The up-and-down, repetitive acceleration and deceleration of a rebounder (also known as a mini trampoline) helps activate your body's lymph system, strengthen bone density and tone your muscles. Rebounding also challenges you to develop better stability and balance and provides all the widely acknowledge benefits of aerobic exercise including lower blood pressure and lower risk of cardiovascular ailments. A 155-pound individual can burn more than 200 calories in just half an hour of rebounding.
Bounce in Place
If you have poor stability or a low tolerance for impact (both feet leaving the ground, or in this case, trampoline at once, which may cause jarring), start with what's known as the health bounce. Stand on the mini trampoline with your feet between hip- and shoulder-width apart. Bounce gently up and down on the trampoline; at no point will your feet leave the trampoline pad, but you'll still achieve the benefit of increased lymphatic circulation.
If you're feeling more confident of your balance or more energetic, try taking small jumps on the rebounder. Both feet should leave the rebounder at the same time. As you gain confidence you can make higher jumps.
Run For It
Running on a rebounder burns more calories than running on a flat surface. Stand in the middle of the rebounder and jog or run in place. Give yourself a bit of variety by mixing butt kicks (bringing your heels as far up toward your buttocks as possible) or high knees (just what it sounds like--bring each knee as high as possible with each step) in with your regular running strides.
Jumping Jacks
Almost any calisthenics (body weight) exercise that involves one or both feet leaving the ground can be duplicated on the rebounder. Try doing jumping jacks: Situate yourself in the middle of the rebounder, feet close together, arms at your sides, and jump up. As you come down spread your feet to shoulder width apart and raise your arms to shoulder height or higher. Jump again and, while in the air, return to the initial position. Repeat.
Jumping Rope
If you're feeling particularly adventurous and have access to a high ceiling, jumping rope on your rebounder can give you the extra oomph to clear the rope and relieve the monotony of an otherwise excellent cardiovascular exercise. Position yourself in the middle of the rebounder with a jump rope, take a few practice hops and swings to make sure the rope clears both the rebounder frame and the ceiling.
Dance
If you can dance in place, you can dance on the rebounder. You may even find that, once the good tunes are rolling, you lose track of how long you've been exercising. Put on your headphones or pop a CD with a good beat into the stereo, position yourself in the middle of the rebounder, and start dancing. Pay close attention to make sure your feet always land securely inside the boundaries of the rebounder's platform, and stay as close to the middle as possible.
