On The Rebound: - Enlightenment.Com

On The Rebound: 

A Fun Easy Way to 

Vibrant Health & Well-Being 

By Jordan S. Gruber, J.D., M.A. 

CEO, Enlightenment.Com 

©2004 Jordan Gruber 

All Rights Reserved Worldwide In All Media, 

All Geometries & All Inertial Frames of Reference 

Draft Version 1.0 – Please Do Not Reproduce or Share without Permission 

On the Rebound, draft 1.0, © 2004 Jordan Gruber, All Rights Reserved; Confidential, Please do not Reproduce - 1 -

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 Rebounding…On 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 


Part I: 

Prefatory Material 

1. Foreword (Houston/LaLane/Millman/Robbins/Wilber ???) – 




5. A Note on Usage, Style, & Philosophy 


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?]]] 



Rebound exercise was a gift to me, and now this book, On the Rebound, as well as The 

Daily Bounce website (http://www.DailyBounce.com), is my gift back to you. My vision 

is 10 million Americans – and as many others from around the world as possible – 

regularly rebounding by 2010. The impact on our national economy from the collective 

immune system boost alone would be hugely positive. More Americans today than ever 

before are overweight and unhealthy: why not take advantage, en masse, of this fun, easy, 

and simple – but highly effective – way of creating positive change? 

My ultimate hope, perhaps my prayer, is that rebound exercise vis-à-vis On the Rebound 

will offer a new or enhanced starting place, a pivot point from which a pulse of 

transformative health and knowledge of well-being can spread and benefit many people. I 

believe, and have always believed, that the best chance for our species, civilization, and 

planet comes from maximizing understanding and communication about human 

potential: what it is, how to access it, how to use it. Rebounding, as simple as it may at 

first seem, may be one of the greatest tools ever created for reclaiming health, 

establishing well-being, and unleashing human potential. 

One major caveat: as I will emphasize throughout this book, all I can do is tell you about 

my experiences, and bring together what else I have been able to find out about 

rebounding from other sources. Whether you, personally, will take to rebounding and 

experience its many benefits remains completely uncertain. I can extrapolate from my 

experience, and I can estimate that a majority of individuals who try rebounding in the 

way I have laid it out here will find it tremendously valuable, but the only way you, 

personally, will ever know if rebounding is truly a fun and easy way to vibrant health and 

well-being is to try it for yourself. 

May you try rebounding if it is appropriate for you; may you greatly enjoy both the 

activity itself as well as its many benefits; and may you find yourself with a fun and easy, 

powerful and sustainable, health and well-being practice that you can truly make your 

own. 

The Best of Bouncing to You, 

Jordan S. Gruber, Menlo Park, CA 

August, 2004 



This book would not have been possible without the efforts, patience, and support of 

many individuals and organizations. 

I would like to give thanks to and acknowledge: 

My immediate family (Gail, Linda, Mitch, and Diana), for putting up with all my 

ups and downs, both while bouncing and otherwise; Colleen Meeks Bastys, who 

re-alerted me to the existence of this new dimension in health and well-being; Sun 

McNamee & Allan Lundell, for their video shoot, but more importantly, for their 

support and friendship; Joel Jewitt, Randy Johnson, Steve Donovan, and others 

who encouraged me on with this project; Al Carter and the fine people at 

ReboundAir, Ken Seeley and the fine people at Needak Manufacturing, and JB 

Berns and his Urban Rebounding organization; Boomer, for his online 

contributions; vietteruby1 for her new Yahoo forums; Kathleen Daly for her 

excellent BounceWell.com website; Ryan Latimer; all the individuals who have 

put their time into writing books and putting out videos on rebounding; everyone 

who has spared time in reading and helping me make this a better book, including 

Willow Dea, Ed Lark, Damon Miller, Alex Rose, Brian Weller, Tatiana Wall, 

Anodea Judith, Susie Herrick, and Marty Lupowitz; and my friend Robert 

Rudelic, who suggested the precious phrase, “universal machine.” 

I would also like to thank: 

My next-door neighbors, for putting up (and down) with me as I appear and 

disappear over and under the fence line with music blasting away as I bounce 

outdoors on our deck; Dorothy and especially Jim Fadiman, for their always 

already advice and presence in my life; Jeramy Hale and Gabriel DeWitt, for their 

friendship even more than their partnership (as well as Molly Hale, Jessica Rose, 

and Amma); Lance Culp, Harmon Hathaway, Michael McAlister, Scott Mize, 

Susie Herrick, John Houseman, and the other volunteer crew of 

Enlightenment.Com; Bill Eichman, for his long-term inspiration and friendship; 

my cats, for the constant love they share and the beauty and delight they bring, 

and especially Shadow, for being by my side as I write day after day; my parents 

and family of birth, for always being there; and once again, to my beautiful and 

precious daughter Diana, for reminding me how important it is to give other 

people their turn on the bouncer! 

Finally, I would like to acknowledge all of you who, like me, choose to embrace 

rebounding as a health and well-being practice. It takes courage and determination to 

commit to something that seems so utterly simple, yet both promises and actually delivers 

such great value. 



The main purpose of this book is to encourage and guide you to start and then maintain a 

rebound exercise practice so that you experience the many benefits of doing so. Three 

goals follow from that purpose: 

• 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 won’t 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! 


5. A Note on Usage, Style, and Philosophy 

I love words. Always have, and always will. They enable so much to come forth, perhaps 

more than we suspect. 

But words have a downside as well. Especially when written down on paper, they don’t 

always mean the same thing to everyone, no matter how good the writer or the writing. 

So a writer must purposefully and cautiously choose to aim the style and level of the 

words used in a book to attract, intrigue, and inform the desired audience. 

Since I desire you, gentle reader, to be my audience, I must guess at what you might find 

most valuable in a book like this one. To that end, I have made this book as simple (in 

most places) and as practical as possible. 

Along these lines, some of my closest friends and advisers urged me to skip over at least 

some of the complexities of rebounding, and to most certainly not bring in any sort of 

mystical, magical, mythical, subjective, or especially, “woo-woo” or “New Age” 

approach. 

But we have entered a New Age of sorts in the last few decades. Today we recognize the 

importance of exercise, generally, and strengthening the immune system, specifically. 

Today, we know that mind, body, emotions, and spirit are all of a piece, all interconnected, 

all vital for our continued growth, healing, and understanding. 

For better or worse, I have always gravitated towards exploring alternative ways of 

looking into things. I also tend to see complexities and then organize them in my writing. 

I have now been looking into rebounding as deeply as I know how to for nearly two 

years, so there is a good deal that I have to say. Even more, I need to say it, because it is 

only when the complexities of rebounding are layered over the simple truths at its core 

that the ultimate truth, beauty, and goodness of this activity can begin to shine forth. 

So while I will always try to represent things in as simple and practical a way as possible 

throughout this book, I will also endeavor to be as thorough as possible. Thus, 

complexities will be discussed, and at times a more inner, psychological, and even 

spiritual perspective will be taken. It’s just who I am and how I write, the truth of my 

being as an explorer and communicator. 

Note well, however, that no agreement with or interest in this inner approach to 

rebounding is ever necessary for you personally to get splendid results. All you need for 

splendid results – as this book will state many, many times – is to get on a rebounder and 

bounce for at least 15 to 20 minutes a day, most days of the week. That is, all you need to 


do to get tremendous value from On the Rebound is to actually have a Daily Bounce or a 

near-daily bounce. * 

It’s pretty simple, actually. And it’s 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 isn’t 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 don’t 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 I’m certain would be disapproved of by my 12 th 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. 


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 principal’s office 

on some unrelated do-gooder’s 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. 


Part 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 


9. (Nearly) Everything You Need to Know to Start 

Rebounding…On One Page 



6. A Personal Introduction: My Purpose, Experience, and Qualifications 

Suppose that you had, in early middle age, been exposed to a hidden technology, once 

widely known but now largely forgotten, that enabled you to talk with the gods. In my 

case, I was exposed to a rebounder, and I soon found myself conversing – at least in my 

own mind and body – with the gods of health, well-being, and perhaps even longevity. 

Not only that, these gods had seemingly given me a mission: to fully deploy rebound 

exercise in my own life, to note its physical and more-than-physical benefits, and to then 

widely communicate what I had experienced. Had this happened to you, then perhaps like 

me you would have written a book just like this one. 

Rebounders, in something like their present form, have been readily available since the 

mid 1970’s. Ironically, I obtained an inexpensive rebounder in 1984 when I lived in a 

tiny apartment in Astoria, Queens, New York City. I had my first full-time job, it was my 

first apartment, and I was determined to stay healthy by exercising. But like so many 

others, after using my rebounder for just a few times, I put it away and forgot about it. It 

would be another 18 years before I would again step onto a rebounder. 

Fig 1: The Author 

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. Don’t 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. 


In truth, within minutes of first trying my friend’s 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 that’s 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 I’m told) and feel physically strong, flexible, and healthy, but I am 


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 world’s 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. 


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 don’t know something, I will say 

so, and if I’m totally making something up, I’ll 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. 


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 I’d 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 I’d 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. 


7. A New Dimension in Health & Well-Being: Overview of Benefits 

When you begin to rebound, you figuratively and literally 

begin to move in another dimension, and in so doing, you 

open yourself up to profound change. All you need to take 

advantage of the many benefits that rebounding offers is to 

get yourself a decent rebounder, take off your shoes and 

socks, step on the mat, start moving your body, allow yourself 

to breathe fully, and have fun! It’s easy, it’s safe and 

convenient, and it is extremely effective. Rebounding, in my 

experience, is incredibly good for the human body and the 

human being overall. In some ways it may seem too good to 

be true, but the thing is … it is true, and you can easily prove 

it for yourself! 

Rebound exercise makes use of a simple device known as a “mini-rebounder,” or just 

“rebounder.” A rebounder usually consists of: 

• a round metal or plastic frame, usually around 40 inches in diameter, which on 

some models can fold up 

• 36 heavy-duty springs connecting the frame to a special round plastic mat some 

29 or 30 inches in diameter 

• 6 rubber-tipped legs, 8-10 inches tall, sometimes spring-loaded, connecting the 

frame to the ground 

• a spring cover to prevent injuries and missteps 

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 8–10 inches tall. 


Rebound exercise is physically effective, mentally invigorating, emotionally beneficial, 

and for those who are so predisposed, spiritually profound. A universal practice 

(meaning that almost any other form of physical or even mental, emotional, or spiritual 

practice can be brought to it) that makes use of a universal machine (meaning that a 

rebounder can be used by an inventive human being in thousands of different ways), 

rebounding may be one of the most effective – as well as fun, convenient, safe, and easy 

– forms of physical exercise ever developed. For some people it may serve as a powerful 

adjunct to other physical and psycho-spiritual practices. For many others, rebounding 

may simply turn out to be the best overall (or “integral”) exercise and practice they are 

likely to encounter. 


The Benefits of Rebounding 

I have personally tried a great number of tools, techniques, teachers, and teachings for 

physical, psychological, emotional, and even spiritual growth, healing, and unfoldment. 

But never before have I been this excited about the evolutionary and revolutionary 

benefits and potentials of a health and wellness device and practice. The reasons for my 

excitement are found throughout this book, but let me quickly summarize them here: 

Taken Mainly as a Physical Level Exercise: Rebounding yields tremendous 

benefits because: 

• it is an extremely effective yet non-jarring form of physical exercise: immune 

system, cardio, and certain types of strength and flexibility benefits seem 

virtually certain, cellular health benefits are possible, and general healing 

effects, bone density increase, and perhaps even vision improvement (as well 

as other benefits) are possible 

• it is fun and easy, and, for example, works extremely well with listening to 

music, bouncing with others, or watching instructional rebounding videos or 

other TV 

• because it is fun and easy, and works so well, it is far more likely that you can 

actually establish rebounding as a regular activity, keep it going for the longterm, 

and thereby reap its many benefits 

When Consciously Approached as a Psycho-Spiritual Practice: Rebounding 

can yield significant mental, emotional, and even spiritual benefits in addition to 

its abundant physical-level benefits, and with both physical and psycho-spiritual 

benefits flowing to you from your rebounding practice, it is even more likely that 

you can establish rebounding as a regular part of your life; and 

The bottom line: If you get yourself on a rebounder every day (or nearly every 

day) for at least fifteen or twenty minutes, I am completely confident that not only 

will your physical health improve, regardless of your present level of fitness, but 

that your sense of well-being and any other psycho-spiritual practice that you may 

have will benefit as well; if you bounce longer, say one-half to one hour a day, 

you will almost certainly experience some of the transformational (but nonjarring) 

impact of rebound exercise. 

My great excitement about rebounding has led me to write this book, and, as described in 

Chapter 6, “A Personal Introduction: My Purpose, Experience, and Qualifications,” has 

led me to a vision of ten million Americans and others throughout the world taking up 

regular rebounding, that is, giving themselves the gift of a Daily Bounce. Why? Not only 

does rebounding directly address the growing problem of obesity, but it also is, in my 

experience and opinion, the easiest and most powerful way to boost the immune system, 

as will be described and discussed in Chapter 25. 


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 

Why Rebounding Is So Good For You 

OK, then, but why is rebounding so good for you? What – in addition to the ease, joy, 

immune system boost, aerobic effects, and strength and flexibility gains – is the magic 

here? I believe that the true power of rebounding comes from the fact that it enables you 

to physically move in a third dimension – that is, the vertical dimension – in a sustained 

and patterned (though varying) manner that is otherwise very difficult or impossible to 

achieve through any other form of activity. Try jumping up and down without a 

rebounder for 45 (or just 5) minutes and you’ll see that it is quite difficult to do, fairly 

uninteresting, and jarring to the body. With a rebounder, however, this up and down 

movement becomes inherently interesting and even ecstatic, and usually rapidly yields 

substantial health benefits. 

As you vertically move up and down, and introduce horizontal elements as well (such as 

basic arm and leg movements, arm circles, core torso twisting, and so on), at least two 

things may happen. First, as Al Carter (the Father of Modern Rebounding) and others, 

have extensively written about, and as will be discussed in Chapter 25, when rebounding 

you bring together the forces of gravity, acceleration, and deceleration. Brought together 

and made coherent, their theory holds that these three forces affect every structure and 

every system in your body, from your cells to your immune system to your bones and 

even to your non-physical, energetic systems (what I would call your “energy body”). Put 

simply, you are made stronger and more congruent, from the inside out, and over time the 

person who regularly rebounds may find himself or herself achieving levels of physical 

and energetic fitness that they had previously relegated to the status of only a memory or 

a dream. 

But something else may happen as well as you move up and down in this third 

dimension. Since you are not “going” anywhere, since you are essentially staying in the 

same place, but since you are nonetheless experiencing a substantial movement of your 

body through space and over time, an opportunity to “travel” into interior dimensions of 

your being will naturally present itself. Whether the joy and even ecstasy that naturally 

accompanies bouncing begins to take you inside, or whether your conscious awareness of 


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. 



Why, if rebound exercise is anywhere near as valuable and healthful as this book 

suggests, is it so relatively obscure and unknown? 

In the first place, saying that it is “relatively obscure and unknown” is a little unfair. 

Gyms like Crunch feature rebound exercise, and JB Berns’s Urban Rebounding 

program has proven very popular in some areas. 

Still, the number of rebounders being sold today in the United States comes nowhere near 

the millions of units sold in the early 1980s. And predictions like those made by the 

National Institute of Reboundology – that “this form of exercising will easily surpass 

jogging and running in popularity by 1990” and that “in the year 2000, most people in 

industrialized Western countries will have taken a turn on a rebounding-type apparatus” 

– have obviously not come true. (See Dr. Morton Walker, Jumping for Health, 1989, p. 

5) So what is going on here? A good place to start is with a review of the history of 

rebound exercise. We will then turn to a recent conversation I had with the seminal figure 

in the history of rebound exercise. 

A Brief History of Rebound Exercise 

A detailed historical review of rebound exercise, the rebounder industry, and the pioneers 

of rebounding is beyond the scope of the present volume. Fortunately, a good deal of this 

work has already been done by others. In particular, the following synopsis of the history 

of rebound exercise was prepared by K.J. Daly of the BounceWell.com website, an 

excellent resource for rebounders and associated equipment. K.J., in turn, states that she 

based their timeline on Al Carter’s 1988 book, New Miracles of Rebound Exercise, and 

J.B. Berns’s 1999 work, Urban Rebounding. 

This timeline has been edited for form and style, but is essentially the same as it appears 

on the BounceWell.com website, and is presented to you here with Bob & K.J.’s 

permission. A few items from their original timeline have been edited, eliminated, or 

expanded upon. 

1936 - The modern trampoline is created by Nissen Corporation in Grand Rapids 

Iowa. 

1938 - The first "small trampoline" is created by Ed Russell; no financial gains 

materialize so he leaves his ideas and prototype with Victor Green. 

1975 - The small trampoline is patented by Victor Green. By the end of the year 

five American companies are manufacturing rebounders. 

1977 - Albert E. Carter publishes a pamphlet entitled "Rebound to Better Health.” 

Later in the year Carter publishes his first full-size book, The Miracles of 


Rebound Exercise. Several studies give some scientific validation to Carter's 

claim that rebounding is the most efficient and effective form of exercise. 

1978 - Carter connects with Dr. Harry Sneider who develops "Aerobic Resistive 

Rebounding" which uses 1-3 pound sand bags while rebounding for greater 

strength. Sneider and his family introduce rebounding to Jack LaLanne and many 

other athletes and celebrities. 

1980 - Linda Brooks starts rebounding. 

1981 - Dr Kenneth Cooper's Institute of Aerobic Research finds rebounding gets 

25% more strength gains than jogging. 

1981 – Rebounding interest goes full-blown: By the end of 1981 rebounding has 

turned into a fad. Over 100 US firms competed for the rebound exercise market. 

Al Carter's National Institute of Rebounding and Health (NIRH) sells a great deal 

of research literature to these manufacturers. Such intense competition begins to 

reduce both rebounder price and the quality. 

1983 - 1,500,000 rebounder units are sold. Foreign competition drives price and 

quality to an all time low. Due to the price wars, most U.S. manufacturers go 

broke and shut down. The fad fizzles out in America. 

1984 - Al Carter is invited to Hong Kong and agrees to work with the city 

engineers to design the first folding rebounder. The half fold rebounder thus 

created prevents a city-wide strike by the police and firemen who required a form 

of exercise that they could do during their shifts. 

1984 – The fad has faded: Meanwhile, back in the States, enthusiasm for 

rebounding is as broken down as all the cheap, poorly made rebounders. 

Rebounding goes underground. But endorsements from experts and celebrities 

keep a candle of awareness burning. 

1985 - Sylvia Ortiz produces two bouncing workout videos: "Stay Fit 

Rebounding" and "Rebound Beyond Aerobics." 

1987 - Harvey and Marilyn Diamond endorse rebounding in their "Fit for Life" 

books. 

1988 - Al Carter publishes the NEW Miracles of Rebound Exercise. 

1989 - Dr. Morton Walker publishes Jumping for Health. 

1990 - Tony Robbins endorses rebounding in his book Unlimited Power. The 

Needak corporation begins to manufacture high quality non-fold and half-fold 

rebounders in Nebraska. 


1991 - Linda Brooks studies with Al Carter to become a “certified 

reboundologist.” Sylvia Ortiz produces another video, "Rebound Aerobics for 

Kids," starring Al Carter's son Darren and friends. 

1992 - The modern stabilizer bar - a portable and easy to install balancing tool - is 

designed and produced by Needak - making bouncing available to anyone 

concerned about safety. Holly Anderson produces her first video, "airObics.” 

1993 - Needak introduces fat, muscle-shaped rebounder springs and produces the 

first "soft bounce" rebounders. Soft bounce units have since revolutionized the 

rebounding industry since for some people they provide a much more enjoyable 

and low impact bounce. 

1995 - Linda Brooks publishes her book, Rebounding to Better Health. 

1996 - Life Source International, headed by renown lymphologist, Judy Taylor, 

begins to manufacture rectangular shaped Lympholines in southern California. 

The Lympholine rebounder has a second set of "suspension style" legs and 

provides a significantly different bouncing experience that is preferred by some. 

1996 - Four more rebounding videos debut: 

• Dave Hall - "Rebound to Health" 

• Carol Brophy - "Carol's Health Bounce" 

• Holly Anderson - "airObics phase II" 

• Linda Brooks - "Bounce Before You Jump" 

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. 


2004 – Jordan Gruber writes On the Rebound, and The Daily Bounce website 

(www.DailyBounce.com) goes online. 


A Conversation with Al Carter 

In March of 2004 I had a phone conversation with Al Carter who, as the above timeline 

suggests, can rightly be called the “Father” of rebound exercise. Mr. Carter’s two books 

on rebounding (The Miracles of Rebound Exercise (1977) and The NEW Miracles of 

Rebound Exercise (1988)) have sold more copies than any other books on this subject. 

Mr. Carter has otherwise played a crucial role in scientifically studying and theorizing 

about rebound exercise (see Chapter 25), in bringing rebounders to the attention of the 

public and celebrities (Jack LaLanne, Bob Hope, Tony Robbins, etc.), and in founding 

and working with companies that construct quality rebounders. 

The traditional explanation for the peak and decline of rebound exercise, given by Carter 

in his books and repeated in our phone call, is that once rebounding became suddenly 

popular in 1980, there was a flood of cheaply made rebounders that came into the country 

and drove out the existing manufacturers. What was left were extremely inferior quality 

rebounders which broke down and, more importantly, did not give people the type of 

“bounce” and experience that they were looking for. Compared to a high quality modern 

rebounder, which generally cost at least $200 as of this writing, these units were poorly 

constructed with insufficient springs and mats that provided a completely unsatisfactory 

experience. People bought rebounders for $30 to $50, took them home, used them a few 

times, and then the units either fell apart or fell into disuse. 

There is, in fact, a good deal of truth to this explanation. Even taking inflation into 

account, there is just no way that a $30 rebounder is going to provide a serious, reliable, 

and effective health and fitness experience to almost anyone. But I knew that there had to 

be more, and so in our conversation I asked Al Carter what else might be going on. 

He said that he had asked himself this question over and over again: “Why haven’t we 

been discovered? Why is rebounding not found in all universities where classes in health 

and fitness are taught?” 

The answer, he believes, is that exercise experts – professors of physiology and anatomy, 

professional trainers, coaches, and so on – are so used to aerobic training and strength 

training through weights that they simply can not see anything else as a viable alternative 

(no less a superior one). People become very used to doing things the way they have 

always been done, and in the world of health and fitness that essentially means aerobics 

and weights, with perhaps a few “new” things thrown in like yoga and Pilates (once they 

have reached sufficient popularity). As a whole, then, the exercise industry, and therefore 

the public at large, is not willing to try something new … especially when that new thing 

is “too easy.” Exercise, Al Carter told me, “is supposed to be hard … you have to sweat, 

you have to be miserable to feel good … this is the mentality ... people get on a 

rebounder and often don’t even break a sweat yet. But what does sweat have to do with 

building muscle? Many times you break a sweat mainly because the body has to put up 

with the trauma of hitting a hard surface!” 

So far we have two reasons for the decline of rebound exercise: (1) disappointed 

expectations because of inferior product brought to bear by market forces; and (2) the 


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 don’t 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 can’t 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. 


8. Nearly Everything You Need To Know To Start – On One Page 

• 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; you’ll be glad you did in the short and long run. 

• If you need a stabilizer bar, get one, but many people won’t 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, don’t 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. 



GENERAL QUESTIONS 

What is a FAQ and what is this FAQ about? 

“FAQ,” short for “Frequently Asked Questions,” is a list of frequently asked questions 

and answers about a given subject. Borrowed from on-line and technical venues, F.A.Q.s 

have proven very popular as a means of gathering together answers to questions that 

frequently arise. Although most of what is found in this FAQ can be found elsewhere in 

this book, you may prefer to browse through this section first to see if there are answers 

for any pressing questions that you might have. 

What is a rebounder? 

