A few years a go I bought a Gazelle Air Walker endorsed by someone called Tony Little. I used it a few times. It was big bulky and I hardly felt I was doing anything. I now have a large bulky coat/clothes/junk hanger in the hallway! I kept meaning to use it but it's just so much hassle for little gain.
However a friend recently gave me something much more useful and I am now a massive advocate. Although I did complain about having more junk.
I have become a fan of mini trampolines and rebounding. As I was so unfit, just 5 minutes rebounding brought on a sweat and made me out of breath. I have now managed to work up to 15 minutes daily which includes various aerobic exercises as well as push ups and stomach crunches. I am aiming to comfortably do 30 minutes a day. In just 3 weeks of rebounding, drinking plenty of water and eating carefully I have lost a clear stone. I need to lose 2 to be a healthy weight again. To be clear I am not dieting, just eating sensibly. A useful trick I discovered is drinking carbonated water. It seems to make me want to drink more water. I found plain water hard to drink plenty of. Lidl sell 1.5L bottles of carbonated water for 25p a bottle.
To quote various sources, rebounding introduces many benefits over other forms of exercise. For a start it is approved by NASA. After all it's what astronauts use after lengthy trips in space where the effects of zero gravity cause muscle waste. Rebounding is reported to be 68% more efficient than jogging as well as offering superior support. Apparantly 6 minutes of bouncing is the same a jogging a mile.
Another important use of rebounding is it doesn't just offer an aerobic workout it also works every cell in your body including skin and internal organs. At the lowest point of the bounce you are actually putting 2-3 extra G's strain on your body. Another benefit advertised by many placed is the improved flow of the lymphatic system. This is the part of your body responsible for flushing out toxins and other rubbish in your system, including cancerous cells. Because the lymphatic system has no pump used for pushing this rubbish around it can take a long time to get flushed out. However with the effects of rebounding this can be pushed along much quicker than normal.
There are just so many other benefits it's unbelievable this has not been more popular. After initially using it I found the muscles around my ankles were sore and quite hard to walk afterwards but now 3 weeks later I am much stronger in the ankles and have noticed my legs are much more toned. Although I am tall and can carry it off, I have developed a bit of a stomach and unfortunately it's going to take a little more time to notice it around my stomach and hips. But this is just a case of maintaining discipline. I also use the mini trampoline for doing stomach crunches so I can tone my abs, which is my overall aim. The support of the spring mat is much better than lying on the floor. So far this is the best workout I have ever done and would recommend anyone try it even if it's just for 5 minutes at a time. At the end of a workout I actually feel like I have done something.
There are quite a few mini trampolines on the market and mine was given to me but they can be had for as little as £30 and can fold up quite nicely.
If you are like me and don't like the idea of gyms or self conscious, or are fed up with various soon to be junk fitness equipment try giving a mini trampoline a go. It is the best thing I have done in ages and am feeling the benefits in 3 weeks.
