Rebounding: Science Behind the 7 Major Health Benefits of Rebound Exercise

Rebounding is not just something that Wilt Chamberlain did better than any other basketball player. Health and wellness advocates recommend a different kind of rebounding — one that improves the immune system and lymphatic health.

For your health, rebounding involves jumping on a mini-trampoline; this increases both blood and lymph circulation. The body contains 5-6 quarts of blood, which is circulated by the heart. But without the lymphatic system, the body cannot effectively eliminate toxins. The lymphatic system is a major dumping ground for toxins and waste products. Exercising on a rebounder promotes the flow of lymph, thereby flushing the toxins.

All forms of exercise work on the principle of opposing gravity, according to Albert Carter, investigative journalist, professional trampolinist, and the world’s foremost authority on rebound exercise. “Gravity starts pulling on us before we are born and continues to pull on us until we die,” he said. “We do have the fight of physical exertion — opposing gravity — and most of us have the idea that when we are opposing gravity,  that "we" are the only part of the body that is opposing gravity, but every part of the body, regardless of where it is, has to cope with or adjust to the gravitational pull of the earth.

“What most people don’t realize is, all of the cells of the body, regardless of where they are, have to do the same thing. For example, the lymphocytes, the t-cells, have the responsibility of keeping us healthy but they have to do it in regards to the gravitational pull of the earth.

“Rebound exercises utilize the forces of gravity, as well as the forces of acceleration and deceleration,” Carter said. “When you land on a rebounder, every cell in the body has to adjust to the increased deceleration. When the springs take over and push the body up into the air, then the body has to adjust to a weightless condition for only a moment at a time. But that weightless condition is throughout the entire body regardless of where the cells are.

“We’ve found that the best exercise is rebound exercise, which allows the more than 100 trillion cells of the body to adjust to an environment that it is not used to, which is deceleration at the bottom of the bounce.”

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Rebounding and the Immune System

According to Carter, one of the most amazing benefits of rebound exercise is how it improves lymphatic circulation, thereby strengthening the immune system and making it more effective.

“There are lymph channels throughout the entire body,” he said. “You have three times as much lymph fluid in the body as you do blood. Lymph fluid has to circulate from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head, but it’s not connected up to the heart.

“The way the lymphatic system works is the lymphocytes, the white blood cells, are moved through the body via one-way valves. You’ve got these valves from the bottom of the feet upwards throughout the entire body – and the valves all point upwards. So when you move the body around, the lymph fluid is always moving in one direction, that is up towards the neck.

“At the top of the chest, you have the lymph valves that allow the lymph fluid to flow into the bloodstream, or back into the lymphatic system where it circulates back down into the body. By activating the one-way valves of the lymphatic system, you cause an increase in lymph circulation by 10 times of what the lymphatic system is able to circulate when you are sitting around doing nothing.  So when you bounce on a rebounder, or jump on the floor, or use a jump rope, the one-way valves open and close about 100 times a minute, circulating the lymph fluid, removing toxins, and getting the white blood cells to areas of the body they need to be.”

The immune system is both our civil defense and our janitor, according to Carter. “It clears the body of waste and toxins,” he said.” Our white blood cells are the janitors of the human body.”

Rebounder Exercises for Lymphatic System

You can get all aerobic exercise you need on a rebounder, and get all the lymphatic circulation you need on a rebounder, without the shock and trauma of hitting a hard surface.
~ Albert Carter

“We now understand that one of the most important things we can do for our health and our immune system is to move rapidly,” Carter said. “Jogging is a good form of lymphatic circulation. People are healthier when they jog. The problem with jogging is it is also traumatic to parts of the body such as ankles, knees, back, and legs. This is where rebound exercise comes in. You can get all the aerobic exercise you need on a rebounder, and get all the lymphatic circulation you need on a rebounder, without the shock and trauma of hitting a hard surface.

“When we are sitting and doing nothing, the only thing causing any lymphatic circulation is the chest breathing in and out.”

