back after I have
done Running in Place than with any other bounce type.
For many people Running in Place becomes a Basic Bounce (see Chapter 19) and
takes a prominent role in each rebounding session. Some people, in fact, do nothing
but Running in Place. I do not recommend this, however, because there are many
benefits that may not come to you if you only do this type of single-legged bounce.
That is, the types of rhythm that develop in regular double-legged bouncing permit a
whole range of breathing, healing, strengthening, and loosening opportunities that
single-legged Running in Place simply does not provide.
Variation # 1: Use your clock to pick an amount of time that you will perform
Running in Place, and then use a fast fun song to set the pace for you.
Variation # 2: Do Running in Place using (especially at first) light hand weights.
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CATEGORY:
FREQUENT FLOWER
The Frequent Flower Category includes bounces that you often turn to when you find
yourself in or approaching a flow state in the middle of a rebounding session.
(Flow, a concept made popular by Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is a "sense of
effortless action [people] feel in moments that stand out as the best in their lives.
Athletes refer to it as 'being in the zone,' religious mystics as being in 'ecstasy,' artists
and musicians as 'aesthetic rapture.'") These Frequent Flower Bounce Types will
probably constitute a good portion of your Basic Bounces (see Chapter 19) as they
naturally and easily arise, and are easy to build momentum with and sustain for a
considerable period of time.
To keep things interesting, remember that you can always significantly alter any
one of these Bounce Types by making a slight change in the positions of your
hands, your shoulders, your arms, your feet placement, and so on.
The four Bounce Type examples (plus a large number of variations) provided for
the Frequent Flower Category are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Just Bouncin
Jumping Jacks
The Twist
Free Flow Feel Good
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Comments: Just Bouncin can be used as a good transition bounce, that is, when you
are in the middle of a rebounding session and not sure what you want to do next, you
can always engage in Just Bouncin. Notice that the arms do come a little bit out as
you sink down in the mat, as shown in the second frame.
Variation # 1: Do some Breath Work Bouncing as you are Just Bouncin.
Variation # 2: You can hold light hand weights as you are Just Bouncin.
Variation # 3: With a little bit more lower leg push off, you are halfway to High
Bouncing, that is, you are Just Bouncin Higher.
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Variation # 3: Turn or rotate your hands and wrists close to 180% to give a nice
variation that emphasizes shoulder and arm work.
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Variation # 5: As one final example of what you can do differently with your hands
during Jumping Jacks, note how the fingers and wrists are completely relaxed and
even seem to flutter in the frames below. This can be a lot of fun, and you can
discharge a lot of tension from your hands, wrists, and arms in this way.
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Variation # 7: Variations can also come about mainly through changes in the feet and
legs. The frames below show the feet opening up in a kind of V (see the discussion of
radial yaw in Chapter 17), and then closing back in again, even to the degree that
the toes point in a little (as in the first frame). This can be a very relaxing movement.
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Comments: Right up there with Jumping Jacks and High Bouncing, there may be no
more natural, beneficial, and enjoyable bounce type than The Twist. Its very easy to
start twisting on a rebounder, yet The Twist can also challenge you both structurally
and aerobically. Not surprisingly, as with Jumping Jacks, there are quite a few
varieties of The Twist that are worth presenting. (The Twist even gets two other
Catalog entries, one under the Hand Weights Bouncing and one under Motion
Maximizer.)
Variation # 1: In the Windshield Wiper Twist, you get some nice shoulder and arm
movement by moving your arms back and forth as shown below.
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Variation # 3: In Low Back Twist you bend your knees more while you are
twisting, and the focus of your arms is more of a back and forth motion (hands and
arms moving in front of you and then behind you). You can get a really thorough
lower back stretch from this, and depending on how low you go with your knees, this
can be a lot of (very rewarding) work.
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Variation # 5: Knees Together Twist, like other bounce types where the knees and
thighs press against each other, can give rise to the feeling that a tremendous tension
has been taken off the lower back. Its a fun and challenging movement to undertake.
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The Shiva Twist, inspired by this archetypal image, is one in which you bring your
arms, bent at the elbow, up and over the side of your head. You otherwise twist fully
and freely here, almost as if you had the same four arms that Shiva has and were able
to take up as much space and move through as much energy as he does.
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Comments: My feet are off the mat for this entire 1/5th of a second long sequence of
Free Flow Feel Good. (Most of the action here is in the feet.) Do I appear to be having
fun here? Im pretty sure that I was indeed having fun. I may have even been blissed
out. Now, if at any time you are having fun if things are flowing freely and feeling
good then dont even think of questioning your rebounding experience. This, after
all, is a large part of why you got on a rebounder in the first place!
One final word: be cautious, but not overly cautious, about how much you move your
head and neck. Trust your body, as well as your intuition and common sense. If you
ever experience any neck or head pain or dizziness, then back off right away.
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CATEGORY:
Many people especially men ask whether rebounding will keep their upper body in
shape, especially their arm and chest muscles. My experience is that the very
mechanics of rebounding adds core muscle to the torso, and otherwise produces
excellent muscle tone throughout the entire body. (See Chapter 25 on the benefits of
rebounding.) Moreover, if strength is seen in the context of flexibility and the ability
to powerfully but safely get work done (that is, whether you can safely and effectively
use the muscle power that you have in the real world), then rebounding will certainly
improve overall strength as it almost always improves flexibility.
Additionally, however, it is possible to use hand weights (or sand bags for those who
prefer them; see Chapter 13) to give yourself an intense upper body workout focused
on the chest, arms, shoulders, and back. But please dont use weights that are too
heavy: it is far too easy to whip a weight around near, at, or beyond your effective
functional range of motion, potentially causing damage to soft connective tissue
(tendons, ligaments, fascia) and muscle.
Indeed, most men should probably use hand weights (I like neoprene-covered
dumbbells the best) that are no more than 3, 5, or at the very most 8 pounds, and most
women will want to use weights that are even lighter, down to 3, 2, and even 1 pound
weights. (Of course, there are always exceptions, both on the lower and higher ends of
the scale, both for men and for women. There are, for example, some women who
while rebounding can safely and effectively handle far heavier hand weights than I
can!) I am pictured above holding 5 pound, neoprene-covered, hand weights.
continued on next page
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Overhead Press
Side Arm Raise
Twist With Weights
Biceps Curls
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Comments: Make sure you read the introductory comments to Hand Weights
Bouncing and that you do not use weights that are too heavy, especially at first. Pay
attention to your breath and body (relax the neck, shoulders, pelvis, and abdominals,
as always), and start out with 10 or 20 repetitions, eventually working your way up to
dozens or even hundreds of repetitions, if you like. Done to music, with attention
placed on the breath, this can be a very profound and intense movement.
Variation # 1: Same start, but turn your wrists, palms, and arms inwards and bring
the hand weights over your head in more of a sideways arc. Note that you probably
wont be able to raise the weights quite as high. This one is great for the shoulders.
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Comments: Again, make sure you read the comments in the introductory Hand
Weights Bouncing Category and that you use appropriately heavy weights. Pay
attention to your breath and body (relax the neck, shoulders, pelvis, and abdominals,
as always), and start out with 5 or 10 repetitions, eventually working your way up to
dozens, or a hundred or more. This movement really works the shoulders intensely, as
well as the forearms and wrists.
Place special attention on your neck and face, trying to keep them loose and relaxed as
you perform this movement. This is not always an easy thing to do. But the fact is that
the Side Arm Raise, if done for a significant number of repetitions, is flat out a very
intense exercise. Nobody ever said that all of rebounding was going to be easy!
continued on next page
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Variation # 3: As the hand weights come back down, bring them behind your body
instead of in front of your body, as shown in the third and fourth frames above. This is
a nice variation that will work your arms and shoulders in a discernibly different way.
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Comments: Twist with your whole body, not just with your arms. That is, let the
motive power come from your core from your deep strength with your arms and
hands just happening to be the part of you that actually holds on to the hand weights.
Variation # 1: Bend your knees somewhat more and keep your arms and hand
weights up higher all through the twisting motion, as shown below. This variation will
further engage your arms and shoulders, and deeply work your lower back and thighs.
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Comments: If you go for a high number of reps here, Biceps Curls will be truly
challenging and invigorating.
Variation # 1: Your elbows can come out and move away from your body as you
curl up the weight, as the first two frames below show, or they can remain tight
against your body, as the last two frames show. Either way is fine, but by keeping
your elbows in close, and by tucking them in and back, you can lock out and
ratchet back your shoulders so that almost all of the actual lifting work is done by
your biceps alone, without the help of your shoulders, chest, or back. This makes for a
much more intense biceps workout, especially if you do a medium to high numbers of
repetitions.
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CATEGORY:
HIGH BOUNCING
Bouncing far off the mat rising high up into the air is invigorating, stimulating,
and fun. For many, bouncing high is a sine qua non (essential condition), and
perhaps even the raison d'tre (reason for being), of rebound exercise. Certainly,
when you are High Bouncing, you are doing something that you can pretty much
only do on a rebounder or on its functional equivalent (a full-sized trampoline, jump
boots, and so on; see Chapter 19). There just arent a lot of other ways to get the
same higher view and sensation of flight, rhythmically self-delivered, in a safe,
effective, delightful, and even exhilarating manner. Were talking flying here!
(Note, though, that some feel it is rarely or ever necessary to bounce high to get a
great rebounding workout. For instance, JB Berns, creator of Urban Rebounding,
deemphasizes vertical liftoff and instead emphasizes pushing down through your
feet and into the mat, generally achieving no more than six inches of height.)
Common sense tells us that many of reboundings seemingly clear benefits will be
increased or amplified through High Bouncing. These benefits include increased
lymph flow and therefore immune function, a stronger aerobic conditioning effect
(bouncing higher is hard work), and increased strength and flexibility, as explained
in more detail in Chapter 25. Moreover, if you believe in the claims made for the
increased g-force effect, then bouncing as high as you can for at least some of
each session really does become a sine qua non of rebounding.
Whether its for physical health reasons or just for plain old fun, High Bouncing is
something that most people will want to try and perhaps include in their rebounding
repertoire. If you are uncomfortable bouncing substantially high, then dont. On the
other hand, you might be well advised to still occasionally go up to and then a bit
beyond your perceived limits. You may find that you really like High Bouncing.
The three Bounce Type examples (plus variations) provided for the High Bouncing
Category are:
1. Just Bouncin High
2. Flyin High
3. Knee/Thigh Lift(off) (or Kangaroo Jump)
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Comments: As with Just Bouncin, Just Bouncin High is something that you can do
at any time during your rebounding sessions. It works as a transition exercise between
other bounces; it works if you are out of breath and need to switch to something else
while your body reestablishes its respiratory equilibrium; and it works as its own
focus if you are pursuing the sheer joy of gaining substantial vertical lift-off.
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Comments: Note that the legs remain about the same distance apart throughout. At
the top of the bounce, try to relax and extend your hang time.
continued on next page
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Comments: This type of bounce has always reminded me of the way a kangaroo
jumps off of the ground. In fact, it is more like jumping than it is like bouncing, and
while it does fully engage some of the bodys largest muscle groups, it does so at the
expense of producing a Bounce Type that is truly hard to control and be safe with for
any type of long or extended sequence. If you want to use your thighs to lift your
knees as a propulsion method, you are probably a lot better off with Running in Place.
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CATEGORY:
MOTION MAXIMIZER
Its true that this is only an anecdotal report of healing (see Chapter 25), but I
remain fully convinced that by maximizing my range of motion, and by staying
with my breath as I did so, I enabled this former injury to completely heal. I believe
that the body is or contains self-healing mechanisms, that movement per se is a
naturally self-healing activity, and that rebounding is an extremely elegant way to
bring a great deal of movement to almost any body part or structure.
In short, if you maximize your range of motion with respect to any body part or
structure, and if you stay with your breath as you do so, you can expect to retain
and perhaps gain in your effective functional range of motion for that body part or
structure. For starters, though, here are three Catalog examples (along with
variations) where the idea of the Motion Maximizer movement comes across
naturally and easily:
1. Arm Circles
2. Climbing
3. Deep Twist
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Comments: This is twisting with a purpose, twisting to go to and even beyond what is
normally comfortable with respect to your ability to move the top and bottom halves
of your body in opposite directions. If you feel any significant pain or dizziness, then
you should of course back off, but dont shortchange yourself here either.
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Comments: With Climbing, you can feel into and then move beyond any body
restrictions that you might have as to movement in the vertical dimension. It is fine to
do Climbing relatively slowly compared to normal Running in Place, but you can also
speed things up and give yourself an intense aerobic and cardio workout as well.
Variation # 1: Look up to the sky, imagining yourself Climbing into the heavens
Variation # 2: You can try Climbing with very light hand weights for even an even
further intensification of this movement.
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CATEGORY:
Most of the time, when we bounce, we bounce with both feet making contact with
the mat at the same time. However, it is possible to bounce on one leg at a time as
well, something we have already seen in Chapter 16 on the various methods of
propulsion.
Bouncing on one leg can be a challenge to your balance, and it is therefore wise to
move into Singled Legged Bouncing in a slow and cautious manner. As for your arms,
you may at first want to use them mainly to help keep your balance. Over time, you
can do more complex movements with your arms as you bounce on one leg.
The two Bounce Type examples (plus variations) provided for the Single Legged
Bouncing Category are:
1. Hopping
2. Simple Kicks
(Note that there are many different types of kicks that can be done while
rebounding, including those from martial arts and dance traditions. Many of these
kicks are emphasized in the great variety of rebounding workout videos now
available.)
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Comments: Hopping isnt something to think much about: either you just do it, or
not. At first, its best to do Hopping a small number of times, perhaps 5 or 10
repetitions with each leg. Over time, you can build yourself up to Hopping 100 times
or more with each leg. Feel free to split this up: do 10 or 25 on one leg, then go to the
other leg, then back to the first leg, with perhaps some transition bouncing in between.
Variation # 1: You can also do Hopping with your arms down by your sides, as
shown below. This is easier for some, and more difficult for others.
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Variation # 3: For one final variation, you can try the Hop-Jack, which is half
Jumping Jack and half hopping. This is pretty difficult to do, but very rewarding!
Try doing 50 of
these on each leg!
