Rebounding For the Elderly

!±8± Rebounding For the Elderly

It is important that you exercise, whatever age you might be. The reason why it is important is that it keeps your body fit and healthy and betters your ability to fight sickness and disease. Exercise also helps in the efficient digestion of vital nutrients in the food you eat. It helps to stimulate both the mind and body resulting in a greater alertness and energy levels. As we get older, however, we need to look at exercises that fit with our aging condition. Senior citizens require fitness programs that whilst great for the body and mind are also gentle on the body. This is why rebounding is one of the best exercises for the elderly.

But what is rebounding? To put it in its simplest form, it is bouncing up and down. Rebounding is done by use of a mini trampoline. It is not like regular trampolining where the emphasis is to bounce as high as possible. Rather, this form of trampoline is meant to facilitate a series of small, easy and well controlled movements. Rebounding is a low impact exercise because the mini trampoline is designed to give a little with each jump, making it easy on body parts that may be vulnerable in the elderly such as the knees, feet, hips and spine.

Rebounding makes use of the force of gravity as well as the acceleration and deceleration occasioned by the push of the trampoline. When you jump on the trampoline, you experience weightlessness in your body at the apex of your jump. Acceleration through gravity kicks in as you begin to come down. When you hit the trampoline, you first experience deceleration and then acceleration as your body is thrust back in the air. The combined effect of these forces helps stimulate key body functions.

Rebounding helps oxygenate your blood. In fact, rebounding is about 70% more effective than other forms of exercise in this respect. This is very important if you are elderly as you most probably spend much of your time seated. Rebounding even for a few minutes helps return oxygen to your brain and body. It reinvigorates blood circulation by pumping blood to your vital organs and aids your body in digesting food.

Rebounding is good for your lymphatic system which is the way through which the body deals with and ejects toxins from your body. A number of elderly people will have particular needs with regard to management of body toxins due to a certain illness or medication. Rebounding increases your white blood cell count thus directly countering illness. Rebounding's gentleness on muscles is enabled by the shock absorbent springs which eliminate 90% of tension for each jump. To the contrary, the exercise will actually build muscle and strengthen bones - both of which are key aspects as we get older.

You will only need to rebound for about 5 minutes a day to reap the benefits of this form of exercise. For elderly persons who often have limited mobility and health concerns, this mild 'workout' is ideal. The mini-trampolines can be fitted with safety rails to avoid any slips or falls. The trampolines are built with a base that is very close to the ground so it only takes one small step for one to get on board.