Why I believe rebounding is the best exercise for kids
I read an article recently in the Harvard health archives, which basically points out that exercise is the single most important thing you can do for your health, in addition to following a healthy diet. And this isn’t just for us, it’s critical for our kids too, especially as they grow and develop.
How much exercise?
According to International guidelines, every child who can walk unaided should be active for at least 180 minutes a day, with ‘energetic’ play accounting for 60 minutes of this, spread throughout the day. By ‘energetic’ play, I’m talking about activities such as rebounding, climbing, running, jumping or skipping, playing with a ball or swimming.
Why rebounding is ideal for kids
There's no doubt that rebounding is one of the best exercises for kids. Scientific studies, conducted by NASA, have shown that just 10 minutes on the rebounder has the same benefits for the body as jogging for 33 minutes, but with significantly less impact on the joints. Rebounding also helps to build lean muscle as it’s a weight-bearing exercise, it burns a ton of excess energy (calories), it boosts the immune system, and it’s fun, which means kids will do it for longer periods, even if it’s broken up into mini sessions throughout the day.
The main benefits of rebounding for kids:
While all forms of exercise is good for children, there are some major benefits of rebounding, specifically for growing minds and bodies;
It builds a strong core
Rebounding is one of the best exercises to stabilise the core muscles as it also improves balance and coordination. It’s a full body exercise, which means that a single jump uses all the large, major muscle groups
It's safe and ideal for the whole family
Yep, you can enjoy fun bounce sessions with your kids too. In fact, I've just launched a series of age-appropriate rebounding workouts for families your kids will love. They're short and choreographed to fun songs so your kids will be entertained throughout. Available from ages 2-6, and 5-7.
ALSO SEE: My family-style workouts
It fits seamlessly into your life
My LR Rebounder is lightweight and fully portable. It has fold in legs and you can purchase my carry bag which means your kids can bounce indoors or outdoors, anywhere, anytime. No need to sit for hours on the couch when you can bounce.
Bouncing provides vestibular stimulation
The vestibular system is centred in the inner ear and it ‘talks’ directly to the brain via a key nerve pathway. It controls the sense of movement and balance and plays a very important role in child development.
Rebounding engages all the senses
When a child jumps, there’s an abundance of brain activity as bouncing aids the development of vision, visual-motor skills, hearing and auditory-motor skills. Trampolines also help to develop good body awareness, as children learn about how their different body parts move- as well as where they are in space and what direction they’re moving in. This all helps to build confidence.
Bouncing builds better coordination and balance
As kids jump, they sense the gravitational shifts and pulls which happen on a trampoline and their bodies respond by adjusting their position. The body has to work hard to stay upright and balanced- and this is where the magic happens, in all aspects!
Rebounding stimulates every cell, muscle and organ in the body
Besides boosting fitness, trampolining also improves digestion, blood circulation, stimulates internal organs, promotes lymphatic circulation and drainage and strengthens the immune system. The improved circulation of oxygen to your children’s brains can help to make them feel more alert and refreshed and improve concentration.
Also, the increased oxygen circulation stimulates the release of endorphins – neurotransmitters that can reduce stress and anxiety and promote happiness!
Need I say more? I could go on and on because I truly believe that rebounding is a miracle exercise that should form part of every person’s workout regime, young and old! If you have any questions on rebounding, please email me at Lisa@lisaraleigh.com. I’d love to hear from you.