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Comments: If you happen to be a trained martial artist or dancer with a lot of body
and brain knowledge about kicking, try to forget what you already know as you first
experiment with Simple Kicks on the rebounder. Beginners mind is best. You can
always bring what you know to bear after you have first seen what the nature of
simply kicking on a rebounder is like.
Variation # 1: Instead of kicking out in front of you, kick out to the side, as shown
below. Holding your arms out to the side may help with balance here.
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CATEGORY:
Comments: Experiment with straightening out your legs at the knees as much as you
can (to achieve a more perfect V), and then see whether it is any different if you let
your legs bend to the degree they want to, as in the pictures above.
There are many other abs exercises reverse crunches, leg lefts, etc. that can be
done partially or completely on a rebounder. These are not included in the Catalog
because, for the most part, there is no special advantage to doing them on or with a
rebounder, that is, they can be done just as well on the ground.
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CATEGORY:
STRETCH BOUNCES
As mentioned earlier, you should bring everything that you already know about
other exercise to rebound exercise. If you know that you almost always do better
with any type of exercise if you take a few minutes out to thoroughly stretch before
you get going, then please make sure that you thoroughly stretch before you start
rebounding. If you can do some of that stretching while you are on the rebounder,
thats great, but if you need to lie down on a hard floor, stand against a wall, work
with a stretch band or an exercise ball, etc., go ahead and do so.
Once you get on the rebounder, the easiest way to stretch is by doing some
Breathwork Bouncing or some Bodywork Bouncing. For example, if you clasp your
hands behind your next, relax your body, and breathe, you will open up your entire
upper torso. Moreover, the simple act of bouncing up and down, especially as you
move your arms around and twist your body, will also stretch you out and lead to
long-term gains in flexibility.
In addition, the movements presented in this section are particularly geared to more
intensely stretching out the body during an ongoing rebound session.
The three Bounce Type examples (plus variations) provided for the Stretch Bounces
Category are:
1. Back Bends
2. Front Bends
3. Squat Pulses
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Comments: Back bends of all types are a staple of modern yoga as they can do an
excellent job on releasing the back and opening the whole body. You dont want to go
too far, especially at first, and if you feel pain or at all dizzy, you should of course
stop. Place attention on the breath, as always, and make sure you keep your head and
shoulders, as well as your pelvis and abdomen, as relaxed as possible. Come up
slowly, and do some transition bouncing or Breathwork Bouncing before going on.
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Comments: The key thing to watch here is moving your head too quickly, especially
when you come up from this position. If you are dizzy, then try some type of basic
transition bounce (i.e., Just Bouncin, or simple Jumping Jacks), until you have
reached equilibrium. You can get a really good stretch here, but you have to move
slowly and be careful.
Variation # 1: Hold onto the outside frame of the rebounder instead of placing your
hands on the mat.
Variation # 2: Place your knuckles on the mat instead of the palms of your hands.
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Comments: This is a great movement for the lower back as well as thighs and
buttocks. By placing your hands on your thighs, you mostly lock out the upper body
and the emphasis turns to stretching and balance. But be particularly careful here not
to move your head around too much; once again, you want your head, although fluid
and loose, to remain stable and mostly in one position.
Variation # 1: As shown below, place your hands on your knees rather than your
thighs. This changes the angle of the body and can enable you to lock out and hold
your upper body in some very different ways, thereby giving yourself a wider variety
of back stretches. Also, you may be able to see that in the second frame below, my
feet have actually left the mat.
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CATEGORY:
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Variation # 2: This is very similar to Variation # 1, but here the hands have taken
on a very different position. This small but significant change can create a very
different feeling throughout the entire body, and in this case, especially in the
shoulders, arms, and hands.
Comments: Please dont be concerned with how you might look to others here. Sure,
with SSiM, you can get yourself into some very funny-looking positions (as the
illustrations in this section show), but once again, you are doing this for yourself, for
your own health and well-being, and so the opinions of others really should not matter
to you here. Its hard to appreciate just how wonderfully intense SSiM can be until
youve tried it for yourself.
continued next page
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Variation # 5: Here, the arms move in a Jumping Jacks manner, but the legs stay
still. This can be a great way to develop strength and flexibility in the legs.
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Part V:
The Daily Bounce Manual Part 3
(The Big Picture)
21. Some Suggested Programs
22. Keeping It Going with Music, TV, Friends, Phones, and Fun
23. A Universal Machine: Rebounding & Your Favorite Sports &
Exercises
24. Twenty-One Principles of Rebounding
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discussing. The first was put forward by Harry & Sara Sneider in their generally excellent
rebounding book Olympic trainer (1981). This books, which focuses on what the
Sneiders call resistive rebounding (the use of hand weights in the form of sand bags),
both uses the traditional terminology discussed above as well as puts forth a program
called the Daily Dozen that many individuals who have been rebounding for many
years have found extremely useful. Consisting of movements including the curl, the
press, upright row, triceps press, and so on, the Sneiders give a precise sequence and the
number of reps you should perform depending on whether you are a beginning,
intermediate, or advanced rebounding practitioner. The Sneiders then give a variety of
different suggested programs based on age, sex, and sports interest, that is, they suggest
different programs for children, teenagers, cheerleaders, women, men, skiers, and so on.
The Sneiders, as high-level athletic coaches, brought a rigorous and knowledgeable
approach to rebounding and their suggested programs are certainly worth investigating
and experiencing. There are, though, some problems with them.
First, I think that they may over-emphasize the use of hand weights (or sand bags)
while bouncing. I generally do not like to have more than about one-fifth to one-fourth of
my sessions focused on using weights. I believe that a great deal of the strengthening,
cardiovascular, and healing benefits of rebounding come from experiencing a kind of
bouncing flow that the presence of hand weights (or anything held in the hands) often
disrupts or makes difficult or impossible.
Second, I feel that the Sneiders have, in some cases, gone out on a limb (so to speak) to
include movements with hand weights that are not really ideal for rebounding. For
example, as mentioned in the introduction to the Catalogs Hand Weights Bouncing
Category, I have yet to find a really good triceps exercise for the rebounder. Yes, you can
do the basic triceps press that the Sneiders recommend, but at least for me, this is not a
movement that I can really get into, that is, I cant let myself relax, let go into, and take
advantage of the naturally self-reinforcing movement that the rebounder can produce
without the triceps press quickly losing its form and perhaps even becoming dangerous.
Put another way, I dont want my elbows and arms subjected to the kind of structural
stress and strain that letting go into a flow state and bouncing big while doing a
triceps press might cause. Since I dont want to have to restrain myself while doing any
particular Bounce Type, I have disqualified the triceps press (as well as other resistive
movements that the Sneiders suggest), from the Bounce Types that are included in the
Catalog. Nonetheless, this is only my experience, and there is no doubt that the Sneiders
put a lot of time, thought, and energy into producing an excellent volume that represents
a certain kind of historical high point for early 1980s rebounding.
JB Burns, with his innovative and popular Urban Rebounding program (with books,
gym programs, and videos under the same name), has helped to revive rebounding in the
first half of the first decade of the new millennium. While still relying to some extent on
the traditional language of aerobic bounces, strength bounces, and so on, he has
applied a combination of common sense, martial arts movements, and knowledge taken
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from the world of dance aerobics to produce a workout that by all accounts is very
diverse, stimulating, and rigorous. JB has also produced an entire series of video
workouts for different types of individuals. If you like to rebound to someone elses
instruction, then purchasing one or more of JBs workout tapes could be a very good
investment.
In his book Urban Rebounding(1999), JB lays out the elements of his standard 55
minute Urban Rebounding workout. It includes a warm-up on the floor, a warm-up on
the rebounder, an aerobic segment, a sports segment, a strength bounce segment, a
cool down on the rebounder, a cool down on the floor, and a set of abdominals done on
the rebounder. This diverse set of exercises and movements suggests a variety of
elements that you might want to include in your own sessions. If you live nearby a gym
or health club that offers Urban Rebounding classes, you very well may want to give it
a try.
The one point where I differ most greatly from JB has to do with the use of footwear
during rebounding. I have a very strong preference for rebounding in bare feet, as
discussed in Chapter 17, and urge you to do the same if it is at all possible. For sanitary,
safety, and perhaps other reasons, JBs program, which is mainly geared to rebounding in
gyms and health clubs, necessitates the use of footgear while rebounding.
First Things First: Reaching Your Time Goals
Rebounding is inherently fun and easy, and for these reasons it is possible for many
people to keep on rebounding past the point where they would give up on most other
health and wellness practices. This is true both with respect to the number of minutes
bounced in any individual session, and with respect to coming back to the rebounder for
four, five, six, or even seven sessions a week.
To reach your time goals with respect to any individual session, it is best to start slowly
and work your way up to that goal. When asked what the ideal number of minutes per
day is, I typically respond that it depends on how much benefit you would like to receive.
As a general rule of thumb, you should aim for no less than fifteen minutes of rebounding
per day, with 30 minutes being more ideal. (See Chapter 14 for a further discussion of
how long to rebound.)
You can build slowly, perhaps rebounding for a total of 10 minutes a day for your first
week, then 15 minutes a day the second week, 20 minutes a day the third week, and so
on. Also, remember that you always have the option of breaking up your rebounding
session into several shorter sessions each day. Although you may not receive quite the
same aerobic and cardio benefits if you undertake shorter sessions several times a day,
you will still get most of the benefits of rebounding by reaching your minimum daily
time goal. Some rebounding resources suggest that if you have an illness, it is better to do
several shorter sessions each day (as little as two minutes at a time, starting when you
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wake up in the morning), because each session will give you an immune system, illness
fighting, boost whose peak lasts for a few hours.
In short, however you slice and dice your rebounding sessions, your first goal is to reach
a significant enough duration on a daily or near-daily basis for you to receive the many
benefits that rebounding offers. Whether you are performing Bounce Types from the
Catalogs At Ease Category, or whether you keep Fast Bouncin for the entire time, isnt
as important as picking a combination and series of bounces that will enable you to reach
your time goals.
Second Things Second: Warm Up, Work Hard, Cool Down
Since rebounding as a whole and individual Bounce Types in particular can be
deceptively intense, you obviously dont want to just jump into the hardest part of your
session without warming up first. Similarly, at the end of the session it probably makes
sense to cool down for a bit. The idea here, then, is to start slowly, warm yourself up,
work progressively harder until you are at the most intense part of your workout, then
step it down a bit, warm down a bit, and then cool down the rest of the way. Of course,
you may want to rev yourself up and do one or more additional Bounce Types or series of
Bounce Types that bring you back to the maximum energy expenditure level before you
enter your warm down and then cool down phases.
You can warm up or cool down off the rebounder, or you can warm up or cool down by
doing Bounce Types from any of the following Categories:
At Ease
Bodywork Bouncing
Breathwork Bouncing
Stretch Bounces
Once you have warmed up a bit, you can increase the intensity of your workout by doing
Bounce Types from any of the following Categories:
Fast Bouncing
Frequent Flower
Hand Weights Bouncing
Motion Maximizer
Single Legged Bouncing
Structured Strength in Motion
After having reached your maximum energy expenditure, it is wise to cool down a bit,
both by bouncing more slowly and in a smaller overall fashion (less height, less twist,
etc.), and by returning to easier Bounce Types such as those in the At Ease Category.
Sitting Abdominals are usually done at the very end of a workout session since they force
you to break the rhythm of your breath as you sit down on the rebounder.
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You might, for example, do each Bounce Type in any one of these groups for three or five
minutes, and then move on to the next one, and then cycle through and start at the
beginning. When you near the end of your workout, you may want to add in some Hand
Weights Bouncing or some Breath Work Bouncing or Body Work Bouncing. Depending
on which Bounce Types you choose to make up your Simple Routines, and depending on
how energetically you bounce (how big you bounce, how high you bounce, how fast
you bounce), you can moderate the overall intensity level of your session.
The great advantage of Repeated Simple Routines is that once you find three, four, or
five Basic Bounces that you really like youre done! You dont have to think, you
dont have to make any decisions, you just go with it for as long as you determine ahead
of time. Some of the people I know who have the greatest success in staying On the
Rebound have adopted this program strategy and are very happy with it.
Progressive Bounce Types
Here, instead of repeating a few Repeated Simple Routines, you progress through some,
or even most, of the Categories of Bounce Types, doing one or more Bounce Type from
each Category. Note that it still makes sense to start and end with one Bounce Types from
one of the less intense Categories. An example of a 45 minute workout session might like
like this:
Other than keeping to the notions of warming up and cooling down, and having as much
variety as possible, there is nothing special or magic about this particular series. In fact, I
believe that there are no magic series or orders of exercises in rebounding. Instead, the
key is that you make sure that you use all of your body by having a reasonably good
variety of Bounce Types, and that you meet your time goals.
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Note that there are an infinite different number of ways to progress through the various
Categories of Bounce Types and the specific Bounce Types and variations found within
them. You may want to make a copy of the chart at the front of the Catalog and keep it
nearby so that you can more readily remember and choose between Bounce Types. Also,
there is no reason why you cant repeat your favorite Basic Bounces in the middle of a
workout. I will often find myself going back to Jumping Jacks or Twists after I have
already done them in a particular session.
Specialized Sequences
If you have special needs or desires, it is easy to construct specific Specialized Sequences
of Bounce Types and variations thereof that will meet your needs and desires. Just a few
Specialized Sequences are listed here to give you an idea.
If you want an intense cardiovascular workout and aerobic training effect, focus on
the following Bounce Types:
If you want to work on healing an injured body part of function, focus on the
following Bounce Types:
Work-It-Through Breathing
Holding
Pressing
Tapping
Patterned Breathing
Arm Circles (if arm/shoulder injury)
If you want to tone or build muscle, then stick with the Hand Weights Bouncing
Category and all of the variations found therein, as well as Structured Strength in
Motion.
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If you want to increase your flexibility, focus on the following Bounce Types:
Work-It-Through Breathing
Back Bends
Front Bends
Squat Pulses
Arm Circles
Deep Twists
Climbing
Hand Weights Bouncing Category (done slowly, with full breathing and
perfect form)
you develop for yourself, naturally and intuitively, from the wide variety of rebounding
Bounce Types as listed in the Catalog. If all you want to do is Running in Place, and that
works for you, then thats just fine. If you find a Simple Routine that you like to
endlessly repeat while watching TV or listening to music, thats fine too. Or if you are the
type of person who prefers more variety, then you can work your way through the whole
Catalog and start expanding it with your own inventions. Rebounding offers so many
possibilities. If you have the intention to find or construct a rebounding program that
works for you, you will almost certainly succeed.