Rebound exercise makes use of a simple device known as a “mini-rebounder,” or just 

“rebounder.” A rebounder usually consists of a special round plastic mat some 40 inches 

in diameter connected by 36 heavy-duty springs to a metal or plastic frame on 6 legs 

some 8–10 inches tall. Other names for this elegantly simple piece of exercise equipment 

include “mini-trampoline” (a name which is disfavored as being misleading – a 

rebounder is not constructed to serve as a trampoline), and simply, “the bouncer.” 

What is rebound exercise? 

Rebound exercise is exercise done on a rebounder. It involves bouncing up and down, 

landing on either two legs or one, and variously moving the shoulders, arms, hands, 

trunk, thighs, knees, calves, and feet. Hand weights (or specially designed “sand bags”) 

can also be used to provide an additional upper body workout. 

Is rebound exercise as popular today as it once was? 

No, not yet. In the early 1980s millions of rebounders were sold, but they were mostly 

inexpensive and of low quality, resulting in bad rebounding experiences for many people. 

Also, there was limited knowledge and support for rebounding enthusiasts. However, 

there have been some recent positive changes: innovations in rebounder design and 

materials; the in-gym popularity of JB Berns’s Urban Rebounder programs; and the 

creation of a wide variety of excellent rebounding workout videos. 


BENEFITS OF REBOUND EXERCISE 

Which benefits of rebound exercise are proven and which are speculative? 

Benefits that seem proven include increased lymph flow and therefore enhanced immune 

function; an aerobic training effect and cardiovascular benefits generally; and increased 

strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination. The question of rebounding’s health, 

fitness, and wellness benefits is a complex one. Chapters 25 and 26 go into detail as to 

the health benefits of rebounding as well as providing a summary of all known research. 

How can you know that I will experience results as good as the ones you’ve 

experienced and spoken about? 

I can’t. I can just extrapolate from my own experience, the experience of others I know 

and have spoken to, and everything that I have read and heard about rebounding. My 

belief is that for most people there may be no better exercise than rebounding, but my 

belief may be partially or completely erroneous. On the other hand, almost everyone I 

know who has given rebounding a serious try has agreed that it is a wonderful form of 

exercise with many advantages to it. 

Is rebounding a “Fountain of Youth”? Will it have a positive impact on longevity? 

We really don’t know very much about long-term impacts on longevity. My personal 

sense is that I am healthier and stronger by far than when I started rebounding. My belief 

is that if I keep on rebounding on a daily basis, I will certainly have a healthier, happier, 

and more agile life experience, and very possibly a longer one as well. 

Is it true that rebounding subjects all of your cells to heavier gravity, and thereby 

makes you stronger on a cellular level? 

Maybe. We just don’t know. This theory, first put forward by Al Carter, is intriguing, but 

there is as yet no scientific evidence to back it up. It’s a great theory, as is the similar one 

put forth by Dave Hall wherein the air pressure differentials caused by rebounding 

induces the cells to build up their membranes with more protein. But we just don’t really 

know enough at this point to make any definitive statement about these theories. 

What about the many other claims for rebounding: vision improvement, arthritis 

inhibition, diabetes onset delayed, prevention and reversal of heart disease, etc.? 

For an extensive list of the benefits claimed for rebound exercise, see Fig. __ in Chapter 

25. Basically, we have no strict scientific proof, and precious little clinical data, for any 

of these claims, although for some of them (e.g., vision improvement) there is a good 

deal of anecdotal evidence. For one thing, any condition that might be improved by 

cardiovascular exercise or an improved immune system (resulting from increased lymph 

flow) may be one that rebound exercise benefits. 


SAFETY QUESTIONS & CONCERNS 

Is rebound exercise dangerous in any way? 

Sure, it can be. If you leave a rebounder in a place where it isn’t expected, someone can 

trip on it. Or a half-fold, tri-fold, or quarter-fold unit can be dangerous if it is not properly 

closed. And it is always possible to fall off a rebounder while you are bouncing, although 

I have never heard of anyone seriously injuring themselves by doing so. It is also 

important to stop bouncing completely before gently stepping off the rebounder; it is all 

too easy to forget that hard ground does not give the way a rebounder does! There are 

many little things that can go wrong, so please make sure that you give Chapter 11 on 

Safety a very thorough read. 

What about children and rebounders? 

Kids love bouncing, so if you have a rebounder out, you can be sure that any children 

around will be attracted to it. It is generally recommended that you do not leave children 

unsupervised around rebounders, although, at a certain age, depending on the child, they 

may be able to safely bounce on their own. Use your common sense here. 

How about doing some simple stunts on rebounders or doubles bouncing? 

No, no, no! Rebounders are not small trampolines (despite the misleading term “minitrampoline” 

that has occasionally been used to describe them). They are not designed for 

any kind of stunts, not even seat drops, and you should never do stunts or allow others to 

do stunts on rebounders, especially children. Also, don’t allow two people to bounce on 

one rebounder at the same time; they are not designed for this, and harm can result. 

What about people with bad backs, knees, feet, etc.? 

If you are told by a medical practitioner not to rebound, or if you are in a great deal of 

pain and the pain is made worse by rebounding, then, obviously, do not rebound. But 

don’t sell yourself short: rebounding is felt by many to speed rehabilitation of injured 

joints, muscles, and other body parts. By working with your breath and going slow and 

easy, rebounding may help with rehabilitation and pain relief. In general, rebounders 

absorb about 5/6 th of the shock to the joints that you would get by exercising at the same 

exertion level on hard ground. So, for those who like aerobic exercise but who have 

incurred damaged joints through running, jogging, dancing, martial arts, or any other 

means, rebounding may be a great alternative. 

Are there times and places when bouncing isn’t advised? 

Sure. To start with there are the obvious ones: don’t rebound on a full stomach, or if you 

are inebriated or otherwise not in full control of your body. Don’t rebound in slippery 

conditions, or when the space you have to rebound in isn’t safe or doesn’t give you 

enough room. And don’t rebound if your rebounder is substantially damaged in any way. 


REBOUNDERS & REBOUNDING EQUIPMENT 

Is it really necessary to spend a couple of hundred dollars or more on a high quality 

rebounder? Why can’t I just get a cheap one at the local sports store? 

Well, you can if you like, but it probably won’t last very long or give you a very 

satisfactory rebounding experience. Rebounders have evolved over the last few decades 

and current high quality models employ a wide range of design features and upgrades that 

are still missing from cheaper units, including a good mat, large-bellied springs, the use 

of pins instead of connecting the mat directly to the frame, folding capability, and so on. 

If you are buying a rebounder for less than $100, it is almost certain that it is not a high 

quality unit. On the top end, rebounders can cost up to several hundred dollars. Most high 

quality rebounders cost around $200 to $250 delivered. The non-Permatron® mat 

rebounders sold by JB Berns in association with his Urban Rebounding program are 

sold for less than this, and for those indifferent to whether they have a Permatron® mat, 

they are an excellent value. 

Is it necessary to have a Permatron®mat? 

Permatron®, a DuPont product, 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. However, some rebound 

manufacturers prefer to not use Permatron® mats because it is thought that in sweaty 

gym environments they are more slippery (as Permatron® mats are “calendered”). I 

strongly recommend bouncing without shoes or socks – for a number of reasons – and 

my belief is that most people who bounce barefoot will find Permatron® mats preferable. 

Do I need any other equipment? 

Not really. If you want to use light hand weights while rebounding, make sure you have 

comfortable ones such as neoprene covered dumbbells or “sand bags” specifically 

designed for use while rebounding. Always have water available, and you might want to 

have a clock that you can see. If you like rebounding to music or TV, make sure you are 

prepared ahead of time. 

What kind of clothing should I wear? 

Clothing that binds, is too tight, or that otherwise prevents or constricts your movement 

in any way should be avoided. Generally, wear loose, comfortable, clothing. If it is warm 

enough (outdoors or indoors), you can bounce in shorts and short sleeves, and some 

people may prefer to bounce shirtless. Many women prefer to wear a sports bra or 

another supporting garment on top, and some men like to wear support below. If you are 

bouncing outdoors, then you might want long pants and even a sweatshirt, depending on 

the weather. 


REBOUNDING MOVEMENTS, SEQUENCES, & SESSIONS 

Do I have to know anything about form or technique before I start bouncing? 

No, you don’t. Just get on a rebounder and start moving your body. The mat, the springs, 

gravity, and your own internal body wisdom will take care of the rest. But do try to 

always keep yourself as relaxed as possible, especially your shoulders, neck, abdominals, 

and pelvis, and try to always breathe deeply and fully. “Holding in” your abdominals 

stops full breathing, so don’t do it, no matter how you think it will make you look. 

What types of bouncing can I do while on a rebounder? 

There are many different bounces that you can do, many of which are illustrated and 

described in A Short Illustrated Catalog of Bounce Types, which constitutes Chapter 20. 

Before turning to the Catalog, however, you may want to follow the organic or “Intuitive 

Rebounding” model put forward in Chapter 18. Here, you move from “Natural 

Movements” to “Basic Bounces” to “Simple Routines.” In other words, follow your 

body’s instincts and you will never be lost as to what to do next on a rebounder. 

Are there different ways of propelling myself into the air from the rebounder mat? 

In fact there are 4 main methods of propulsion: pushing down and off the mat with your 

feet, ankles, calves, and lower legs generally; lifting your knees and thighs into the air; 

pushing down and through our legs with your core torso muscles; and rapidly moving (or 

“flapping”) your arms (as if you were a bird in flight). You will naturally and 

automatically use combinations of all four propulsion methods as you rebound. 

How about my feet? Do they get a lot of action? 

Yes, a tremendous amount. Your feet are where you make contact with the mat, time 

after time. Slight adjustments of the feet (or of any body part, really) can yield a very 

different bouncing experience. Chapter 17 is devoted to “Foot Factors and Variables.” 

Are there any other general rebounding principles I can follow? 

Yes, in fact, Chapter 24 offers “Twenty-One Principles of Rebounding.” Read through 

this Chapter and keep these Principles in mind; they will almost certainly come in handy 

over time. 

Is bouncing with hand weights valuable? 

Only if you want gains in muscle tone, strength and flexibility. Several Hand Weights 

Bouncing exercises are set forth in the Catalog. But make sure that you keep yourself to 

light weights, or you can strain or otherwise hurt yourself. 


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, it’s 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. 


Part III: 

The Daily Bounce Manual – Part 1 

(Preparations) 


11. Obtaining a High-Quality Rebounder 


13. Where, When, and How Long to Bounce 

14. Breath and Body Awareness While Rebounding 



Rebounding in as safe and sensible a manner as possible is of paramount importance. 

Think about rebounding safety issues in the following context: both figuratively and 

literally, your rebounder is a powerful high-leverage platform for physical (and morethan-physical) 

change, and with such inherent power there naturally comes some risk. 

How, then, can this risk be managed so that the number of rebounding related injuries is 

kept to zero or as close to zero as possible? 

Start with the following axiom: safety, just as much as vibrant health, well-being, and 

even enlightenment itself, starts with awareness. The opposite is also true: the 

unconscious, thoughtless, or uncaring use of a rebounder can result in harm to yourself or 

to others. So make it your intention, your sacred vow even, to always be as conscious and 

aware as possible with respect to rebounders and rebounding. A bounce of prevention is 

worth a bound of cure. 

Before diving into the more detailed safety review that comprises the rest of this Chapter, 

let me first urge you to adopt the following ground rules with respect to rebounding and 

your rebounders: 

• 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 Physician’s 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. 


Don’t 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: 

• If rebounding worsens an existing physical injury or limitation, or if your doctors 

forbid you from rebounding, then do not rebound. 

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 rebounder’s 

capacity to greatly strengthen abdominal muscles may help that pain. Or if you have 

knee problems, the rebounder’s 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 


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 Cohen’s 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 didn’t 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 

The Care and Handling of Your Rebounder When It Is Not In Use 

As discussed in the next chapter, rebounders come in a variety of quality levels and even 

shapes. For purposes of this chapter, the assumption will be that you have obtained a 

medium to high quality rebounder that is spring-based, round, weights about 30 pounds, 

and is on legs 8-10 inches off the floor. Obviously, this is a substantial object, and 

because it has springs and may fold up two, three, or four times, it is certainly an object 

worth keeping careful track of. 

With respect to your rebounder, then, the first rule of safety – which may be obvious but 

is nevertheless well worth stating – is this: 

• Do not leave your rebounder in an unexpected place, even for a short while, 

where someone can or might trip over it! 

I’m 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. 


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 you’ll be coming back in just a few minutes, don’t leave 

your rebounder in a place where it might pose a danger if you happen to forget about it. 

It’s just not worth the risk. 

If you have a rebounder that folds into halves, thirds, or fourths, follow the 

manufacturer’s 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 careful when folding a folding rebounder: follow the manufacturer’s 

instructions exactly or injury can result. 

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 doesn’t 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 won’t 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 rebounder’s 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)? 


• 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 you’ll be able to tell if your rebounder is ready to go in about fifteen 

seconds or less, but don’t 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: 

• Is the surface you are going to bounce on flat and level? 

• Can the surface you bounce on, and any structure attached to it, withstand the 

force of vigorous rebounding? 

• If you are on a rug, will it be permanently marked (with round depressions) by the 

bouncer’s legs? 

• Do you have enough room above and around you? Extend your arms fully and see 

if they hit the ceiling, or any objects to the side of you. 

• Make sure that no objects nearby will topple over, or be vibrated off of their 

purchase and come crashing to the floor; if you bounce indoors, keep a special 

eye on small knick-knacks on the tops of bookshelves. 

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 member’s came racing up the stairs, telling me that the whole house was 

shaking and that I better cut it out! 


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 rebounder’s legs. 

There have been times, however, especially when bouncing in other people’s 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 

isn’t 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! 

Warming Up & Down 

Bring to bear everything else that you know about physical exercise with respect to 

basics like warming up and warming down. Although it may not be necessary to do an 

extended stretching routine before you start rebounding, it certainly almost always makes 

sense to start each bouncing session with less vigorous movements in order to give your 

body a chance to warm-up. Of course, if you have special problem areas – calves, back, 

shoulders, etc. – you may want to specifically stretch those areas either before getting 

onto your rebounder, or after you have mounted it. 

I have found that doing Breathwork Bounces and Bodywork Bounces is an especially 

good way to warm up after getting on my rebounder. See Chapter 20’s Catalog for a 


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: 

• Rebounding is no different than other forms of exercise: stretching, warming 

up, and warming down can all be very valuable depending on your personal 

preferences and needs. 

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 


spring. It typically won’t 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, don’t 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 rebounder’s 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. 


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, you’ll 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, don’t 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 

you’re 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. 


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: 

• Always supervise children when they are around your rebounder. 

• Obtain and use a stabilizer bar if you need one. 

The Bottom Line on Safety 

This is a pretty obvious thing to say, but safety on the rebounder is entirely up to you. As 

my friend and partner Gabriel DeWitt likes to say, some people can (and will) break a leg 

just getting out of bed in the morning. While the rebounder is inherently a safe device – 

for example, it is much more forgiving on the skeleton and joints than running on hard 

ground could ever be – it is still potentially dangerous if misused, or used without 

awareness. Treat your rebounder with respect, and you can develop a long, safe, and 

extremely beneficial relationship with it. 


1. Obtaining A High quality Rebounder 

Let me be straightforward about this: if you want to maximize your rebounding benefits, 

you will need to obtain a high quality rebounder. With one exception (to be discussed 

below), if you are spending very much less than $200 (U.S.), then you can be almost 

certain that you are not getting a high quality rebounder. Not only will an inexpensive 

unit not last, but it will not deliver the same results, and it may even be harmful. If you 

buy a $35 or $50 rebounder at a sporting goods store, through eBay, or through a spiritual 

discounter, you will likely have an unsatisfactory experience and then need to obtain a 

high quality unit shortly thereafter. 

Figure _. A legs folded rear view of a high quality half-fold. 

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 1980’s. 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: 

Figure __. An inexpensive rebounder with a leg rusted off. 


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 wouldn’t 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: 

• Mat composition, method of attachment, and durability 

• Spring type, method of attachment, and durability 

• Method of leg attachment 

• Overall bounce and buoyancy 

• Overall durability 

• Warrantee and availability of replacement parts 

• Price (you get what you pay for!) 

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 Permatron®or 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 Permatron®mat 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 unit’s springs. Seeing the heavy-duty wide-bellied springs 

compared to the cheaper ones leaves no doubt in one’s mind that there is a real 

difference. As a consumer, what you need to know is that not all heavy-duty wide-bellied 


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 unit’s 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 that’s 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 that’s 

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. 


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 


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 don’t 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 don’t care about 

the mat difference, one of JB Berns’s 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 I’ll 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. (There’s 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 don’t 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 


elieve 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 Cost 1 Notes Recommended? 2 

** 

Dave Hall/ Tri- Soft and 300 lbs. $399 Excellent, said to Yes 

Cellerciser Fold buoyant 

be best for travel 

Dave Hall/ Half- Soft and 300 lbs. $315 Excellent quality Yes 

Cellerciser Fold buoyant 

Life-Tec Half- Soft and 300 lbs $170 Basically a copy ? 

Fold buoyant 

of the Needak 

Needak Half- Soft and 300 lbs. $250 Can bottom out if 

Fold buoyant 

too heavy 3 

Yes, unless bottoming 

out concerns 

Needak Non- Soft and 300 lbs. $217 ? ? 

Fold buoyant 

Rebound Half- Firm and 300 lbs. $223 Reliable, great Yes; the rebounder 

Air Fold buoyant 

bounce 

I recommend most 

often 

Rebound Non- Soft, 300 lbs. $204 Legs fold, but not Yes 

Air Fold trampoline 

like 

the frame 

Rebound Quarter Firm and 400 lbs. $276 Mat and spring 

Air -fold buoyant 

problems 4 

Not yet 

Urban Non- Very 350 lbs. $170 Sturdy, built for 

Rebounder Fold firm and 

gyms; nonbuoyant 

Permatron® mat; 

can bottom out 3 

Yes, unless mat 

type or bottoming 

out concerns 

Urban Half- Firm and 300 lbs. $120 Sturdy; non- 

Rebounder Fold buoyant 

Permatron® mat; 

can bottom out 3 

Yes, unless mat 

type or bottoming 

out concerns 

Fig. __: Several Rebounders Available at the Time of this Writing 

1 

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. 


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 

rebounder’s 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. You’ll be glad that you did. 



In addition to a high-quality rebounder, there are a few other accoutrements that are 

worth considering ahead of time. 

Proper Clothing 

The idea, of course, is to make rebounding as fun and easy as possible, or rather, not to 

put up any obstacles to rebounding (since sometimes you may choose to go at it quite 

hard!). Clothing that binds, is too tight, or that otherwise prevents or constricts your 

movement in any way should be avoided. 

Generally, then, you want to wear loose, comfortable, clothing. If it is warm enough 

(outdoors or indoors), you can bounce in shorts and short sleeves, and men may want to 

bounce shirtless. Many women prefer to wear a sports bra or another supporting garment 

on top, and some men like to wear support below. If you are bouncing outdoors, then you 

might want long pants and even a sweatshirt, depending on the weather. 

I prefer natural fabrics, especially cotton. If you bounce vigorously you may indeed 

sweat, so make sure you wear whatever is most comfortable for you in such situations. 

Once again, use what you already know about sports and activities to make sure that the 

clothing you wear while rebounding is essentially a non-issue. Of course, if you find a 

gym with rebounding classes, and you care how you look in public, that is a whole other 

story! 

Finally, if you are going to use any kind of rough hand weights (see below), you may 

want to wear gloves while rebounding. And if you are going to bounce outdoors, in the 

sun, suntan lotion may be advisable. 

Shoes and Shocks: Not Unless You Need Them 

I strongly recommend that you bounce without socks and shoes. I believe you will be far 

better off having your bare feet interacting directly with the mat. This will give you a 

better feel for the rebounder, and will enable you over time to do far more work with all 

the fine bones (26 of them) in your feet as well as your ankles, lower legs, and so on. For 

those interested in the inner work, as discussed in Chapter 29, wearing socks and shoes 

may block your energy and prevent you from getting the most possible value from your 

workouts. 

Personally, I very much do not like bouncing with socks and shoes, and therefore almost 

never do so. Bouncing in bare feet gives my feet and toes the freedom and flexibility to 

explore subtle physical and energetic differences that come, for example, from angling 

my feet slightly differently, or from putting pressure more on the insides versus the 


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 it’s 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 Carter’s 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. Al’s 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 White’s 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 Sneider’s Olympic trainer 

(1981) is mainly socks, with some occasional bare feet; and JB Berns’s Urban 

Rebounding (1999) is shoes all the way. 

The one exception seems to be Karol Truman’s 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. 


Music, TV, & Headsets 

As will be discussed in Chapter 22, “Keeping it Going,” two of the easiest ways to make 

sure you get in your Daily Bounce time are by listening to music (my personal favorite) 

or by watching television. 

If you like bouncing with music, then you might want to check with your household 

members or neighbors and make sure that you are not bothering anyone by turning the 

music on too loud, either indoors or outdoors. In my household we reached a 

compromise: I bought a pair of light wireless headphones (SONY makes a good low cost 

pair) which I wear to listen to music when other people are at home and not in the mood 

to share my sonic space. A lightweight cordless headset is also a good solution for those 

who like to talk on the telephone while rebounding. 

The same holds for watching TV. Make sure that everyone else is fine with you having it 

on loudly enough to hear while you bounce, or watch it while you are alone. 

Hand Weights & Jump Ropes 

As will be discussed in Chapter __, hand weights, that is, low weight dumbbells, make a 

great end-of-workout addition. Dr. Harry Sneider and his wife Sara developed hand 

weights filled with sand, called “sand bags,” which are easy to grip and which mold to 

your hands. Other folks like wearing wrist or ankle weights, but if you wear these, make 

sure they are truly securely anchored to the limb being used. 

I prefer to use neoprene weights that are soft to hold and cause little damage even if they 

are dropped. Typically, you will only need one or two pairs of light weights, such as 3 

and 5 pounds dumbbells, or for larger individuals, perhaps 5 and 8 pounders. A good pair 

of weights will cost $15 to $20 for two, but there’s no reason you can’t use any light 

dumbbells you happen to have, or even a can or two of soup (although objects not made 

to be gripped and held for a long time often quickly become uncomfortable). 

Obviously, if you like to jump rope while rebounding, you’ll need a good jump rope. The 

one you have from your childhood might be OK, but it is worth going to a sporting goods 

store to see what modern models are like, and to get one that is the exact right length for 

you. 

What Else Do You Need? 

There is not a lot else that you need to get going with rebounding. It may be useful to 

have a towel or brush (or whisk broom) to wipe off your body or your feet, and it is 

always good to have water not far away. 


14. When, Where, and How Long to Bounce 

When is the best time to bounce? Where is the best place? What is the optimal duration 

for a rebounding session? 

The answers to these three questions depend on a number of inter-related real world 

considerations. With respect to the “When,” what are your options? Do you have time in 

the morning, the afternoon, the evening, or the night? With respect to the “where” 

question, what types of venues do you have access to? Weather permitting, can you 

bounce outdoors? If you are going to be indoors, where is there enough space? And when 

is that space available? As for optimal time, just how long will sufficient space be 

available in the place that you choose to bounce? 

All I can offer here are some generalizations and a rule of thumb, which is this: 

• 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 you’ll 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 

isn’t 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. 

Let’s 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. 


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 don’t 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 don’t 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, that’s 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 

20’s Catalog. 

I like to bounce in the late afternoon, after I have already gotten in a good day’s 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? 


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 I’ll bounce for just two or three minutes soon after I wake up in the morning. 

Given the increased energy and alertness I feel, I’m 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 don’t 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 that’s 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 

isn’t 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 don’t 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. 


I also like rebounding in an entirely different “where,” that is, wherever it is that I happen 

to be when I’m 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 don’t like to go more than a few days 

without rebounding, especially if I’m 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” doesn’t 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 


esult of regularly bouncing, because of the health and well-being benefits, you’ll find 

that the total number of other things that you can do in your life increases. It’s 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 don’t 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 can’t, then you’ll 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 shouldn’t 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 it’s 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. 


