Rebounding to Good HealthWritten by Candice Pardue
An exercise that's often overlooked is one that can be fun for whole family - and healthy! It's called rebounding and is performed using a rebounder (also known as a mini-trampoline).
Rebounding, an effective aerobic exercise and cardiovascular workout, is not only therapeutic, but burns calories as well. This exercise also increases strength, is good for legs and joints, and is also known for improving digestion system and organ functions.
What is Rebounder?
Developed 23 years ago by Al Carter, an exercise specialist, rebounder looks like a trampoline, only much smaller. It contains a round mat which is attached by thick springs to a stand. During early 1980s, rebounding became a popular fad for working out. Rebounders were selling like hotcakes! Though fad faded eventually, rebounders continue to spark interest in media through new, innovative videos/DVDs being offered by fitness celebrities. Rebounders are still recommended for health improvement and fun exercise.
Combined Workouts to Help Entire Body
Other exercises can be combined with rebounding workouts such as arm movements, jumping, twisting, etc. to maximize effects of routine. Simply bouncing a few minutes a day can have a positive affect on a person's body by helping them to defy gravity and burn some extra calories in process. The more movement and more body parts that become involved in exercise, better. Rebounding helps to strengthen cells in body including bone and muscle cells.
How Do Beginners Use a Rebounder?
By starting with a simple bounce, beginners can move up and down without their feet leaving mat. The rebounder will move for them. Anyone can benefit from this low-level activity until they feel comfortable with faster or higher movement. Once familiar with bouncing, one can begin to introduce various movements into their routine such as jumping jacks, arm flex's, chest exercises, etc.
| | Confessions of a Personal Fitness TrainerWritten by Deborah Caruana RN, MES, CPT
As your personal fitness trainer my passion is to teach, coach, understand, push, prod, cajole, investigate, research and apply, over and over… As a ‘Fitness Role Model’…well…I feel vulnerable with weakness, so, in hopes we can all learn, from my own weakness, here goes…My Confession. Last year I had a number of clients who started stubbornly on Atkins diet despite my warnings. Immediately I saw almost profound results in their weight loss. I reminded them it was loss of water weight, and warned of strain on kidneys and high cholesterol risk. During this time I was mastering my yoga practice as a complete vegan but found that my immune system had been profoundly compromised and I was currently on my third cold for fall season Atkins was in media again because of new study results indicating lowered cholesterol. I went to Atkins book yet again with a more open mind, and decided to try diet. I liked contrarian view point to current AMA position of low fat diet, which seemed to be producing a society of increasing obesity. Atkins view of sugar as culprit making you fat, not fat, made sense and extra work from all protein for kidneys… it’s benign. I wanted to use his diet as a tool to get myself entirely off of any sugar. I started out on high protein, low carb aspect of diet. As I reintroduced animal proteins into my diet I could feel myself get stronger and colds, finally stopped. I also saw my muscle bellies start to open and swell again. The cold of winter was not as painful as it had been while on my vegan diet. I then summoned up courage to start bringing fats into my diet, including bacon, egg yolks, cream cheese, heavy cream, whipped cream, even bacon rinds. On a daily basis I would marvel at having eaten these “forbidden foods” only to awaken next day thin, svelte. I couldn’t believe this, result! I was loving eating all these foods so familiar yet banished since …childhood I was in full swing eating high fat, high protein, low carb diet at time when pictures on my website were taken. www.vitalsignsfitness.com I felt strong, but I had no energy!!! My walks on beach were lethargic, I had to force myself to go that extra mile. I was thin but I felt like a beached whale. My love affair with Atkins continued a few more months. I followed his prescriptions religiously.
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