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The concept of flow has been thoroughly developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in such
works as FlowThe Psychology of Optimal Experience (1990) and Finding Flow: The Psychology
Of Engagement With Everyday Life (1997). Similar to an athletes notion of being in the zone,
flow states are usually characterized by expanded perceptions of time and space, and often by
extraordinary artistic, creative, athletic, or physical performances.
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On the one hand, then, rebounders as a device and rebounding as an activity tend to
naturally and inherently keep us going once weve started any given session. We will
look at these inherent properties of rebounders and rebounding in the first half of this
chapter, and then we will turn to our part in the second half of this chapter. That is, after
discussing the PPPMM nature of rebounders and rebounding, we will turn to what can we
do, volitionally, with our choices, intentions, and willpower, to inspire and perhaps even
ensure a Daily Bounce.
The Inherently Self-Propagating Nature of the Rebounder
There are at least six qualities of rebounders and rebounding that make it easy to keep it
going once weve started bouncing. These include:
The way the rebounders springs physically harness the energy of motion and then
relay that energy through the mat and into our body
Rebounding is inherently fun, even ecstatic, and just plain feels good, and we tend
to continue doing things that feel good
Rebounders act as a kind of pump that gently induce us to breathe more fully and
more deeply, or put slightly differently, rebounders actually breathe us, and better
breathing is so good for us, we want to keep doing it once weve started
Bouncing brings us into a kind of trance, or altered state of consciousness,
through the repetitive, gravity defying, coherent motion that we experience, and
altered states tend to continue once started
Unlike many exercises (compare jogging), rebounding only lightly stresses the
skeleton and joints, so it is an activity that we can do on a daily basis for an
extended length of time
Rebounding is inherently easy to do: theres almost nothing that you have to learn
in order to rebound, and therefore complicatedness as to form and technique is not
a barrier to entry or continued rebounding
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One of the things that the early NASA trampoline study (see Chapter 26) demonstrated
was that rebounding is a very aerobically efficient activity. For example, the same
amount of oxygen consumption will yield more bio-mechanical output and total work on
a rebounder than it will on a treadmill. As a result, rebounding can be relatively easy to
do. For example, it is not that difficult to keep going with a Bounce Type from the At
Ease Category so that your body is moving enough to give you substantial lymph flow
and therefore detoxification and immune system benefits, with relatively little effort on
your part. This makes rebounding especially suitable for individuals who are starting out
with very poor levels of fitness.
Inherently Fun, Enjoyable, and Even Ecstatic
Second, bouncing is inherently fun, enjoyable, and even ecstatic. We all know that kids
love to jump on beds, and most everybody loves bounce houses and trampolines. Why?
Because moving up and down pulsing, vibrating, enjoying another dimension of
freedom and connection is inherently fun, good for you, and often feels downright
wonderful. If something if fun and feels good, we tend to keep doing it.
If you are not having fun while you are rebounding, then step off the rebounder and ask
yourself why. Some small percentage of people, for whatever reason, may not find
rebounding inherently fun or enjoyable. If you are one of these people, then rebounding
simply may not be for you. Or, you might just need to have more fun while you are
rebounding, a subject that will be taken up later on in this chapter.
Better Breathing
Third, consider rebounding and breathing. When you bounce, your body naturally begins
to breathe better, that is, more deeply and more fully, as described in detail in Chapter 15.
As everyone knows, breathing better makes us feel better and leads to piece of mind. As
the rebounder mechanically assists us really, cajoles or entices or invites us to breathe
more fully, we begin to feel better, and as clever pleasure-seeking animals able to put two
and two together, we naturally tend to bounce more.
In diagrammatic form:
Rebounding
Better (fuller, deeper) breathing
Better breathing Feeling good
Feeling good We choose to keep rebounding
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Trance Formations
The fourth self-propagating factor is related to, and takes advantage of, better breathing
as just described. Simply, the repetitive motion of bouncing up and down can cause a
type of hypnotic self-induction. Self-hypnosis has shown itself over many years to be an
effective way for individuals to end bad habits and start positive new ones, to gain selfconfidence, to lose weight, and so on. Especially when combined with listening to
favorite music or watching TV, the self-hypnotic induction that rebounding can bring
about may make it very easy for some people to keep up with a Daily Bounce.
Rebounding, then, can bring us into what has been called a discrete altered state of
consciousness (see Charles Tarts classic book, States of Consciousness (1975), for the
origins, meaning, and use of this term). In such a state, we tend to experience time
differently, and until something breaks us out of that altered state, we tend to continue on
in it. The coherent movement of our bones, muscles, soft tissue, and body fluids, the
repetitive noise of the springs, the up and down movement of our visual field, the way
our breathing harmonizes with our body and brain all of this and more tends to put us in
an altered state, one that can be purposefully leveraged into achieving and maintaining a
Daily Bounce.
And dont worry about the fact that rebounding puts you into a trance or an altered
state. Part of what Charles Tart shows, echoing mystical adepts like Gurdjieff, is that we
are all in a kind of trance all the time anyway. Certainly, when we watch television or
even when we drive a car, we are in a kind of trance. There is no reason, then, why we
shouldnt take advantage of some of what we know about consciousness to bring
ourselves vibrant health and well-being.
The High Impact of Low Impact
Fifth, compared to most other types of exercise, rebound exercise is very low-impact: a
good rebounder, as discussed elsewhere, will absorb roughly 85% of the impact of your
bounce each and every time. Theres almost no other form of physical exercise (with the
possible exception of swimming, which for most people is not anywhere near as
convenient), that will enable you to move your body through space and time for as long
as a rebounder will enable you to do so without eventually causing harm to your physical
structure. In short, rebounders dont stress your skeleton, your joints, or other soft tissue.
Therefore, with regard to bouncing, you can keep it going for a long time in any single
session, and for many sessions in a row, day after day, week after week, if you so choose.
Rebounders are also low-impact in terms of convenience, safety, and cost. For most
people it is far easier to set up a rebounder and use it on a daily basis than it is to get to a
gym. Similarly, you dont have to face cars or dogs or muggers or any other outside
world factors, that is, rebounding in your home or apartment is as safe as your home or
apartment is. Finally, while you will probably need to pay around $200 or more for a
high-quality rebounder (see Chapter 12), compared to paying a monthly gym fee your
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rebounder will quickly prove itself to be a very low-cost way to gain some very
wonderful health, fitness, and well-being benefits.
Rebounding is Technically Simple and Easy to Learn
Sixth and last, it is technically easy to start and maintain a rebounding process. You dont
have to take classes or read many books or watch a bunch of videos to get going. This
book, for example, presents you early on with nearly everything you need to know in
order to begin rebounding on only one page. With rebounding, you can nearly always
rely on your intuition and instincts, and always let go into whatever your body and
subconscious mind want you to do at any given moment, rather than making yourself
wrong for not following a certain pattern or technique or style. You can be easy on
yourself when it comes to questions of form and technique, because pretty much all time
spent on a rebounder is good for you physically and otherwise.
On the most basic level of health improvement, it doesnt really matter what you are
doing on a rebounder as long as you get in a Daily Bounce. If you want to do more than
that, and shoot for levels of physical, emotional, or even spiritual transformation, then
you may not always choose to be so easy on all aspects of rebounding, that is, you may
want to have some form of discipline, program, or practice that you want to keep track of.
But thats not necessary. All thats necessary is a Daily Bounce (or a near-Daily Bounce),
and that can be as simple as you need or want it to be. Bottom line: we tend to do things
that can be done easily, like rebound exercise and a Daily Bounce.
Bringing together these six PPPMM factors that naturally and automatically make it easy
to keep it going, the self that you put onto a rebounder will often find itself more charged
up more physically and energetically revved up, more ready and willing to keep it
going and keep on bouncing than you initially might have imagined would be likely.
For all intents and purposes, rebounders and rebounding act to give us energy. (See also
the description of the vestibular function near the end of Chapter 25.) This makes it easy
to extend ones bouncing duration, both in terms of minutes per session and number of
sessions in any given week or month.
We will now turn to strategies and activities that synergize with and assist these six
PPPMM factors so that establishing and maintaining a Daily Bounce becomes a realistic
and achievable goal.
Your 100% of Your 10%
Someone once said that all you have to do is your 10% of anything, and God will do the
other 90%. The catch is this: you have to do your 10% fully, that is, you have to do 100%
of your 10%. Since rebounding and the rebounder automatically do their part, how can
we make sure that we do 100% of our 10%? In short, what strategies or activities can we
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undertake to make sure that our rebounding time goes particularly well, and that we find
ourselves coming back day after day for a Daily Bounce?
Lets consider five strategies or activities that many people have found useful. Keep in
mind that this not meant to be a definitive list, but rather a suggestive one that can be
added to and expanded upon based upon your own experimentation. The five strategies or
activities are:
Listening to Music
Watching TV
Bouncing with Friends
Talking on the Phone
Having Fun
First, listening to music. From the very first time I listened to music while bouncing, it
became clear to me that this was the way to go. With music on, rebounding was easier
and more fun than ever. As BoomerFred (a very active denizen of the Yahoo Rebounder
group, which I encourage you to join) has put it: Have music; it motivates, coordinates
and makes it more creative/fun. You'll find it easier to spend increasing time and the
benefits are instant in mind-body-spirit balancing. I couldnt have said it better or agree
more with this statement. Music makes rebounding a sheer pleasure, almost every single
time. And with the right type of music, you can readily establish a Daily Bounce for
yourself or take your rebounding practice to new heights and lengths.
But what kind of music? Once again, thats up to you. It depends what you like listening
to, what kind of beat you might want driving you, and how you personally (with your
very individual body-mind configuration) interact with the rebounder when listening to
different groups, singers, genres of music, and so on.
Early on, I discovered that a CD of David Bowies Heathen (2002) was just perfect for
me. Eventually, I worked my way up to bouncing for the whole length of this CD (almost
52 minutes), and in fact, I used Heathen exclusively when I bounced my 45 minutes for
45 days in February of 2003 (see Chapter 6). As I came to know the album better and
better, I saw that the sequences of exercises and simple routines (see Chapter 18) that I
formed stayed synched up with the same songs in the same part of the CD. This enabled
me to get even more deeply into performing the exercises with focus and vigor.
I came to associate this album so much with rebounding that even today, if I hear it, I will
want to start bouncing up and down no matter where I am or what Im doing! Ive mostly
moved on to other music, but I still put on Heathen about ten percent of the time when I
rebound. Its a perfect CD in the sense that it always works for me, with time flying by
effortlessly, elegantly, and easily.
For the record (hah hah), heres who else I like to bounce to:
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The Beatles (and the takeoff compilation album from the movie I Am Sam)
The Cranberries
Talking Heads
John Lennon
The Indigo Girls
Delirium
Leonard Cohen (the Essential Leonard Cohen is a truly great double album set)
Certain show music
The music from the movie Moulin Rouge (especially the first half)
A combination disco album that my wife made for my 5-year-old daughter (OK, I
admit it, I actually like the song Disco Duck)
Anything with a good beat
This list, unsurprisingly, has a strong overlap with music that I am imprinted (i.e.,
bonded) with, or that I simply happen to love listening to. Odds are, the same thing will
hold for you. Go back to the music that you love the most Motown or classical or hip
hop or rock or country or marching music or jazz or whatever else and see what your
body starts doing once youre on the rebounder. Experiment. Pick out some music from
your past, and try out some new music that you may not have had the chance to listen to
yet. Or burn some combination CDs with lots of songs you love with great beats. I can
imagine that one day soon we will be trading collections of favorite bouncing music
online. BounceTunes.Com, here we come!
If you happen to like more modern music, such as trance, techno, industrial, hip hop, and
so on, then go ahead and try that out as well. Although some of these types of music may
seem to lack a coordinating beat, and may move so quickly that most of us cant keep up
with it, I have no doubt that for some (mostly younger) people this kind of music will
work very well while rebounding. After all, think of the people who would rapidly move
and even violently shake at Grateful Dead concerts they were certainly having a good
time. There may be ways of tying in the benefits of rebounding to chaos theory and
quantum fluctuations that will show for some purposes cutting-edge modern music is the
very best music to dance to!
When you find what you like, stick with it, and make sure you follow the following
Principle (see Chapter 24): Long Runs Are Good For You. That is, try a move on the
rebounder for a while with one piece of music. See what comes naturally to you. See how
you can stretch into new physical positions and breathing patterns. Find out what your
body wants to do while it is being driven, pumped, cajoled, or entrained, by a specific
piece or genre of music.
The neurobiology of music generally why and how music affects us, both on and off
the rebounder is far beyond the scope of this book, but his been addressed by many
talented modern authors including Ted Andrews, Don Campbell, Joscelyn Godwin,
Jonathan Goldman, and Steven Halpern. (Writings on the relationship between music, the
mind, and spirituality, of course go back much further, encompassing ancient thinkers
like Pythagoras and Aristotle, and more modern ones such as Rudolph Steiner and Manly
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P. Hall.) Also, there are many musicians who specifically write music to cause certain
trance-like and excitatory effects. Mickey Hart and David Byrne come to mind
immediately. Again, explore whats out there, and see which kinds of music you easily
use to enhance your rebounding experience and practice. Daily sound waves help make
the Daily Bounce a breeze.
If you happen to like bouncing to music, and do so almost all of the time, then you might
also want to try going without music from time to time. Just the other day, bouncing
outdoors, the music stopped before I was quite done. I was suddenly able to hear the
sounds of the birds, the wind whistling through the trees, and the general noises that fill
my suburban neighborhood. I found myself tuning in deeper to my breath and my body,
and for the next several minutes I had an exquisite time bouncing in the relative silence.
So as much as I love bouncing to music, I have come to recognize that there are times
when rebounding without music is also a very enjoyable and beneficial experience.
Second, Watching TV. I have a good friend who liked rebounding somewhat, but she
said she had trouble keeping at it for more than about 10 minutes. Then, one day, she
rented the 1st season of CSI (Crime Scenes Investigations), a very popular show that she
had only seen a little of. She quickly brought her time up to a half hour a day, and she
now typically bounces for 45 minutes (the length of a whole show minus commercials).