While bouncing is truly wonderful, it is important that you don’t 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, don’t 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 we’re not on the rebounder, we have to remember that 

we have to deal with gravity the way we normally experience it, and you don’t 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. 


15. Breath & Body Awareness While Rebounding 

Breathe, breathe in the air; don’t be afraid to care. 

– Pink Floyd 

Breath has often been called the “master key” to health and healing. Breath work is at the 

core of many health and well-being disciplines, including yoga, tantra, meditation, and 

martial arts. No one denies that better breathing – breathing more fully, deeply, and 

diaphragmatically – is of vital importance for the optimal health, healing, and energizing 

of the human body and all of its systems and structures. Although there may be 

disagreements as to precisely the “best” way to breathe(see below), there is no 

disagreement about the basics of better breathing: deeper, regular, breathing that mainly 

engages the diaphragm, with full inhalations and exhalations. 

Rebounding seems to naturally – nearly automatically – invite people to become more 

aware of, work with, and then improve their breathing. If you place some of your 

attention on the breathing process while rebounding, any sub-optimal breathing patterns 

that you have may quickly fall away, at least during the bouncing session itself. Over 

time, you may find that you are breathing better even when you are not rebounding. 

There are some individuals who regularly rebound but who pay little or no special 

attention to their breathing, and this is just fine. Yes, there may be even more value for 

such folks if they also focused on their breathing, but some people are just not naturally 

oriented to doing any kind of breath work, and the very fact that they are rebounding at 

all will have at least some positive effect on their overall breathing profile. It may also 

well be that those who see no changes in their breathing, or who choose not to focus on 

breathing, are already “better breathers,” and therefore might not need to take advantage 

of what rebounding can add here. 

Keep in mind, as well, that pretty much everyone who rebounds will experience the 

general cardio respiratory and cardiovascular improvements that go along with any kind 

of regular and challenging aerobic exercise. These cardio respiratory and cardiovascular 

improvements will be covered in Chapter 25. 

Why Better Breathing is Crucial For Health & Well-Being 

Why is better breathing so good for you? We will turn to specific instructions for better 

breathing in a bit, but first consider these four reasons as to why breathing is so 

absolutely critical for human beings: 

• The importance of taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. 

• The connection between breath, mind, and emotions. 

• The necessity for and benefits from a fully flexible and articulated structural 

system. 

• Taking in more than just oxygen, letting out more than just carbon dioxide. 


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, 

air’s 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 don’t 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.) 


Many people don’t breathe fully because they can’t 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 body’s 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 (Recih’s 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: 

• Although breathing is an autonomic function, and continues automatically without 

any conscious effort or attention, it is also possible to voluntarily affect and 

improve our breathing, both in the short-term through conscious focus, and in the 

long-term through letting go of or undoing our bad habits and dysfunctional 

patterns (or, as some say, by “uncovering” our natural, inherent, essential, breath) 

• There is more to breathing, physiologically, than many of us realize, e.g., there 

are actually three (or four) diaphragms involved in breathing (a vocal diaphragm 

between the base of the tongue and the trachea; a pelvic diaphragm with its 

associated urogenital diaphragm; and the main diaphragm, which is what we 


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 


By the power of transitivity vested in me, therefore: 

Rebounding naturally and semi-automatically � Healthier, Happier Individual 

To quote H. Ross Perot: “It's just that simple.” But let’s take a bit of a closer look, both at 

the formulation of these equations and at how you can begin to implement this wisdom in 

your own rebounding sessions. 

Mechanically, (Semi) Automatically, Breathing Better 

In the equation “Rebounding naturally and semi-automatically � Better Breathing,” the 

phrase “naturally and semi-automatically” may stand out a bit. It is written this way to 

make two points. First, your rebounder naturally acts as a kind of large, mechanical pump 

to bring more breath and oxygen (and subtle energy?) into your system, and to induce 

larger, fuller, out breaths. As we bounce our entire physical structure flexes and stretches, 

and as we flex and stretch we cannot help but breathe more deeply. 

But how, exactly, does the rebounder act to mechanically induce you to breathe better, 

that is, more deeply and more fully? Try an experiment: stand up (if you are sitting 

down), and jump up an inch or so into the air and notice what happens to your breath as 

you hit the floor (that is, as you land not on a springy rebounder mat, but on a regular, 

non-giving, hard, floor). Whether or not you breathe in as you jump up, you will find that 

to some extent you exhale as you hit the ground. Simply, the air is mechanically pressed 

or pumped out of you as you hit the ground. Now do the same thing, but this time put 

your hands on your abdominals. When you land, you will feel that your abdominals tense 

to some degree as your diaphragm contracts up and inwards in coordination with the 

exhale that naturally accompanies hitting the floor. 

This same phenomenon – in a somewhat different way – happens on the rebounder. As 

you descend and hit the mat, and then suddenly reverse directions, the rebounder 

will mechanically induce or invite you to breathe out more fully. Note, though, that 

except for one particular type of Breath Work Bouncing (see Chapter 20’s Catalog), you 

will not be exhaling intensely each of the ninety or one hundred times that you typically 

hit the mat in a single minute. 

Instead, whatever your overall breathing pattern is, that is, however many up and down 

cycles you tend to complete for each in-breath and each out-breath, you will find that 

during some part of your out-breath (regardless of how many bouncing cycles that 

encompasses), you will be mechanically induced, invited really, to exhale more fully and 

deeply than you otherwise would have. In other words, however deeply you normally 

would have exhaled, the pumping action of the rebounder will probably assist you to 

exhale just a little bit more deeply at some point during your exhale cycle. 


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 20’s 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 


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 torso’s 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. 


When to do Breath Work on the Bouncer 

Breathing fully while you bounce is something that you can strive for during all of your 

bouncing. But be gentle with yourself. Bring yourself back to your breathing whenever 

you can, making sure that your neck and shoulders are relaxed, that your pelvis is 

relaxed, and that you are allowing yourself to really open up to full, deep, breathing on 

both inhalations and exhalations. 

Although there are times when you will specifically be focusing solely or only on better 

breathing – bouncing very, very gently while noticing and working with your breathing is 

a great way to warm-up or warm-down – there are many other times when you will 

incorporate your awareness of your breath and body into other bouncing exercises. 

For example, of all my Basic Bounces (see Chapter 18), it is Running in Place that tends 

to give me the most thorough and intense workout, both aerobically and structurally. 

When I first started running in place, especially if I was listening to music with a fast beat 

and moving my knees quite high, I was so breath challenged that I forgot to focus on 

better breathing. Over time, however, I discovered and then remembered to stick with the 

breathing practice described above, and now I can “breathe big” all the way through a 

very intense Running in Place sequence. Here, when I paid no attention to my breath, I 

found things a lot more difficult, but as soon as I began to apply the same breathing 

practice that I had already been applying during other types of bounces, my experience 

rapidly improved. 

Over time, you may find that you go through entire bouncing sessions breathing far more 

deeply than you did at first. Eventually, your body will get used to this better breathing, 

and will begin to re-pattern itself so that you find that you are breathing more fully during 

your ordinary, day-to-day, non-bouncing, activities. As will be described later, in Chapter 

20’s Catalog, there are specific Breathwork Bounces and Bodywork Bounces and patterns 

that you can do to work with your breath in an even more focused and conscious way. As 

a general principle, though, cultivating breath and body awareness through all of your 

rebounding as described in this chapter – breathing fully, breathing big and deep – will 

pay remarkable health and well-being dividends in the long run. 

A Quick Summary of Better Breathing on the Bouncer 

A simple summary of the information and advice put forth in this chapter may be useful. 

Here’s what’s most essential about breathing and the bouncer: 

• Better breathing is vitally important, and easy to do on a rebounder 

• The mechanical, pumping, nature of the rebounder will naturally entice, invite, or 

cajole you to exhale more fully, leading to deeper, fuller breathing overall 

• As you bounce, relax your shoulders and neck above and your pelvis below 

• Place attention on your breathing as you relax, and allow your body to fill up and 

expand in all directions with air, breathing deeply, leading from your belly button, 

abdomen, and diaphragm, 


• 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 

One Last Way to Look at Breathing and Bouncing 

One of the most valuable books on breathing that I’ve read is Dona Farhi’s The Breathing 

Book: Good Health and Vitality Through Essential Breath Work (1996). In a section 

entitled “Breathing and Your Relationship to the Earth,” after pointing out that being 

human necessitates standing upright, in gravity, on the earth, she distinguishes three 

possible patterns: propping, collapsing, and yielding. It is the third of these she says we 

should aim for, and she describes it this way: 

Yielding happens when we give the weight of our body to the earth but at the 

same time maintain enough integrity through our structure that we receive the 

rebound of gravity up through our bodies. 

The rebound of gravity! Isn’t that just perfect? After stating that this yielding pattern is a 

dynamic one that reflects breathing with ease and effortlessness, she concludes as 

follows: 

The more you give the weight of your lower body into the earth the more gravity 

will effortlessly rebound through the body, creating an upward lift through the 

entire torso. When you yield you stand as a conducting rod between heaven and 

earth…Yielding can be practiced whether standing, sitting, lying down, or in 

motion. 

Or, I would add, when rebounding (or when in motion through rebounding). As you 

bounce, then, practice yielding and better breathing simultaneously, and see whether you 

too can feel the rebound of gravity. 


Part IV: 


(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 



16. Give Yourself a Lift: 

Four Primary Propulsion Mechanisms 

How, then, does one actually bounce? This might seem like an odd question, especially 

as we are already up to Chapter 16 of On The Rebound, which is also the beginning of 

Part II of the Daily Bounce Manual. 

So, is rebounding itself so simple that it needs no explanation? Or is the act of bouncing 

complex and nuanced enough so that by itself it reasonably merits one or more whole 

chapters? 

The answer is: both. On the one hand, it is absolutely true that you don’t really need any 

instruction on how to actually bounce. Just get on your rebounder, start moving your 

body – bend your knees slightly and start rocking back and forth, or push off gently 

down, through, and from your feet – and you will indeed begin to bounce up and down 

(whether your heels and the rest of your feet leave the mat or not depends on how much 

force you use). Add your arms, moving them however you like, and voila, you are 

rebounding. It couldn’t be simpler, and you definitely shouldn’t let the details in this or 

the next chapter bog you down. 

On the other hand, if you want to know more … there are many subtleties to actually 

bouncing, or put differently, there are many options that you have that you might want to 

be aware of. Once again, the ultimate criterion for this book is what works best. I believe 

that if your options are pointed out to you and you know what they are, you are more 

likely to choose what will work best for you. (Which means you will have a better 

rebounding experience, are more likely to stay On the Rebound and continue with a Daily 

Bounce, and more likely to tell others about rebounding. In this way, together we can 

quickly create a healthier, happier, world.) 

In my view, the best way to get the available options across to you, in both this and the 

next few chapters, is through the channel of your own experience. I’m therefore going to 

suggest a series of simple exercises or experiments for you to perform. Most of them will 

take only a minute or so to read, understand, and perform. 

The idea is to get the feel for what is being suggested, not to necessarily experience it in 

its purest form. When you are regularly rebounding, the various options explored in this 

and the followings chapter will all be mixed-up and combined in ever-changing patterns 

anyway. So just focus on the general feel for the different options available to you, and 

later on you will be able to work with them more consciously and specifically, if you like. 

The Anatomy and Timing of A Single Bouncing Cycle 

What is it, then, to bounce? According to Dictionary.com, the very first definition of 

“bounce” is “To rebound after having struck an object or a surface.” Similarly, the very 


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 1/30 th 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. 


Fig. __: A single bouncing cycle taking .7 seconds 


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 2/8 ths (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? 

Four Primary Propulsion Mechanisms 

While a rebounder may psychologically seem like a perpetual motion machine (see 

Chapter 22 for a further discussion of this notion), in fact it is not. If your body does not 

generate some force, energy, motion, or movement, you simply will not bounce. (To 

some extent, of course, the mere fact that you are breathing will induce some movement; 

try standing absolutely still on a rebounder, and see if your breath begins to move you up 

and down.) 

There are four different primary mechanisms by which you can generate the force 

necessary to propel yourself up and down. These four mechanisms, listed from the top 

down, are: 

• arm movements (or “flapping”) 

• core torso muscles push-down (mainly using abdominals, but also involving 

your thighs, buttocks, and lower back, and the muscles associated with these areas 

including your quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus, and back muscles) 

• lifting with knees and thighs (quadriceps), including both jumping with two feet 

(somewhat like a kangaroo), and running in place on alternating single legs 

• lower legs push-off (using calves, ankles, and feet) 


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. 

Fig. __: Attaining Liftoff just through Arm Movement 

Fig. __: Attaining Liftoff just by Core Torso Muscles Push-Down 

Note that there is very little arm, lower leg, or knee/thigh movement here, and 

while it’s difficult to achieve much height, my feet do leave the mat in the 3 rd frame!! 


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 

Fig__: Attaining Liftoff just with Lower Legs Push-Off; 

For more detail on how the lower legs can 

accomplish this, see Fig. __ and Chapter17 


Now that we’ve seen an example of how liftoff can take place using the four different 

types of propulsion, let’s 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 haven’t 

peeked ahead yet, take a look at Just Bouncin’ Chapter 20’s Catalog.] 

Propulsion Exercise # 1: Flap Your Arms 

• Get on your rebounder, and stand still for a moment 

• Keep your feet flat, straight forward or very slightly turned out, about 

shoulders distance apart 

• Take a few deep breaths in and out, and relax your neck and as much of your 

torso as possible, especially your hips and abdomen 

• With your knees slightly bent, raise your arms out and up at a moderate speed, 

in a jumping jack-like motion until they are about even with your shoulders 

• Then bring your arms down to the side of your thighs (which you can even 

lightly slap), almost as if you were a bird flapping its wings 

• Repeat this motion at an increased speed for 10 or 15 seconds 

• Notice what happens to your body and whether it starts to move up and down 

• If your heels or all of your feet want to leave the mat, let them to do so 

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 I’m 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 20’s 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.” 


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: 






• Bend your knees somewhat and place both hands on your belly 

• Feel your abdominals contract as you breathe out forcefully while pushing 

down through your thighs and bending your knees a bit more 

• Then reverse what you’ve done: knees straighten as your abdominals relax 

and your entire torso moves back upwards 

• Repeat this motion for 10 or 15 seconds, feeling your abdominals go through 

their cycle as your knees, thighs, and torso lower and raise 

• If your heels or all of your feet want to leave the mat, allow them to do so 

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. 


Although I have not personally tried the Amazing Abdominal Strength 

Demonstration, Boomer, mentioned earlier as the most active member of 

the Yahoo Rebounder Group, has seen it performed by Al Carter and 

described it as follows. A volunteer runs in place on a regular hard floor 

for 20 seconds. He or she is then asked to lie down on the floor, and 

move into a half sit-up position. The tester then pushes down on his chest 

(women cross their arms first) and usually the tester can easily push the 

volunteer down most of the way. Next, the individual is asked to get on a 

rebounder and bounce for a mere 20 seconds. Then the initial test is 

repeated, except this time the tester is usually not able to budge the 

volunteer downward at all. Sometimes, it is even possible for the tester to 

do a push-up on the volunteer’s body! 

Propulsion Exercise # 3: Thighs Lift, Knees Bend, Jump Up (Kangaroo Style) 






• Bend your knees and squat down a few inches and then jump up and off the 

mat by lifting your thighs and bringing your feet near your buttocks 

• Only do one cycle like this, for safety’s sake 

Propulsion Exercise # 4: Thigh Lifts, Knee Bends, Slowly Run In Place 

Propulsion Exercise # 4 is similar to # 3, but in this case you will only be using one thigh 

and knee at a time as you run in place: 






• Bend your knee and lift one thigh slowly until your lifted foot comes to about 

even with the opposite knee 

• Put down the lifted foot and when that foot comes in contact with the mat 

bend your other knee and lift your other thigh slowly until that foot comes to 

about even with the opposite knee 

• Speed up if you like so it is more like running in place 

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, 


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 






• With your knees slightly bent, push down into the mat with the balls of your 

feet as you lift up with your heels 

• Repeat several times and see if you can build up enough momentum to have 

your feet begin to leave the mat 

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, 


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. 


17. Putting Your Best Feet Forward: 

Foot Factors & Variables 

Human feet are quite complex. Each foot has 28 bones, 32 muscles and tendons, and 109 

ligaments. Given this complexity, and given the pivotal centrality of your feet in the act 

of actually bouncing up and down – no foot contact, no bouncing * – it is not surprising 

that a number of significant foot factors and variables can be distinguished. 

Except for some basic and obvious points relating to safety and posture, most of these 

foot factors and variables can be safely ignored if you are not really interested in exactly 

what is going on with your feet. As with the methods of propulsion, the various foot 

factors will, for the most part, remain in the background as you bounce. In almost every 

case your body knows how to – and will – move your feet and what’s attached to them in 

such a way that you stay safe and upright. (It’s an animal and mammal thing.) But for 

those who are interested, the following foot factors can be distinguished as applying in 

some degree to every bounce you take: 

• 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 

mat’s edge, assuming your body is otherwise centered on the rebounder)? 

• Horizontal Separation: Are your feet shoulder’s 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. 


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 One’s Sole 

[[[[[FROM ROBERT TO INTEGRATE: 

BARING ONE”S 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, 


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 20’s 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. 


The Foot Factors 

Let’s briefly consider the factors that merit a short discussion, and then the last section of 

this chapter will discuss vertical pitch in the context of the in-out differential. 

First, with respect to radial yaw – how far your feet are either splayed out from the heels 

or turned inwards with toes towards each other – in general you should opt for keeping 

your feet mostly straight forward. Some people, however, will find it more natural or 

easier to have their feet turned or splayed outwards somewhat, especially during long 

series of powerful downward thrusting bounces driven by the core torso muscles (see 

Chapter 16), and in a type of bouncing that I’ve called Structured Strength in Motion 

(see the Catalog in Chapter 20). Such people will typically discover that in their normal 

walking about, they also have a tendency to turn out their feet. If this is your tendency, 

then by consciously straightening your feet while bouncing, you may over time be able to 

create long-term change in how your feet work while walking and standing. This may 

also have a positive effect on raising your arches. 

To take this a step further, it sometimes can be very rewarding to consciously turn your 

feet inwards (toes closer than heels) while bouncing. You can even press your knees and 

inner lower thighs together while turning in your toes (unless you have or are susceptible 

to knee pain or cartilage damage), and you can also put your palms on your lower back as 

you do this (see Chapter 20). While this is not a position to bounce in for too long, it can 

allow your body the experience of a very different physical pattern than it is used to. This 

leads not only to physical release while you are bouncing, but it may begin to provide 

you with a re-patterning of your overall foot stance and posture so that you no longer 

splay your feet outwards. It is always better to incorporate more flexibility rather than 

less flexibility into your rebounding practice: if your feet want to turn in, or want to turn 

out, there is probably a reason for this, and it is likely that by both going with the motion 

and doing the opposite of it, you can over time work out any problems that you might 

have here. 

Second, with respect to horizontal separation, I typically find that I prefer bouncing 

with my feet about shoulder’s width apart. However, I often also bounce with my feet 

closer to each other, or farther apart (up to the edge of the mat even). Here, find what is 

most comfortable for you, and what enables you to do the most varied and interesting 

workout so that you will stay On the Rebound. 

Third, as for edge role pressure, this is something more to notice than it is to specifically 

experiment with. You do not want to either pronate (bounce on the inside edges) or 

supinate (bounce on the outside edges of your feet) too much, as this can turn or 

otherwise harm an ankle. If in regular walking life you tend to either pronate or supinate, 

be aware of that tendency while you are bouncing, and make sure that you don’t go too 

far in that direction. You can gently experiment with doing the opposite of your natural 

tendency, but this is certainly not a factor to push too far. 


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 20’s 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 one’s 

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 

doesn’t 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. 



Vertical Pitch and In-Out Differential 

Our feet are usually in contact with the mat for about 3/8 of a second from the time we 

make initial contact with the mat until the time we make final contact before we leave the 

mat completely again and head towards the highest point of the bounce cycle. (See 

Chapter 16 for a discussion of the timing of a single bouncing cycle.) In Figure __ in 

Chapter 16, this period of time is represented by the first picture in the third row until the 

second picture in this sixth row. 

Most of the time your feet will essentially remain unchanged during the period of time of 

mat contact during a single bounce cycle. In some cases, however, especially with respect 

to the vertical pitch factor, there will be an in-out differential, that is, there will be a 

change with respect to the pitch of your foot when it first lands versus the pitch when you 

take off again. For example, you can land with a flat foot, and then take off some 3/8ths 

of a second later with your heels lifted. Figure __ , Combinations of Initial and Final Mat 

Contact in Any One Bounce, lists six possible combinations of in-out differential with 

respect to vertical pitch. 

# INITIAL CONTACT FINAL CONTACT SUSTAINABLE? COMMENTS 

1 Toes & Balls (or just 

Toes or Balls) 

2 Toes & Balls (or just 


Toes & Balls (or just 


Roll down to midfoot 

or even to heels 

For a short while Intense foot, calf, 

lower leg work 

For a longer while Lots of lift as heels 

roll back up in air, but 

not too common 

3 Whole Foot, flat Whole Foot, flat Yes Perhaps most used 

movement 

4 Whole Foot, flat Rolling up to midfoot 

or Balls & Toes, 

heels lift off mat 

Yes, but becomes 

uncomfortable 

Lots of lift as heels 

roll up; another very 

common movement 

5 Heels mainly Heels mainly For a short while A bit odd; easier with 

knees (almost) locked 

6 Heels mainly Roll down to midfoot 

or Balls & Toes 

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, 


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: 






• Relax your arms, bend your knees somewhat, and then keep your feet flat (no 

vertical pitch) as you initiate a bounce that has your feet leave the mat by a 

few inches 

• Now, shift the vertical pitch of your feet so that you are bouncing for a few 

cycles on the toes and balls of your feet together, both on initial contact and 

upon leaving the mat – notice how intense this is on your lower legs! 

• Return to normal bouncing for several bounce cycles 

• Now, continue bouncing as you make initial contact with your toes and balls 

of feet, and then roll down through the middle of your foot as far as you can 

get towards your heels as you leave the mat – feel the lift you get as you bring 

your heels all the way back up before you land on your toes and balls again 

• Bounce with this vertical pitch in-out differential for a few bounces, then go 

back to whole foot, flat bouncing 

• Safely dismount your rebounder 

It is actually harder to do this as an exercise than it will be to do when it arises 

purposefully or spontaneously in a longer bouncing session. However, by doing this 

exercise, you can get a good feel for what your options are. 

In Combination # 3, as illustrated in Figure ___ at the end of this Chapter, you make 

initial contact with your whole foot flat, and then leave your foot the same way for final 

contact and take-off. This is probably the most common way of bouncing and can be 

sustained indefinitely. It will come in particularly handy as the best foot position when 

you want to essentially keep your feet unchanging so you can focus on methods of 

propulsion that do not involve your feet or lower legs. (See Chapter 16 for a discussion 

of the four primary methods of propulsion.) 

Combination # 4 starts out the same as # 3, but here, after landing flat on your whole 

foot, you will then roll up to your mid-foot or even your balls and toes upon takeoff. This 

is also indefinitely sustainable, and like # 2 you can experience a great deal of lift as your 

mid-foot and heels roll up upon takeoff. Combination # 4 is illustrated in Fig. __ at the 


end of this Chapter, and Combinations # 3 and # 4 can be experienced through the 

following exercise: 

Vertical Pitch In-Out Differential Exercise # 2: 






• Relax your arms, bend your knees somewhat, and then keep your feet flat (no 

vertical pitch) as you initiate a bounce that has your feet leave the mat by a 

few inches 

• Now, shift the vertical pitch of your feet so that you are rolling up through 

your mid-feet or even up to your toes – lifting up your heels – as you make 

final contact 

• Experience this in-out differential for as long as you like, taking particular 

notice and advantage of the lift that your whole body achieves from rolling up 

through your feet and lifting your heels 

• Return to whole foot, flat bouncing, and notice the difference from when you 

were lifting up your heels 

• Safely dismount your rebounder 

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. 


