Have you been keeping up with the cross blog conversation that Shannon over at The Shrinking Mommy and I have been having this week?  Remember you can follow it easily here (Shannon’s blog) or here (my blog).  Today I answer Shannon’s question for me from yesterday.

“You’ve mentioned that rebounding used to be part of your workouts. At what point in your weight loss journey did you start using it (I’m concerned about weight limit) and do you have any tips on getting started rebounding?”

Love this question Shannon because the rebounder is my friend! Such a great workout.

The mini trampoline workout was definitely something I did on a consistent basis in the beginning when I started my new lifestyle.  When I was growing up my mom had a mini trampoline aka rebounder and we had a blast jumping on it so remembering those good times, I knew I had to have one.

There are different types of rebounder trampolines out there so as far as weight limit, they differ.  I want to say my first one mentioned a weight limit but I exceeded it by quite a bit and was fine but you’ll definitely want to do your research and choose wisely.  I also want to mention that the one I started with did not have a balance bar.

Oh and by the way, this topic fits perfectly into my Friday Fit and Healthy Lifestyle tips category so let me share a few benefits of rebounding exercises with everyone.

Friday tip: Benefits of Rebounding Exercises

The mini trampoline workout is a total body workout!  You cover all bases such as aerobic/cardio, toning, etc.   And you can lose weight and inches and have hardly any stress on your joints. It’s a low impact workout and a great calorie burner too.  Any one from beginner to advanced can use a rebounder trampoline. The biggest thing I have learned is that it’s so good for lymphatic circulation and helps to rid toxins from your body and speeds up your metabolism. Plus it helps the immune  and digestive systems.  Amazing benefits wouldn’t you agree?

A mini trampoline is more rigid than your basic outdoor yard trampoline the kids play on but it’s just as fun!  It’s so much better for your joints than running outside or using the treadmill. The rebounder is easy to use, fits in small areas so you don’t need much room and as with any exercise you’ll feel great and be motivated to do more.

As far as getting started with rebounder exercises, you’ll want to first choose a rebounder trampoline that you think will fit your lifestyle best.  Then what I recommend is testing out the waters for  few days by just doing the basic health bounce where your feet do not come off the rebounder.  Once you are ready, you can start trying different moves. You can usually find a variety of moves on DVD’s that might or might not come with the purchase of your mini trampoline or there are books as well.  I purchased a mini trampoline workout DVD called Keep On Rebounding and love it.  There are a variety out there.

I always recommend wearing socks and tennis shoes, no bare feet or just socks. I just feel it’s more safe and by wearing shoes you are able to protect your ankles and feet better.

Shannon, I am so excited to hear that a trampoline was a big part of your daughter’s weight loss.  Whether or not it was a mini trampoline or a full size outdoor one, that is exciting and goes to show that the more active kids are the better.

I mentioned the other day in our cross blog conversation about fitness challenges that I was in the process of planning a fitness challenge for February and it’s perfect timing to bring it up because it will be a fun REBOUNDER CHALLENGE!  Of course I’m still working on the plans for it but I’ll be sure to announce the specifics soon.  I can’t wait!

Now it’s time for my last cross blog conversation question to Shannon.

“Shannon, I followed your Thanksgiving challenge where you stayed accountable on your blog for a few days leading up to the big day when it came to food and exercise.  Do you plan on doing something similar for Christmas and if so have you thought about what your goals might be to stay on a healthy track through the holiday?”

Looking forward to reading your response tomorrow (Saturday)!

Question to my blog readers:

Have you ever done a mini trampoline workout?