I asked her whether she had tried listening to music. Music just doesnt work for me,
she said. When Im listening to music, Im always clocking time. I think about how long
Ive been bouncing for, how long the last song was, how long the next song is. Im
constantly adding it all up in my head. But I dont do that when I watch TV, because I
lose myself in the visual aspect of whats before me. Thats why watching TV works
great for me.
As we all know, when moving images plus sound come to us from a TV set of any kind
or any size, regardless of whether we are watching a good (or bad) movie, HBO, sports,
MTV, network TV, news, or anything else, we tend to become spellbound. Many of us
grew up watching TV I did and despite the many good reasons for limiting or even
eliminating it from our lives*, TV also has a favored place for many of us. So, if you like
watching TV, try bouncing while doing it, and you might be surprised at just how well it
works for you. If you happen to like MTV or other music videos, then youve got the beat
going for you as well.
A particularly potent way of watching TV is to put on a rebounding video or DVD. Be
careful, though, to follow your own intuition and guiding sense when you are watching
someone elses program. This is, after all, your Daily Bounce, and your experience may
not be in complete accord with what is being put forth on a tape. (That holds true, of
course, for the advice found in this book as well. Be a radical empiricist: check out
Gerry Manders Four Arguments For the Elimination of Television (1978) is a thoughtprovoking book that is well worth reading.
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everything for yourself, every time. That is the only way to true personal knowledge of
any subject.)
Third, Bouncing with Friends. Time goes by quickly when you have someone else to
talk to while you are bouncing. However, if you are bouncing and your friend is not, be
careful how much eye contact you make, because it is easy for one or the other of you to
become quite dizzy. As communicative pack animals we naturally want to keep our
conversations with other people coherent; if you are bouncing and your eye contact with
another person gets out of synch, it can become quite disturbing to one or the other of
you. I have friends who will absolutely not make eye contact with me if I am bouncing
and they are not, for fear of getting nauseous or dizzy.
Bouncing with another person (each person on their own rebounder!) can be a great deal
of fun. I have found that when I do this kind of tandem bouncing with someone, the
patterns of our movements tend to synchronize and make for beautiful co-created
expressions of who we are together. It is also easy to lock eyes, which can create a very
intimate bond while bouncing together, especially if there is music on. As with a nonbouncing friend, it is important to make sure that you and the person you are bouncing
with keep your movements and eye contact synched up, or dizziness or other uneasiness
can quickly crop up.
Another place to bounce with a friend or friends is at a gym, if you are fortunate enough
to have a local gym that sports a rebounding class. The most widespread class going these
days is JB Bernss Urban Rebounding program. By all accounts this is a heck of a
good workout, and for those of you who prefer being instructed and motivated by a realtime teacher, I would recommend that you try it out. JB Bernss Urban Rebounding
approach has grown out of his extensive martial arts experience. The Urban
Rebounding workout may especially appeal to anyone with a martial arts background,
as well as anyone who likes to be taken through a rigorous gym workout.
Fourth, talking on the telephone. If you have a good speakerphone, or better yet a
wireless headset, then bouncing while talking on the phone can be a great way to pass
time or to get in work or pleasure conversations. Keep in mind that depending on the
rebounder that you have and its condition, the springs may make enough noise so that
youll both have to speak loudly and clearly and listen attentively as you bounce. Note
that WD40 can help with noisy springs.
I do not recommend holding a cordless phone or cell phone in one hand while bouncing,
because it will throw off your balance and disrupt the Bounce Types that you undertake.
If you nonetheless choose to use a cordless or cellular phone while bouncing, make sure
that you switch sides frequently, using opposite arms, and switch back and forth between
your ears as well. When you are done, after you gently and safely put down the phone,
make sure that you do some nice, integrative, whole body Bounce Types, like The Twist
or Jumping Jacks, so that you completely balance yourself out.
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Finally, be aware of the fact that for most of us, when we are talking on the phone, a good
deal of our attention is not in the present, real-time, physical moment. (This appears to be
among the most significant factors in cell phone usage leading to automobile accidents.)
Therefore, you might not get in quite as thorough a rebounding session overall if you
spend most of it on the phone. Of course, if talking on the phone is a good way for you to
achieve a Daily Bounce, then go ahead and take advantage of it. Just make sure that at
least some of your time on the rebounder is spent with a focus on breath, body, and
having a wonderful time.
Fifth and finally, having fun. Not only are rebounders inherently fun, but if youre not
having fun while you are bouncing, at least most of the time, then you should probably
look at what youre doing and make some course-corrections. There are so many ways to
have fun on a rebounder: you can chant and make noise; watch TV or listen to music;
practice your favorite sports moves; or just let yourself go and move the way your body
(and your subconscious mind) wants you to move. Find out what is fun for you,
personally, and go with it.
The other day, for example, while Running in Place to a count of 500, with knees lifting
up high, I played a game of make believe with myself and imagined that I was Aragorn,
son of Arathorn, the King from the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy (played so well by
Viggo Mortensen). I imagined that I was Aragorn, having to do all of the heroic things
that he had to do, and used the imaginative energy that I gained from stepping in to his
persona to power my way through the Running in Place. It was great fun to play at this
make-believe game; there is pretty much no limit to how the imagination can be used
while rebounding.
Of course, some of us like to have fun in a more focused and disciplined manner. For
example, it can be a great deal of fun to establish and then continue rebounding as both a
physical and a more-than-physical practice. Consider that from your body to your mind to
the collective energy systems that constitute who you are, you are a unique individual,
and the way for you, as that unique individual, to maximize your rebounding practice will
differ from the best way for anyone else. Of course, there will be commonalities with
other individuals, but never lose track of the fact that this is your rebounding practice, not
someone elses. Do what you need to do to keep bouncing for the rest of your lifetime,
and it is quite possible that you will be rewarded with a lifetime that is far physically
healthier and longer than it otherwise might have been!
Boredom?
For a moment, lets consider the opposite of fun: boredom. Some people say that they
could never take up rebounding, because just bouncing up and down in the same place
would quickly bore them
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Boredom can be defined in many ways. My two favorite definitions are Boredom is
hostility without enthusiasm, and Boredom is the state before new learning.
Similarly, the meditation teacher Chogyam Trungpa spoke of the potency of boredom,
and suggested that we treat it as the state of mind that precedes something meaningful
arising. So, if you come up against boredom, try being more enthusiastic and more open
to what is right before you: the many subtle varieties of work and play that can easily be
done on a rebounder. If you cant actually become more enthusiastic and open, try faking
it. (You know, Fake it until you make it.)
If none of this works for you, and you find yourself truly bored and ready to give up
rebounding forever, then consider what the philosopher Nietzsche said: Against
boredom, even the gods must struggle in vain. (If you are bored, does that therefore
make you a god?)
Sharing Rebounding with Others
In addition to the inherent properties of the rebounder, and the music-TV-friends-phonefun activities that you can undertake to keep it going with a Daily Bounce practice, there
is a third or social aspect of keeping it going that we should consider: sharing rebounding
with others. If you establish a daily or near-daily rebounding practice, whether through
the advice and suggestions found in this book or through your own efforts and good luck,
and you do experience some or all of the many benefits described here, then please let
your friends know.
If each of us who benefits from rebounding shares our experience with just ten other
potential reboundees well, you know the drill. One candle can light dozens, thousands,
or even millions of other candles, and one improved immune system and happier person
can positively affect and turn on dozens, thousands, or even millions of other potential
reboundees.
For many people, once they get started, keeping it going on a rebounder is not all that
difficult. All you have to do is take that first step onto the mat, and a Daily Bounce with
all its benefits can easily be yours.
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The first of these points needs no further elaboration, as the likely benefits of rebounding
have already been mentioned in this book many times and will be covered in greater
detail later.
The second point concerns almost any kind of sport or exercise that you already greatly
enjoy. Suppose you are a runner, and you simply love running, but you cant always run
as long or as frequently as you want to for a variety of logistical concerns (or perhaps
because running hurts your joints). Well, it may be entirely possible not to mention
exhilarating and good for you to incorporate Running in Place into your rebounding
workout. In other words, in many cases you can pretty much directly transpose a sports
movement or exercise from its natural, non-rebounding, environment and do that same
movement or exercise while you are On the Rebound.
Training for Your Favorite Sport or Exercise while Rebounding
The third point is just a bit different. The idea here is that not only can you perform your
favorite sports and exercise movements on a rebounder, but you can use your time on a
rebounder to actively train for a specific sport or exercise. Sticking with the same
example, suppose you are a sprinter. If you go all out and sprint in place on your
rebounder for as long as you can, the type of endurance you will build, and the way you
use your muscles and the rest of your body on the rebounder, will probably have a
positive impact on your sprinting the next time you are training or competing on regular,
hard, ground.
Some sports, of course, might not seem to have much of a crossover, like archery or
croquet. On the other hand, thoughtful attempts have been made to embrace a wide
variety of sports and exercises. In fact, an extensive, concerted effort was undertaken by
Harry & Sara Sneider in their excellent book Olympic trainer, first put out in 1981 and
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now in its fifth printing. In this book, the Sneiders first set out a set of skills that regular
rebounding can improve or be helpful with, as shown in Fig. __. (Note that this list can
probably be expanded if it is cross-referenced with the larger list of benefits claimed for
rebounding presented in Chapter 25.)
Gripping
Throwing
Stroking or Hitting
Jumping
Kicking
Sprinting
Skiing
Skating
Balance Coordination
Flexibility
Depth Perception
Stamina Endurance
Psychological-Mental
Fig. __: Skills the Rebounder Can Help With
According to the Sneiders
The Sneiders then take things a step further, and list a wide number of sports that can be
specifically trained for while rebounding, using their resistive exercise methods. These
sports include:
Tennis
Football
Basketball
Baseball
Track & Field
Golf
Racquetball
Gymnastics
Jogging
Soccer
Ice/Roller Skating
Skiing (water/snow)
Swimming
Hockey
Martial Arts**
Bowling
Wrestling
Bicycling
Figure __: Sports that Rebounding can
Help with according to the Sneiders
The larger point here is that the general increases in strength, stamina, coordination,
flexibility, etc., that naturally seem to flow from rebounding, are going to be helpful in
almost all sports activities. Regardless of your current level of fitness, if you add in
another twenty minutes of rebounding on a daily basis, you will probably find yourself in
even better condition.
The more specific point is that the sports and exercises listed above as well as
additional ones that would be easy to think of can be specifically aided by doing work
on the rebounder. If you want to study the specific exercise regimes that the Sneiders
recommend for each sport, you will want to get yourself a copy of the their book. Note,
however, that I am not in agreement with all of their suggested movements involving
resistive hand weights or sand bags training; see the introductory discussion on Hand
Weights Bouncing in the previous chapter.
If you are interested in martial arts, both the books and videos put out by JB Burns under the
Urban Rebounding series, as well as the Championship Rebounding video series put out by
Jerry James, may have special appeal for you as both these rebounding teachers have strong
martial arts backgrounds.
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Instead, if there is a specific sport or other exercise that you want to train for while
rebounding, I would invite you to start with the Categories of Bounce Types chart on
page __. Once again, you can use your common sense and intuition to help you
determine, for yourself, which Bounce Types will probably help improve your
performance in your chosen sport or activity.
For example, to go with a sport from the above list, lets say you are a tennis player.
Having flexible yet strong shoulders and arms is obviously important for tennis. Arm
Circles under the Motion Maximizer Category would seem to be a natural here, as would
Twists of various types (to help increase both the power and the flexibility of your core
torso muscles). Similarly, some Breathwork Bouncing would probably be helpful for
expanding your cardiovascular and cardio respiratory capacity. Finally, as several
existing books on rebounding have taken great relish in pointing out, keeping your knees
together and hopping from side-to-side (think: slalom) is a great preparatory exercise for
skiing. Golf, however, were going have to work on.
A Last Word on Rebounding vis--vis Other Sports and Exercise
While rebounding can assist you in training for other sports and activities, most people
who take up rebounding will not be doing so for this reason. Instead, most people who
take up rebounding will be doing it because it is a very effective, fun and easy, way of
establishing and maintaining excellent health and fitness. Rebounding can become a daily
health and wellness practice that will yield you substantial benefits for many years to
come.
If you can experience aspects of your favorite sport or exercise while you are rebounding,
thats terrific, and if you can enhance your performance in these other sports or exercises,
thats even better. Ultimately, however, I invite you to experience rebounding for its own
sake. A new dimension of physical fitness, as well as mental alertness, psychological
integration, and perhaps even spiritual exploration, awaits the individual who chooses to
get On the Rebound and stay there.
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GENERAL PRINCIPLES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Safety First
Get a Good Rebounder
Use What You Already Know
A Universal Machine
A Universal Practice
Experience & Appreciate the Benefits
Enjoy & Have Fun
Intuitive Bouncing
Breathe to Open, Heal, Charge, & Change
Bounce Big and In All Ways
Hands On Yourself
Long Runs Have Great Value
Feel the Force Flux
Work it Through & Release
Start Slowly
Four Ways to Propel Yourself
The Great Feet of Bouncing
Relax Your Shoulders, Neck, Pelvis, & Abdomen
Slight Adjustments (Interrupt & Adjust)
Adaptation and Re-Adaptation
Have a Daily Bounce; Take a Break When You Need One
Fig. __: 21 Principles of Rebounding
General Principles
# 1 Safety First: Safety is stressed throughout this book, and Chapter 11 is devoted
entirely to issues of safety. Make sure you have read Chapter 11 thoroughly, and that as a
matter of course you follow obvious safety rules such as getting on and off the rebounder
in a purposeful manner, stopping if you feel dizzy, never leaving your rebounder out in a
place where someone can trip over it, and so on. Rebounding accidents are nearly 100%
preventable, and you should make sure that you personally take responsibility for adding
to the ongoing legacy of rebounding safety.