Fig. __, Combination No. 1: In Toes/Balls, Out Toes/Balls 

[Total elapsed time: 1/2 second] 


Fig. __, Combination # 2: Toes/Balls In, Roll Down Heels, Balls/Toes Out 



Fig. __, Combination # 3: In Whole Flat Foot, Out Whole Foot Flat 



Fig. __, Combination # 4: In Whole Flat Foot, Roll Up, Out with Balls/Toes 



Fig. __, Combination # 5: In with Heels, Out with Heels 



Fig. __, Combination # 6: Heels in, Roll Down, Balls Out 



18. Intuitive Rebounding: 

Natural Movements, Basic Bounces, and Simple Routines 

Having looked at propulsion methods and foot factors in great detail, it is now time to 

more directly turn to overall questions of how to bounce and what types of bounces to 

undertake. One of the wonderful things about rebounding is that there is no “right” way 

to do it. Yes, there are specific types of bounces that most people choose to incorporate 

into their rebounding sessions, and there are several fine books and many rebounding 

workout videos that set forth explicit programs that you can follow. (Most of these books 

are listed in the Bibliography). There are also certainly things that you can do “wrong” on 

a rebounder: practice stunts, whip around heavy hand weights, land on the springs or off 

the mat, and so on. 

Ultimately, from the big picture perspective, the right way to rebound is the way that 

feels best to you and that will keep you On the Rebound, regularly returning for a 

Daily (or near-dailyg) Bounce. The key here is to trust both your intuition, and the two 

quality “machines” that are interacting here: your rebounder, and your body/mind. 

The first of these elegant machines, your rebounder, is a marvelously simple yet powerful 

device that enables you to do things that would otherwise be impossible: move for an 

extended period of time in another dimension – the vertical dimension – with greatly 

reduced impact on your skeletal muscles, joints, and soft tissue, while inviting your body 

to breathe deeply, open up, and experience strengthening, healing, energizing, and often 

thrilling results. 

The second of these elegant “machines,” your body/mind, your personal physical 

manifestation in the real world, knows how to automatically adjust its breathing, vary the 

amount of force it is putting out, and adjust many other variables leading to a sustained 

experience that is fun, easy, immune-boosting, strength-, health-, and endurance-building, 

and beneficial to mind, emotions, and (it seems to me) even spirit. 

Over time, as you bounce, you will learn to trust your intuition more and more as to the 

type of bounces you are doing and the type of workout you are having. There are times 

when I get on the rebounder when all I do for the first three or five minutes is rock gently 

back and forth from heels to toes, or bounce ever-so slightly off the mat, allowing myself 

to breathe fully as I place my hands on my hips or on my lower or mid-back. At other 

times, I’ll put on music that I love and rock out for an entire CD, letting the music take 

me where I need to go, powerfully pumping and pulsing and twisting my body to and 

from its core. 

Again, this is not to say that there isn’t value in the programs and routines set out by 

others. Some of us do best if we follow a video or DVD of someone else rebounding. 

Others of us like being in classes with other people and being taken through a workout. 

With the rebounder, however, especially as you bounce at home and work towards 

making a Daily Bounce part of your ongoing health and wellness practice, a golden 


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. 

__: 

Basic Bounces 

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 

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 can’t do another rep, or do you 


like to stop earlier? What about jumping rope? If this is something you’ve 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 don’t 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 20’s 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 “don’t know” what to do next, I 

merely turn to one of my Basic Bounces. If I’ve already done that Basic Bounce earlier in 

the session that’s no problem, because in the long run, whether in my current bouncing 

session or in the next one, I’ll 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 


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 you’ve done the right thing, done enough, and 

so on. Instead, your body’s 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 I’ll 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 


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. 


19. Terminology & Types 

Choosing the Right Bounces for Your Workouts 

There are at least two ways to determine what types of bounces to include in your 

rebounding sessions. First, you can take the tack suggested in the previous chapter. To 

intuitively and organically discover which types of bounces in what order works best for 

you, just follow the simple pattern suggested there: 

Once again, start out by playing around with movement on your rebounder to uncover 

what comes naturally to you. From these movements, pick a set of Basic Bounces that 

can serve as the foundation for your rebounding practice. From those Basic Bounces, you 

can distill a set of Simple Routines that you can return to on a regular basis. Follow your 

instinct to add or subtract to your Basic Bounces and Simple Routines whenever you like. 

The second way is to see and follow upon what others have done. Many people find it 

both instructive and inspirational to look at the types of Basic Bounces and Simple 

Routines that others have worked with. Indeed, the chapter after this one will present 

A Short Illustrated Catalog of Bounce Types to give you an idea of some of the different 

types of bounces available to you. 

Before getting to the Catalog, though, it will be helpful to first generally and then more 

specifically discuss the terminology used in different places to describe different types of 

bounces. There are so many possible rebounding movements, and so many ways to 

describe and discuss these movements, that it will be beneficial to nail down a 

straightforward terminological system before heading into the Catalog. 

The discussion of terminology and types in this chapter may also be useful if you 

purchase rebounding workout videos or tapes or other books on rebounding. It will give 

you a way to gauge your own practice against what others suggest, and will also help you 

to see what may have not yet been thought of. There is plenty of room to expand the 

rebounding canon. It is not unusual for me to bounce next to someone – from youngster 

to oldster – and find that they are doing something very useful, fun, or interesting that I 

would have never thought of on my own. On the Rebound, we are all each other’s 

teachers. 

Types of Bouncing Apparatus 

Natural Movements � Basic Bounces � Simple Routines 

Before turning to the terminology used to describe types of bounces, it will be helpful to 

quickly review the types of apparatus available for bouncing generally. In other words, it 


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: 

• Beds and other objects with springs 

• Rebounders (the subject of this book) 

• Medium- and full-sizes trampolines 

• Bounce-back chair 

• Jump Boots 

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 

can’t, for example, set them up in your living room so you can watch TV or listen to 

music, and you can’t 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. 


[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-1970’s. 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: 


• 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 body’s 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 one’s 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 don’t 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). 


Problems With Traditional Terminology 

The main thrust of how bounces were categorized was found in the first three of these 

categories: the “health bounce,” the “aerobic bounce,” and the “strength bounce.” There 

are two significant problems with this traditional terminology. First, it just does not give 

enough granularity and contain enough descriptive and explanatory power. Put simply, 

breaking everything down into just three main categories is not, I believe, as useful as the 

multiple category terminological system that will be described shortly and that is used in 

A Short Illustrated Catalog of Bounce Types found in the next chapter. 

Second, and perhaps more importantly, these terms are each somewhat misleading in and 

of themselves. Since any type of bouncing on a rebounder gives you increased lymph 

flow, it would be fairer to say that all bounces are “health bounces,” not just those that 

are very slow and mellow and leave the feet at least partially in contact with the mat. 

Similarly, since nearly all bouncing gives you an aerobic conditioning effect, and since 

almost any type of bouncing can be done either more slowly or more rapidly, the term 

“aerobic bounce” is actually broader than what has traditionally been categorized as an 

aerobic bounce. 

Finally, equating high bounces with “strength” merely serves to lock in the unproven 

assumptions about increased g-force as perhaps the most important reason why 

rebounding is good for the human body. Instead, nearly all bounces increase your 

strength, when strength is defined in terms of your body’s physical strength as well as its 

flexibility. A simple example: if you use hand weights to do resistive bouncing, you will 

build up both muscle and increase your flexibility, but you can do this without your feet 

ever leaving the mat. In this case, no high bouncing at all is necessary to increase your 

strength. 

The Terminological System Used in A Short Catalog 

The next chapter presents A Short Illustrated Catalog of Bounce Types. It is called a 

“short” catalog because it would be possible to illustrate hundreds, maybe even 

thousands, of different types of bounces. The slightest change of arm or hand or leg or 

foot or pelvis position, for example, can yield a substantially different bouncing 

experience. Also, as discussed in Chapter 23, rebounders are a kind of universal machine 

which can be used to perform movements from almost every type of sport and physical 

discipline, from skiing to ballet to martial arts. There is almost no limit as to what can be 

brought to rebounding from outside of rebounding. 

The point of the Catalog, therefore, is not to try to exhaustively document and illustrate 

every Bounce Type that there is. That would be an impossible task. Instead, the idea is to 

give you enough examples so that you can get a good feel for the variety of what is 

possible. Unless you are strictly sticking with the previously described organic method of 

moving from Natural Movements � Basic Bounces � Simple Routines, you will 

probably find yourself adopting at least some of the Bounce Types in the Catalog that 


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. It’s like that old TV commercial: “Oh there’s nobody 

else in the whole human race, with your kind of style, and your kind of grace…” 

Bounce Type or Focus Traditional/Alternative Name 

At Ease (Slow, Low, & Easy) Health Bounce 

Bodywork Bouncing 

Breathwork Bouncing 

Fast Bounce Aerobic Bounce 

Frequent Flower 

Hand Weights Resistive Bouncing 

High Bounce Strength Bounce 

Motion Maximizer 

Single-Legged 

Sitting Abdominals Sitting Bounce 

Stretches 

Structured Strength in Motion 

Figure __: Bounce Types and Older Terminology 

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. 

You’ll 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 


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! 


Introduction to the Catalog 


As stated in the last Chapter, the Catalog is meant to be illustrative, not exhaustive. 

Rebounding offers so very many possibilities that an exhaustive Catalog is probably not 

possible. Over time, however, the Catalog will almost certainly be expanded, and current 

versions will be made available on The Daily Bounce.com website. 

Note that some types of bounces are purposefully excluded from the Catalog. 

Specifically, rehabilitative bouncing (including assisted bouncing and buddy bouncing) 

are not included here in the Catalog but will be briefly addressed in Chapter 27. 

The Catalog is constructed as follows: 

• 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 

Including Bounce Type Variations, over 98 bouncing movements or exercises are 

described, 68 of which are separately illustrated. It is worth repeating that at every level – 

from Categories to Bounce Types to Bounce Type Variations – what is presented here is 

not meant to be, and could not be, a final and comprehensive listing. Instead, the goal is 

to inform and educate and even titillate you with respect to what is possible, so that you 

are inspired to experience, experiment, and create your own ways of rebounding. 

On the next page there is a chart that you can use to quickly move to a specific 

Bounce Type. The Categories are presented in alphabetical order. The introduction to 

each Category, and then each Bounce Type, is given its own page (or more than one 

page), and a standard format will be followed throughout to make the Catalog more userfriendly. 

For each Bounce Type, Difficulty Level (low, moderate, or high), and Special 

Emphasis or Benefits, are given. 

Bounce Types and Variations are illustrated with a type of stop-motion video 

photography available to anyone with a high-quality digital video camera, video editing 

software, and Adobe Photoshop. (You merely shoot at a high shutter speed, then export 

single frames, de-interlace, adjust brightness and contrast, and crop if necessary. A macro 

program such as QuicKeys on the Macintosh makes this a far more efficient process.) 

Coming from single video frames, the images are somewhat lower resolution than would 

be ideal, but for the most part they handily illustrate the movement in question. The ideal 

format for seeing different Bounce Types demonstrated is video, a good deal of which 

will be made available for free on The Daily Bounce.com website. 


Bounce Type or Focus Catalog Examples Page 

At Ease (Slow, Low, & Easy) 

1. Pulsing in Place 

2. Alternate Feet Shuffle 

3. Feet Twist 

Bodywork Bouncing 

1. Holding 

2. Pressing 

3. Tapping 

4. Slapping 

Breathwork Bouncing 

1. Awareness Breathing 

2. Patterned Breathing 

3. Work-It-Through Breathing 

Fast Bouncing 

1. Pulse Pace Bouncing 

2. Arm Pulsing 

3. Running in Place 

Frequent Flower 

1. Just Bouncin’ 

2. Jumping Jacks 

3. The Twist 

4. Free Flow Feel Good 

Hand Weights Bouncing 

1. Overhead Press 

2. Side Arm Raise 

3. Twist with Weights 

4. Biceps Curls 

High Bouncing 

1. Just Bouncin’ High 

2. Flyin’ High 

3. Knee/Thigh Lift(off) 

Motion Maximizer 

1. Arm Circles 

2. Deep Twists 

3. Climbing 

Single-Legged Bouncing 

1. Hopping 

2. Simple Kicks 

Sitting Abdominals 

1. Sitting V Pulses 

Stretch Bounces 

1. Back Bends 

2. Front Bends 

3. Squat Pulses 

Structured Strength in Motion 

Fig. __: Categories & Bounce Types 


CATEGORY: AT EASE (SLOW, LOW, & EASY) 

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. 

Always remember that the easiest, simplest, ways of moving on a rebounder – 

keeping it slow, keeping it low, and just keeping it easy overall – will likely bring you 

substantial health and wellness benefits … as long as you just keep getting on the mat 

and moving your body. 

In short, with rebounding, although you can always make your workouts as intense as 

you like, you can also keep them quite simple, relaxed, and easy, without losing any 

effectiveness in creating and maintaining health and fitness. 

Bounce Types from the At Ease Category can be used at any time during a 

rebounding workout, but are especially good for warming up and warming down. 

The three Bounce Type examples (plus variations) provided for the At Ease Category 

are: 

1. Pulsing in Place 

2. Alternate Feet Shuffle 

3. Feet Twist 


AT EASE # 1: PULSING IN PLACE 

Difficulty Level: low 

Special Emphasis or Benefits: easy lymphatic flow and immune system boost 

General Description: Here you merely stand on the rebounder and push down with 

your core torso muscles and a bit with your lower legs, generating an up-and-down 

motion. Your feet, your legs, your torso, your arms: everything stays pretty much in 

the same position as your entire body descends into the mat by up to a few inches or 

more and then comes back up to where you started. One way to initiate this bounce is 

to stand on the rebounder and, as you exhale, emphasize the contraction of your 

abdominals while pushing down with them through your legs 

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. 


AT EASE # 2: ALTERNATE FEET SHUFFLE 

Difficulty Level: low to medium (including variations) 

Special Emphasis or Benefits: easy immune system boost; some aerobic effect 

General Description: Stand on the rebounder, feet a bit apart, arms hanging at your 

sides. Then move one foot forward on a straight line as you move your other foot 

backwards. You will sink into the mat when your feet are farthest apart, and then 

come up again as they are passing each other. Let your arms swing back and forth or 

not as feels best to you. 

Comments: This movement is reminiscent of taking a stroll in a park. Note how the 

right foot is behind the left foot in the 2 nd image, but has passed in front of it by the 

third image (1/30 th 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 shoulder’s 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. 


AT EASE # 3: FEET TWIST 

Difficulty Level: medium 

Special Emphasis or Benefits: engages core muscles, arms, and shoulders. 

General Description: Stand on the rebounder, feet a bit apart, arms hanging at your 

sides. Then simply twist your feet in one direction as you allow your arms and torso to 

naturally swing in the other. Your feet do not leave the mat, but you will naturally sink 

into the mat as you end the twist in each direction (as shown in the last image below). 

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 shoulder’s 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? 


CATEGORY: BODYWORK BOUNCING 

Bodywork Bouncing encompasses any type of self-administered bodywork that can 

be done during a rebounding session. It turns out that by applying your own hands, 

fingers, and fists to parts of your body while you are bouncing you can give 

yourself an invigorating experience that at its best can lead to healing. Bodywork 

Bouncing is also intimately tied to Breathwork Bouncing, as described in the next 

section of the Catalog. 

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, I’ll 

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. Holding 

2. Pressing 

3. Tapping 

4. Slapping 


BODYWORK BOUNCING # 1: HOLDING 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: facilitates greater body awareness; healing potential 

General Description: While Pulsing in Place, Just Bouncin’, or really, doing any 

other simple bounce that doesn’t involve your arms or a great deal of your legs or 

torso, you can put your hands on or over your lower back, (1 st image), your navel (2 nd 

and 3 rd images), your heart (4 th image), or behind your head (5 th and 6 th images). 

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 – 


BODYWORK BOUNCING # 1: HOLDING (CONTINUED) 

You can hold or put your hands over any part of your body, but the lower back (where 

you can place your palms on your hips and your thumbs towards the small of your 

back, as in the 1 st image above), your navel area (said to be the seat of power and will 

in many traditions), your heart, and behind the head (where you can also press your 

thumbs into chronically tight muscles on the side of your neck), are four particularly 

desirable areas to start with. 

As an experiment, start with some ordinary Just Bouncin’, and then try putting your 

hands behind your head and doing the same thing. Feel how your body changes as you 

do this. From your muscles and bones to your soft tissue and fascia, the simple act of 

lifting your hands up behind your head will change how you use all of your body. If 

you breathe deeply into and through this new position, you may learn a great deal 

about your body and how it works, and have the opportunity to let go of some of the 

“stuck” or dysfunctional patterns referred to earlier. 

There is a great tradition of healing being catalyzed through touch, including selftouch. 

The mere act of placing your hands on whatever part of yourself that you 

choose may help to bring energy and healing to that part or body system. 

Finally, the distinction between Holding and Pressing, the next Bounce Type, is a thin 

one that may often be crossed as you practice Holding. For example, if you press your 

thumbs into those muscles on the side of your neck as you are bouncing, and use the 

self-energizing property of bouncing on a rebounder to repeatedly massage the area in 

question, you may get a wonderful sense of relief and tension reduction. 

Variations: As illustrated below, try Holding behind your head while holding your 

knees together as you bounce up and down. This really opens up the lower back, and 

can give you a profound perspective on how you normally “hold” your body! 


BODYWORK BOUNCING # 2: PRESSING 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: facilitates greater body awareness; healing potential 

General Description: This is similar to the previous Bounce Type of Holding. Here, 

however, instead of just putting your hands onto or over a body part, you actually 

press into a part of your body that can use a firm self-massage. By making fists, it 

becomes easy to stimulate the body part being pressed into by taking advantage of the 

natural up and down rhythms mechanically generated by your rebounder. 

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 person’s pleasure may be another person’s 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). 


BODYWORK BOUNCING # 3: TAPPING 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: energizes and opens the breath and the body 

General Description: As you do a simple bounce – e.g., Pulsing in Place or Just 

Bouncin’ – use your fingertips to lightly tap on your torso in different places. In the 

images below, the tapping moves from down near the naval up the body until in the 

last image of tapping on the top of the head. 

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. 



BODYWORK BOUNCING # 3: TAPPING (CONTINUED) 

Variation # 1: There is an entire world of “energy psychology” therapeutic 

techniques, such as “Thought Field Therapy” and “Emotional Freedom Technique,” 

based on using fingertips to gently tap on acupuncture meridian points. The best book 

on this I know of is Robert Rudelic’s Anything is Possible: A PowerTapping Guide 

(2004). Although instruction in tapping or PowerTappingis beyond the scope of the 

present volume, one simple method can be readily adapted. 

As you bounce, simply tap right at about your hip bones (or, really, anywhere else on 

your body) with what have been called the “karate chop points” on the sides of your 

hands. Make firm but loving contact with your body as you hold your hands as tightly 

or as loosely as you like. (You may find a certain range of tension that feels best, e.g., 

where your hands being to curl into a tight-knit form but still remain fairly loose and 

flexible.) By engaging in this kind of tapping, you are said to be able to counter or 

neutralize any experience you may be having of “psychological reversal” (where 

you’ve been feeling down or depressed, as if you were “mis-wired” and unable to get 

grounded and get on the right track). For those so inclined, try adding in an 

affirmation, a visualization, a chant, a meditation, an intention, or a prayer (see 

Chapter 29). You never know what’s going to spring loose the magic… 

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. 


BODYWORK BOUNCING # 4: SLAPPING 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: wakes up the body’s energy! 

General Description: Much like tapping, slapping wakes up the body’s energies, fills 

it with a certain excitement, and lets it know that it’s alive. The main difference is that 

instead of just using your finger tips, you use the palm of your hands and stimulate 

your body vigorously with a slapping motion. It is usually done with Pulsing in Place, 

Just Bouncin’, or any simple bounce that does not require twisting of the torso or use 

of the arms and hands for anything other than making contact with oneself as shown. 

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 don’t 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 isn’t about pain for pain’s sake, it’s 

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. 



BODYWORK BOUNCING # 4: SLAPPING (CONTINUED) 

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! 


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 that’s 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 


1. Awareness Breathing 

2. Patterned Breathing 

3. Work-it-Through Breathing 


BREATHWORK BOUNCING # 1: AWARENESS BREATHING 

Difficulty Level: low to high 

Special Emphasis or Benefits: body and mind awareness; facilitates healing 

General Description: At any point in any rebounding session, regardless of the 

Bounce Type that you are engaged in, you can become aware of your breathing. Just 

watch your breath – gently place your attention on your breath – and ask yourself 

some questions: Does my breath come regularly and easily? Is it full? Am I inhaling 

completely? Exhaling completely? Is my breath stuck anywhere in my body? If there 

is any pain or soreness or “stuck” feeling anywhere in my body, does my breath go to 

that place or go around that place? Does anything change if I imagine or visualize my 

breath going into that place and working with it somehow? 

Comments: It is easier to watch your breath with the simpler bounces, such as those 

in the At Ease or Frequent Flower Categories, but you truly can learn to just watch 

your breath at any point in any bounce. Tied in to watching your breath is noticing 

where your body is tight. Typical places for holding and constricting include the neck, 

shoulders, abdominal region, and pelvis (and anus). Awareness Breathing does not 

call for you to make any changes as to what you are doing in real time. Instead, 

borrowing from Gestalt therapy, the notion here is that at least in part, awareness itself 

is curative. 

For some people it is easy to watch the breath for any period of time. For others, it is 

difficult to place awareness on breathing for more than just a few breaths. (This is why 

the Difficulty Level for Awareness Breathing ranges from low to high.) As you master 

Awareness Breathing, you may want to experiment more with Patterned Breathing, 

which is the next step in Breathwork Bouncing. For more details as to the importance 

of breath in rebounding generally, see Chapter 15. 

Variation # 1: Place a clock where you can easily see it and decide that you are going 

to remain aware of your breathing for a certain minimum amount of time, say two 

minutes. Practice until you do not lose awareness of your breath during that minimum 

period regardless of what else you are doing. Then, increase the period until you can 

reach five, ten, or fifteen minutes, or even longer periods of time. 

Variation # 2: Again using a clock, spend the first two to three minutes of each 

rebounding session, as well as the last two to three minutes, practicing Awareness 

Breathing. In this way, you can build the habit of regularly returning to awareness of 

your breathing while rebounding. 


BREATHWORK BOUNCING # 2: PATTERNED BREATHING 

Difficulty Level: medium to high 

Special Emphasis or Benefits: body and mind awareness; facilitates healing 

General Description: Unlike Awareness Breathing, which only requires watching 

and then placing attention on the breath, Patterned Breathing involves not only 

watching, but purposefully timing your inhales and exhales. Fortunately, rebounding 

provides us with a built-in (although variable) metronome: let every time your feet hit 

the mat can count as a single beat, and it will be easy to time Bounce Types when you 

want to do so. 

As with the other Breathwork Bounces, Patterned Breathing can be done with many 

different Bounce Types, including Pulsing in Place, Just Bouncin’, Jumping Jacks, 

any of the various Twists, Hand Weights Bouncing, and so on. The different patterns 

that can be overlaid on top of these Bounce Types include: 

• 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 won’t be able to get full breaths 

in and out, a signal to cut back. If you can get up to a five-count, that’s 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. 


BREATHWORK BOUNCING # 3: WORK-IT-THROUGH BREATHING 

Difficulty Level: very individual, from low to very high 

Special Emphasis or Benefits: facilitates healing and a sense of well-being 

General Description: During any series of any Bounce Type, you may find or 

become aware of a place in your body, or some structure, organ, or body system, that 

feels restricted, constricted, “stuck,” painful, or is otherwise “not quite right.” Place 

your attention on that spot or body system, and consciously breathe in and through 

that spot. Make sure you relax your neck and shoulders, and your pelvis and abdomen, 

and allow as much breath in and through all of you as possible. Imagine the breath 

flushing through and taking away the pain or “not quite rightness,” and that it is being 

grounded into the earth each time you hit the mat and released into the heavens each 

time you rise. 