Additional Health Benefits of Rebounding

Poor lymph flow is common in sedentary people; this is one reason why less active individuals are more susceptible to illness. Sedentary people who have poor diets or choose to live on junk food are often unwell because the body sends all the toxins and waste to the lymphatic system. The lymph flow is poor due to a lack of exercise, so toxins accumulate in the body.

Additional benefits of rebounding include:

• Increased lymphocyte activity (2)
• Physically strengthens muscular system (3)
• Easy on joints (6)
• Helps improve balance (4)
• Strengthens cells (5)
• Improves cardiovascular function (5)
• Helps improve the effects of other exercises- one study found that those who rebounded for 30 seconds between weight lifting sets saw 25 percent more improvement after 12 weeks than those who did not.
• Builds physical strength, muscular development, and proprioception for athletes (7)

Natural News reports bouncing on a rebounder for two minutes every hour is good therapy for preventing or treating cancer. One hour after rebounding, the white blood cell count normalizes. Rebounding every hour will keep your immune system in optimum running condition, as rebounding will flush the lymphatic system.

The History of the Trampoline

According to Olympic.org, George Nissen and Larry Griswold built the first trampoline around 1934 at the University of Iowa. It was originally used to train tumblers and astronauts and as a training tool to develop and hone acrobatic skills for other sports including diving, gymnastics and freestyle skiing.

People enjoyed the sensation of jumping and bouncing so much, they began to trampoline for sheer fun, and it became popular in its own right. (1)

Does Rebounding Really Work?

The short answer is yes, and that is backed up by a landmark study completed in 1980. This often-quoted research on the benefits of rebound exercise was completed by NASA scientists who concluded that rebounding on a trampoline is 68 percent more effective than jogging and yet requires less effort.

Below is a short video that explains the findings of the NASA study:

From Trampolinist to Authority on Rebounding

I was like, wait a minute, there’s something phenomenal happening to my kids. That’s when we began to study what was happening to the body (during trampoline exercise) to figure out what in the world was happening to me and my children.
~ Albert Carter

Carter, now 76, has been trampolining since he was 14 years old and spent years traveling the country with his family performing on trampolines as the Gymnastics Fantastics.

It was a long road from trampolining to being an authority on rebound exercise, according to Carter. Carter’s naturally inquisitive nature led him to begin researching why he and his family, as well as other trampoliners he knew, seemed to exhibit more physical strength, stamina, agility, and flexibility than others of the same age – even others who diligently engaged in other forms of exercise. For example,  his first-grade son did 429 sit-ups non-stop, followed by his fourth-grade daughter who did 476.

“I was like, wait a minute, there’s something phenomenal happening to my kids,” he said. “That’s when we began to study what was happening to the body (during trampoline exercise) to figure out what in the world was happening to me and my children.  This is what led us to the study of human physiology.

“It’s at that time we began to study what happens to the physical body, not only in balance and coordination but in timing and dexterity, which are things we were developing with trampolining. We also found that we had fewer colds, we were healthier, we were stronger, and therefore trampolining was something we were able to indicate that builds balance, coordination, rhythm, timing, dexterity, and kinesthetic awareness.

“We also became concerned about what happens to the inside of the body and what happens to the relationship between good physical condition and cancer. “

Cancer, the Immune System and Rebounding

According to Carter, “If we all had a healthy immune system, we would not have to worry about cancer.”

There are four things we humans can do with very little education or effort, according to Carter.

Cell food

“We need to identify what foods are healthy for the body and what foods are not healthy for the body,” he said. “We need to find those foods that are conducive to good health and eat those foods in proper amounts.  And we need to stop taking in foods that are not healthy – highly processed foods, alcohol, sugar, etc.”

Cell exercise

“Cell exercise is an exercise that we use to exercise the entire body all at once,” Carter said. “This is where we get involved with rebound exercise.”

Cell environment

According to Carter, the cell environment goes back to how the immune system works and how the lymphatic system circulates. Keeping the lymphatic system moving vastly improves its effectiveness and drinking plenty of good, clean water is also crucial to a healthy immune system and a healthy body.

Cell communication

“This is an amazing idea,” Carter said. “Every cell has the ability to communicate with all the cells surrounding it. Any cell that touches another cell is communicating. All cells also have the ability to communicate by sending messages from one group of cells to another group of cells.