# 2 Get a Good Rebounder: As covered in Chapter 12, if the rebounder you are
working with is a low quality one, e.g., if it costs less than $100 and perhaps if it costs
less than $200, then you are not nearly as likely to have a very good experience. Low
quality units simply do not give you the same kind of bounce, and because of their
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construction, mat quality, spring quality, and so on, they may even aggravate existing
physical conditions that you have rather than being a conduit to healing, excellent fitness,
and well-being. I have let people try a $200 and a $40 rebounder side-by-side on many
occasions, and no one who has tried both has doubted the value of spending the extra
money needed to obtain a high quality rebounder.
# 3 Use What You Know: Bring everything you know about your body about
exercise, about healing and rehabilitation, about safety, about movement, about weight
training, about the best time for you to workout, about self-motivation to your
rebounding practice. For example, if you know from previous experience that you do
better with ten minutes of stretching before exercising, then do it. Rebounding does not
exist in a vacuum (although it would be interesting to try it there); take advantage of your
lifetime of learning about what works best for you, your body, and your mind.
# 4 A Universal Machine: Take advantage of the fact that your rebounder can fairly be
described as a kind of universal machine. First, because of its simple but pervasive
mechanical nature, the spectrum of benefits that a rebounder can yield is broad enough to
justify this term. Second, you can bring many non-rebounding activities onto the
rebounding mat, like Running in Place, practicing martial arts (Tai Chi, for example,
offers some very interesting possibilities) or ballet, and so forth. Third, you can focus on
specific Bounce Types to help train yourself for many different sports and activities. For
example, Arm Circles are great for anyone who swings a racquet.
# 5 A Universal Practice: Take advantage of the fact that rebounding is also in some
ways a universal practice, meaning that any other type of inner work that you already do
or may plan to do prayer, meditation, contemplation, mantra, mandala, mudra (hand
and finger positions), chanting, healing visualizations, chakra work, Kabbalah
visualizations, stopping the inner dialogue, and so on can be done while you are
rebounding. Rebounding is naturally capable of producing a kind of trance state or
discrete altered state of consciousness where you can experience different brainwave
states (such as alpha), and even different types of bliss and ecstasy. And since you are not
gong anywhere physically (except up and down), you might as well use your time
rebounding to goinside.
# 6 Experience & Appreciate the Benefits: There is still a good deal of controversy
over many of the scientific bases of rebounding, as discussed in Chapter 25. But what we
do know is impressive: at the very least, rebounding is associated with lymphatic
movement and therefore immune system effects, aerobic and cardio effects, as well as
flexibility, balance, coordination, and strength gains. Thats a lot. Dont get caught up in
whether rebounding also has some special or magic effects because of how it works
with gravity. Instead, experience and appreciate the benefits that you definitely can tell
you are receiving; thats what will keep you coming back for a Daily (or near-Daily)
Bounce.
# 7 Enjoy & Have Fun: Rebounding is too good a thing to spoil with an overly serious
or rigorous attitude. Enjoy your rebounding. Have fun with it. Do what it takes so that
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your rebounding sessions are spontaneous, suffused with ecstatic motion, and at least
occasionally provide you with a rollicking good time. Bounce big. Bounce high. Bounce
deep. Experiment. Try some Bodywork Bouncing or Breathwork Bouncing. Enjoy
yourself and have fun when you are rebounding. Even if you lengthen yours by
rebounding, life is still too short.
Principles for Having a Good Session
# 1 Intuitive Bouncing: The very best possible guidance for how you should bounce
what Bounce Types you should do in what order, when you should bounce, how to
motivate yourself comes from within. Rebounding is best when it flows from you as an
organic way of gifting yourself with a fun, easy, joyful, life enhancing experience that
can you can come back to day after day, week after week, month after month. Allow,
trust, and build on your intuition. No one else knows, or can know, whats going on
inside you when you bounce, so take full advantage of your own private source of
always-present inner wisdom. Then, following your wisdom and intuition, start with
whatever your own Natural Movements seem to be, and from these movements choose
several Bounce Types as Basic Bounces that you will come back to time after time while
you are rebounding. And then put together several of those Basic Bounces in a few
Simple Routines. By having these Basic Bounces and Simple Routines fixed in your
mind, you will never doubt what to do next or run out of movements in real time as you
are rebounding, and you will make it much easier to meet your daily time goals.
# 2 Breathe to Open, Heal, Charge, & Change: The importance of full, deep
breathing to maximizing the benefits from rebounding cannot be overstated. Place your
attention on your breath; become aware of your breathing patterns; do Breath Work
Bouncing and other breath work awareness exercises. While rebounding, allow yourself
to breathe in fully as you expand your diaphragm and your belly. And allow yourself to
breathe out fully, building on and strengthening the cycle of breath. Full deep breathing
enables you to open, to heal, to charge your body with oxygen (and perhaps some form of
vital life force or prana), and enables you to potentially change longstanding
physical, structural, and energetic dysfunctions. You dont have to always place your full
attention on breathing, but if you make it a habit of placing at least some attention on
your breathing on a regular basis, you can reap great rewards. Rebounding semiautomatically encourages you to breathe better, but you still have to choose to give breath
a chance.
# 3 Bounce Big and In All Ways: On the rebounder you are safe and can move your
body with more power and energy than you can in most other circumstances, especially
in the vertical dimension. Take advantage of this, and bounce Big bounce high,
bounce with power, bounce with enthusiasm, bounce with strong exhales, bounce in
coordination with powerfully moving arms. At the same time, make sure that you bounce
in such a way that you involve all of your body, that is, make sure you do some Twists;
make sure your range of motion to at or near its limits; do some Hand Weights Bouncing
(resistive bouncing) to further develop strength and muscle tone. In short, make sure
that you take advantage of everything that rebounding and your rebounder can physically
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offer you. With rebounding you can fully exercise in four dimensions: side to side; back
and forth; up and down; and through time, in a repeated, coordinated way. This may be
one of the hidden variables behind reboundings wide ranging beneficial effects. So
bounce big, and bounce in all ways.
# 4 Hands on Yourself: The opportunities for powerful bodywork while you are
rebounding are nearly limitless. From Holding to Pressing to Tapping to Slapping, there
are many types of self-massage and physical manipulation that you can perform while
rebounding. Take advantage of the powerful regular rhythms produced while rebounding
and use these rhythms to provide yourself with the leveraged strength and motive power
to touch yourself in ways that are rejuvenating, healing, and energizing.
# 5 Long Runs Have Great Value: If you get into a groove doing any particular
Bounce Type, or if you find yourself in a strong energetic flow, just go with it. If you
spend three, or five, or seven, or ten minutes doing one particular movement, thats just
dandy. If you do only The Twist, or Jumping Jacks, or Running in Place for the duration
of an entire song on a CD, or if you have a Simple Routine with just two Bounce Types
that lasts you the entire time between commercials on your favorite TV re-run, then bravo
for you. It is often during long runs of doing the same Bounce Type over and over again
that the mind and the body will achieve their greatest integration, freedom, and healing
potential. You are not going anywhere physically anyway while you are rebounding,
so why not see where you might end up if you just let yourself go with the flow?
# 6 Feel the Force Flux: As Chapter 25 discusses, my belief is that at least a partial
explanation for reboundings benefits is that with each bounce cycle your body has to
deal with two substantial inertial shifts or Force Fluxes. The first and larger of these
occurs as you switch from descending into the mat to being shot up into the air by the mat
and springs; the second occurs as you reach the apex of your bounce and then reverse
direction because of gravity. All of your body, from your limbs to your torso to your head
to our muscles to your connective tissue, has to deal with the powerful forces that are in
flux as you make these directional shifts 200 times in every minute! Pay attention to this
moment and get into it, adding to the power of the force flux with your body
movements and your breath.
# 7 Work it Through & Release: If pain, discomfort, or any feelings of stuckness
come about while you are rebounding, then by modifying or changing the Bounce Type
that you are doing, and by placing attention on your breath, you can usually work
through the uncomfortable feelings. Imagine that the powerful rhythmic contractions of
rebounding, and the realities of moving with and through the force flux (described
above), can enable your body to open up and shake loose any dysfunctional physical or
energetic patterns. Or you can feel or visualize the pain, discomfort, or stuck feelings
moving through your body, being shaken loose by the action of the rebounder, and then
leaving through your legs and feet and grounding into the earth or up into the heavens.
Shake it up. Work it through. Then release it however you like. There are many
opportunities to work it through and release while rebounding, so be sure to take
advantage of them.
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closing your feet a little, relaxing your neck or shoulders or abdomen or pelvis can
make a tremendous difference in your ongoing experience of whatever Bounce Type you
are doing. With a slight adjustment you can help work through a spot of discomfort or
pain, you can make a Hand Weights Bouncing movement much more challenging, or you
can bring a highly desirable state of mind into being. Dont be shy: you can interrupt
whatever it is you are doing, adjust whatever needs adjusting, and then get right back into
it. Slight adjustments can make a huge difference. So experiment often.
# 6 Adaptation and Re-Adaptation: This is a bit hard to explain, but the body seems
to quickly adapts to the variably weightless and low-impact nature of a rebounding
session, and then, when you are done, the body has to remember to adapt quickly back to
walking on and working with the hard unyielding ground. The longer you have a
rebounding practice the more days, weeks, and months you put in the quicker you
may find yourself getting into your workouts when you step on the mat, and then when
you are finished, if you pay attention, the quicker you will find yourself re-adapting back
to hard ground. This is why one major safety concern is to not simply hop off the
rebounder in mid-session to grab the phone or answer the doorbell instead, you should
stop yourself and carefully step off. Its not so much that your physical form radically
changes from the time you get on the rebounder in any given session to the time you get
off and need to re-adapt to hard ground. Instead, its that your psychological expectations
of what your body is doing and is capable of doing change, and with that psychological
change, your actual real-time capabilities change. This is a long-winded way of saying
that you need to pay a good deal of attention to the transitions, to getting on, and getting
off, your rebounder, and also, to make sure that on a long-term basis you re-adapt all the
way back to hard ground by continuing to do at least some regular gravity exercises
such as walking, playing sports, biking, etc., on a regular basis.
# 7 Have a Daily Bounce; Take a Break When You Need One: Lets be clear here: if
you want maximum value from your rebounding, then you will want to strive towards a
Daily Bounce. Call it an exercise program, call it a spiritual practice, it doesnt really
matter. Some days you may get in nice long sessions and some days you may only get in
a few minutes, but do find a way to bounce as often as possible, ideally on a daily or
near- daily basis. In the long run, the lymphatic circulation and corresponding immune
system benefits alone may make rebounding one of the best time and energy investments
you have ever made. However, although rebounding is a great blessing, and it can bring
you great benefits, if you get overly tired of it at any given point, then take a short break.
When you are ready, you can come back with renewed enthusiasm and vigor. Take a day
off if youve bounced for too many days in a row, and make sure you get other types of
exercise on hard ground in, like walking or biking or playing ball. Or take a break in the
middle of a workout. Yes, you might not meet your time goal, but if the phone rings and
it is important, or your kid or dog or cat or spouse is doing something incredibly cute or
interesting, then go address the real needs of your real world. Rebounding is wonderful,
but sometimes you have to walk away from wonderful things for a minute, a day, perhaps
even longer, before you are ready to fully re-engage them. Bottom line: give yourself a
Daily Bounce if you can, but when you need a break, give yourself that as well.
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Part VI:
The Benefits of Rebounding:
Science, Studies, & Speculation
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To take a quick look at rebounding and the nature of scientific proof in general
To present the wide variety of health and fitness claims made about rebounding
To give a reasonably detailed overview of four main perspectives on what is
unique about the health and fitness benefits of rebound exercises
To then summarize what I believe can reasonably be said about the health and
fitness claims made for rebounding
The next Chapter will then review existing research and studies to help fill in the gaps
and to see what can be said to be scientifically known about the health and fitness
benefits of rebounding with any degree of certainty. As a preview, not all that much can
be said with certainty. According to the introduction to one recent, apparently welldesigned study (see next Chapter for a description of The New Mexico Study): The
physiological benefits are not known[A] comparison of rebounding with other
modes of exercise has not been investigated. Isnt that lovely! The benefits are not
known, and rebound exercise has not really been scientifically compared to other types of
exercise. So where do we begin? A good place to start is with rebounding and the nature
of scientific proof generally.
is there for the many assertions made by proponents of rebounding covering a wide range
of health, fitness, and rehabilitative issues? And what proof is there for the assertions
made throughout this book that at least some of the health and fitness claims for
rebounding are almost certainly true?
Expanding on the ideas put forward by Robert Rudelic in his new book, Anything is
Possible: A PowerTapping Guide (2004), there are five types of proof relevant to health
and fitness claims, which we will now look at one by one:
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Clinical Evidence
Dicitonary.com defines clinical as of, relating to, or connected with a clinic, or
involving or based on direct observation of patients. We can say that clinical evidence
is evidence gathered by those who have been working with and observing those who have
undertaken a regular rebounding regime, including careful evidence-based claims that are
not quite up to the levels of strict scientific proof as just previously described. As
discussed in the next chapter, there is some clinical evidence for reboundings benefits.
Anecdotal Reports
Anecdotal reports tales and stories that are reported by others or that are often selfreported are not usually considered a form of scientific proof. Yet, when thousands of
individuals report substantial benefits from their adventures with rebounding, it is hard to
ignore these anecdotal reports entirely. Taken together, anecdotal reports help to confirm,
at least from a common sense perspective, some of the intuitive hypotheses and theories
as to why rebounding seems to be such a powerful health and fitness modality.
Intuitions, Inductions, Hypotheses, & Theories (Reasonable and Commonsensical,
but Nevertheless Unproven)
There is a great deal about rebounding that remains unproven at this point. Yet we can
use reason, common sense, and intuition, combined with what we know about exercise
and the human body generally, to make certain hypothesis, logical inductions, and
theoretical guesses about reboundings likely effects and benefits. Yes, this is not
scientific proof, but having admitted that it falls short of the high standard for definitive
science, we can still make what seem to be reasonable statements about the health and
fitness advantages and benefits that rebounding probably confers. When there are
anecdotal reports or clinical evidence supporting these hypotheses or theories, we can
feel even better about making reasonable statements about the likely benefits of
rebounding. And sometimes, we just have to use our intuition to attempt to figure out
whats going on. Intuition may seem kind of loosey-goosey, but anyone who has ever
not listened to their intuition and suffered for it will recognize the value of paying
attention to it when it does speak forth.