If breath alone does not completely diminish the pain or “not quite right” feeling, then 

allow your body to slightly move and rearrange itself so that the pain or “not quite 

right” feeling isn’t as strong. Then continue with deep full breathing, and once all 

signs of the pain or “not quite right” feelings are gone, return to the original position 

and see if the pain or “not quite right” feeling are now gone from this original position 

as well. You can go back and forth between the original position and similar but 

different positions, consciously breathing through and letting go of the pain, as many 

times as you need to. 

Once the pain or “not quite rightness” is mostly or completely gone, “track down” 

whether any of the pain or “not quite right” feeling remains in your body by allowing 

your body to rearrange itself and go where it wants to go, including changing the 

Bounce Type that you are doing. The pain or “not quite right” feeling may have 

traveled down to your knees, or up to your shoulders, or could be anywhere else in 

your body. If it has traveled, then go back to “working it through” using your breath 

and slight changes in your body position. 

Comments: Breath, pleasure, balance, and wellness are intimately related (see 

Chapter 15 for an in-depth look at breathing and rebounding generally). By bringing 

yourself to a place where the air is flowing freely through your body, with your 

predominant feeling being a sense of clear and balanced presence and even pleasure, 

you give your body a kind of energetic template that it can use to keep you healthy, 

balanced, and strong. This description of Work-It-Through Breathing is a bit longwinded 

… and that’s exactly the point. As you bring deep full breathing – a long wind 

– in and through your body, and as you work with the edges of “stuckness” and pain, 

including tracking down and releasing dysfunctional patterns wherever they may 

“travel” to as you do this work, you can deeply energize yourself and even heal 

longstanding problems. Each one of us will do Work-It-Through Breathing in a very 

different way, so give yourself plenty of room to experiment to see what works best. 

.for you here. 


CATEGORY: FAST BOUNCING 

As Chapter 25 on “The Benefits of Rebounding” discusses, one of the unquestioned 

benefits of rebounding is that its produces an aerobic training effect, that is, it has a 

positive impact on the cardiovascular fitness. As we now know from decades of 

research on aerobic exercise, a greater effect will be caused by raising one’s heart rate 

to a certain “target zone” level and keeping it there, and in general by occasionally 

“pushing” one’s cardio and respiratory systems to at or near their safe limit. 

Many books have been written on exactly how hard and how far to push one’s 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 


FAST BOUNCING # 1: PULSE PACE BOUNCING 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: easy way to raise your heart rate and respiration level 

General Description: This is very similar to similar to Pulsing in Place (found in the 

At Ease Category), except here you use your arms to keep yourself pulsing at a fast 

pace, ideally to a musical beat. Typically your feet will stay on or close to the mat, 

that is, you will not rise very far off the mat if at all. Your arms are essentially moving 

straight up and down, with an almost “flapping” motion, as if you were a bird trying to 

take off. Your knees are slightly bent, your neck, shoulders, pelvis, and abdomen all 

as relaxed as possible (with the pelvis slightly tucked to promote the longest spine and 

most relaxed posture overall). 

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 don’t 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 

minute’s worth, two minute’s worth, etc. of that song. (Try using David Bowie’s 

“Suffragette City” if you have it available.). 


FAST BOUNCING # 2: ARM PULSING 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: another easy way to raise your heart rate; nice 

shoulder and back work 

General Description: This is very similar to similar to Pulsing in Place, except here 

you throw your arms all the way forward and then all the way backwards as you pulse 

up and down to a fast beat. Your feet may find your body raising above and lowering 

into the mat a bit more here than with Pulsing in Place. 

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. 


FAST BOUNCING # 3: RUNNING IN PLACE 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: a great way to get moving and loosen your lower back 

General Description: Simply run in place. Move your arms to keep your balance, and 

pump them even harder when you want to pick up your pace. Work towards having 

your thighs come close to being parallel with the floor. Start slowly and then pick up 

the pace as you get comfortable over time. Eventually, you can go very fast. Remember 

to keep your shoulders and neck relaxed, your pelvis and abdominals loose, and to 

breathe in and out as fully as you can. If you run out of breath, slow down or do some 

other kind of Bounce Type as a transition until you regain your breath. And if you 

happen to hit a “glitch” in your gate, where your legs somehow miss a beat, don’t let 

this throw you off too much. Make sure you’re safe, and then continue on. 

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. 


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. Just Bouncin’ 

2. Jumping Jacks 

3. The Twist 

4. Free Flow Feel Good 


FREQUENT FLOWER # 1: JUST BOUNCIN’ 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: perfect for when you … just … want … to bounce… 

General Description: Sometimes when you are rebounding you won’t want to think 

too hard, work too hard, or pay too much attention to anything in particular. Instead, 

you just want to bounce. Just Bouncin’ is for these times. Using mainly your core 

torso muscles to push down along with your lower legs to push off, you simply 

establish and maintain a nice, easy, bounce here. 

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. 


FREQUENT FLOWER # 2: JUMPING JACKS 

Difficulty Level: low to medium 

Special Emphasis or Benefits: easy, simple, natural, and uses the whole body 

General Description: This is similar to the standard callisthenic, except that you 

bounce as you do it. Simply move your arms apart and overhead as you spread your 

legs, then bring your hands and arms back as your legs come back together (4 th frame). 

Comments: In a traditional callisthenic jumping jack on a hard surface, the hands 

meet overhead. Several of the variations below have the hands meeting overhead in 

different ways, but for a standard On the Rebound execution of Jumping Jacks, it is 

only necessary to raise your arms most of the way above your head. In other words, as 

part of the Frequent Flower Category of Bounce Types that you will come back to 

over and over again, Jumping Jacks done in the manner illustrated above will prove 

superior, as they are easier, simpler, and in some ways more natural on a rebounder. 

Variation # 1: If, however, you do want to do stay closer to the traditional callisthenic, 

as shown below, your shoulders and back will get an especially nice workout. 



FREQUENT FLOWER # 2: JUMPING JACKS (CONTINUED) 

Variation # 2: In addition to simply bringing your hands to meet each other as you do 

Jumping Jacks, there are many additional variations that change the feel and effect of 

the movement depending on exactly how your hands meet each other and how you use 

your arms. For example, as the first frame below shows, you can actually clap your 

hands straight on as they reach their apex overhead. In the second frame, it is another 

clap, but this time the right hand is a bit in front of the left hand. In the third frame, the 

hands are switched, with the left hand a bit in front of the right hand. (This may be 

hard to see, but in practice it is easy to do.) Switching back and forth between which 

hand is out in front as you clap brings a rewarding and challenging rhythm to Jumping 

Jacks. 

Variation # 3: Turn or rotate your hands and wrists close to 180% to give a nice 

variation that emphasizes shoulder and arm work. 




Variation # 4: Jumping Jacks are so much fun because there are so many different 

ways to do them while you are On the Rebound. (While many Bounce Types have 

many variations, Jumping Jacks have a particularly large number of different 

varieties, which is why so many of them are illustrated here.) Another variation 

involving the arms and hands is to have your hands and arms cross-over each other, 

first left arm in front of right, then right arm in front of left, as shown below. 

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. 




Variation # 6: Not all Jumping Jacks variations have to do only with changes of the 

arms and hands. In this variation, the timing of the legs and the arms are switched. 

Normally, your arms and hands go up as your feet and legs spread apart. Here, the 

timing is switched, with the feet coming together as the arms and hands reach their 

highest point (and then the feet spread out as the arms come down, although this is not 

shown). 

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. 




Variation # 8: As a last and final variation, the frames below show two different 

perspectives on performing Jumping Jacks while both landing on the toes and balls of 

the feet, and then taking off on the toes and balls of feet. (See Chapter 17 for a 

discussion of this kind of balls/toes approach.) This can be a challenging and 

invigorating motion, requiring both well-developed balance as well as strong calves, 

ankles, and feet. The last three frames, which present a side view, clearly show how 

the heels do not touch the mat in this bounce. 


FREQUENT FLOWER # 3: THE TWIST 

Difficulty Level: low to medium 

Special Emphasis or Benefits: intensely engages core torso muscles 

General Description: Stand on your rebounder, bend your knees slightly, and 

rotationally twist your arms and torso in one direction while your hips and legs begin 

to move in the opposite direction. Think: corkscrew. 

Comments: Right up there with Jumping Jacks and High Bouncing, there may be no 

more natural, beneficial, and enjoyable bounce type than The Twist. It’s 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. 



FREQUENT FLOWER # 3: THE TWIST (CONTINUED) 

Variation # 2: “Twist Over Head” is similar to the 50’s dance known as “The 

Monkey.” You bring your hands up and over your head, either straight or in an arcing 

motion. This one is a lot of fun, especially with the right music, and it gives the 

shoulders and mid- to upper-back an excellent workout. 

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. 




Variation # 4: With the “Hip Thrust Twist” you pretend that you are a belly dancer 

and move your hips in one plane, from side to side. (Arguably, this really isn’t a twist, 

but rather more of a straight line motion. It does, however, have the feel of a twist, 

which is why it is included here.) Note how the legs differ depending on which hip is 

thrust out. This one gives a good workout to the lower torso and the muscular and soft 

tissue connections to the pelvis and thighs. 

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. It’s a fun and challenging movement to undertake. 




Variation # 6: The “Shiva Twist” is inspired by Shiva Nataraj, the “Dancing Shiva,” 

which portrays the Hindu god Shiva dancing. (Exactly why he is dancing, what he is 

dancing on – the Demons of Ignorance – and the rest of the long story must be passed 

by for now.) Coincidentally, the Enlightenment.Com logo features a Shiva Nataraj: 

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. 


FREQUENT FLOWER # 4: FREE FLOW FEEL GOOD 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: invites the mind and body to completely relax 

General Description: While rebounding, you will sometimes just want to do what 

feels spontaneously good and natural, even if (especially if) it doesn’t fit into any 

other Bounce Type. If this comes up, then just go with it. The natural, spontaneous, 

organic, movements that arise within you are thoroughly enjoyable, and can relax and 

open you up in ways that can lead to deep energizing and healing. 

Comments: My feet are off the mat for this entire 1/5 th 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? I’m 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 don’t 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. 


CATEGORY: HAND WEIGHTS BOUNCING 

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 don’t 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 – 


HAND WEIGHTS BOUNCING (CONTINUED) 

So, if it’s not the amount of weight that’s being lifted that leads to strength, flexibility, 

muscle tone, and even muscle growth, then what is it? Obviously, it must have to do 

with the number of repetitions that are performed during Hand Weights Bouncing, and 

therefore the total amount of work being done and power being generated and 

expended. 

Simply, if you perform a large number of repetitions, regardless of how seemingly 

low the poundage of the weights being used may seem, you will nevertheless feel an 

intense “burn” or “pump.” Just try doing 100 (or more) “locked-out” Biceps Curls 

with each arm with 3-, 5-, or 8-pound hand weights, and you will see (and definitely 

feel) what I mean. Personally, I know that I go to the gym to lift weights far less often 

than I used to, and yet I have lost no muscle size and instead feel that I’m stronger and 

in better shape now than I’ve ever been before. 

Finally, it should be said that, at this point, there aren’t all that many Hand Weights 

Bouncing exercises or variations. I have yet to figure out more than four or so basic 

ways to use hand weights where a powerful rhythm can be undertaken that almost 

always remains safe, steady, and within control. Once you get going, it is possible for 

any particular Bounce Type to reinforce itself and to lead to higher bouncing and 

bigger motion generally; you do not want to find yourself bouncing in a way that is 

bigger than you can handle while you are holding hand weights. 

For example, I have yet to find a really good triceps exercise that can be done with 

hand weights on the rebounder! There must be one, though, and I look forward to your 

contributions and inventions here. 

The four Bounce Type examples (plus variations) provided for the Hand Weights 


1. Overhead Press 

2. Side Arm Raise 

3. Twist With Weights 

4. Biceps Curls 


HAND WEIGHTS BOUNCING # 1: OVERHEAD PRESS 

Difficulty Level: medium to high (depending on speed and number of reps) 

Special Emphasis or Benefits: shoulders, arms, chest, and back 

General Description: For the Overhead Press, pick up some appropriately heavy 

hand weights and with palms facing forward, raise them over your head as you 

bounce. Your feet will contact the mat at the top of your extension and again as you 

bring the weights down to roughly parallel with the top of your shoulders. 

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 

won’t be able to raise the weights quite as high. This one is great for the shoulders. 


HAND WEIGHTS BOUNCING # 2: SIDE ARM RAISE 

Difficulty Level: medium to high (depending on speed and number of reps) 

Special Emphasis or Benefits: shoulders, forearms, wrists, chest, and back 

General Description: For the Side Arm Raise, pick up some appropriately heavy 

hand weights and hold them as shown in the first frame below, with your palms facing 

inwards towards the side of your body. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, raise your 

arms to the side as you lift off the mat, with your feet hitting the mat again as you 

reach the top of your extension, as in the third frame. Then bring your arms down the 

exact same way, with the weights coming all the way down to pelvis level as your feet 

make contact with the mat again. 

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! 



HAND WEIGHTS BOUNCING # 2: SIDE ARM RAISE (CONTINUED) 

Variation # 1: Instead of holding the weights with your palms facing inwards towards 

the side of your body, have your palms face backwards, as in the first frame below. 

This results in a very different but equally intense workout for the arms and shoulders. 

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. 


HAND WEIGHTS BOUNCING # 3: TWIST WITH WEIGHTS 

Difficulty Level: medium to high (depending on speed and degree of knee bend) 

Special Emphasis or Benefits: works upper torso, arms, and thighs 

General Description: Twisting with Weights is almost exactly the same as The Twist, 

discussed under the Frequent Flower Category, except, of course, that each hand is 

holding an appropriately heavy (i.e., light) hand weight. Holding hand weights puts an 

additional load on your entire upper torso and yields a terrific upper body workout. 

You can Twist with Weights in a fairly nonchalant manner, or go at it quite vigorously. 

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. 


HAND WEIGHTS BOUNCING # 4: BICEPS CURLS 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: your biceps 

General Description: Grasp an appropriately light hand weight in each hand. With 

each bounce, alternately raise one arm as you lower the other arm. Remember to keep 

your neck, shoulders, pelvis, and abdomen relaxed, and to place some attention on 

your breathing. 

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. 


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'être (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 aren’t 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. We’re 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 rebounding’s 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 it’s 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 don’t. 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”) 


HIGH BOUNCING # 1: JUST BOUNCIN’ HIGH 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: legs, core torso muscles, and balance 

General Description: As with Just Bouncin’, there are times when you will want to 

bounce pretty high without having to think bout it or make a big deal about it. Using 

mainly your core torso muscles to push down along with your lower legs to 

vigorously push off, you can quite easily find yourself attaining some real altitude. 

(The feet, especially if you lift your heels as you come off the mat – see Chapter 17 – 

can act as a powerful lever which can propel you fairly high off the mat and into the 

air.) 

No particular arm movements or actions are necessary here. In fact, an important and 

somewhat esoteric aspect of Just Bouncin’ High is learning how to completely relax 

so that you stay in the air, at the top of the bounce, for what at least subjectively feels 

like longer and longer periods of “hang time.” It may take a while to get the hang of 

this, but it is well worth the effort. 

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. 


HIGH BOUNCING # 2: FLYIN’ HIGH 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: legs and core torso muscles, as well as shoulders/arms 

General Description: In Just Bouncin’ High the torso and legs were the primary 

drivers of the degree of liftoff achieved. Flyin’ High adds in the arms: since we don’t 

have wings, we naturally try to fly with our arms. In fact, in addition to pushing down 

with core torso muscles and pushing off with calves and feet, you can think of 

yourself as pushing down with your arms for purposes of making yourself rise even 

higher. Imagine that the air is thick and offers resistance, and that by pushing down 

more forcefully, the laws of physics cause you to rise higher. (In fact, as a matter of 

physics, it is true that your arms are an independent propulsion mechanism when on 

the rebounder; see Chapter 16.) Similarly, as you lift your arms up, the energy put 

into this motion causes you to rise higher as well. Note that you rise to the top of a 

bounce cycle both as your arms go down (see third frame), and as they go up (see 7 th 

frame). 

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. 



HIGH BOUNCING # 2: FLYIN’ HIGH (CONTINUED) 

Variation # 1: With the “Power Pulse,” you add in a very forceful exhale at the 

bottom of the bounce where you bring the arms down, as shown in the second frame 

below. You can also bring your arms behind you and together as you forcefully 

exhale, as the third frame shows. You may not get quite as much height here as you do 

in the standard Flyin’ High Bounce Type, but there is often a sense that the hang time 

at the top of the bounce is somehow increased both in proportion to the strength of 

forceful downward movement of the arms accompanying the exhale, and in proportion 

to how deeply you relax and just allow yourself to … float … at the top of the bounce. 


HIGH BOUNCING # 3: KNEE/THIGH LIFT(OFF) (KANGAROO JUMP) 

Difficulty Level: high 

Special Emphasis or Benefits: uses thigh muscles to deliver sense of flight 

General Description: As previously described in Chapter 16, although it is possible 

to get a sense of great height by lifting up your knees and thighs to jump off the 

rebounder mat, I do not recommend this Bounce Type to most people. It is hard (at 

least for me) to stay in control for more than one or at most two bounces, because so 

much of the body’s weight is first lifted so high and then comes back down with a 

great deal of force. 

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 body’s 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. 


CATEGORY: MOTION MAXIMIZER 

As mentioned in Chapter 6’s Personal Introduction, when I started rebounding I 

had only partially recovered from a torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder. (My feet 

got tangled in some ivy near a fence, and when I found myself falling, my arm shot 

out of its own accord to protect my head from hitting the ground. Now that’s what I 

call body intelligence!) I went to the clinic; I received physical therapy; I saw 

chiropractors and massage therapists and alternative energy practitioners and did 

everything else I knew to help heal this injury. Some of this helped, but my 

shoulder did not heal completely. I couldn’t sleep comfortably in many positions, 

especially with my right arm at all extended out from my body, and when the 

weather got rainy, my shoulder just hurt. 

It’s 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 


MOTION MAXIMIZER # 1: ARM CIRCLES 

Difficulty Level: low to high (depending on number of reps) 

Special Emphasis or Benefits: shoulders, neck, upper back, and arms 

General Description: Stand on the rebounder, bend your knees a bit, and move both 

arms out to the side. Then, simply more your arm in big circles, either back first and 

then over the top of your head and down in front of you (as in the first set of images), 

or forward first and then over the top of your head and behind you (as in the side view 

in the second set of images). Make sure you do your Arm Circles in both directions. 

Comments: As described in the introduction to the Motion Maximizer Category, Arm 

Circles are a great movement for bringing flexibility and even healing to your 

shoulders and associated areas. You also can also give yourself a substantial cardio 

workout here as moving your arms above the level of your heart takes a lot of work! 

To intensify things even further, you can vary the degree to which you accelerate your 

arms as they come down and through, using a kind of syncopated motion where your 

arms are moving fastest right after they reach their greatest height in any given circle. 

Variation # 1: Experiment with changing the position of your hands, wrists, and arms 

as you do arm circles in both directions. Slight changes can yield large benefits here. 


MOTION MAXIMIZER # 2: DEEP TWISTS 

Difficulty Level: medium to high (depending on degree of knee bend and speed) 

Special Emphasis or Benefits: core torso muscles, shoulders, arms 

General Description: Undertake The Twist, as described under the Frequent Flower 

Category, but instead of nonchalantly twisting your body, bend your knees more and 

push yourself to the edge of your easy range of motion with respect to your arms, 

shoulders, back, and hips. Feel the top half of your body rotating in the opposite 

direction from the bottom half, and extend out as far as you can with your hands and 

arms in each direction. Stay with your breath the entire way, keeping your neck and 

shoulders as relaxed as possible. Your neck and head can move somewhat here, in 

coordination with your arms, but don’t push the range of motion too far with respect 

to your head and neck. 

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 don’t shortchange yourself here either. 


MOTION MAXIMIZER # 3: CLIMBING 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: your whole body, really 

General Description: Climbing is an extended form of Running in Place (or can also 

be thought of as a kind of intense vertically-oriented form of The Twist), except here 

the focus is a vertical one. Raise your arms and your knees as high as you can on each 

step. Note that the arms only come down to about mid-torso level before going back 

up again. 

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. 


CATEGORY: SINGLE LEGGED BOUNCING 

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 


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.) 


SINGLE LEGGED BOUNCING # 1: HOPPPING 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: develops balance and good for low back and thighs 

General Description: Hopping is simple to describe (but not always easy to perform): 

just pick up one leg, and bounce up and down on the other, using your arms for 

balance, as shown below. 

Comments: Hopping isn’t something to think much about: either you just do it, or 

not. At first, it’s 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. 



SINGLE LEGGED BOUNCING # 1: HOPPING (CONTINUED) 

Variation # 2: Hopping can also be done with your arms and hands coming to a point 

above your head, as shown here. 

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! 


SINGLE LEGGED BOUNCING # 2: SIMPLE KICKS 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: improves balance and coordination, works the thighs 

General Description: Using your arms for balance, alternatively kick out with each 

foot, as shown below. 

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. Beginner’s 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. 


CATEGORY: SITTING ABDOMINALS: V-UPS 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: intense fast abdominals workout 

General Description: With every bounce cycle you use your core torso or trunk 

muscles, including your abdominals, to some degree. Rebounding, in and of itself, 

will strengthen your abs. (As suggested earlier, just place your hands on your abs and 

feel what happens with every bounce.) However, if you want to give yourself a 

particularly intense abdominal workout, you can undertake the V-Ups exercise shown 

below. 

Simply sit on your rebounder, lean back and raise up your legs so that you are in a 

kind of “V,” and then pulse up and down, using your arms to get you going and for 

balance. You may find that it is pretty difficult to raise your body off of the mat 

completely, but you can do so with practice. If you can reach 100 V-Ups, you will 

probably find that you have given yourself a very intense workout. 

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. 


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, 

that’s 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 


STRETCH BOUNCES # 1: BACK BENDS 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: opens up the lower, mid, and upper back. 

General Description: Place your hands on your lower back and then gently and 

slowly lower yourself backwards as far as your are comfortable, and then try Pulsing 

in Place or Just Bouncin’ or any other simple bounce. 

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 don’t 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. 


STRETCH BOUNCES # 2: FRONT BENDS 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: good stretch for lower back, hip flexors, and 

hamstrings 

General Description: Stand on the rebounder, bend your knees as much as you need 

to and reach down and place the palms of your hand on the mat. Then, move up and 

down as if you were Pulsing in Place, with your palms and feet staying on the mat. 

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. 


STRETCH BOUNCES # 3: SQUAT PULSES 


Special Emphasis or Benefits: great for stretching out the hips, back, and hamstrings 

General Description: Stand on the rebounder and place your hands on your thighs as 

you squat down a bit. Then, bounce up and down as if you were Pulsing in Place. 

Your feet can either stay entirely on the mat or you can gain a little altitude as you 

pulse. Keep your back flat and your head, face, and neck relaxed. 

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. 


CATEGORY: STRUCTURED STRENGTH IN MOTION 

Fortunately, Structured Strength in Motion (SSiM) is the Catalog’s last Category, 

as it is perhaps the most difficult Category to explain and illustrate. 

General Description: With this Category, you tense, freeze, or “lock out” some 

portion of your body – your arms, your entire upper torso, your legs, your upper 

torso and legs, and so on – and you hold that position as you bounce up and down. 

Even with attention placed on the breath, and the relaxation of those parts of the 

body not being purposefully held in place, it can take a tremendous amount of focus 

and strength to bounce in this way. In effect, you have created a structure (the parts 

of you that are tensed) that takes a good deal of strength to hold in position, 

especially while you are in motion, and hence, Structured Strength in Motion. 

The set of three figures below illustrates a very simple example of SSiM focused on 

holding the arms raised up and to the side while keeping the feet, legs, and torso in 

the same position throughout. 

