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Rebound Exercise (or “Rebounding”) is a type of cardio and semi-weight bearing exercise performed on a device known as a “rebounder,” which is directly descended from, yet in some ways substantially different from, regular sports or athletic trampolines. Typically round, rebounders are much smaller (at about 3 to 4 feet in total diameter) than regular trampolines, and they are not designed for stunts.

Basic movements and actions consist of bouncing in place, running in place, dancing, and performing a wide variety of other movements with or without the use of hand-weights or other accessories. Although actual scientific data is slim (see Scientific Studies and Support below), many physical and other benefits are claimed for rebound exercise, which experienced a tremendous upsurge of interest in the mid-1980s. Rebounders are predominately used solo in personal homes, but are also found in some health clubs, physical rehabilitation centers, and as of 2012, just a few dedicated rebounding venues.

History

The modern trampoline was created by George Nissen in Grand Rapids, Iowa, in 1936. In 1938 the first “small trampoline” was created by Ed Russell, who left his ideas and prototype with Victor Green, who patented the “small trampoline” in 1975. Within a year, five American companies were manufacturing small trampolines, which were soon called “rebounders.”

In 1977, Albert E. Carter published a pamphlet entitled “Rebound to Better Health.” Carter was a professional trampolinist who, with his family, had toured the United States performing “Gymnastic Fantastic,” a corporate-sponsored trampoline show. In 1979 Carter published The Miracles of Rebound Exercise where as “the father of rebound exercise” he put forward his ideas about the science and benefits of rebound exercise. He described his family members, including his son and daughter, as having tremendous strength and vigor because of their regular trampolining activities.

In part because of Carter’s promotional efforts, and in part because of a number of scientific studies that seemed to support the value of rebounding (see Scientific Studies and Support below), from 1981 to 1984 rebound exercise became very popular in the United States, with reportedly over one million units selling a year. The fad faded by the end of 1984, supposedly because poor quality foreign-made units had flooded the U.S. market.

Today, there appears to be an upsurge of interest in rebound exercise, in part due to increasing quality of equipment and in part due to its use in physical therapy and the fight against obesity generally. Rebound exercise is especially popular in holistic health circles, as rebounding is said to combat a number of ailments (see User Populations and Claimed Benefits below) given its ability to generally and gently stimulate the immune system and provide aerobic exercise without jarring the physical structures of the body as the elastic element of the rebounder is said to take up to 85% of the shock that the body would otherwise experience.

Equipment

Rebounders are often called “mini-trampolines,” but this is a misnomer. Trampolines are generally much larger, and are designed to perform stunts such as flips and seat drops, while it is dangerous to perform stunts on rebounders. While there are “double mini-trampolines” used in sports and even Olympic competition, these are designed specifically to perform stunts and are used in a substantially different manner than is the typical rebounder.

Most but not all rebounders are round, and consist of the following parts:

•	6 legs between 8 and 14” long •	a durable mat with an elastic nature •	an elastic element such as spring or bungee bands •	a round elevated rim which the legs support and which is attached to the mat by the elastic element, either springs or bungee bands

Since their introduction, many improvements have been made to the quality and construction of rebounders. Spring size, shape, and durability have improved greatly over time, and in the last several years springs have been replaced entirely in certain high-end units by bungee-bands, which some claim add a degree of smoothness and quietness that springs simply can’t match. Units with folding legs, and units whose entire body (including the mat and the rim) folds in half, or even in quarters, have been introduced. Rebounders can be purchased for anywhere from between $40 and $1,000.

Types of Exercise and Movements Performed

Rebound exercise begins as soon as someone steps on a rebounder and begins to move their body. It can be highly aerobic — full-on sprints and interval training are ideal on a rebounder, because it does not jar the physical body anywhere near as much as does hard ground — or it can be very slow and gentle, with only a gentle rocking taking place.

Just as rebounders have evolved from poorly made spring-based units to modern spring-based units and high-end bungee-based units, the types of exercise and movement done on rebounders has evolved as well.

Al Carter initially introduced the distinction between the “health bounce” (a gentle rocking motion that anyone in any state of health can do, which was said to stimulate the immune system), an “aerobic bounce” that involved elevating the heart rate (either running in place or dancing), and the “strength bounce,” which involved higher bouncing with both feet leaving the mat (leading to both abdominal and lower body strength directly as well as to the strengthening of all bodily cells through the accelerative force applied (see Claimed Benefits below).

Subsequently, many different approaches have been taken to rebounding. For example, collaborating with Al Carter and working with athletes in the late 1970s and 1980s, Dr. Harry Sneider, a college athletic coach, brought his sport-specific training methods and the use of resistive hand-weights to rebound exercise. More recently, JB Burns has pioneered an infomercial and mass equipment approach making use of dance-style workout DVDs for home users. Along the way, a variety of celebrities have endorsed rebounding, including the fitness guru Jack LaLane and the self-help guru Tony Robbins. Bob Hope reportedly said, ““I keep my REBOUNDER at the foot of my bed, and use it daily,” and President Ronald Reagan reportedly said, “If you see somebody jumping up and down on the second floor of the White House, that's me rebounding."

User Populations and Claimed Benefits

Many benefits have been claimed for rebounding.

Scientific Studies and Support

New Directions

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trampoline. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Nissen. United States Patent # 3,892,403. http://www.reboundair.com/aboutus.htm. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trampolining. See http://www.drfit.net/DVDS--Book--Weights.html. See http://www.reboundersgov.com/?page_id=23.