Proof in the Pudding
Will rebounding work for you? The only way to find out is to try it in earnest. Personally,
I can tell you without reservation that rebounding has given me a new lease on health and
vitality. My belief a guess, really, but an educated guess is that a large percentage of
people who seriously take up rebounding will find that it works wonders for them as well.
But my beliefs arent really all that relevant here. All that counts is your actual, personal,
experience. The proof is in the pudding, or it is nowhere.
Benefits and Advantages Claimed for Rebound Exercise
What health, fitness, and other sorts of benefits have been claimed for rebound exercise?
And what advantages generally does rebound exercise have as an exercise form? The
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following table compiles the claimed benefits from a variety of published and online
sources. Note that no attempt is being made here to evaluate these benefits. Later on in
this Chapter an attempt will be made to put some order to these claims, and to then say
something sensible about which benefits can reasonably be expected to occur for most
people who give rebound exercise a fair try. The claimed benefits are presented in
alphabetical order, with key terms in bold. Note that there is some overlap and perhaps
even duplication in this list.
Aging process retarded
Alkaline reserve improved
Allergies improved
Arthritis improved or held off Autism, Dyslexia, Learning
Balance and coordination
Disabled conditions assisted
generally improved
Blood pressure remains at
Body composition and
Bones strengthened from gabnormal levels for shorter
muscle-to-fat ratio improved force loading and from
time after severe activity
repeated light impact
Cancer prevention generally
Cardiovascular disease
Cells strengthened in entire
incidence lowered
body by increased g-force load
Chronic edema prevented as Circulating cholesterol and
Colds and illnesses minimized
less blood pools in veins
triglyceride levels lowered
Collateral circulation
Constipation improved or
Detoxification of body
encouraged
eliminated
generally
Diabetes onset delayed
Digestion and elimination
Endurance increased generally
improved generally
Energy increased generally,
Fatigue fighter and energy
Flexibility improved generally
including more sexual libido level raiser generally
Foot structure improved
Glandular system toned,
Hardening of arteries delayed
generally, including arches
especially thyroid
or reversed
Heart disease and attacks
Heart problem rehabilitation Heart strengthened generally
delayed or prevented
aid
Hemorrhoids improved or
Internal organs massaged
Low impact: protects joints
eliminated
and against chronic fatigue
Lymphatic circulation
Menstrual discomfort and
Mental performance enhanced
improved in several ways
fatigue curtailed for women
Mitochondria count within
Muscles toned and
Musculoskeletal systems
muscle cells increased
strengthened throughout body strengthened by g-force loading
Neck and back pains, and
Nerve transmissions between Osteoporosis prevented and
headaches, generally
brain and propreoceptors in
bone density increased
decreased
joints coordinated
generally
Oxygen circulation to tissues Oxygen exchange throughout Red bone marrow stimulated
increased
body improved
to produce more red blood cells
Rehabilitation & Pain
Respiration capacity
Resting heart rate decreased
Reduction: Knees, shoulders, improved
arms, wrists, ankles, back, feet
Resting metabolic rate inSleep, rest, and deep
Tissue repair and muscle
creased; more calories burned relaxation easier to achieve
growth promoted generally
Veins: better circulation
Vestibular nerves stimulated, Vision improvement generally
generally, less varicose veins
balance and alertness improved
Fig __: Health, Healing, Fitness, & Other Benefits Claimed For Rebound Exercise
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Given the size of this table, the amount of medical knowledge required to carefully
evaluate all of these claims would be substantial. Perhaps the first thing to notice is the
wide variety of benefits claimed, from Aging process retarded to Vision improvement
generally. If rebound exercise delivers on most of, or even some of, these claimed
benefits, it is certainly something to take note of.
The second thing to notice is that many of these claimed benefits can be made for
exercise in general, especially aerobic exercise. For example, Sleep, rest, and deep
relaxation easier to achieve is not a benefit unique to rebounding, but also follows from
taking long walks, doing yoga, riding a bike, playing tennis, and so on. Exercise itself is
highly beneficial, and in this sense, rebound exercise is just another form of exercise.
What might make rebound exercise different in this respect, however, is its fun, easy,
safe, low-impact, convenient, climate controllable nature. Rebound exercise might
therefore be easier for many people to keep up with on a regular basis, thereby reliably
receiving the benefits of aerobic exercise that many other exercises would also confer.
The third thing to notice is that there is so much information in this table so many
claimed benefits that it is in general hard to get a handle on what is really being claimed
here. Specifically, it is hard to know what, if anything, is claimed to be special about
rebound exercise. (Remember the New Mexico study?) To help eliminate this confusion,
we will turn to the main organizing themes or perspectives that different authorities on
rebound exercise have put forward with respect to explaining its health benefits. As part
of this process, some of these claimed benefits will be explained in more detail.
Keep in mind, though, that just because something is claimed as a benefit doesnt mean it
is true. As the next Chapter will show, there is, overall, very little strict scientific
evidence and only a bit more good clinical data than that. Then there is a great volume of
anecdotal reports and an absolute bounty of theoretical speculation. It may take years to
completely unravel what is true and not true about rebound exercise. In the meantime, we
can only take our best guess as to what is probably true, and then, of course, it is always
up to you to find out for yourself what is true for you what works for you based on
your own rebounding experience.
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Strengthened Cells: All of the bodys cells are strengthened through the
mechanics of rebounding, either because of gravity changes or because of
pressure differentials;
Increased Lymph Flow: Rebounding leads to greatly increased lymph fluid
circulation, leading directly to a boosted immune system, greater white blood cell
activity, and increased detoxification generally;
Cardiovascular and Respiratory Improvement: Rebounding directly yields
impressive aerobic exercise benefits in terms of heart strength and functioning,
respiration, and related physiological functions; and
Physical Strength, Coordination, Balance, and Flexibility: Rebounding is often
said to improve all of these.
Which of these perspectives is true, and which tends to be overblown? The following
table sets out and summarizes a bit of information on each of these perspectives. We will
then take a more detailed look at each one.
CLAIMED
BENEFIT
Strengthened
Cells
Level of Proof
Increased
Lymph Flow
& Immune
Boost
Aerobic,
Cardio &
Respiratory
Anecdotal;
Hypothetical
Anecdotal;
Hypothetical
Uniqueness to
Rebounding
Very unique
Fairly unique
Comments
Two main theories: Al Carters g-force
theory, and Dave Halls membrane
strengthening through pressure differential
Even without strict scientific proof or
clinical evidence, this seems to me to be an
almost certain benefit of rebounding
Some Strict
Not unique
Reboundings great advantage here is that
Scientific
it may be easier for many to stick with
Proof; Clinical;
rebounding than it is to stick with and
Anecdotal;
thereby receive equivalent aerobic benefits
Hypothetical
from other exercises
Strength,
Some Strict
Somewhat
General mechanics of rebounding while
Coordination, Scientific
unique
using hand weights (resistive training),
Flexibility
Proof; Clinical;
as well as Force Flux hypothesis, put
Anecdotal;
forth in this Chapter, may lead to some
Hypothetical
unique strength and flexibility gains
Fig. __: Four Perspectives on Whats Special About Rebounding
Lets start with the first of these and work our way through.
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up in, and adjusted to, the incessant demands of a heavier gravity. (Note that in
Supermans case it was the red sun that he was born under, compared to the yellow sun of
earth, that made the difference.)
Is Carter basically correct that you are subjected to greater gravitational force during part
of the time that you are rebounding? The short answer is yes. Without going through all
the physics here, we can simplify by briefly stating that there are two main states when
you are rebounding: when you are in contact with the mat, and when you are not in
contact with the mat.
When you are not in contact with the mat from the time you leave the mat through
reaching the height of your bounce and continuing on until you are pulled back to the mat
by gravity you are actually, literally, in a state of free fall, and you (and perhaps
especially your stomach) therefore subjectively experience the sensation known as
weightlessness. You are not actually weightless: the earth still pulls down on your body
with its full gravitation force.* But you feel weightless, because no external objects are
touching you or exerting any push or pull on you, that is, you feel none of what is called
the normal force (also known as a contact force). Ordinarily, when you are standing
on hard ground, the weight you feel is not the force of gravity pulling you down, but
rather, it is this normal force (or contact force) that opposes and exactly balances out
gravity. When you are in free fall while you are not in contact with the mat, you no
longer feel the normal force (or contact force), and that is why you feel weightless.
Now what happens when you are in contact with the mat? Here, you are no longer just
subject to the force of the earths gravity, and you no longer feel just the normal (or
contact) force that feel pushes back up against you to balance out gravity. Instead, you
are also feeling the force of the mat in concert with the springs pushing up against you
and propelling you upward. These two forces (the normal force and the force generated
by the mat and springs) are in fact additive. Thus, you and presumably your cells feel
that combined force as a force that is greater than the normal force of gravity. (Funny
how the word normal gets used there.)
So, it is true that you experience more than 1 g of force during the part of the bounce
cycle that you are in contact with the mat. But from there, it is a large leap to hypothesize
that the DNA and RNA therefore work together to strengthen the membranes of the cells.
We dont know whether it is true we dont have any real proof as to whether the cells
are strengthened, and if they are strengthened as hypothesized, we dont really know the
mechanism by which they are made stronger (notwithstanding Al Carters speculation
about DNA alerting RNA to have the cells create more protein to strengthen themselves).
For you science types, we know that f=ma, which means that you are being pulled down with a
(f)orce that is equal to your (m)ass times your (a)cceleration, which at the surface of the earth is
32 feet per second per second. If you are on the surface of the moon, your mass remains the same,
but your weight is different because the gravitational force that the moon pulls you down with is
much less than the gravitational force felt at the surface of the earth.
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To repeat: Al Carters hypothesis about cellular strength and whole body exercise is a
wonderful and fascinating hypothesis, but as far as I can tell, thats all it is at this point: a
hypothesis. It may be true that the whole body, every one of its 70 trillion or so cells, is
indeed being strengthened by being subjected to increasing and decreasing gravity in a
rhythmic fashion, but at this point there is just no direct proof for this.
This lack of proof, however, hasnt stopped this cell-strengthening-through-increasedgravity hypothesis from being repeated in almost every existing book on rebounding.
Even books that spend most of their focus elsewhere tend to repeat this hypothesis as if it
were undeniably true. The problem with this is that if we pin our understanding of
reboundings benefits on an unproven speculation, it tends to undermine rebounding as a
whole. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that rebounding has remained mostly in the
doldrums for the last 20 years.
A modified version of this hypothesis has been put forward by Dave Hall. According to
his website at http://www.cellercise.com/:
Acceleration and deceleration create pressure changes within the body and an
increased amount of weight against the cell membrane. At the bottom of the
bounce, every cell in the body is stimulated, exercised and strengthened.
This alternative explanation both as to the causal mechanism pressure changes and
the way the cells react to it (by being stimulated, exercised, and strengthened), seems a
bit more plausible. However, it too (at least to my knowledge) remains unproven.
The Increased Lymph Flow & Immune Boost Perspective
Starting with Al Carter again, virtually every book on rebounding will rightly point out
that rebounding stimulates the circulation and flow of lymph fluid, and that this leads to a
stronger immune system, more white blood cell activity (as old and dying white blood
cells get moved through), and an increase in the bodys metabolic waste and drainage
functioning. Lymph of which you have four times as much as you have blood is the
interstitial fluid surrounding all of the cells in the body. Not only are metabolic wastes
moved through by your lymph so they can be properly discharged (through your lymph
nodes), but lymph circulates the white blood cells so they can do their job, including
helping older white blood cells clear out so that the body produces more fresh, strong
ones.
Unlike our circulatory system through which blood is moved by a pump known as the
heart, the lymph fluid and the lymph system have no pump. As Dr. Morton Walker writes
in Jumping for Health: A Guide to Rebounding Aerobics (1989, pp. 60-61, emphasis
added):
The Lymphatic Drainage System. Aerobic movement provides the stimulus for
a free-flowing lymphatic drainage system. The lymphatic system is the metabolic
garbage can of the body. It rids the body of toxins, fatigue substances, dead cells,
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Rebound exercise is a great way to get aerobic exercise and to thereby boost the heart,
lungs, and respiratory systems, not to mention all of the many documented collateral
benefits that follow from aerobic exercise. Several of the rebounding authorities already
mentioned in this book Al Carter, Harry & Sara Sneider, JB Berns include the
aerobic, cardio, and respiratory benefits of rebounding in their descriptions of rebounding
as a matter of course. Two other excellent books that have focused mainly on rebounding
as an aerobic activity are Jump for Joy by James R. White, PH.D. (1984) and Dr. Morton
Walkers Jumping for Health: A Guide To Rebounding Aerobics (1989). If you want
more details on aerobic exercise generally (including information on finding and using
target heart rates), or specifically on rebounding as an aerobic activity, then either of
these books will serve you well.
As stated in Figure __, the great advantage of rebounding as an aerobic exercise is that its
fun, easy, safe, convenient, and non-jarring nature may make it possible for many people
to stick with it past the point when they would give up on other forms of exercise. For
example, I can rebound for an hour every day without jarring my skeleton, something I
can do with only a very few other forms of exercise. (Swimming and bike riding come to
mind as exceptions here, but swimming is often inconvenient I have no pool in my
living room and biking, while exhilarating and wonderful, can be dangerous and in any
case puts a good deal of pressure on certain parts of the body such as wrists, hands, and
buttocks.) The point here isnt to take a dig at other forms of exercises, but to point out
that rebounding is a great addition to nearly anyones exercise program because it
powerfully delivers the benefits associated with aerobic exercise while also being fun,
convenient, and non-harmful.
of fun in stimulating coordination, try throwing a ball or a sand bag up in the air while
you are rebounding and then catch it. For even more fun, try a ball in both hands. My
friends who like juggling and who have tried it while rebounding tell me it is quite a
challenge!
Finally, there is the question of increases in strength. On the one hand, it is possible to do
wonderfully intense strength increasing workouts with hand weights; see the Catalog
section on Hand Weights Bouncing. There are a good number of anecdotal reports here,
and Harry and Sara Sneiders work in Olympic trainer (1981) points to a good deal of
clinical experience with highly trained athletes. That is, resistive rebounding or
rebounding with hand weights (or sand bags) seems to work, and my personal
experience here is that muscle tone, size, and strength can definitely be approached
through the use of hand weights while rebounding.