Comments: SSiM is really more of a feeling to be experienced than an exact set of 

physical positions or instructions that can be conveyed in words or even pictures. The 

sets of figures on the following pages illustrate a variety of SSiM movements. But 

don’t be limited by what you see here. There is practically no limit to the additional 

number of variations that you can come up with as this is essentially a very free-form 

kind of movement. 

To create your own SSiM movements: (1) find a position in which you want to 

develop additional strength; (2) hold the engaged body parts and structures where they 

are as you bounce; and (3) keep breathing into and through the entire physical and 

energetic pattern that you have formed with your body. If things become too intense, a 

slight change in position may enable you to work through whatever is that is going on, 

similar to the Work-it-Through Bounce Type in the Breathwork Category. 


STRUCTURED STRENGTH IN MOTION (CONTINUED) 

Variation # 1: Here, the arms are held in a raised position, and the feet are splayed 

out as the legs remain in the same position throughout the bounce. Notice that there 

is some shoulder movement in the third frame as the feet sink deeply into the 

rebounder mat. This is not unusual, even if you are focused on keeping your arms 

and shoulder’s as still as possible. 

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 don’t 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. It’s hard to appreciate just how wonderfully intense SSiM can be until 

you’ve tried it for yourself. 



STRUCTURED STRENGTH IN MOTION ( CONTINUED) 

Variation # 3: This is another similar position, but here the arms are raised in a 

different way and are topped off with a novel hand position. Note the powerful 

exhale in the third frame below. 

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. 



STRUCTURED STRENGTH IN MOTION ( CONTINUED) 

Variation # 5: Here’s one last bare-chested example: arms up; hands curved down; 

knees bent and legs spread apart; head slightly tilted back. A truly wonderful way to 

open up the body, although as some of these pictures show, it can also be hard 

work! 

A Final Comment on Breath Work, Body Work, and Structured Strength in 

Motion: My friend Ed Lark, of Sebastopol, California, both teaches and practices 

massage at a very high level. I described to him some of the things that I’ve 

experienced on a rebounder, including Breathwork Bouncing, Bodywork Bouncing, 

and Structured Strength in Motion, and asked him if he had any insights about just 

how it might be possible for pain to “loosen up” and go away with focused bouncing. 

He said that in a manner similar to Trager® massage method, which involves very 

light, gentle, rhythmic, shaking movements, it was his guess that rebounding worked 

to mechanically and neurologically over-stimulate and thereby trigger tissue changes 

through sensory-motor feedback loops between the muscles and brain. Then, in a kind 

of “what the heck” reaction, the muscles and other tissue find themselves relaxing, 

reorganizing, and balancing out. “So,” I asked him, “what you are saying is that 

rebounding works to shake out and loosen disharmonious, painful, and poorly 

connected ‘stuff’ in the body, is that right?” “That’s it,” he said, “you’ve got it.” 


Part V: 



(The Big Picture) 

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 



Let’s assume that you have determined that you want to give rebounding a fair shot and a 

real try. How, then, do you go about constructing a rebounding program that will work 

for you and facilitate your making rebound exercise a regular part of your life? 

There are many different rebounding programs that can work for you. The ideal thing, of 

course, is for you to follow your own instincts, your own timetable, and your own way of 

doing things. Still, it is often helpful to have some suggested programs from which to 

choose. This Chapter starts with a quick historical review of previously suggested 

rebounding programs. It then moves on to suggest several specific programs, relying on 

the terminology and Bounce Types outlines in the two chapters. Rather than trying to 

present any set of “best” or “official” programs, the main idea here is to suggest to you 

how you can build or construct your own program from the many rebounding movements 

and exercises that are at your disposal. 

Traditional Suggested Programs 

Most programs suggested in existing rebounding literature orient themselves around the 

traditional rebounding terminology of “health bounces,” “aerobic bounces,” and “strength 

bounces.” But as discussed in Chapter 19, this terminology is both inadequate and 

confusing. To quickly review that discussion, the “health bounce” got its name from the 

greatly increased lymph circulation and therefore immune system boost that follows from 

rebounding. But since every Bounce Type has this effect of increased lymph fluid 

circulation, this is not really a very useful term. Likewise, almost every Bounce Type can 

be done more or less rapidly, and therefore has a variable aerobic training and heart 

strengthening effect. Similarly, saying that High Bounces are the same thing as “strength 

bounces” makes too simple an equation between bounce height and “cellular strength,” 

and ignores many other aspects of strength increase associated with rebounding. 

These traditional programs would typically state something like in Week # 1, do x 

minutes of health bouncing, y minutes of aerobic bouncing, and z minutes of strength 

bouncing. In Week # 2, you would do x + 2 minutes of each, and so on. These types of 

suggested programs have probably been very useful in the sense that those who followed 

them received the many benefits of rebounding. However, the programs suggested in this 

Chapter, since they are based on the more detailed, accurate, and generally useful 

language presented in last Chapter’s Catalog, should prove superior in practice as well as 

in theory. 

Two Other Programs Worth Mentioning 

In addition to the traditional programs mentioned above, there are two other programs, 

one over twenty years old and the other much more recent, that are worth briefly 


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 Sneider’s 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 Sneider’s 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 Catalog’s 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 can’t 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 don’t 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 don’t 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 1980’s 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 


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 else’s 

instruction, then purchasing one or more of JB’s 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, JB’s 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 


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 

Catalog’s At Ease Category, or whether you keep Fast Bouncin’ for the entire time, isn’t 

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 don’t 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. 


Consecutive Simple Routines and Progressive Bounce Types 

Let’s quickly review what we’ve covered so far in this chapter. The first thing to keep in 

mind as a guiding light for constructing a rebounding program is your time duration goal 

for any given daily session. The second thing to keep in mind is the general notion that it 

is probably smart to warm up first, then work hard (while still having fun!), and then cool 

down. 

The next question to consider is what combinations of Bounce Types will keep you 

interested enough and invigorated enough to stay On the Rebound for a long time, ideally 

the rest of your life. (The next Chapter, “Keeping It Going,” will discuss a variety of 

strategies to make your bouncing time more interesting and enjoyable.) In other words, 

given the great variety of Bounce Types presented in the Catalog, other than using the 

principle of warming up, working hard, and cooling down as a guiding light, what is a 

good way to construct an interesting and effective program? 

Four approaches to or “themes” for constructing a program are: 

• Repeated Simple Routines 

• Progressive Bounce Types 

• Specialized Sequences 

• Flow with the Flow 

Repeated Simple Routines 

The Repeated Simple Routines program begins with the idea of natural, organically 

unfolding, rebound exercise programs as something that anyone can “build” for 

themselves, from within. As Chapter 10 discusses, one way to think of rebounding 

exercises is that they move from Natural Movements to Basic Bounces to Simple 

Routines. The Catalog lists many different Bounce Types, and the ones that appeal to you 

the most, or new Bounce Types that you come up with yourself, will lead you to a set of 

Basic Bounces that you will perform over and over again. Some people prefer to pick 

three, four, or five of their Basic Bounces and simply repeat them over and over again for 

as long as their session (or their music CD, or their TV program) lasts. Here are some 

examples: 

• Pulse Pace Bouncing followed by Twists followed by Running in Place 

• Alternate Feet Shuffle followed by Work-it-Through Breathing followed by Flyin’ 

High 

• Arm Circles followed by Deep Twists followed by Running in Place followed by 

Climbing followed by Slapping 


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 … you’re done! You don’t have to think, you 

don’t 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: 

• Pulsing in Place (3 minutes) 

• Feet Twist (3 minutes) 

• Patterned Breathing while Just Bouncin’ (3 minuts) 

• Holding while Just Bouncin’ (3 minutes) 

• The Twist (3 minutes) 

• Just Bouncin’ High (3 minutes) 

• Arm Pulsing (3 minutes) 

• Jumping Jacks (3 minutes) 

• Running in Place (3 minutes) 

• Overhead Press (2 minutes) 

• Side Arm Raise (2 minutes) 

• Biceps Curls (2 minutes) 

• Twist with Weights (1 minute) 

• Hopping (2 minutes) 

• Feel Flow Free Good (3 minutes) 

• Deep Twists (3 minutes) 

• Alternate Feet Shuffle (3 minutes) 

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. 


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 can’t 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: 

• Pulse Pace Bouncing 

• Arm Pulsing 

• Running in Place 

• Just Bouncin’ High 

• Flyin’ High 

• Hopping 

• Deep Twists 

• Climbing 

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. 


If you want to increase your flexibility, focus on the following Bounce Types: 

Flow with the Flow 

• 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) 

My ultimate recommendation with respect to constructing a program that works for you 

is that you follow your own real-time intuition while rebounding. You very well might 

not know what you are going to do, or how you are going to do it, until you actually step 

on the rebounding mat. Often, the only decision that I make before beginning rebounding 

is what music I am going to listen to. (See Chapter 22.) 

Then I usually do a few of the simpler bounces, such as Pulsing in Place or something 

from the Categories of Breathwork Bouncing or Bodywork Bouncing. Depending on how 

I’m feeling, I may go to the Frequent Flower Category pretty quickly, and from there 

move to Fast Bouncing and High Bouncing. If I run out of breath, I’ll return to a 

Frequent Flower or a Bounce Type from the Breath Work Bouncing or Body Work 

Bouncing Categories. 

At some point I’ll usually turn to Hand Weights Bouncing, and sometimes I’ll try to work 

Patterned Breathing into that as well. But sometimes I’ll just see how many reps I can 

comfortably get in before gently putting down the hand weights and going back to some 

form of Fast Bouncing. 

And on and on it goes. For me, the process of constructing my daily program is very 

intuitive, very natural, and a great deal of fun. Although I typically don’t know what 

Bounce Type will be up next for me, I find that it is not at all difficult to make the choice 

in real time. I also always seem to know when I’m done bouncing for any given day. The 

end of my session is usually triggered by the end of the CD I’m listening to, but 

sometimes I’ll stop either earlier or later than that, depending on how I’m feeling and 

what my body and mind seem to need on any given day. 

A Final Word on Rebounding Programs 

Ultimately it is up to you to take responsibility for your rebounding program and to find a 

program or set of programs that works best for you. If you like watching workout videos, 

then by all means get yourself a handful, but for my money, the best program is one that 


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 that’s just fine. If you find a Simple Routine that you like to 

endlessly repeat while watching TV or listening to music, that’s 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. 


22. Keeping It Going: Naturally, 

Plus Music, TV, Friends, Phones, and Fun 

A Kind of Psycho-Physiological Perpetual Motion Machine 

As you become more familiar with rebounding, you may notice that you sometimes enter 

into a flow * state where it is just as easy to keep bouncing as it is to stop. Such flow states 

arise in part from the natural and even automatic tendency to keep on bouncing once 

we’ve already started to do so. There are times when I feel like I could bounce forever, a 

feeling that others have reported as well. 

In this way, rebounding can be thought of as a type of self-perpetuating, self-propagating, 

or self-reinforcing activity. Similarly, rebounders themselves can be conceived of as a 

kind of psycho-physiological perpetual motion machine (a “PPPMM”). 

Of course, it’s not that the ordinary laws of physics do not apply to us when we are on a 

rebounder. Rather, the sense of perpetual motion results from the somewhat amazing and 

certainly fortuitous way in which the physical properties of the rebounder affect and 

interact with both our bodies and our minds. Not only do we move through space in a 

special and unusual way (that is, moving up and down in the vertical dimension far more 

gracefully and with far less effort or pain that we can otherwise accomplish), but we feel 

as if or perceive that we are moving through time in a special and non-ordinary way as 

well. 

As you move your whole body up and down, and horizontally back and forth as well, 

creating pulses and patterns of coherent matter and energy, tracing out what might in a 

successor volume to this one be described as “holograms of healing,” time often passes in 

a way that cannot easily be accounted for. Something magical seems to happen, and this 

something gently encourages us to come back onto the rebounder for a Daily Bounce. We 

do this not only because the experience of a Daily Bounce is usually quite enjoyable and 

fun, but also because we know that it is undeniably good for the body. 

Of course, if you are in a terrible mood, or if your head or stomach hurts, or if you are 

truly too exhausted to do anything physical, then rebounding probably won’t be 

enjoyable or fun on that particular day. Even in such situations, however, if you can get 

yourself to rebound despite how you are feeling, it will often prove to have positive 

physical and psychological effects. Some day, when you’re not feeling well, try 

rebounding anyway to see if it makes a difference. 

* The concept of “flow” has been thoroughly developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in such 

works as Flow–The Psychology of Optimal Experience (1990) and Finding Flow: The Psychology 

Of Engagement With Everyday Life (1997). Similar to an athlete’s 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. 


On the one hand, then, rebounders as a device and rebounding as an activity tend to 

naturally and inherently keep us going once we’ve 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 we’ve started bouncing. These include: 

• The way the rebounder’s 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 we’ve 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: there’s 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 

Let’s take a look at these six factors one by one. 

The Simple Physics of Rebounding 

First, let us briefly consider the simple physics of rebounding (discussed in more detail in 

Chapter 25). As you come down from the height of a bounce and hit the mat, the springs 

receive the energy from your bounce through the mat and then translate that energy back 

into the mat and help you rise back up. While some of that energy is naturally lost to heat 

and entropy, once you start bouncing, a pattern is set up, and it only takes a little bit of 

metabolic energy and muscular output to keep that pattern going. (Keep in mind, though, 

that just because rebounding can be quite easy to do, that doesn’t mean that it can’t also 

work your cardio and muscular systems to the limit if that’s what you are aiming at.) 


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 


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 Tart’s 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 don’t 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 

shouldn’t 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. There’s 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 don’t 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 don’t 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 


ebounder 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 don’t 

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 doesn’t 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 that’s not necessary. All that’s 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 one’s 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 


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? 

Let’s 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 couldn’t 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, that’s 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 Bowie’s 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 I’m doing! I’ve mostly 

moved on to other music, but I still put on Heathen about ten percent of the time when I 

rebound. It’s 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), here’s who else I like to bounce to: 


• 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 you’re 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 can’t 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 


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 what’s 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 1 st 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 doesn’t work for me,” 

she said. “When I’m listening to music, I’m always clocking time. I think about how long 

I’ve been bouncing for, how long the last song was, how long the next song is. I’m 

constantly adding it all up in my head. But I don’t do that when I watch TV, because I 

lose myself in the visual aspect of what’s before me. That’s 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 you’ve 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 else’s 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 Mander’s Four Arguments For the Elimination of Television (1978) is a thoughtprovoking 

book that is well worth reading. 


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 Berns’s 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 Berns’s 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 

you’ll 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. 


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 you’re not 

having fun while you are bouncing, at least most of the time, then you should probably 

look at what you’re 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 else’s. 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, let’s 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 


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 can’t 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. 


23. A Universal Machine: 

Rebounding & Your Favorite Sports & Exercises 

A quality rebounder can be thought of as a “universal machine” in three ways: 

• First, the overall physical effects and benefits of rebounding, as discussed in 

detail in Chapter 25, are so broad in nature that they can fairly be considered 

to be universal in scope; 

• Second, specific movements that are unique to other types of exercises and 

sports can often be brought to and joyfully experienced as part of a 

rebounding practice; and 

• Third, the inverse of this second point is true as well, that is, you can do 

specific Bounce Types, exercises, and movements on a rebounder that will 

help you train for and improve in a wide variety of other types of sports and 

exercises. 

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 can’t 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 


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. 


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, let’s 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, we’re going have to work on. 

A Last Word on Rebounding vis-à-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, 

that’s terrific, and if you can enhance your performance in these other sports or exercises, 

that’s 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. 


24. Twenty-One Principles of Rebound Exercise 

On the one hand, rebound exercise is just about the simplest thing in the world: all you 

have to do is get on a rebounder and move your body. On the other hand, there are many 

complexities and subtleties to rebounding, from variations in the way the feet are moved 

to opportunities to do breath and body work. 

This book presents to you everything that I know about rebound exercise, including what 

I have experienced as well as what I have read and learned from others. As a fitting end 

to The Daily Bounce Manual, the following set of Twenty-One Principles of Rebound 

Exercise is a kind of boiling down and summation of what I consider to be the most 

important points for you to keep in mind, or at least be aware of. Consider it the advanced 

version of Chapter 9’s “(Nearly) Everything You Need to Know to Start 

Rebounding…On One Page.” 

I’m not asking you to memorize these Principles, just to read through them first in list 

form, and then the short explanation of each one that follows. Let what you read wash 

over you, suggesting to your conscious and sub-conscious minds the sorts of features, 

variables, and issues that are involved here, including both the outer and the inner work 

that you can accomplish while rebounding. 

As Figure __ shows, the Twenty-One Principles are divided, somewhat arbitrarily, into 

three groups of seven, entitled General Principles, Principles for a Good Session, and 

Principles of Mechanics & Timing. An attempt has been made to order the seven 

Principles in each group according to a kind of sequential logic, so it may be best if you 

read them through in the order presented, at least your first time through. On the other 

hand, if you are attracted to a specific Principle, it’s fine to go straight to it. There is, 

after all, no time like the present to practice following one’s intuition. 

As a final note here, these Twenty-One Principles, like almost everything else in On the 

Rebound, are not set in stone. There may be far more Principles that will be distilled over 

time, or it may be that some of these are duplicative of each other or are just not that 

clear, helpful, or important. Nonetheless, this is, I hope, a reasonable first cut, and it 

seems likely to me that if you have at least a passing understanding of these Principles, 

the odds go up that you will develop a long-lasting, fulfilling, and highly valuable 

rebounding practice. 


General Principles 

GENERAL PRINCIPLES 

1. Safety First 

2. Get a Good Rebounder 

3. Use What You Already Know 

4. A Universal Machine 

5. A Universal Practice 

6. Experience & Appreciate the Benefits 

7. Enjoy & Have Fun 

PRINCIPLES FOR HAVING A GOOD SESSION 

1. Intuitive Bouncing 

2. Breathe to Open, Heal, Charge, & Change 

3. Bounce Big and In All Ways 

4. Hands On Yourself 

5. Long Runs Have Great Value 

6. Feel the Force Flux 

7. Work it Through & Release 

PNINCIPLES OF MECHANICS & TIMING 

1. Start Slowly 

2. Four Ways to Propel Yourself 

3. The Great Feet of Bouncing 

4. Relax Your Shoulders, Neck, Pelvis, & Abdomen 

5. Slight Adjustments (Interrupt & Adjust) 

6. Adaptation and Re-Adaptation 

7. Have a Daily Bounce; Take a Break When You Need One 

Fig. __: 21 Principles of Rebounding 

# 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 


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 go…inside. 

# 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. That’s a lot. Don’t 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; that’s 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 


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, what’s 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 don’t 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 


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 rebounding’s 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, that’s 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 rebounding’s 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. 


Principles of Mechanics & Timing 

# 1: Start Slowly – Rebounding is more intense than it looks, and even those who are 

otherwise in good shape are prone to getting quite sore if they overdo it their first time or 

two on a rebounder. Trust that rebounding, over time, will bring many benefits to you, 

and therefore there is no rush to experience everything about rebounding the very first 

time you step onto a high quality unit. (That, of course, would be impossible anyway.) 

Enjoy yourself as you find your body (and perhaps other aspects of yourself as well) 

opening, healing, and strengthening as your rebounding practice deepens. Slow and 

steady wins the race here. 

# 2 – Four Ways to Propel Yourself: Chapter16 describes and illustrates four different 

propulsion methods, that is, four different ways by which you can lift yourself off the 

mat: pushing off with your lower legs, feet, ankles, and calves; lifting up your thighs and 

knees (one leg or two legs at a time); pushing down with your core torso muscles; and 

“flapping” or pulsing your arms. Experiment with and learn how these four different 

propulsion methods mix and match to give you a wide variety of rebounding options and 

experiences. 

# 3 – The Great Feet of Bouncing: A tremendous amount of “action” happens at the 

place where your body makes contact with the rebounder’s mat time and time again, that 

is, your feet. Place attention on your feet when you are rebounding, and notice what they 

are doing, how they are doing it, and whether slight changes in your feet may cause 

substantial differences in your bouncing experience. For example, consider the 6 different 

types of vertical pitch differential that can occur, as described in Chapter 17. And always 

bounce barefoot if possible (unless perhaps you are in a gym or otherwise need footwear 

support), as doing so gives you maximum opportunities to gain information about what is 

going on “down there” and to positively adjust your bouncing experience. 

# 4 – Relax Your Shoulder, Neck, Pelvis, & Abdomen: These four areas, two near the 

top of your torso and two near the bottom, are areas held in chronic tension by many 

people. If you want to be able to breathe fully, bounce powerfully, feel the “Force Flux,” 

and work through any discomfort or pain that may come up, then relaxing, loosening, and 

letting go of your shoulders, neck, pelvis, and abdomen is an excellent place to start. 

Note, though, that while it is good to “let go” of your shoulders and neck, it is important 

to take care of your head and keep it both stable yet loose and flexible. Certainly, you 

don’t want your head to whip around or otherwise move too freely. Also, while you are 

letting go of your lower half as well, it is still important to work with the structural 

alignment and integrity of the body, so a slight, body-lengthening, “tucking” under of the 

pelvis may be in order for many people. Ultimately, the exact way you position your 

body while rebounding will change many times even within a single session, but through 

all these changes it can only help if you relax the four areas mentioned: shoulders, neck, 

pelvis, and abdomen. 

# 5 – Slight Adjustments (Interrupt & Adjust): As you are bouncing, the slightest 

adjustment – turning your wrist or shoulder or hands a little bit more in or out, opening or 


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. Don’t 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. It’s 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, it’s 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: Let’s 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 doesn’t 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 you’ve 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. 


Part 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 


Introduction & Overview 

25. The Benefits of Rebounding: 

Proven, Claimed, & Speculative 

Many people will find this to be the most important Chapter of this book. “Why,” they 

might rightly ask themselves, “should I bother obtaining a quality rebounder, or seriously 

giving this form of exercise a real try, if there isn’t good scientific evidence behind its 

effectiveness? Which benefits claimed for rebounding are real, and what can I reasonably 

expect for myself if I get On the Rebound and regularly undertake a Daily Bounce?” 

Many claims have been made for the health and fitness benefits of rebounding. Some are 

undoubtedly true, while others are exaggerated or even made up entirely. Questions of 

what counts as “good” scientific evidence are not always easy to answer. And even if 

they are answered, it is important to integrate common sense, consistent anecdotal 

reports, and consensus opinion along with seeming hard scientific fact when evaluating 

the likely impact of something like rebound exercise on a particular individual. The 

modest goals of this Chapter are therefore as follows: 

• 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.” Isn’t 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. 

Rebounding and the Nature of Scientific Proof in General 

Dictionary.com defines proof as “the evidence or argument that compels the mind to 

accept an assertion as true.” What proof, then, is there for the assertion that rebounding is 

a powerful and effective means for achieving vibrant health and well-being? What proof 


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: 

• Strict scientific proof 

• Clinical evidence 

• Anecdotal reports 

• Intuitions, inductions, hypotheses, and theories (reasonable and 

commonsensical but nevertheless unproven) 

• “In the Pudding” 

Strict Scientific Proof 

Modern science is extremely rigorous in its demands for proof. A legitimate and accepted 

scientific experiment or study must follow certain strict rules set by the larger community 

of scientists, including, for example, the use of a control group. In many cases, only a 

randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind protocol – where even the experimenters 

do not know which subjects are getting the “real stuff” and which ones are part of a 

control group – is required. 

In each scientific discipline the requirements for an acceptable study are determined by 

the experts in that area of inquiry, and by the editors of the peer-reviewed scientific 

journals who are the gatekeepers to publishing and legitimacy. With “publish or perish” 

as the critical career criterion for many professional academics and researchers, getting a 

research study published in a respected peer reviewed journal is an extremely competitive 

endeavor which serves as the benchmark of “truth.” 

