Rebounding for Weight Loss: The Ultimate Fun Workout to Shed Pounds Fast!

Exercise is essential for any successful weight loss plan, but sustainability is key. Workouts should be enjoyable, not overly strenuous, and carry a low risk of injury. Rebounding, which involves bouncing on a mini-trampoline, offers a fun, low-impact, and low-risk way to move your body and burn calories. It is a stellar form of exercise for adults of all ages.

Why Rebounding Works for Weight Loss

Like other forms of exercise, rebounding burns calories. Bouncing on a mini-trampoline works all the major muscle groups, including throughout the core (abs, obliques, and lower back) and lower body (glutes, hips, hamstrings, quads, and calves). Even though it's low-impact, the bouncing motion of rebounding elevates your heart rate, improving your cardiovascular endurance. Rebounding can increase your metabolism, meaning you burn more calories at rest, thanks to its muscle-building perks.

Rebounding vs. Other Aerobic Exercises

Research indicates that rebounding is just as beneficial for burning calories and reducing body fat as running, without the high impact. Both walking and rebounding are relatively easy, low-impact exercises. Cycling can burn anywhere from five to 10 calories per minute, depending on the intensity. Compared to many other types of exercise, rebounding has a very low risk of injury.

Rebounding Exercises for Weight Loss

Here are some rebounding exercises you can incorporate into your routine:

High Bounce: The classic up-and-down jump helps with blood circulation, calorie burn, and core activation. Basically means bouncing so your feet lift up off the mat at least a few inches.
Bounce Down: Push your heels into the rebounder mat and move up and down in and out of a squat-like stance. Your feet won't lift off the mat, but you'll still do a repeated bouncing motion.
Scissors: Repeatedly alternate foot positions, moving one forward and the other back. Start with your feet hip-width apart, with one slightly in front of your body and the other a few inches behind. Scissor jumps are an excellent workout for the legs, engaging your inner thighs, quads, and calves, not to mention the core and glutes.
Surf Twist: Rotate your core and lower body from side to side while bouncing with your legs hip-width apart (or a little wider). Like a surfer, keep your arms extended out at your sides and elbows slightly bent.
Knee Drive: Drive one knee up toward your chest while balancing on the other leg, then switch legs and continue repeating the move. It's amazing for ab strength and stability, though this one calls for a bit more balance and coordination.
Kicks: Extend one leg out into a kick, switch legs, and repeat. Start with your feet hip-width apart. This move is just like standing front kicks you might do as part of a kickboxing workout.
Front Back: Front back is a great beginner exercise to practice taking up space on your trampoline. It challenges your proprioception and allows for more full-range upper-body movement. You’ll also feel it in the core, glutes, and hamstrings.
Jumping Jack: Jumping jacks work your core, glutes, hamstrings, abductors, adductors, and upper-back, but they also allow you to get comfortable moving side-to-side on your trampoline.
Ski: “Skis are great for a stability challenge as you're moving with a narrower base,” says Giampolo. “The side-to-side action with your legs squeezing together makes it one of the more challenging moves on the trampoline, especially when you increase speed.” You’ll also fire-up your core, glutes, hamstrings, inner thighs, and obliques.
Run: Running is a great introduction to single-leg movement on the trampoline, allowing you to practice shifting weight from one foot to the other. Your core, glutes, and hamstrings will also light up.

Sample Rebounding Workout

Equipment: Rebounder, wrist weights (optional)Time: 10 - 30 minutesGood for: Lower body, core, cardio

Instructions: Start with one minute of each exercise and consecutively work your way through all 10 moves. Once you build endurance, Giampolo suggests upping the intensity and doing each move for three minutes.

