Rebounder workouts burn tons of calories without all the impact. They are a basic aerobic workout on a mini trampoline with a jumping diamater of 28" that allows you to rebound 2-3 inches high. You can burn up to 700 calories an hour because the tightness of the trampoline creates resistance that really works your legs, butt, and abs.
Rebounding looks easy but challenges your core in a very unique way. Every time you jump your abs work hard to push your feet down into the rebounder. In an interview for newsday.com, Blake Mays, a group fitness instructor at Crunch Fitness in Manhattan, stated that when you're rebounding you're working against gravity. Your body weight increases when you're in the air making your body work harder and develop more like a dancer's body; lean instead of bulked up. He claims that jogging on the rebounder for 20 minutes is the equivalent of running 3 miles.
But rebounding is great for many other reasons. It develops balance, coordination, rhythm, and has been proven to increase bone mass and prevent osteoporosis without the high impact. The rebounder absorbs 87% of the shock so it's safe for anyone even people who have back and knee injuries.
The best part about the rebounder is that it's great for training abs. Moves that some people find difficult to perform on the floor or bench such as v-sits, reverse crunches, hip thrusts, and trunk rotations become easier yet more challenging on the rebounder because the surface fully supports your back and provides resistance at the same time. All my female clients training abs on the rebounder always come back the next day feeling intense soreness but wanting more. They're skeptical in the beginning because the ab workout on the rebounder seems so much easier than what they've been doing but about 5 reps into any of the exercises they're really feeling their abs working which is something that a lot of weighted machines and ab benches just don't do.
If you're interested in taking a class call health clubs in your local area and ask if they offer an urban rebounding class. Both Crunch Fitness and Bally's offer classes. You can also get started at home with this safe and inexpensive rebounder and dvd. Stamina InTONE Jogger with Handlebar Plus Jogger Workout DVD