“Changing your attitude has a significant effect on how your lymphatic system performs its duties in fighting cancer.”

As Chris Wark points out, healing cancer requires a total life change. You have to address all the health-destroying factors in your life:

• A processed food diet loaded with sugar, salt, meat, dairy, and artificial ingredients
• Unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking, legal / illegal drug use, lack of sleep
• Lack of exercise, and extreme exercises like marathons, triathlons, and even CrossFit
• Chronic stress
• Negative emotions like guilt and unforgiveness
• Spiritual sickness
• Environmental toxic exposure

Rebounding is Safe for Nearly Everyone

Nearly anyone can participate in rebound exercise, according to Carter. “Children can do it as well as the infirm,” he said. For those who are unable to stand, Carter suggested they sit in a chair with their feet on a rebounder and have someone else do easy bounces on the rebounder. Or, an infirm person or someone with limited mobility can sit on the rebounder and another person can gently bounce directly behind them.

There are many simple and safe rebounder exercises for seniors, folks with limited mobility, and beginners.

Types of Rebound Exercise

The Health Bounce

The health bounce is where the feet never leave the trampoline. “This still has a positive effect,” Carter said. “You’re getting all the one-way valves to open and close at the same time, increasing the activity of the lymphatic system throughout the entire body.” Follow the instructions for the basic bounce below, but your feet never leave the trampoline surface during the health bounce.

The Basic Bounce

This can be done instead of the Strength Bounce below until you develop more balance.

1. Stand on the rebounder with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Relax shoulders and arms and keep arms slightly bent at the elbow.
3. Gently bounce up and down while keeping your knees slightly bent. Your feet should never leave the trampoline surface more than a few inches.

The Strength Bounce

1. Stand on the rebounder with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Relax shoulders and arms and keep arms slightly bent at the elbow.
3. Gently bounce up and down while keeping your knees slightly bent. Your feet should leave the trampoline surface approximately 8-12 inches.

High Knees

This is a terrific exercise that gets your heart rate up while working the muscles of your core.

1. Stand on a trampoline surface with your feet hip-distance apart.
2. Raise your right knee, lower it, then raise your left knee and lower it.
3. Once you feel able, begin doing the knee raises as if you are running in place.
4. Variation: Sprints – go as fast as you can in short bursts.

Butt Kickers

1. Stand on the trampoline surface with your feet hip-distance apart.
2. Begin jogging in place.
3. When your knee goes up, kick yourself in the tush with your heel.

Jumping Jacks

This will increase your heart rate while working both the inner and outer thighs.

1. Stand on the rebounder with your feet together
2. Jump up off the trampoline surface a few inches while extending arms out, up and overhead
3. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Twisting Jumps

1. Stand on the rebounder with your feet together
2. Jump up off the trampoline surface a few inches while twisting your body to the left.
3. On your next jump, twist your body to the right.

One Leg Jumps

1. Stand on the rebounder with your feet shoulder-width apart
2. Begin jumping on one leg for 3-10 bounces.
3. Switch legs and jump on the other leg for 3-10 bounces.
4. Variation: kick out the leg you are not jumping on.
5. Variation: alternate legs every bounce, kicking out non-jumping leg.

Sample Beginner Routine

These are perfect rebounder workouts for beginners.

1. Health bounce for two minutes while breathing deeply.
2. Strength bounce for 3 minutes (do the basic bounce if you don't have enough balance for the strength bounce).
3. Health bounce for an additional 2-3 minutes while breathing deeply.
4. Repeat three times daily.

Sample Advanced Routine

1. Health bounce for 2 minutes while breathing deeply.
2. Strength bounce for 3 minutes.
3. High knees alternating with butt kickers for 3 minutes.
4. 10-15 second sprint.
5. Jumping jacks for 3 minutes.
6. Twisting jumps for 2 minutes.
7. 10-15 second sprint.
8. Strength bounce for 1 minute.
9. Health bounce (cool down) for 2 minutes.

You can find more great resources for rebounding exercises below in the Frequently Asked Questions.