Benefits of Rebounding Workouts

Low-Impact: The support of the soft trampoline mat and elastic cords absorbs the weight of your landing, reducing the impact on your joints. Rebounding is simultaneously high-intensity and low-impact, as well as a workout that you can continue doing much later on in life.
Full-Body Workout: Hopping on a trampoline is a great way to work your entire body. Rebounding activates the glutes, hamstrings, and core since these muscle groups work the hardest to stabilize you while jumping on the trampoline.
Improved Balance and Coordination: Rebounding can improve balance, coordination, and functional mobility. Twelve weeks of rebounding was highly effective in improving balance and mobility in women over 50 with osteopenia, according to a 2019 study out of the Clinical Interventions in Aging.
Mood Boost: Jumping on a trampoline is actually pretty fun. Workouts need to include movements that make us laugh and feel energized, and bouncing on a mini trampoline surely checks that box. In turn, this can enhance your mood and trigger endorphins (a.k.a. your feel-good hormones).
Cardio: Jumping on a trampoline can improve cardiorespiratory fitness, according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE).
Calorie Burning: On average, women burn 9.4 calories per minute while on a rebounder, which is approximately equivalent to running six mph on flat ground or biking at 14 mph, per ACE. Rebounding can help promote weight loss, according to a 2018 study in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness.
Stronger Bones: After three months of twice weekly sessions lasting about 60 minutes each, the trampoline group had higher bone density near the hip - an area prone to fractures.
Pelvic Floor Health: A newly published study found the opposite for postmenopausal women, who had less urinary incontinence after three months of trampoline training.
Stress relief: Rebounding is a great way to relieve stress.
Easy on joints: The rebounder absorbs most of the impact, so you can do higher-intensity workouts safely.

Getting Started with Rebounding

Invest in a Rebounder: Giampolo recommends The Ness trampoline since it has arched legs and a buoyant mat for maximum stability and comfort as you bounce. McDowell recommends the Ancheer Foldable Mini Trampoline. The bungee cords keep noise at a minimum, and the rubber suction-cup legs improve stability, especially on hard floors. The trampoline also includes adjustable foam handles and resistance bands for extra support and upper-body work.
Start Slow: Give yourself time to acquire this new skill. If you’re a beginner, Giampolo recommends rebounding three to four times in your first week, even if it’s in short five- to 10-minute bursts, so your body has a chance to acclimate moving on an unstable surface.
Hold On (If Needed): If your rebounder has a built-in railing at the front, McDowell also suggests gently holding on during your first attempts.
Warm-Up, Cool-Down, and Stretch: A proper warm-up, cool-down, and stretch before and after each session is key for preventing injury.
Choose Your Footwear: Giampolo says you can wear sneakers or go barefoot. “If you’re going for a light, high bounce-style workout, being barefoot is totally fine, but if you're rebounding is more focused on cardio, I suggest wearing sneakers since it will help keep your feet and ankles safely aligned as you move in various positions on the trampoline at a faster pace.”

Leveling Up Your Rebounding Workout

Add Wrist Weights: The added resistance will further increase your heart rate and energy expenditure for a more intense workout. It’s best to avoid ankle weights, though, because they can put unnecessary strain on your hips as you bounce.
Increase Duration or Cadence: Increase the duration or cadence (a.k.a the speed you bounce) to make your workout more challenging. Just be sure to ease into an extended workout and don’t do too much too quickly.

Safety Considerations

Set it up properly: Ensure your rebounder is placed flat on the floor.
Injury Risk: While injury risk is low, you'll still want to think about safety when rebounding for weight loss.
Consult a Doctor: Anyone with inner ear/equilibrium issues or balance problems should avoid rebounding to prevent dizziness or nausea. Additionally, if you're pregnant or recently had a baby, bouncing can be stressful to the pelvic floor, so you should always talk with a doctor before incorporating it into your routine. Those with a joint replacement or back or neck injury should also get clearance from their doctor or physical therapist to avoid further injury.
Supervise trampoline use: An adult should always supervise trampoline use, especially for children.
One person at a time: Never have more than one person jumping on the trampoline at once.
Teach basic jumps and safety rules: Before letting kids on the trampoline, teach them basic jumps and safety rules.
Use trampoline padding: Place thick trampoline padding over the springs, hooks, and frame of the trampoline.
Remove any loose clothing, jewellery, glasses or hair ties: Long hair should be tied up and out of the face to avoid tangling or pulling.

The Importance of Diet

What you eat is just as important as exercise when it comes to losing weight. Most experts recommend reducing your intake by about 500-1000 calories per day to lose about 1-2 pounds per week. Focus on lean proteins, high-fibre whole grains, fruits and vegetables. And watch your portion sizes. With regular exercise on a trampoline and a balanced diet, you absolutely can achieve safe and sustainable weight loss.

Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Rebounding is an excellent way to maintain a healthy weight. To maintain good physical health and a healthy body weight, experts recommend 75 to 150 minutes a week of aerobic activity (like rebounding).

Rebounding for Arthritis

When it comes to trampolines for people with arthritis, size matters. The big backyard trampoline you may have bounced on as a kid is generally off-limits due to the relatively high risk of injury. Instead, consider one of the smaller, indoor mini-trampolines, or “rebounders,” that soared in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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