With respect to rebounding, only a handful of strict scientific studies have been 

published, some of which are not even directly “on-point” (and some of which are not 

peer reviewed). For example, they may use a full-size trampoline instead of a rebounder, 

or they may show general facts about rebounding that would apply to almost any form of 

exercise (e.g., the aerobic and cardiovascular benefits of exercise). Most of the critical 

studies that would enable rebounding to achieve respect in the eyes of skeptics and the 

unfamiliar have not yet been done. For example, there are as yet (to my knowledge) no 

studies carefully looking at exactly how lymph flow circulation is increased and what the 

effects of this increased circulation are on the immune system generally. Certainly, there 

are no studies on this subject that compare rebound exercise to other forms of exercise. 

The few studies of any kind that do exist will be reviewed in the next chapter. 


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 rebounding’s 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 rebounding’s 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 

what’s 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 aren’t 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 


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 g- 

abnormal 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 

improved generally 

Endurance increased 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, 

arms, wrists, ankles, back, feet 

improved 

Resting metabolic rate in- Sleep, 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 


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 doesn’t 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. 


Four Main Perspectives or Themes 

There are four main organizing themes or perspectives with respect to what is claimed to 

be special about the health and fitness benefits of rebound exercise: 

• Strengthened Cells: All of the body’s 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 

Increased 

Lymph Flow 

& Immune 

Boost 

Aerobic, 

Cardio & 

Respiratory 

Strength, 

Coordination, 

Flexibility 

Level of Proof Uniqueness to 

Rebounding 

Comments 

Anecdotal; Very unique Two main theories: Al Carter’s “g-force” 

Hypothetical 

theory, and Dave Hall’s membrane 

strengthening through pressure differential 

Anecdotal; Fairly unique Even without strict scientific proof or 

Hypothetical 

clinical evidence, this seems to me to be an 

almost certain benefit of rebounding 

Some Strict 

Scientific 

Proof; Clinical; 

Anecdotal; 

Hypothetical 

Some Strict 

Scientific 

Proof; Clinical; 

Anecdotal; 

Hypothetical 

Not unique Rebounding’s great advantage here is that 

it may be easier for many to stick with 

rebounding than it is to stick with and 

thereby receive equivalent aerobic benefits 

Somewhat 

unique 

from other exercises 

General mechanics of rebounding while 

using hand weights (“resistive training”), 

as well as “Force Flux” hypothesis, put 

forth in this Chapter, may lead to some 

unique strength and flexibility gains 

Fig. __: Four Perspectives on What’s Special About Rebounding 

Let’s start with the first of these and work our way through. 


The Strengthened Cells Perspective 

Al Carter, father of the modern rebounding industry, was introduced in 1977 to a “small 

round indoor exercise device that looked like a trampoline.” (Rebound Exercise – The 

Ultimate Exercise for the New Millennium, 2003, p. 17). As a wrestler and then a 

performing trampolinist, he knew that bouncing up and down had been incredibly good 

for his and his co-trampolinists health, fitness, and strength levels, but he wanted to know 

why that was so. Although he would also champion the lymphatic benefits of rebounding 

(the second overall perspective, to be discussed next), after much study and thought he 

had an epiphany which would come to dominate thinking about rebounding for the next 

quarter century. 

To begin with, Carter recognized that what all exercises had in common, and what 

rebounding was especially good at, was working with and against gravity. Next he 

realized that when a person was rebounding, a vertical, “coherent,” alignment of gravity 

with two other natural “forces,” acceleration and deceleration, took place. In Carter’s 

own words (The New Miracles of Rebound Exercise, 1988, pp. 22; 61- 63, emphasis 

added): 

The common denominator of all exercises is the opposition to the gravitational 

pull of the earth…At the moment one jumps vertically, all of the cells of the body 

experience both the forces of acceleration and gravity. Since the cells of the body 

have no idea what is happening, they just feel the sudden increase in the G force. 

To survive, all DNA molecules of all cells react sending a message through the 

RNA to produce more protein which will be added to the cell membrane to bolster 

the strength of the cell membrane. Once the inertia of the jump is expended, 

gravity takes over and pulls the body back to Earth. Upon contact with the surface 

of the Earth the body experiences the combined forces of deceleration and 

gravity. More molecular messages are sent, and more adjustments at the cell level 

are made.…By combining the natural forces of acceleration and gravity 

vertically by rebounding, all cells are naturally challenged. The cells that 

have the capability of adjusting to an increased G force become stronger 

individually and the entire body becomes stronger collectively. We have 

come face-to-face with a whole-body exercise. To be more precise, 

rebounding is a cellular exercise because it causes all of the cells of the body 

to physically adjust to what is perceived by them as a more demanding 

internal environment yet lass traumatic. 

Carter’s epiphany about gravity, exercise, Einstein, and “coherently” bringing together 

gravity, acceleration, and deceleration, was at the very least a fascinating one. With 

rebounding, according to the Gospel of Al, because of the increases and decreases in gforce, 

the “whole body” was being exercised, from the cellular level, causing all of the 

body to get stronger at once. I sometimes like to explain Carter’s theory by analogy. 

Imagine a human being with the ordinary human genome born on a planet with a gravity 

twice that of our planet’s gravity. Such a person would, in a manner reminiscent of how 

Superman gained his powers, be stronger than a normal human being for having grown 


up in, and adjusted to, the incessant demands of a heavier gravity. (Note that in 

Superman’s 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 earth’s 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 don’t know whether it is true – we don’t have any real proof – as to whether the cells 

are strengthened, and if they are strengthened as hypothesized, we don’t really know the 

mechanism by which they are made stronger (notwithstanding Al Carter’s 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. 


To repeat: Al Carter’s hypothesis about cellular strength and whole body exercise is a 

wonderful and fascinating hypothesis, but as far as I can tell, that’s 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, hasn’t 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 

rebounding’s 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 body’s 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, 


cancer cells, nitrogenous wastes, trapped protein, fatty globules, pathogenic 

bacteria, infectious viruses, foreign substances, heavy metals, and other assorted 

junk the cells cast off. Removal of these components derived from metabolic 

breakdown (catabolism) takes away potential poisonings anyone is better off 

without.…The lymphatic drainage system is a highly complex portion of the 

body’s cardiovascular circulatory tree.…After the systemic circulatory system 

conveys food and oxygen to living cells by means of nutritional transfer from the 

blood, the products of catabolism must eventually be drained away with its load 

of wastes through the lymphatic ducts. There is a never-ending problem with 

lymphatic circulation (and to a lesser extent with venous circulation). Unlike 

the arterial system, the lymphatics do not have their own pump. There are 

just three ways to activate and speed up the flow of lymph away from the 

tissues it serves and back into the main pulmonary circulation. Lymphatic 

flow requires: 

1. Muscular contraction from exercise and movement. 

2. Gravitational pressure. 

3. Internal massage to the valves of the lymph ducts. 

Rebound exercise does supply all three for anybody interested in moving 

waste products out of the cells and out of the body. 

And to once again quote Al Carter, here’s what he has to say on this subject: (Rebound 

Exercise – The Ultimate Exercise for the New Millennium, 2003, pp. 89-90): 

The lymphatic system is sometimes called the vacuum cleaning system of the 

body. It is a scavenger system that removes excess fluid, protein molecules, 

debris, and other matter form the tissue spaces.…As lymph passes through the 

lymph node, it is met with hundreds of macrophages, white blood cells that ingest 

and digest the large particulate matter and bacteria.…The movement of the 

surrounding muscles of the body creates intermittent pressure to the lymphatics 

and assists in the pumping. Movement of body parts such as the swinging of the 

arms and legs enhances lymph movement inside the vessels. Because the lymph 

vessels are many times right next to the arteries of the blood stream, pulsations of 

the arteries create enough pressure to cause lymph to move…the lymphatic 

pump becomes very active during rebound exercise, often increasing lymph 

flow 10 to 50-fold. While rebounding, the accelerating upward movement of the 

body closes the lymph valves forcing all of the lymph fluid upward. At the top of 

the bounce, the valves open allowing the fluid to move to the next chamber. At 

the bottom of the bounce the valves slam shut so that the lymph fluid cannot 

move backwards.…Four minutes of the simple health bounce [feet not leaving the 

mat] will cause the lymphatic system to circulate at least once. If you then 

dismount the rebounder you will feel a tingling sensation all over your body. All 

of your cells are sending messages of rejoining because of their excitingly clean 

environment. 


JB Berns gets it down to just a few sentences (Urban Rebounding(1999, p. 59): 

Without an internal pump to involuntarily initiate lymph flow, the onus is on the 

movement of the body. Lymph flow is stimulated by a body in motion, i.e. muscle 

contraction experienced through physical work, it is stimulated by gravitational 

opposition, and finally, it is stimulated by internally massaging the lymph duct 

valves. Rebound exercise is the only exercise which provides all three properties 

necessary to maintain and increase lymph flow. 

According to C. Guyton, M.D., and John E. Hall, Ph.D., Textbook of Medical Physiology 

(Ninth Edition), "The lymphatic pump becomes very active during exercise, often 

increasing lymph flow 10 to 30 fold." However, there are, as far as I know, no strict 

scientific studies and no clinically gathered data, showing just how many times faster and 

in what circumstances the lymph circulates because of rebounding. Likewise, I know of 

no studies that compare rebounding’s impact on the lymph system to the impact of other 

forms of aerobic exercise. Al Carter states that there is a “10 to 50-fold” increase in 

lymph flow, and other books peg the number at an increase of three, fifteen, or twentyfive 

times. It probably depends, at least in part, on who is doing the rebounding and how 

hard they are going at it! 

Although there is no strict scientific or clinical proof here, both my own personal 

experience (which is by definition merely anecdotal proof), and my intuition and 

inductive reasoning, tells me that the Increased Lymph Flow & Immune Boost 

Perspective is both correct and extremely important. Personally, as stated earlier in this 

book, I rarely get sick these days (something that was not always true for me), and when I 

do get sick, it lasts for a far shorter time than it used to. I attribute this to having a 

healthier immune system, and I attribute that to having a Daily Bounce. So, if you have 

any difficulty with frequent colds or illnesses, or any immune system related dysfunction 

or disease, you may want to give rebounding a serious look. 

The Aerobic, Cardio, & Respiratory Improvement Perspective 

Having belabored the Strengthened Cell Perspective and the Lymph Flow Perspective, 

we will only very briefly touch on rebound exercise as an aerobic exercise which reliably 

delivers pervasive cardiovascular and cardio respiratory benefits. 

To begin with, no one doubts that exercise is good for the human body, and thanks to Dr. 

Kenneth Cooper, who invented the term “aerobics,” almost no one doubts that fast 

moving exercise that involves the heart, lungs, and circulatory system is of crucial 

importance for maintaining health. Different authorities may differ on how long you have 

to move the body for how many times a week – Cooper himself originally stated that you 

should get your body functioning at near your “target heart rate” for at least 20 to 30 

minutes at a time – but almost no one disagrees with the general notion that aerobic 

exercise is, if not a necessity, at least a very, very good idea. 


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 

Walker’s 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 isn’t to take a dig at other forms of exercises, but to point out 

that rebounding is a great addition to nearly anyone’s exercise program because it 

powerfully delivers the benefits associated with aerobic exercise while also being fun, 

convenient, and non-harmful. 

The Perspective of Increased Strength, Coordination, Balance, and Flexibility 

As you increase your rebounding time, you will almost certainly feel gains in strength, 

coordination, balance, and flexibility. Working our way backwards here, more flexibility 

comes about because of the up and down, side-to-side, twisting, and other motions that 

are naturally part of rebounding. See the Catalog illustrations in Chapter 20 to get an idea 

of some of the many different ways that the body can move during rebounding. While it 

is possible to move past the end of your functional range of motion and hurt yourself 

while rebounding, if you pay attention to your body, and stay with your breath, this will 

never or only very rarely happen. Instead, the powerful rhythmic pulses that naturally 

accompany rebounding will slowly but surely open up your body and lead to greater 

degrees of flexibility throughout. Of course, proactively stretching before and after 

rebounding, and doing some of the Bounce Types from the Stretch Bounces Category and 

the Motion Maximizer Category, will tend to give you even greater flexibility gains. 

Increases in coordination and balance naturally follow from starting, maintaining, and 

increasing a rebound exercise practice. Many people feel they might fall off the 

rebounder the first few times they are bouncing, but that feeling almost always goes away 

quickly for just about everybody. The body is able to quickly adapt to the increased 

demands for balance, timing, rhythm, and coordination that rebounding brings. For a bit 


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 children’s 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. 


But we have already said that Al Carter’s theory here is just that: a speculative theory. Is 

there, then, another possible explanation or way of looking at this? 


The “Force Flux” Hypothesis 

In my experience, some of the best rebounding I have done comes when I completely 

relax at the top of the bounce. At the bottom of the bounce, however, from the time I first 

come in contact with the mat until the time I leave the mat, I find myself working very 

hard. All of my body structures and muscles seem to “know” as I descend and approach 

the mat that I am about to go through a tremendous inertial reversal and “Force Flux” that 

always occurs at the bottom of the bounce and to some degree at the top of the bounce. 

Especially at the bottom of the bounce, I find myself preparing for contact, experiencing 

the contact as I “catch myself,” and then “throwing” myself into the air (depending on 

which propulsion methods are being used) with a lot of force and energy. In other words, 

I find myself actively participating in approaching, encountering, and intensifying the 

force flux as I am in contact with the mat during each bounce cycle. 

This takes a lot of work, a lot of energy, and a lot of strength. Take a look, for example, 

at the Power Pulse variation of the Flyin’ High Bounce Type in the High Bounces 

Category. It is pretty easy to see here that my shoulders, back, and arms are working hard 

as I encounter, work my way through, and intensify the Force Flux that accompanies the 

inertial reversal and increase in gravity that is experienced at the bottom of the bounce. 

Unlike the Strengthened Cells Perspective, however, the Force Flux Hypothesis applies 

to larger structures such as the bones, connective tissue, and muscles that make up the 

shoulders and arms. These larger structures are mechanically strengthened by 

encountering, processing, and adding to the Force Flux. This, of course, is just as 

speculative as the Strengthened Cells Perspective, yet to me it makes more sense. It’s not 

that I’m being subjected to increases in gravity, it’s that the Force Flux felt through the 

acceleration and velocity of my limbs and torso is a real world, macro-level factor that 

can reasonably be expected to be associated with increases in physical strength (as well 

as flexibility). 

Put another way, I know for an anecdotal fact that the relatively skinny legs I was born 

with, especially my calves, are larger and stronger now because of all the rebounding that 

I have done. Why? Because rebounding almost always involves the legs, and as the legs 

are used, as they do more work, they naturally adapt, becoming both larger in size and 

stronger overall. But rebounding also involves using the rest of the body to move through 

the vertical dimension of space, with horizontal components frequently thrown in as well. 

As you move through horizontal and vertical space, in a powerful rhythmic way, you 

naturally participate in the work necessary to move your body through all phases of the 

bounce cycle. The greatest work is at the bottom of the bounce, and to a lesser extent at 

the top of the bounce, when you experience an inertial shifting Force Flux as you change 

directions. As a result of the work you do in dealing with the Force Flux, you naturally 

get stronger the more you rebound (especially, for example, if you move your limbs with 

particular gusto or do some Hand Weights Bouncing). Or, at least, that’s my intuitive 

hypothesis as to why rebounding seems to have enabled me and many other people to 

experience strength gains. 


A Review of the Benefits 

Al Carter is famous for having said that “Rebound exercise is the most efficient and 

effective exercise yet devised by man." If this is true, why is it true? What do we know, 

or what can we reasonably say, about the benefits of rebounding? 

There are many benefits claimed for rebounding, as Fig. __ shows. Not all of these 

claimed benefits are real, and of the those that are real, many may be more attributable to 

exercise generally than to rebounding in particular. There are, however, a number of 

benefits that do seem to strongly characterize or even belong uniquely to rebounding. 

First, it is true that rebounding is fun, safe, convenient, and non-jarring to the body. In 

other words, rebounding can be adopted as a practice and continued with for just about as 

long as anyone might like, both with respect to individual sessions and with respect to 

establishing a Daily Bounce practice. This can not be said of too many other forms of 

exercise. 

Second, the lymphatic and immune system benefits of rebounding seem to me to be 

almost certain. If you want to be healthier overall, and if you want to have a stronger 

immune system, there are in my estimation few if any forms of exercise that can match 

rebounding. 

Third, rebounding undoubtedly gives a good aerobic and cardiovascular workout, with all 

its attendant benefits. This immediately ties back into the fun, convenient, and nonjarring 

nature of rebounding, because it is easy to get on a rebounder and give yourself a 

heck of a cardio workout. 

Fourth, with respect to strength, coordination, balance, and flexibility, rebounding once 

again almost certainly offers a great number of benefits, even if these benefits are not 

unique to rebounding. Increased coordination and flexibility seem to automatically arise 

from regular rebounding, and working with hand weights or sand bags to do resistive 

bounce will almost certainly tone, strengthen, and even build upper body strength and 

musculature. 

Whether or not we experience the strengthening of every cell, as in the Strengthened 

Cells hypothesis and perspective, or whether or not we experience increased strength by 

dint of the Force Flux hypothesis put forward above, is not that important. Even if neither 

of these hypotheses are true, rebounding still undoubtedly leads to increases in 

coordination, flexibility, balance and strength. Plus, it’s a great way not only to de-stress 

in general, but to provide variety and help de-stress from other types of exercise which 

may have a more jarring nature, or otherwise be more complex or less flow-oriented. 

Fifth, there is one last obvious benefit that has not received much direct attention here, 

which deserves a few sentences in this final analysis. When you rebound, you feel more 

awake, alert, and energized. This is in part due to obvious reasons like increase in heart 

rate and respiration, but rebounding also has a particularly strong effect on the vestibular 

system, which then has a direct effect on general levels of arousal. As described to me by 


Willow Dea, an occupational therapist with a specialty in craniosacral therapy, described 

to me how the vestibular nerve connects the inner ear to the brain to tell it where we are 

physically and how we are oriented in space. (Your inner ear, which works somewhat 

like a carpenter’s level, is affected by air pressure differentials, and functions in concert 

with the proprioceptors in your joints to tell your brain how you are physically oriented.) 

The vestibular function is one of the body’s deepest and most underlying functions, and 

acts as a kind of “coach” to all of the body’s neuro-physiological systems, especially in 

terms of general awareness and arousal. By bouncing, you directly affect the vestibular 

function, and you therefore tend to wake up more fully and have more energy. 

Put all together, I believe that these five types of benefits – (1) non-jarring nature, (2) 

lymphatic flow increase and immune system boost, (3) good cardiovascular workout and 

cardio respiratory workout, (4) increases in strength, coordination, balance and flexibility, 

and (5) increased alertness and awareness generally – qualify rebounding as an extremely 

beneficial form of exercise for almost everyone. There may be another exercise that is as 

good for the body and is also as fun and simple as rebounding (and that naturally brings 

about the opportunity for doing inner work as well); I just don’t know of any. 


26. Research & Studies to Date 

The previous Chapter began with a discussion of different types of scientific proof. It 

then presented in a single table a list of the health and wellness benefits that have been 

claimed for rebound exercise without attempting to specifically evaluate those claims. 

Next, four main perspectives or themes as to what is special and unique about rebound 

exercise were presented, including quick assessments as to the relative level of proof that 

have been offered for each of these perspectives or themes. Finally, a review summary of 

the benefits claimed for rebound exercise was offered, putting forth my understanding of 

what we can, at this point, fairly say about why rebound exercise is beneficial. 

No attempt was made to directly weave in the very few scientific studies and clinical 

reports that have been made to date. These existing studies and reports, as you can see in 

this chapter, tend to be scattered and somewhat inconsistent, and rarely do they directly 

address questions that we would like to have answered about rebound exercise. However, 

the existing studies do have value, both as starting points and with respect to the 

knowledge that they have indeed gathered so far. 

This Chapter presents short summaries of existing research and studies that are directly 

relevant to rebound exercise. It does not formally evaluate the research and studies, but 

simply organizes them and either quotes from them directly (when they are available) or 

otherwise reports what other existing literature says about them. It is probable that there 

are additional studies other than these, including ones that may be ongoing at the time of 

this writing. It is also likely that a careful examination of the research and studies 

themselves, as well as the raw data on which they are based, would add a great deal of 

understanding to our knowledge of rebounding. But for now, this Chapter will merely 

repeat what the studies themselves say or what has been written elsewhere. Information 

given will include the author of the study or research and where it was published (if it 

was), where the study or research was mentioned, what it says directly or has been cited 

as showing, and any evaluative comments that readily come to mind. Studies are listed in 

rough chronological order, that is, the earliest studies are listed first. 

If you are interested in what is actually known about rebounding and the degree to which 

it is known, you may enjoy reading through this Chapter. If not, the previous Chapter 

probably contains an adequate summation as to what is known about the benefits of 

rebound exercise. Before turning to the actual study summaries, we can say that existing 

research has shown the following (and, really, only the following): 

• 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 


The following table indicates the research and studies that are covered in this Chapter: 

Study Date Key Finding or Purported Finding 

Victor Katch Tables on ~ 1980 Reports calories expended for rebounding 

Calories Expended 

versus treadmill running. 

NASA Study on 

1980 Trampolining is safe in terms of stress to joints 

Trampolining and 

and other body parts; trampolining is more 

Biomechanical Efficiency 

biomechanically efficient than treadmill 

running in terms of work performed for 

oxygen consumed. 

James White’s Medium- 1980 Rebounding helps women to lose weight, and 

Sized Study on Women & 

Fat Loss 

does so without greatly stressing the joints. 

Dr. Kenneth Cooper Study on 1981 Rebounding contributes to strength gains 

Rebounding as Part of Circuit 

Training 

during circuit training. 

Sun Valley Fitness Study on 1982 More study participants continued with 

Likelihood of Continuing On 

rebounding after study completion than any 

With Rebounding 

other exercise form studied. 

Dr. A.U. Daniels Study on 1982 Rebounding’s impact on the joints is roughly 

Impact of Rebounding vs. a 

85% less than equivalent level of exertion on a 

Treadmill 

treadmill. 

Dr. Ward Dean, M.D. on G 1983 A maximum of 3.24 g’s can be developed on a 

Force Maximum 

rebounder, a value safe for human beings. 

Proprioception Study by 2002 Rebounding increases study participants’ 

Cornell Hospital For Special 

Surgery 

ability to stand on one leg. 

New Mexico Study: A Low- 2002 Rebounding is similar to running on a treadmill 

Impact Exercise Alternative 

in terms of caloric expenditure, yet poses much 

less risk to joints. 

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. 


Victor Katch Tables on Calories Expended 

Researchers and Associated Institution: 

Victor L. Katch, Ph. D., Dept. of Physical Education, University of Michigan at 

Ann Arbor. 

Date of Study and Publication Citation if Any: 

Date unknown, but must be 1980 or before since mentioned in 1981 Olympic 

trainer book by the Sneiders. No further information available. 

Where Study is Mentioned: 

Olympic trainer, Harry and Sarah Sneider (1981), p. 131; numerous times on the 

Internet 

Key Findings or What is Otherwise Said About Study or Research: 

Two tables, Table A and Table B, are frequently presented on the Internet, as 

follows: 

Table A: Total Calories Spent Comparing Jogging @ 5 MPH to Rebounding 

Lbs Body Weight 12 Minutes Jogging @ 

5 MPH 

12 Minutes Rebounding 

100 47 58 

120 56 67 

140 66 77 

160 75 86 

180 85 96 

200 94 105 

Table B: Total Calories Spent Per Minutes of Running on a Rebounder 

Lbs. 

Body 

Weight 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 

1 Min. 2.9 3.4 3.9 4.4 4.9 5.4 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 

5 Min. 14.5 17 19.5 22 24.5 27 30 32.5 35 37.5 40 

10 Min. 29 34 39 44 49 54 60 65 70 75 80 

15 Min. 43.5 51 58.5 66 73.5 81 90 97.5 105 112.5 120 

20 Min. 58 68 78 88 98 108 120 130 140 150 160 

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. 


NASA Study on Trampolining and Biomechanical Efficiency 


A. Bhattacharya, E.P. McCutcheon, E.Shvartz, and J.E. Greenleaf; 

Biomechanical Research Division, NASA-Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, 

California, in cooperation with the Wenner-Gren Research laboratory, University 

of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 


Journal of Applied Physiology 49(5): 881-887, 1980. 