Cautions

It is always best to consult your medical professional before beginning any type of exercise program. It is also important to always supervise children on a mini-trampoline.

For stability, most retailers of rebounders sell an optional handlebar to attach to the rebounder to help with balance. Carter suggests placing your rebounder beside a wall or in a doorway and using the door facings or wall to help keep you balanced while performing rebound exercise.

How Much Rebounding is Enough?

Even bouncing a few times a day will help improve your health and immune system, according to Carter. “Five times a day is better than three, three is better than one and one is better than none,” he said.

What to Look for in a Rebounder

According to Carter, the worst thing you could do is get a mini-trampoline at a discount store.

Recommended Rebounder Features:

• Make sure it has a lifetime guarantee.
• Look for 36 springs of good quality and made of carbon steel #80.
• A permeation mat that will not wear out and will last a lifetime.
• The frame should be strong enough to not bend.
• Be ready to pay for quality.

A Story of Healing

Carter has his own story of how rebound exercises helped him to heal from a life-threatening condition. Two years ago, at the age of 74, Carter was rushed to the local hospital after waking up at 4 am and feeling that something just wasn’t right.

The doctors determined his heart wasn’t beating properly, but by the time they got him into a room, his heart had stopped beating. Using a defibrillator, they got his heart re-started three minutes later.

According to Carter, this event forced him to retire from his rebounding business. He admits that he had gotten so busy with the day-to-day running of his business that he had stopped rebounding.

“I was managing my company so hard I was not taking care of myself,” he explained. “So, I sold my company and retired. I fully expected to go the way of the world and die. The problem was I had a trampoline in my backyard. I started jumping and lo and behold I became healthy again. My heart is now functioning as it should.

“And, get this, two months ago I went in for a physical examination and part of the examination was to check my eyes. And they doctor said something was wrong with his equipment because I had 20/20 vision. I got a clean bill of health.”

According to Carter, the unique and scientifically proven ability of rebound exercise to combine the forces of gravity, acceleration and deceleration make it one of the most effective exercises to strengthen the immune system and improve overall health. And he, he said, is living proof.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is rebounding good for you?

Rebounding boosts lymphatic drainage and immune function, helps circulate oxygen throughout the body to increase energy, improves muscle tone and strength, helps improve balance, strengthens the cells of the body, improves cardiovascular function, helps improve the effectiveness of other exercise, builds physical strength and flexibility, and is easy on on your joints.

What is the difference between a mini-trampoline and a rebounder?

According to LiveStrong.com, rebounders — sometimes just called mini trampolines — and trampolines use the same basic jumping motions and are made from similar materials, but are used for entirely different purposes. A trampoline is a recreational device that you can use for exercise, while rebounders are designed for specific exercise routines such as rebounding aerobics. (8)

How often should I do a rebound workout?

Any time spent on a rebounder is going to have positive effects on your health. However, according to Rebound Exercise Expert Albert Carter, although even once a day is worth it, he recommends getting on the rebounder far more times than just once daily. “Five times a day is better than three, three is better than one and one is better than none.”.

How effective is rebounding compared to running or jogging?

A landmark study completed in 1980 by NASA concluded that rebounding on a trampoline is 68 percent more effective than jogging and yet requires less effort.

How many calories will I burn during rebound exercise?

If you weigh 135 pounds, you'll burn 75 calories by rebounding for 12 minutes, according to Professor of Movement Science Victor L. Katch. If you're 160 pounds, you'll burn 86 calories in 12 minutes and 96 calories if you're 180 pounds. In comparison, a 160-pound. person burns 102 calories in 12 minutes of high-impact aerobics, but only 55 calories walking at the brisk pace of 3.5 miles per hour. (9)

Should I rebound if I am ill?

Always check with your primary medical caregiver before starting a rebounding program.

According to Chris Wark, we have about three times more lymphatic fluid than blood, but here’s the catch, there’s no pump!  Muscle contractions in the body encourage the lymphatic fluid to circulate through a series of one-way valves in your body. So the more you move your body, the more you move your lymphatic fluid. (10)

This increased lymphatic circulation strengthens your immune system, enabling it to better fight any illness or dis-ease you are experiencing.