Importantly, as you use your legs and arms while rebounding, you are always engaging to
some degree in resistive rebounding. That is, even without the use of hand weights, the
very weight of your limbs, which you are moving through space in a regular coordinated
fashion, will both strengthen and tone those limbs. For more elderly individuals, and for
those working to get back into shape, the mere act of spending time bouncing on a
rebounder can lead to significant toning and strengthening benefits.
It should also be pointed out, as stated earlier, that increases in flexibility are equivalent
to increases in functional strength. To the degree you can use and actually apply more of
your bodily strength through a larger range of motion, that is, to the degree that you can
actually use your muscle power in a safe and effective manner in the real physical world,
you are for all intents and purposes stronger.
But the other question here is whether there is something innate to the bouncing form and
the raw mechanics of rebounding that naturally and automatically increases strength. One
possibility, suggested earlier in this chapter under the Strengthened Cell Perspective, is
that the individual cells of the body, all 70 trillion plus, are somehow strengthened from
within by the gravity fluctuations that rebounding subjects the body to. Another
possibility is that there is an increase in the number of mitochondria in the muscle cells
throughout the body. Once again, this is an interesting possibility, but as far as I know
remains an unproven assertion.
What else might be responsible for increases in strength that sometimes seem to result
from ordinary rebounding? Al Carter is well known for speaking of his own
extraordinary strength (e.g., being able to do 100 one-arm push-ups the first time he
tried), as well as the extraordinary strength of his two children. His little girl could beat
all the little boys in her school in arm wrestling, and both of his children could do
extraordinary numbers of sit-ups. Al attributed his childrens strength to their ongoing
trampolining (the whole family performed professionally in a traveling trampolining
troupe called the Gymnastics Fantastics), and surmised that the cellular strengthening
effect discussed above under the Strengthened Cells Perspective was the cause.
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But we have already said that Al Carters theory here is just that: a speculative theory. Is
there, then, another possible explanation or way of looking at this?
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Rebounding is safe both with respect to the total g-force that can be developed on
a rebounder, and with respect to how that force is distributed through the body
upon impact (i.e., the force at the ankles, back, and forehead are all about equal)
With a similar perceived rate of exertion, rebounding burns at least as many, and
possibly more, calories per time unit than running on a treadmill does
Running on a trampoline (but not necessarily on a rebounder) is bio-mechanically
effective, that is, more work can be done per total amount of oxygen consumed
and energy expended than can be done on a treadmill
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The following table indicates the research and studies that are covered in this Chapter:
Study
Victor Katch Tables on
Calories Expended
NASA Study on
Trampolining and
Biomechanical Efficiency
Date
~ 1980
1980
1980
1981
1982
1982
1983
2002
2002
It is especially interesting, and a bit dismaying, to see that no research or studies seem to
have been conducted on rebounding between 1983 and 2002. If you are reading this book
and know of any research on rebounding that is not included here, please do let me know!
On the following pages more detailed information on each study is provided.
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12 Minutes Jogging @
5 MPH
47
56
66
75
85
94
12 Minutes Rebounding
58
67
77
86
96
105
90
2.9
14.5
29
43.5
58
100
3.4
17
34
51
68
110
3.9
19.5
39
58.5
78
120
4.4
22
44
66
88
130
4.9
24.5
49
73.5
98
140
5.4
27
54
81
108
150
6
30
60
90
120
160
6.5
32.5
65
97.5
130
170
7
35
70
105
140
180
7.5
37.5
75
112.5
150
190
8
40
80
120
160
Comments on Study:
The above tables are frequently presented in promotional materials on the Internet. No
further information about Dr. Katch or his research is available, however. Note that Table
A does not calibrate how fast the individuals tested were rebounding, and while Table B
suggests that the individuals tested continued at roughly the same 5 MPH pace as when
they were jogging, this is unclear. Nonetheless, it is somewhat useful to have tables like
these showing that rebounding does, indeed, burn calories. The intermediate values on
Table A (e.g., 105 pounds, 110 pounds, 115 pounds, etc.), have not been included here.
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Jump for Joy, James R. White, Ph.D. (1984), pp. vi, 5-6
Key Findings or What is Otherwise Said About Study or Research:
After three and a half years of extensive research, we found that 93 percent of
2300 men, women and children who jumped in our laboratory experienced a great
deal of joy.From these studies we concluded that jumping on rebounding
equipment is a form of exercise that can be used by both novice and expert
athletes, weight losers, those with various injuries, jogging dropouts, executives
pressed for time, those living in extreme climates and especially those who hate
exercises. (p. vi)
Jumping is not for everyone. Still, we have found that jumping on good
rebounding equipment is effective in improving the symptoms of over 80 percent
of the patients reporting to our rehabilitation lab. (p. 5)
We found that jogging, jumping and skipping rope on rebounding equipment
produced about one-third the impact that jogging on a treadmill or skipping rope
on a floor would produce.[W]e found that during jogging the shock transmitted
from the running surface of the treadmill up to the leg reached a force level of
four to six times the body weight. While similarly exercising at the same heart
rate on the rebounding equipment the force was reduced to a maximum of 1.7 to
2.2 times the body weight. Both of these experiments showed that rebounding
exercise actually produces less leg trauma than walking, jogging or skipping rope
on regular surfaces. (pp. 5-6)
Comments About Study:
The first set of conclusions reported here are positive, but very general and not all
that useful. The second finding speaks well to reboundings rehabilitative
potential. The third set, as to rebounding being easier on the legs than exercise on
a hard surface, are in rough alignment with other studies done on this issue.
Dr. Kenneth Cooper Study on Rebounding as Part of Circuit Training
Researchers and Associated Institution:
Dr. Kenneth Cooper, Institute of Aerobic Research.
Date of Study and Publication Citation if Any:
1981. No citation available.
Where Study is Mentioned:
On Needak Corporations website, and elsewhere on web.
Key Findings or What is Otherwise Said About Study or Research:
Strength gains when rebounding in betweencircuit weight training showed a
25% improvement over standard circuit weight training.
Comments About Study:
The above quote with the 25% figure is often cited, but no information
whatsoever about this research seems to be available.
Sun Valley Fitness Study on Likelihood of Continuing On With Rebounding
Researchers and Associated Institution:
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is not clear here what exactly aerobic springing gear means, though, so we
dont know if something like a modern rebounder is what was being tested. Nor
do we know anything about the experimental design or methodology. This is all in
stark contrast to the wonderfully clear New Mexico Study discussed below.
Dr. Ward Dean, M.D. on G Force Maximum
Researchers and Associated Institution:
Dr. Ward Dean, Masters Thesis from Kyungbook University, College of
Medicine, Taegu, Korea.
Date of Study and Publication Citation if Any:
1983.
Where Study is Mentioned:
The New Miracles of Rebound Exercise, Albert Carter (1988), p. 40.
Key Findings or What is Otherwise Said About Study or Research:
The subject? How much G force can be developed by an athlete in good physical
condition bouncing on a quality rebounder at maximum attainable altitude. His
scientific conclusions are 3.24 Gs.
the normal human can handle as much as 8 Gs momentarily, and 20G in s a
sitting positionThe point being, that if the best athletes can develop on 3.24 Gs,
rebounding is a safe whole-body exercise for virtually every body.
Comments About Study:
It is reassuring to note that it is highly unlikely that anyone could ever develop
enough g-force on a rebounder to hurt themselves, e.g., rupture cells, from the gforce alone.
Proprioception Study by Cornell Hospital For Special Surgery
Researchers and Associated Institution:
Vijay B. Vad, M.D., Cornell Hospital for Special Surgery, Integrative Care Center
Date of Study and Publication Citation if Any:
Approximately 2002; study can be found a at
http://www.urbanrebounding.com/art_cornell_univ_study.html
Where Study is Mentioned:
Urban Rebounding website.
Key Findings or What is Otherwise Said About Study or Research (footnotes omitted):
Five healthy subjects had their proprioception measured doing single-leg stand
with eyes closed before and after two months of training for twenty minutes three
times a week using the Urban Rebounding based exercise program. The results
showed that the total time for single-leg stand with eyes closed was 7.3 seconds
(SD 1.2) before the exercise program and 11.96 after the program (SD 1.4) for an
increase of 68% which was statistically significant (p<0.05).
Comments on Study:
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rebounding with other modes of exercise has not been investigated. Well,
thats pretty clear. The second two points, that rebounding offers a caloric
expenditure equivalent to using a treadmill, and that it can do so in a non-impact
way, are also made very clear. This may be the best, most modern, rebounding
study to date, as well as the one most likely to qualify as strict scientific
evidence, notwithstanding financing from QVC.
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or not rebounding at all. Note, too, that individuals with vision problems, even severe or
complete blindness, may be able to safely rebound with the use of a stabilizer bar.
The second equipment innovation is the bounce-back chair, previously described and
shown in Chapter 19. With a bounce back-chair, individuals who do not have the use of
their legs or who are otherwise incapable of standing can still get substantial rebounding
benefits, including (depending on the individual) an aerobic effect, a lymph flow effect,
and the development of trunk, upper body, and to some degree, leg strength. It may take a
bit of work, but individuals who are otherwise wheelchair bound can help themselves
into, or be helped into, a bounce-back chair and then have an invigorating bouncing
session.
In addition to these two pieces of equipment, a number of strategies have been devised to
enable invalid, differently-abled, or wheelchair bound individuals to experience the
positive benefits of rebound exercise. Known as buddy bouncing or team rebounding
(JB Bernss term), there are a number of different ways that this can be done.
For example, Al Carter describes the sitting bounce, whereupon the patient sits on the
rebounder while they receive the assistance of somebody standing behind them creating
a bounce and holding their upper body vertical on the rebounder so that they do not tip
over while rebounding. (Rebound Exercise The Ultimate Exercise for the New
Millennium (2003), p. 163.)
Another possibility is to place the feet of the patient on the rebounder while someone else
steps onto the mat, straddles the patients feet, and bounces. The patient will receive a
good amount of stimulation from this exercise. As JB Berns writes, The bouncing
motion will provide a full benefit to the wheelchair bound individual who need only sit
there and receive the health giving effect to their legs. (Urban Rebounding (1999), p.
70.)
Another possibility, as Linda Brooks writes, is as follows: If a person can not stand or
even sit up on the rebounder, then the buddy can help him lie down on the rebounder mat,
stand and straddle him, and do the health bounce. (Rebounding to Better Health (1995),
p. 72.) Brooks also offers some more general advice applicable to any of these types of
scenarios: By starting slowly, using the stabilizer bar, and being a little creative,
reboundings benefits can reach anyone, no matter what the condition.
Rehabilitative Rebounding
Now we are on to a topic that is certainly beyond the scope of this book! Here are just a
few quick and obvious points. First, if you have a knee, back, ankle, foot, or other injury,
dont be too quick to disqualify yourself from rebounding. There are many anecdotal
reports of individuals working through injuries with rebounding. If your doctor says
absolutely not, then you should listen to him or her, or find a new medical practitioner
who is open to the possibilities inherent in rebounding. Second, if you are using
rebounding for rehabilitative purposes, in addition to finding the right medical
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practitioner to work with, make sure that you keep things slow and easy, and that you
continuously place attention on your breath as well as the injured body part.
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Part VII:
Conclusion: You and a Daily Bounce
28. Bringing Rebounding Into Your Daily Life
29. Integrating Body, Mind & Soul: Bringing Your Favorite Inner
Work to Rebounding
30. Fun, Easy, Safe, Convenient, and Highly Effective: Is
Rebounding for You?
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An increase in lymphatic flow and thereby a boost to the immune system and to
bodily detoxification processes generally
Cardiovascular improvement and an aerobic training effect
Increases in strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination
No matter what you are doing shopping, working, making love, playing sports, eating,
watching TV or a movie the fitness benefits that accrue to you from regularly
rebounding will also have an impact on your physical body and your frame of mind as
you pursue these activities. I know, for example, that my bike riding has improved
because of how much looser and more flexible my lower back is as a result of
rebounding. This is something that I would not have predicted ahead of time, and yet
now, with the benefit of hindsight, I can see that most of my other physical activities,
from walking to biking to throwing a Frisbee, have improved at least a little as I continue
to diligently pursue rebounding.
Rebounding can also teach you ways of going about certain aspects of your life when you
are not rebounding. For example, I was in the gym a while back and found myself in a bit
of pain with respect to my knee. I noticed that I nearly automatically began to breathe the
way I do on a rebounder, and in fact, I began to practice Work-it-Through Bouncing as
described in Chapter 20. Rebounding builds bodily intelligence in a number of
dimensions, and you may find that in your ordinary day-to-day life you are applying,
consciously or unconsciously, at least some of what you experience and practice while
rebounding.
It has been said of meditation that instead of attempting to bring the states of peace, calm,
and relaxation that may be achieved into daily life, it is better to bring all of daily life into
the meditative mindset. In other words, instead of trying to achieve a certain state that
you hang onto and then apply during a stressful moment or crisis in your ordinary life,
you are better off if you find a way to always be meditating whether or not you are
formally sitting.
By analogy, rebounding brings about an integrated body/mind state that is characterized
by better breathing and health-giving flows of lymph, blood, and other bodily fluids,
along with a more focused and centered physical body generally. Allow yourself to
remember how you feel while you are rebounding, and then bring those feelings with you
into the rest of your waking hours. Just as a martial artist over time develops a sense of
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grace, serenity, and personal power, rebounding may very well bring to you feelings of
health and well-being that affect not only you, but those who you are in contact with, in a
very positive way.
Lastly, if you do experience the benefits of rebounding, I would urge you to take the next
step towards bringing the benefits of rebounding even more into your daily life: share
your experience with others. Not only is it fun to tell others about rebounding, but it is
very rewarding to share something that can very positively benefit someone elses life. A
hard sell is not necessary. Just share your experience from your heart, and those who are
meant to start their own rebounding practice will do so. Of course, if you happen to
mention On the Rebound as well, that would be greatly appreciated.
