What is Rebounding?

Rebounding has been quoted by NASA as “the most efficient and effective exercise yet devised by man”.

Urban Rebounder Trampoline Put simply, rebounding is where you jump up and down on a mini trampoline (often referred to as an urban rebounder) usually in an attempt to lose weight and increase your core body strength. Apart from the numerous health benefits rebounding provides, rebounding is actually fun and suitable for all ages and abilities.

For increased stability a stabilizing bar can be attached to some models of rebounder trampolines. The stabilizing bar is recommended for those who feel unsteady whilst bouncing on a trampoline, if you are unsure of this before you purchase one it might be worth purchasing a rebounder that has a detachable stabilizing bar, then if you don’t need it you can remove it from the trampoline. Many of the rebounder trampolines on the market today come with workout DVD’s that show you a mixture of workouts you can perform on the trampoline.

Benefits of Rebounding on a Trampoline

There are numerous health benefits to rebounding on a mini trampoline. However I have decided to explain the three most important benefits of rebounding:

Zero Impact – Jumping on the mini rebounder trampoline subjects the body to gravitational pulls ranging from zero at the top of the bounce to around three times the force of gravity at the bottom of the bounce (dependant on how high the user bounces). Unlike running which places stress on the ankles and knees, eventually damaging them, rebounding affects every joint and cell in the body equally, which means no stress is placed on your joints.
Improved Lymphatic System – The lymphatic system is a network of conduits that carry a clear fluid called lymph, this fluid distributes immune cells throughout the body. The lymphatic system is totally dependent on physical exercise, without an adequate amount of exercise the cells are left “stewing in their own waste products” and starving for nutrients, in time, the lack of movement in the lymphatic system can contribute towards cancer, arthritis and other degenerative diseases (including aging). Strenuous exercise such as rebounding is proven to increase lymph flow by 15 to 30 times!
Detoxification & Immune System - The rebounding movement stimulates every internal organ and is very beneficial for the intestines. All cells in the body become stronger in response to the G force experienced during rebounding, and this “cellular exercise” results in the self-propelled immune cells being up to 5 times more active. The immune cells are responsible for fighting viruses, bacteria and even cancer cells, so keeping them active by exercising on a rebounder trampoline is a good idea.

Tips for Buying a Rebounder

Although you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars investing in a rebounder you may have to invest around one hundred dollars or even a few hundred dollars. Whilst this may sound expensive, just remember that old saying “you get what you pay for!” if you decide to purchase some cheap import rebounder, then don’t complain if it’s not up to the same standard as the market leading rebounders.

Invest in a rebounder trampoline that has the following:

6 Leg Design – You may have noticed from researching the internet that there are generally two models of rebounder, 1 has a 6 legged design and the other has 4. Always go for a 6 legged design as these trampolines are more stable in comparison to the 4 legged designs.
Unscrew able Legs – Not a necessity but a nice option if you want to store away the trampoline, you will find that most rebounder trampoline models have unscrew able legs.
Solid Spring System – A good trampoline spring system with a generous amount of springs indicates a smooth bounce. Also, if you plan to do a lot of different workouts then looks for a trampoline that has a good number of springs for the size of trampoline.
Good Warranty – If the manufacture is offering a good warranty this is an indication that the manufacture has total faith in their product.

The Urban Rebounder Mini Trampoline

From my internet research I found that the most popular rebounder trampoline is the “Urban Rebounder Trampoline” this trampoline system is widely sold throughout the United States for under $100.

The Urban Rebounder has the following features:

Created by J.B Berns – A practising martial artist for more than 20 years!
300lbs maximum user limit (a sign of a strong build quality)
Includes a workout DVD to help you with your weight loss goals
Comes with a detachable stabilizing bar
Folds for easy storage
1 year warranty

Urban Rebounder Reviews

Review by Zulu Warrior, August 20th 2008

“This is my 3rd rebounder. This is probably the best quality version. I weigh 220 plus pounds. People buy equip like this and expect miracle results in 2-3 sessions. It doesn't work like that. But if you work out every other day for 2-3 weeks, you will see results in the mirror. I work out with 2-5 lb free weights. The cut(s) you get from this you can't get anywhere. I've been rebounding off/on since 1995. There is marketing. There is hype. Is it all true? Mostly yes. You probably can't buy a more user friendly piece of work out equip. Yes, it gets boring. But mix it up with jogging, treadmill, swimming, etc. and you get a whole package.

My 5 yr old watches the video and imitates the instructor verbatim. He's amazing with it. He has super discipline. My kid, that is. There are studies on this and how it activates a gland (name escapes me) that increases the flow of getting rid of toxins in your system. There are other attributes associated, such as vision, balance, etc. It may be truer for some, than others. But for under $100, you are getting an investment in a machine/tool that doesn't really compare to anything prior.

The construction is decent. When I saw the quality/price, I threw out my old one (which was still in workable condition) and started off with this.”

Review by Milka Yanachkova, March 25th 2009

“Excellent product makes exercising fun and easy. Wish I had it earlier. Very sturdy yet lithe the whole family loves it from my 18 year old twin boys to my 84 year old mother. Keep it in the living room in front of TV and everybody who wants jumps on it. Makes you sweat in 10 min depending the intensity. After a week the smell, which bothered some people, was gone.”

Urban Rebounder Summary

Whilst I will say that the urban rebounder is a good trampoline for the money, it is not the best quality rebounder on the market. One of the bad points with this trampoline is the one year warranty, whilst this is a good warranty, I would have expected a longer warranty for this trampoline.

If you want the best on the market today your budget would need to stretch to around $350 and purchase an American made Needak rebounder trampoline. The build quality of a Needak trampoline is of the highest standard and Needak also offer lifetime frame warranty on all their rebounders.

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Read my full review of the Urban Rebounder Trampoline...

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