To Rebound or Not to Rebound; That is the Question

Do you love etymology as much as I do? Discovering the origins of words is often quite illuminating, and sometimes it's simply another explanation of the definition.  Take rebound, for instance. It comes from an Old French word, rebondir, meaning to bounce back up.  

On the best days, one of my early activities in the day is to get on the rebounder for fifteen minutes. So many days, I wake up after good sleep on my lovely mattress, with my ergonomically correct pillow from the chiropractor and my softer than soft bamboo bedsheets . . . and my neck is stiff. 

That rebounder shakes all the stiffness out. The first several minutes of jumping are uncomfortable, as the stiffness resists release. 

As I rebondir, bounce back up, eventually my neck loosens up. 

Try it for yourself. Even if your neck isn't stiff, the benefits of rebounding are many. From Wellness Mama, here is a list of benefits from rebounding:

• Boosts lymphatic drainage and immune function
• Great for skeletal system and increasing bone mass
• Helps improve digestion
• More than twice as effective as running without the extra stress on the ankles and knees
• Increases endurance on a cellular level by stimulating mitochondrial production (these are responsible for cell energy)
• Helps improve balance by stimulating the vestibule in the middle ear
• Helps improve the effects of other exercise- one study found that those who rebounded for 30 seconds between weight lifting sets saw 25% more improvement after 12 weeks than those who did not.
• Rebounding helps circulate oxygen throughout the body to increase energy.
• Rebounding is a whole body exercise that improves muscle tone throughout the body.
• Some sources claim that the unique motion of rebounding can also help support the thyroid and adrenals.
• Rebounding is fun!

The traditional rebounder is connected to its frame by springs, but the newer rebounders are connected by bungee cords. Traditional rebounders can be found in stores and online for less than $50. The bungee cord rebounders are made by Bellicon and JumpSport. 

Try it! You'll like it! 

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