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As you may have been able to tell from some of the Catalog entries (see, e.g., the third
variation on Tapping), I have a deeply held conviction as to the reality of the interior
realms of existence. In fact, On the Rebound was originally, for over a year, going to be
entitled SpiritRiser. (For quite a while it also existed in my mind as The Daily Bounce,
but then it occurred to me that that would be a better name for a video- and supportoriented website showcasing rebound exercise and philosophy on a daily basis.) But my
friends and trusted advisors convinced me to keep the metaphysical, the magical, the
spiritual, and most certainly, the woo-woo, completely out of this book if I wanted it to
sell more than 50 copies.
In addition, however, to my unwavering commitment to breakthroughs in health and
fitness, Im pretty darn committed to enlightenment, to spirituality, to the unleashing of
human potential, and to the belief that these subjects are always worth including, at least
to some degree, in any serious discussion. Since I do take seriously the propositions put
forth and the promises made in On the Rebound, Im afraid that some discussion of inner
work and the inner realms is inescapable.
This isnt the time or place to undertake a long ontological, epistemological, or
metaphysical discourse. Let me just say, however, that I believe that any kind of strict
reductionism any theory that says that it is only the hard, physical, material world that
is real, that counts, and that is ultimately behind Reality as we know it is plainly
and simply wrong. The ability to move things physically, to hold them, to measure them,
to be able to get an experimental or actual handle on them these are not the only criteria
for judging the reality of worth of what exists. Instead, I believe that something along the
lines of the integral Kosmos suggested by Ken Wilber in his extraordinary body of work
is probably a much better, not to mention truer and more beautiful, way of looking at
things.
I believe that the inner dimensions of life, the subjective side of our existences
individually and collectively, are indivisibly part of the equations of existence at any
given moment (if there is such a thing as a given moment). Some approach the inner
worlds through meditation alone; some approach them through Wilbers ideas of four
quadrants, with two of those quadrants representing inner realities (the personal
subjective and the collective cultural realms); and many others study or practice myth,
psychotherapy, consciousness, magic, alchemy, self-development, of any one of a great
number of other inner arts.
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Not only do I believe that there is an inner as well as an outer realm, but I believe that
there is a secret about how the inner realm works that I can easily share with you right
now. Simply, when the inner is consistently focused on, then changes, experiences, and
results occur in both the inner and the outer realms that cannot be explained by the
causality of the outer realm alone, no matter how hard we try. In other words, at root
core, there is a fundamental kind of magic or coordinated mystery behind everything that
occurs. (This is part of why it can be said that the inner realms count as well. We just
dont know exactly how this counting is done, what it is that is being counted, what kind
of mathematical and geometrical laws hold, and so on.)
By great fortuity, rebounding is particularly well suited to assist people in working with
the inner realms. Whether you are a master of ten powerful esoteric systems that I have
never even heard of, or whether you are a rank beginner in the worlds of both self-help
mastery and spiritual transformation, rebounding may have a great deal to offer you.
Inner work is, of course, not for everybody. But if you already do inner work, or have had
a yearning to give inner work a good try, then rebounding might be a perfect fit for you,
as it integrally facilitates doing outer work and inner work at the same time. Such a deal!
Rebounding Naturally Invites and Even Induces Inner Work
One of the truly wonderful things about rebounding is that it not only address the needs
of the physical body in a powerful and effective (and fun, safe, easy, and convenient)
way, but it also both offers the opportunity to do inner work and actually helps to
somewhat automatically bring it about.
The opportunity is obvious and inescapable. You are there, on a rebounder, bouncing up
and down for some amount of time each day or nearly each day. What are you going to
do with that time? Listening to music and watching TV, as discussed in Chapter 22, are
effective time-passing options. But some of us dont like to always occupy ourselves with
external distractions, and even those who do love music or TV may sometimes want a
break and want to experience rebounding au natural. (Of course, you can also do inner
work with good music on, and probably TV as well, although that might prove more
difficult.)
So, again, you are there, bouncing up and down, using your body perhaps in complicated
ways, but as you gain mastery over your chosen Bounce Types, there will be times when
you will have enough free attention to go inwards if you like. And not only will you have
the opportunity, but rebounding itself may induce you to indeed go inwards in two
different ways.
The first way has to do with the repetitive, trance-inducing, nature of the activity itself.
Some might find the natural rhythm of rebounding repetitive and boring, but most people
seem to find it soothing, somewhat hypnotic, and capable of putting them in a slightly
altered state of mind. The point here is that rebounding may, in its own way, open the
doorway to inner work for you if you allow it to.
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The second way has to do with where this sub-section started: the way in which
rebounding powerfully and effectively addresses the physical body. When your body
knows that it is being well-taken care of, when you become aware that your physical
needs are being addressed and you find yourself actually getting healthier and stronger
over time, you may be able to relax more deeply and free up enough attention to do inner
work (if you are so inclined). As both Maslow and Marx have said, you have to address
the physical substrate first, and then you can move up the ladder of needs, desires, and
actualizations. Put more simply, as one friend of mine who has taken up rebounding likes
to say: When Im bouncing, I feel that my body is OK. That Im OK. And that makes
me feel good.
So, rebounding offers you an opportunity youre not going anywhere anyway and it
also offers you two ways in: (1) through its trance-inducing nature, and (2) through the
way it frees up your energy so you can focus internally. Then the questions become:
What kind of inner work should I do? What will work best for me? Whats available,
and how do I go about it?
A Broad Range of Inner Work Choices
If you already do some kind of inner work, see if it naturally and obviously transposes
onto the rebounder. For example, if you meditate, unless it is a strict condition of your
form of meditation that you be sitting still, you can simply do a version of your
meditation while you are rebounding. In some ways you might find it hard to do this, but
in other ways, it might feel like a natural and easy transposition.
If you dont already do some kind of regular inner work, then pick something that youve
tried in the past and liked but gave up on for one reason or another. Or, take a look at the
following list, and choose any one of these types of inner work to practice while you are
bouncing. Of course, this is just a simple list, and almost every one of the options for
inner work listed below is in and of itself a huge topic expounded on by many teachers,
books, and now websites. It will not be hard for you to find information on almost any of
these suggested inner work choices, and in fact, there are many more inner work choices
that you will be able to find out about and explore than are listed here. Rebounding offers
you a fantastic opportunity to do inner work, but it is up to you to choose what kind of
inner work you want to do, to find out about it, and to then apply it to your time on the
rebounder.
Spend a least a couple of minutes during your rebounding session working with whatever
inner work choice you choose. If you like what you are doing, there are times when you
may find inner work taking up most or even all of a rebounding session. And thats just
fine, because as long as you are moving your body and bouncing during that time, you
will get many if not most of the physical benefits that rebounding has to offer.
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Here then is a short alphabetical list of some inner work choices that my be readily
adaptable to rebounding:
Alchemical Elemental visualization and invocation (described below)
Breathwork (see Chapter __)
Chakra visualization and invocation (seeing and sensing flows of energy moving
in and through the chakras)
Chanting or Singing (this can be spiritually oriented chants, songs, or anything
that you like which engages the voice)
Juggling (whats this doing in a list of inner work? Well, juggling on a rebounder
takes quite a bit of concentration and focus; give it a try)
Kabbalah visualization and invocation (doing Pathwork, or otherwise
centering in individual charkas or worlds and moving through them)
Kundalini Yoga exercises (as my friend Alex Rose pointed out to me, there are a
large number of Kundalini yoga exercises, having to do with breath, mudra, and
body position, that can be readily adapted to rebounding)
Mandala (e.g., visually diving deeply into beautiful prayer flags, Tibetan Tankas,
etc., as you bounce)
Mantra (e.g., Om Mani Padme Hum or any one of countless other mantras)
Martial Arts (bring some of the outer, as well as the inner, aspects of whatever
your practice is to the rebounder)
Meditation (as simple as clearing your mind and not thinking, or as complex as
you like it)
Mudra (holding specific hand and finger positions to create energy flows and to
trigger states of consciousness)
Oracular bouncing (here, you take a question about your life or the future, and
you hold it in your mind all the way through your bouncing; sometimes, an
answer will be revealed or will otherwise come to you)
Prayer (whatever type you are comfortable with)
Sufi bouncing (there is not only twirling, but many other forms of dance, hand
motions, etc., that can be applied)
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Air: Often associated with the direction of East, while rebounding I not only
moved vertically through a great deal more air than I normally would or could,
but a lot more air in the form of breath came in and through my body, and Breath
Work Bouncing was an obvious, important, and valuable kind of work that could
always be done;
Earth: Often associated with the North, it was the gravity of the Earth that made
rebounding possible in the first place, and this element also reminded me of the
kind of grounded knowledge about myself and my body that I was gaining as I
rebounded;
Water: Often associated with the West, this element was clearly brought into play
through the great lymphatic and other fluidic circulations (e.g., blood, cerebospinal fluid) that rebounding brought about, including the notion of being kind
and loving to my body by giving myself the immune-system boosting gift of
lymphatic circulation;
Fire: Often associated with the South, not only does rebounding raise the bodys
metabolism, that is, its internal fire, but it also serves to marvelously focus
energy, attention, and willpower; and
Spirit: Associated with all directions, Spirit is the underlying canvas (the mat?)
on and through which all rebounding happens and into which all other directions
and elements merge.
Following upon these associations, I created for myself what I call the Great Alchemical
Sequence, or G.A.S. Whenever I get tired or feel even a little bit down during a
rebounding session, I simply give myself some G.A.S., as follows:
1. Starting facing the East, I do some jumping jacks, and breathe in deeply to
connect myself to the element of Air with its attendant inspiration and vision;
2. Then, I turn to the North, and do some moderately high bouncing, so that I
become very aware of the gravity of my situation (literally) and experience the
grounded energy of the Earth necessary to keep rebounding safe;
3. Next, I turn to the West and do some arm circles in each direction, opening up my
heart as I visualize the Water in my body, especially water as the main constituent
of the lymph fluid, as powerfully and lovingly circulating, cleansing, and
renewing my body, mind, and soul;
4. Then I turn to the South and move my arms quickly, throwing them out and
bringing them back (as in Pulse Pace Bouncing), experiencing one-pointed
concentration and the Fire of my human purpose and will; and
5. Finally, I come to Spirit, usually doing a Twist as I turn around the mat and take
in all that is within and before me. Sometimes, I will allow myself to get lost in
this final movement into Spirit, bouncing for as long as I want.
This kind of inner work and visualization is not for everybody, but give it a try if you feel
drawn to it. It can be a lot of fun, and my sessions perk up quite a bit when I remember to
give myself G.A.S.
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with body, mind, heart and soul, is aimed at positive changes in body and being, and
involves a practice, that is, something that you do in a long-term, disciplined manner and
that has value in and of itself. Ken Wilber, formerly the leading theorist of transpersonal
psychology and now the leading proponent of Integral theory, has championed a form of
ITP similar to that put forth by his good friends George Leonard and Michael Murphy.
Wilber has also put forth additional ideas on ITP, some in concert with another good
friend of his, Roger Walsh, who has written a wonderful book called Essential
Spirituality: The 7 Central Practices to Awaken Heart and Mind (2000).
The point here is not to determine exactly what an ITP should look like, but to note that
rebounding shares many of the qualities of an ITP. Not only does rebounding powerfully
and effectively address the body, but as described above, it invites and even induces the
performance of inner work. Moreover, rebounding works best when it is done as a regular
practice, that is, on a Daily Bounce or near daily basis.
As has been pointed out many times in this book, for many people rebounding is not only
fun, it is downright joyful or even ecstatic. Perhaps this should not come as a surprise,
because every time you bounce you are literally (that is, actually) getting high, and every
time you bounce, you are figuratively connecting Heaven and Earth. If you undertake
rebounding as a regular practice, it can serve as an important component or even the
cornerstone of your own ITP.
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So, is rebounding for you? First, only you can know the answer to this question. Second,
if you have gotten this far in the book, or even if this is the first Chapter you have read,
ask yourself this: Does rebounding, at least as a concept, appeal to me?
Third, and most importantly, as with so many other things in life, you cannot and will not
know the answer here unless and until you try regular rebounding for yourself. If there is
a nearby gym that offers rebounding, you may want to try it there. If you have a friend
with a high quality rebounder, then see if you can borrow it or least try it at your friends
home. Or, you can just make the leap for yourself (as it were), get yourself a quality
rebounder (you can buy one through the Daily Bounce website at DailyBounce.com), and
then slowly but surely make this immune-enhancing, heart and breath strengthening,
muscle toning and flexibility increasing, exercise form a regular part of your life.
Its fun. Its easy. Its convenient. Most people find it highly effective. It works well with
music or TV. It is far less harsh on the body than jogging or running because rebounders
take up about 85% of the shock through their mats and springs. And it may have a
positive effect on your state of mind, as well as open you up to a sense of inner or
spiritual work as well.
Ultimately, we are all On the Rebound. Every single one of us has had to face the slings
and arrows of ordinary existence, and every single one of us has had ups and downs in
our physical condition and level of available energy. Put simply, the great stresses placed
on all of us by modern life have left all too many of us with physical beings and spiritual
selves that function at sub-optimal levels. Let me invite you, then, to join with me in a
Daily Bounce to help counter these stresses. Whether we can achieve ten million U.S.
citizens regularly rebounding by 2010 is unknown, but even if only one more person
you! join with me in being On the Rebound, I will consider this work to have been a
great success.
The promise being made here are not only serious and substantial one, they are
honest ones. If you want to create or increase the degree of vibrant health and well-being
in your life in a fun, easy, and highly effective way, then join with me as we bounce
together into the future, delightedly On the Rebound.
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Part VIII:
Conclusion: You and a Daily Bounce
31. Bringing Rebounding Into Your Daily Life
32. Integrating Body, Mind & Soul: Bringing Your Favorite Inner
Work to Rebounding
33. Fun, Easy, Safe, Convenient, and Highly Effective: Is Rebounding
for You?
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Short online video clips of bouncing, updated as frequently as five times a week,
containing rebounding tips, hints, and philosophy
Updates to the Catalog and other parts of On the Rebound
Ways of making contact with other individuals who have taken up rebounding
Online support groups
Access to professional rebound mentoring
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32.
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Carter, A.E., The New Miracles of Rebound Exercise: A Revolutionary Way to Better
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PA: The Himalayan Institute Press, 1979).
Reich, W., Character Analysis (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 3rd Rpt edition, 1980).
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On the Rebound, draft 1.0, 2004 Jordan Gruber, All Rights Reserved; Confidential, Please do not Reproduce - 250 -