Virtually every book and website on rebound exercise cites this study, and usually 

repeats Al Carter’s interpretations from The New Miracles of Rebound Exercise, 

Albert Carter (1988), pp. 37-40. 


• ". . . for similar levels of heart rate and oxygen consumption, the magnitude of the 

bio mechanical stimuli is greater with jumping on a trampoline than with 

running, a finding that might help identify acceleration parameters needed for 

the design of remedial procedures to avert deconditioning in persons exposed to 

weightlessness." 

• "The external work output at equivalent levels of oxygen uptake were 

significantly greater while trampolining than running. The greatest difference was 

about 68%.” 

• "While trampolining, as long as the G-force remained below 4-G's, the ratio of 

oxygen consumption compared to biomechanical conditioning was sometimes 

more than twice as efficient as treadmill running." 

• The G-force measured at the ankle was always more than twice the G-force 

measured at the back and forehead while running on a treadmill.…While jumping 

on a trampoline, the G-force was almost the same at all three points, (ankle, back, 

forehead) and well below the rupture threshold of a normal healthy individual.” 

• " ...averting the deconditioning that occurs during the immobilization of bed rest 

or space flight, due to a lack of gravireceptor stimulation (in addition to other 

factors), requires an acceleration profile that can be delivered at a relatively low 

metabolic cost….for equivalent metabolic cost, and acceleration profile from 

jumping [on a trampoline] will provide greater stimuli to gravireceptors." 

Comments on Study: This is the “Mother” of all Rebounding Studies, and has been cited 

to erroneously provide proof that NASA officially supports or endorses rebound exercise, 

or that NASA somehow believe it is a “miracle exercise.” It is important to recognize that 

this was just one study, on eight men, and that it was performed on a full-sized 

trampoline (comparing it to a treadmill), and not on a modern rebounder. Nonetheless, 

there are several important findings. 

First, that rebounding is not dangerous to the human body with respect to how much gforce 

is experienced at ankles, back, and forehead, as the 4th bullet point above shows. 

Second, that rebounding is very bio-mechanically efficient, that is, for a similar amount 

of oxygen consumed and energy expended, more work can actually be done by the body, 

as the first through third bullet points show. Third, that there may be something to the Al 


Carter’s Strengthened Cells perspective and hypothesis, as explained in the previous 

Chapter – rebounding or something like it, according to the last bullet point above, may 

be able to play a role in reversing bone loss and other types of negative effects that 

astronauts have experienced in the 0-gravity conditions of space. 

James White’s Medium-Sized Study on Women & Fat Loss 


James R. White, Ph.D., University of California at San Diego. 


1980, orally reported at American College of Sports Medicine convention in Las 

Vegas. 


Jump for Joy, James R. White, Ph.D. (1984), pp. 2, 6. 


• “The study, conducted in the author’s laboratory, showed improvement in fitness 

and reduction in body fat in 70 women after ten weeks of daily exercise on 

rebounders, improvement that was equivalent to that found following stationary 

bicycling or treadmill-running programs. The exercise is ‘pleasantly fatiguing 

without joint trauma.’” (p. 2) 

• “…exercise was conducted on a treadmill, a stationary bike and on rebounding 

equipment. Seventy overweight women exercised five days per week…for about 

40 minutes each day. The results showed that after ten weeks significant 

improvements in fitness and reductions in body fat were observed. The women 

were able to burn off calories at a rate of 8 to 12 per minute, resulting in a loss of 

between 9 and 15 pounds of body fat. These studies showed that jumping was an 

effective exercise producing gains in fitness and reducing body fat, but causing 

less force and trauma on the legs. A further look at this study showed that 

nearly half of those running on the treadmill sustained some type of foot, 

ankle or knee injury, while none of the women exercising on rebounding 

equipment experienced any significant pain, injury or discomfort.” (pp. 6-7; 

emphasis added). 


That rebounding can bring about weight loss equivalent to stationary bicycling or 

treadmills is what we would expect. The second conclusion, that rebounding 

offered no injuries compared to a fair number of injuries from using a treadmill, is 

also what would be expected. 

James White’s UCSD Large Rehabilitative Lab Study 


James R. White, Ph.D., University of California at San Diego. 


1980-1984?; no citation given 



Jump for Joy, James R. White, Ph.D. (1984), pp. vi, 5-6 


• “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 rebounding’s 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 


Dr. Kenneth Cooper, Institute of Aerobic Research. 


1981. No citation available. 


On Needak Corporation’s website, and elsewhere on web. 


“Strength gains when rebounding in between circuit weight training showed a 

25% improvement over standard circuit weight training.” 


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 



Sun Valley Health Institute Fitness Program. 


No date or citation given; probably around 1982. 


Jump for Joy, James R. White, Ph.D. (1984), pp. vi-vii 


• “People are successful at rebounding because it is one exercise that is not painful, 

inconvenient or boring. We can make these statements based on the results of a 

two-year study conducted on executives who had completed the Sun Valley 

Health Institute Fitness Program. Here, the participants chose between outdoor 

running, indoor stationary bicycling or jumping on rebounding equipment as their 

main form of exercise. Jumping was the best form of exercise in terms of how 

many executives were still exercising after 12 months. Forty-eight percent of the 

joggers were still running, 17 percent of the cyclists were pedaling, and 76 

percent of the jumpers were still at it.…The reasons were convenience, 

availability, weatherproofness, absence of leg trauma, and–probably the most 

important reason–that it was just plain fun.” 


This is a nice finding, especially the point about more individuals in the study 

keeping up with their rebounding than with any of the other forms of exercise, but 

it would be very helpful to find out more details, such as the total number of 

participants in the study. 

Dr. A.U. Daniels Study on Impact of Rebounding vs. a Treadmill 


Dr. A.U. Daniels, Adjunct Professor of Material Science and Engineering, and 

Orthopedic Surgery, University of Utah. 


None given; probably around 1982. 


Jump for Joy, James R. White, Ph.D. (1984), p. 6; The New Miracles of Rebound 

Exercise, Albert Carter (1988), p. 41 


• “In a similar study conducted by Dr. A.U. Daniels…a rough comparison was 

made between the impact load transmitted on the aerobic springing gear versus 

the impact-load time factor for running on a board track. His study showed that 

the maximum impact experienced during exercise on rebounding equipment was 

only about 85 percent of that experienced during similar exercise on a board 

track.” (from Jump for Joy) 

• “…the maximum impact force on the rebounder would be only 1/6 th that of the 

wooden board track.” (from The New Miracles of Rebound Exercise). 


The 85% (or 1/6th) less impact figure given here is the typical figure given by the 

rebounding industry with respect to the percentage of the normal “shock” or 

impact load reduction (especially on the joints) that a good rebounder provides. It 


is not clear here what exactly “aerobic springing gear” means, though, so we 

don’t 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 


Dr. Ward Dean, Master’s Thesis from Kyungbook University, College of 

Medicine, Taegu, Korea. 


1983. 


The New Miracles of Rebound Exercise, Albert Carter (1988), p. 40. 


• “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 G’s.” 

• “…the normal human can handle as much as 8 Gs momentarily, and 20G in s a 

sitting position…The point being, that if the best athletes can develop on 3.24 Gs, 

rebounding is a safe whole-body exercise for virtually every body.” 


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 


Vijay B. Vad, M.D., Cornell Hospital for Special Surgery, Integrative Care Center 


Approximately 2002; study can be found a at 

http://www.urbanrebounding.com/art_cornell_univ_study.html 


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

According to the online Wikipedia free encyclopedia, “Proprioception … is the 

sense of the position of parts of the body, relative to other neighboring parts of the 

body… proprioception is the "sixth" sense that … indicates … where the various 

parts of the body are located in relation to each other. The proprioceptive sense is 

believed to be composed of information from sensory neurons located in the inner 

ear (motion and orientation) and in the joints and muscles (stance).” This Urban 

Rebounder sponsored study indicates that proprioception improves after several 

weeks of rebounding. It is not surprising that coordination, balance, and other 

body-related capabilities improve as a result of rebounding. 

New Mexico Study: A Low-Impact Exercise Alternative 


Colleen McGlone, B.S., Len Kravitz, Ph.D., and Jeffrey M. Janot, Ph.D. 


2002; study can be found at http://urbanrebounding.com/art_nm_study.html. 


Urban Rebounding website. 

Key Findings or What is Otherwise Said About Study or Research (footnotes omitted): 

• “The physiological benefits of this contemporary rebounding program are not 

known. In addition, a comparison of rebounding with other modes of exercise has 

not been investigated.” 

• The results indicate that V02, HR, and energy expenditure were all very 

comparable between the two exercise modalities. Rebounding exercise meets the 

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Guidelines (4) in several 

categories…” 

• Rebounding exercise appears to elicit a similar caloric expenditure at a matched 

RPE as treadmill exercise, without exposing individuals to impact forces 

experienced on the treadmill.…It has been estimated that 80% of aerobic-related 

injuries are caused by overuse and microtrauma associated with the repetitive 

impact forces inherent in most aerobic techniques. Rebounding may help to 

reduce injuries commonly related to other forms of exercise such as jogging. One 

benefit of rebounding is that the rebounder absorbs and decreases the amount of 

impact sustained by the joints. This decreased force may be beneficial in 

preventing overuse injuries such as shin-splints and tendonitis caused by 

repetitive force, as well as helping to reduce the possibility of incurring an 

exercise-related stress fracture. Thus, rebounding may be an appropriate 

alternative for individuals who have joint problems or have been told to avoid 

high-impact activities.” 


This study was done with the cooperation of the Urban Rebounding program. 

The ten very fit men and women who whose cardiovascular parameters were 

measured were tested while doing a modified version of the Urban Rebounding 

program. The first bullet point above comes from the introduction to the study. 

Here, the authors clearly point out that very little research has been done on 

rebounding: “The physiological benefits are not known…[A] comparison of 


ebounding with other modes of exercise has not been investigated.” Well, 

that’s 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. 


27. Therapeutic & Rehabilitative Rebounding: 

for Seniors, the Disabled, the Injured, and Other Conditions 

Therapeutic and rehabilitative rebounding, including rebounding for seniors, the disabled, 

and the injured, represents a large area of discussion that probably deserves its own book. 

Although an in-depth discussion of these topics is beyond the scope of the present 

volume, a few things can be said here which may be of use to those in need, and which 

may stimulate thinking on these topics in general. Note that there is almost no strict 

scientific research or clinical data as to the therapeutic and rehabilitative effect of 

rebounding. There is, however, a large amount of anecdotal data. Stories about healing 

painful or injured knees, shoulders, backs, and so on, abound, including my own story, 

mentioned several times earlier, of how rebounding helped me rapidly heal a torn rotator 

cuff that had otherwise resisted improvement. 

Making Rebounding More Available to Those Who Can Benefit From It 

First, as a general proposition, because of the many previously described benefits of 

rebounding (see Chapter __), it makes a great deal of sense to find ways to make 

rebounding accessible to those who might benefit from it. Such accessibility has already 

been provided to some degree, both through innovations in equipment and innovations in 

ways of using existing rebounders. 

As for equipment, a critical innovation is the stabilizer bar, first developed by the Needak 

Corporation in 1992 (see Chapter 8). Stabilizer bars are available for most types of 

rebounders, and install simply by hooking under two of the rebounder’s legs. With a 

stabilizer bar, those who are wobbly or who might not be able to stand up without the use 

of their arms can gain a secure perch on the bar and gently rebounding, thereby receiving 

some of the primary lymph flow and aerobic benefits of rebounding. 

Figure __: stabilizer bar attached to a rebounder 

The down-side of the stabilizer bar, of course, is that if you get used to it, it will both 

limit your range of motion and the different Bounce Types that you can do. It will likely 

also forestall your development of increased balance, coordination, proprioceptive 

awareness, and so on. On the other hand, if someone needs the assistance, a stabilizer bar 

is a lot better than holding onto a wall, or holding onto a couple of chairs while bouncing, 


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 Berns’s 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 patient’s 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, 

rebounding’s 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, 

don’t 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 


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. 

Rebounding for Vision Improvement & The Learning Disabled 

Your visual system helps to orient you and keep your balance while you are rebounding. 

A good deal has been written about rebounding and vision improvement, and in fact there 

are even vision improvement kits being sold which are designed to be used in concert 

with rebounding! I often rebound for at least part of each session with my glasses off, and 

find that colors look brighter and my eyes feel better for having done so. In his latest 

book, Al Carter provides a long detailed chapter on “Enhance Your Vision With Rebound 

Exercise.” (Rebound Exercise – The Ultimate Exercise for the New Millennium, 2003, pp. 

109-127.) 

Connections between rebounding and assisting learning disabled and even autistic 

children have also been suggested. If you are interested in these topics, JB Berns Urban 

Rebounding (1999) contains an excellent chapter on “Therapeutic Rebounding” which 

includes sections on “Rebounding for the Child,” “The Learning Disabled Child,” and 

“Rebounding for Vision Correction.” 

Other Conditions 

As the table of claimed benefits in Chapter 26 shows, rebounding has been associated 

with curing, staving off, or helping out with a number of other medical and physical 

conditions. These include diabetes; cancer; varicose veins; chronic fatigue; menstrual 

problems; heart disease; hemorrhoids; sexual impotence or dysfunction; and so on. 

Giving a thoughtful or careful consideration to any of these topics is certainly beyond the 

scope of this book. The one thing that I will say, to close off this Chapter and head us to 

the concluding sections of On the Rebound, is that if exercise itself is generally helpful 

for a wide variety of conditions, as it seems to be, and if rebounding is a fun, easy, and 

convenient way to powerfully exercise, then it is certainly worth trying, regardless of 

what health or medical condition you are dealing with or hope to never have to deal with. 

Movement, rhythm, and breath are all, to some degree, curative, and rebounding can 

assist you to elegantly bring all three of these into your life on a regular basis. 


Part VII: 

Conclusion: You and a Daily Bounce 


29. Integrating Body, Mind & Soul: Bringing Your Favorite Inner 

Work to Rebounding 

30. Fun, Easy, Safe, Convenient, and Highly Effective: Is 

Rebounding for You? 


28. Bringing Rebound Into Your Daily Life 

The obvious way to bring rebound exercise into your daily life is to have a Daily Bounce. 

But there are other ways that rebounding may have a positive impact on you. 

First, of course, are the health and fitness benefits that accrue from regularly rebounding. 

As Chapter 25 on the benefits of rebounding concludes, rebounding will (in a non-jarring 

way) likely bring almost anyone who regularly rebounds at least the following substantial 

benefits: 

• 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 


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 else’s 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. 


29. Integrating Body, Mind, & Spirit: 

Bringing Your Favorite Inner Work to Rebounding 

Bring the fire of enlightenment here to life below… 

Stay awake; No mistake; Dance the Dream Awake. And Awake! 

– Kurt Elling 

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, I’m 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, I’m afraid that some discussion of inner 

work and the inner realms is inescapable. 

This isn’t 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 Wilber’s 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. 


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 

don’t 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 don’t 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. 


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 I’m bouncing, I feel that my body is OK. That I’m OK. And that makes 

me feel good.” 

So, rebounding offers you an opportunity – you’re 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? What’s 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 don’t already do some kind of regular inner work, then pick something that you’ve 

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 that’s 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. 


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 (what’s 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) 

SpiritRiser and the Great Alchemical Sequence: My Personal Inner Practice 

Early on in my rebounding practice I recognized that an easy way for me to mentally 

organize and understand the benefits of rebounding was to apply a kind of alchemical 

elemental paradigm to what I was experiencing. (If you want to learn more about 

alchemy, a good place to start is with the great Swiss psychologist, Carl Jung.) Without 

going into great detail here, it occurred to me that the five traditional Western elements – 

air, earth, water, fire, and spirit – mapped onto my rebounding activities in the following 

way: 


• 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 body’s 

metabolism, that is, it’s 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. 


Levitation, the “Flying Sutra, and the Extension of Hang Time 

It always feels to me that something truly exceptional happens at the top of the bounce 

cycle. There may be some good physiological, neurological, or psychological reason for 

this, or it may just be an artifact of the effects of weightlessness experienced by the 

stomach. (See Chapter 25 for a discussion of the physics of rebounding and the notion of 

the subjective experience of weightlessness.) In any case, learning to extend one’s hang 

time can be a very challenging and rewarding undertaking. It’s unlikely that any of us 

will ever duplicate Michael Jordan’s talents here, but by bouncing big and then 

completely relaxing, it does seem possible, at least for me, to extend the amount of 

“ordinary Jordan” hang time at the top of the bounce. 

I knew that the Transcendental Meditation (TM) religion, founded by Maharishi Mahesh 

Yogi, was famous (or infamous) for promoting a kind of levitation. I asked my friend 

Brian Weller, who was a personal assistant to the Maharishi for several years, if he could 

shed some light on this topic. Brian, who is always meticulously polite, erudite, and 

informative, pointed me to one of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the “Flying Sutra,” which 

served as the basis of the Mahariashi’s program. 

Without getting into whether anyone who practiced this ever really experienced any 

degree of levitation or flight, Brian pointed out to me that the main purpose behind this 

kind of work was not to experience the “power” or the “siddhi” itself. Instead, the idea 

was to learn to experience internal “silence,” and to thereby bring about a degree of 

mind-body coherence where the “request” to have something extraordinary happen (like 

levitation) might become possible. (Once again, this is not the time or place to go into a 

long exegesis on extraordinary human powers and siddhis are real or completely 

imagined. The best two books I know of on this subject are Michael Murphy’s The 

Future of the Body (1993) and John Curtis Gowan’s Operations of Increasing Order 

(1980), which is out of print but which can be viewed in its entirety for free on the 

Internet starting at http://www.csun.edu/edpsy/Gowan/.) 

Coming back to rebounding, the challenge here is to reach a degree of mind-body 

coherence and integration where you can somehow achieve extended hang time at the top 

of the bounce. Assumptions about the existence of superhuman powers here are not 

necessary. We have all seen what Michael Jordan can do; we have all had our own 

experiences of athletic “flow” performance beyond what we are normally capable of. So 

if you set your intention to increase your hang time, and if you do this at a point in a 

rebounding session where you are already well into the flow of what you are doing, you 

just might surprise yourself with at least the subjective experience of “floating” or 

“flying” that you can bring about here. 

Rebounding as an Integral Transformative Practice 

In their wonderful book, The Life We Are Given (1995), George Leonard and Michael 

Murphy lay out the notion of an integral transformative practice, or an ITP. An ITP deals 


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. 


30. Fun, Safe, Easy, Convenient, Effective: 

Is Rebounding For You? 

On the one hand, this book has covered a lot of ground, including an introduction to and 

the history of rebounding, detailed chapters on breathing, foot placement, and propulsion 

methods, A Short Illustrated Bounce Type Catalog and ways to construct your own 

workout sessions, a detailed scientific look at the benefits of rebounding and a 

compilation of all existing research to date, ways to bring rebounding into your every day 

life, and how rebounding is a kind of universal practice, to which you can bring any kind 

of inner work, including rebounding as a component of Integral Transformative Practice 

Obviously, this is a great deal of material, and it is my hope that by providing you with 

such a detailed and informative look at rebounding, you will be tempted to give it a go. In 

other words, for those of you who like a lot of information about something before trying 

it, I am hopeful that you will find what has been presented here as being more than 

adequate. 

But even if you believe everything that is written here, you may still be unwilling to give 

rebounding a fair try. Why? Probably because you think that as with so many other types 

of exercise programs, systems, and devices, much or even most of what has been 

presented here is probably hype. It’s a caveat emptor world, and anything that seems this 

good, you might be saying to yourself, is bound to have some serious drawbacks. 

I’m not saying that rebounding is perfect. I have had trouble with some of the rebounders 

I have purchased; I have at times overdone it and left myself feeling sore; I have left a 

rebounder on the ground and tripped on it and almost seriously hurt myself. On extremely 

rare occasions I still fall off my rebounder, and occasionally I’ll experience a kind of 

“glitch” in my bounce stride in the middle of an intense fast sequence. 

In the end, though, even if it rebounding isn’t perfect, there is one simple idea that I want 

to leave you with: 

It may be easier, more fun, and more convenient to bounce on a regular basis 

than it is to do any other form of exercise that will likely deliver you an equivalent 

level of increased health, fitness, and well-being. 

This is a serious claim, and I mean it in a serious way. Depending on your initial physical 

condition and whether you already have a well established and effective exercise 

program, if you bounce for 15 to 30 minutes a day, four to five (or more) times a week, 

you will be making a serious, long-term, strategic bet that, on average, is likely to leave 

you with a substantially improved level of health and well-being that will serve you 

exceptionally well in the long run. This is so true both for people who already have a 

strong fitness program as part of their lives, and even more so for those who at present 

are lacking in health, fitness, and well-being. 


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 friend’s 

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. 

It’s fun. It’s easy. It’s 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. 


Part VIII: 

Conclusion: You and a Daily Bounce 


32. Integrating Body, Mind & Soul: Bringing Your Favorite Inner 

Work to Rebounding 

33. Fun, Easy, Safe, Convenient, and Highly Effective: Is Rebounding 

for You? 


31. The Daily Bounce Website 

The Daily Bounce website, found at http://www.DailyBounce.com, is the online home of 

On the Rebound. On it you will find the following: 

• 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 

[more to develop here] 


32. Bibliography 

Berns, JB, Urban Rebounding…An Exercise For The New Millennium (New York: KE 

Publishing, 1999). 

Brooks, L., Rebounding And Your Immune System: Optimal Support For Your Body’s 

Natural Defense (Urbana, Ohio: KE Publishing/Vitally Yours Press, 2003). 

Brooks, L., Rebounding to Better Health: A Practical Guide to the Ultimate Exercise 

(Urbana, Ohio: KE Publishing, 1995). 

Carter, A.E., Rebound Exercise–The Ultimate Exercise for the New Millennium (Orem, 

UT: American Institute of Reboundology, Inc., 2003). 

Carter, A.E., The New Miracles of Rebound Exercise: A Revolutionary Way to Better 

Health & Fitness (Orem, Utah: The American Institute of Reboundology, 1988). 

Csikszentmihalyi, M., Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (Perennial, 1990). 

Farhi, Donna, The Breathing Book – Good Health and Vitality Through Essential Breath 

Work (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996). 

Gittleman, A.L., The Fat Flush Fitness Plan (New York: McGraw Hill, 2004). 

Leonard, G., and Murphy, M., The Life We Are Given (New York: Jeramy P. Tarcher, 

1995). 

Mander, Jerry, Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television (Perennial, 1978). 

Murphy, M., The Future of the Body (San Francisco: New York, 1993). 

Rama, S., Ballentine, R., Hymes, A., Science of Breath: A Practical Guide (Honesdale, 

PA: The Himalayan Institute Press, 1979). 

Reich, W., Character Analysis (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 3rd Rpt edition, 1980). 

Rudelic, R., Anything is Possible: A PowerTapping Guide (San Francisco: Lightning 

Source Press, 2004). 

Sneider, H., and Sneider, S., Harry and Sarah Sneider’s Olympic Trainer: Fitness 

Excellent through Resistive Rebounding (Arcadia, CA: Sneider’s Family Fitness, Inc., 

1981; revised edition 2000). 

Tart, C., Altered States of Consciousness (3rd Rev edition, 1990). 

Truman, K.K., Looking Good, Feeling Great: Fifteen Minutes a Day to a New You! (Las 

Vegas: Olympic Distributing, 1982). 


Walker, M., Jumping for Health: A guide To Rebounding Aerobics (Avery/Penguin 

Putnam, 1989). 

Roger Walsh, who has written a wonderful book called Essential Spirituality: The 7 

Central Practices to Awaken Heart and Mind (2000). 

White, J.R., Jump for Joy: The Rebounding Exercise Book (New York: Arco Publishing, 

Inc., 1984). 

Wilber, Ken, One Taste: The Journals of Ken Wilber (Boulder, CO: Shambhala, 1999).

On The Rebound: - Enlightenment.Com

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