Urban Rebounder
The Urban Rebounder is a piece of exercise equipment created by J. B. Berns many years ago to help alleviate the stress on joints and pains
that are sometimes associated with exercise programs and equipment. I was turned on to it by a friend of mine when I complained about the tightness in my calves
because of the extended time I was spending on the treadmill, and after seeing my doctor to complain about the pain I was sometimes in.
Basically, it's a mini trampoline built very sturdily
with a handle bar to help with stability, though some people might decide not to use it. It promises to help one melt away pounds of fat with only 15 minutes a day,
three days a week.
There are many platitudes for this thing; let me tell you some truths. One, I do use it, and it was much easier on my joints. You can do kind of a spread-legged walk or
slight hop on it and get some of the same benefits as you will on a treadmill, although you'll lose a lot in the cardio department. I mix in a little bit of walking
initially, then I go right into the jumping, holding on to the bar for support. There's a tape with exercises one can do, but I don't trust myself enough without the
bar to do any of them. Maybe it's my size or how fast I can get at times, but I know I've had the trampoline lifting off the ground at times, and it's kind of scary
when that happens, which is why I'm always holding on to the bar.
I also didn't only go into using the trampoline because I didn't want to leave out the cardio part of my workout. What I do is start off for 10 - 15 minutes on the
treadmill, then switch to the trampoline for the rest of my workout. What I've found is that, by using the trampoline it works my stomach muscle better, especially
when I'm jumping, and if I add some twisting in I'm also working the sides a little bit more.
With the combination of the two, and a much improved diet, I lost 32 pounds in six months. I also lost six inches off my stomach, and similar numbers off my chest,
hips and waist. My thighs and calves didn't shrink much; matter of fact, I gained an inch in my calves, but they've always been muscular anyway. Still, I got toned,
and I lost weight with the combination of the two. With only the rebounder, I had to almost double the time on it just to break a sweat, yet it was still enough to
work my stomach muscles.
Some possible downsides is that it puts a bit of stress on your back if you're somewhat overweight, and it'll take some time to get used to it. It's fairly strong, but
I noticed that after four months the metal had worked its way through the rubber bottoms of the legs, which I worked through by adding some padding underneath until one
of the springs broke; I did say I worked it pretty hard. Calling customer service was really easy and pleasant, and in the first year of warranty they'll replace both
the springs and legs as much as you need for free, including free shipping.
I recommend the Urban Rebounder if you need a way to walk without the pounding of a treadmill, and you can walk at your own pace without some machine prodding
you at its rhythm. If you can jump, even better for your stomach muscles, and if you have confidence in your ability to stay on the trampoline without the bar, the
exercises look great, and the soundtrack helps move things along. It wasn't that expensive either, only $125 at
Dick's Sporting Goods (though their website says it's not sold online), or $119.97 plus
shipping if you order it online.
