BLOG - How I See It By PT Aylia Fox (scroll down)

REBOUNDING is the new kid on the exercise block and gyms all over the country are laying on classes quicker than managers can say 'jump to it.'

It's incredibly popular - and now I know why, having done a couple of sessions myself.

Firstly for anyone that doesn't know what rebounding is, I'll describe it in basic terms - it's a form of exercise that involves bouncing up and down - while doing different movements - on your own mini trampoline. Anyone with children will be familar with the concept because the equipment is almost exactly the same as the mini-tramps that most kids seem to have nowadays.

And therein lies the appeal - rebounding is fun. It makes you feel like a child again. It's sort of liberating in the sense that you can lose yourself for 30 minutes-or-so and still feel proud that you've done a workout.

Rebounding experts say it provides fast cardio benefits, helps strengthen muscles and is good for anyone with joint problems as it is low impact. Other plus points are said to include the fact that it can help reduce stress and that it gets the lymphatic system moving, which helps flush out toxins.

These are lofty claims which I'm not saying I doubt, but for me the truth about rebounding is somewhat simpler. Rebounding is an excellent form of exercise if you are unfit, overweight, have joint problems, have an injury or you're very old or very young. It's also a good way to ease yourself into a new exercise regime.

But, if you're already fit, then there's far more efficient ways to workout if you want to progress.

I'm a personal trainer, therefore I'm fit (it would be weird if I wasn't right!?). I hardly broke a sweat after the rebounding classes I did. They were 30 minutes long. Maybe if they'd been an hour long I would be telling a different story...who knows.

But maybe that's not the real point of rebounding and maybe I'm missing the point. As I said, rebounding IS fun and IT IS different. If you're like me and you've been going to the same exercise classes for years, it's a breath of fresh air. 

As we all know, if exercise is enjoyable, then you're more likely to keep it up. If you keep it up, you're more likely to be fit and healthy.

So with that in mind, I've invested in a rebounding trampoline for my personal training business and I've been trying it out on clients recently. The verdict? They love it and look forward to its inclusion in sessions. That's proof enough for me that it's fir for purpose.