10 Negative Side Effects of Rebounding You must be aware of

Rebounding is a great form of exercise to get in shape. It burns calories way faster than jogging or running. Research says that only 10 minutes of rebounding is equal to 30 minutes of jogging. 

That already tells how effective rebounding is. Also rebounding is not harsh on the joints and gives a softer landing. Anyone who wishes to become fit and saty healthy could see rebounding as a safe option.

However, for some people out there, rebounding may not be a good option. You see, rebounding can make you fit, but it requires a basic level of fitness to begin with. If you already have underlying health problems, you might as well avoid rebounding or consult a doctor beforehand.

Don’t think that rebounding will automatically fix your health problems. Let’s get you familiar with some of the negative side effects of rebounding so that you know how to prepare yourself for a fun journey to fitness.

What is Rebounding?

Rebounding is a form of exercise that requires constant bouncing on a mini trampoline which is also known as a rebounder. That is where the name of the exercise came from. It represents a series of jumping exercises which are performed at different intensity.

Rebounding is mainly bouncing repeatedly on the rebounder, but it includes other moves as well. Moves like running, squatting, single leg knee lifts and kicks are all part of rebounding. They can be performed at any intensity depending on your fitness goal.

Most of the time rebounding is done for cardio with high intensity. This raises the blood circulation in our body, which helps the body.

Constantly jumping on a normal trampoline does not count as rebounding. That is part of trampolining.

Negative Effects of Rebounding

Let’s look at the negative side effects of rebounding so that we can make sure we rebound safely and carefully.

1. People go Reckless

This is a mental side effect of rebounding. We don’t know why, but people seem to always go reckless when they start jumping on rebounders. It is probably because rebounders are actually fun.

People seem to forget about all the safety tips of using a rebounder. This could cause problems or injuries especially for those who didn’t consult a doctor or a physique trainer before using a rebounder. 

2. Lower back pain

Rebounding could actually increase lower back pain. It could cause spinal strain on the back, but not for everyone.

Normal people with normal healthy back and spine should be fine on the rebounder. However, bad news awaits those who have osteoporosis or sciatica. With these medical conditions, it is a complete no-no for anyone to be on a rebounder, let alone rebounding.

Also, people with a history of severe back injury or accident that cause permanent damage to the back, should avoid rebounding.

3. Could Worsen Scoliosis

As we all know, scoliosis is the curvature of the spine which is caused by other medical conditions, could worsen if the affected person rebounds.

Scoliosis often shows up in adolescents. Rebounding can’t solve this problem and it is advised that a person with scoliosis stay away from rebounding or any kind of trampoline related exercise.

4. Could Sprain the Ankles

This is one serious bad side of rebounding. This is also a negative side of trampolining as well. One wrong landing, no matter how healthy and fit you are, could hurt or even injure the ankle joint on a rebounder or trampoline.

And let us tell you how painful that is. It is excruciatingly painful.

5. Hurt Knee Joints

Knee joints could hurt if you have weak knees. It is because you will need a lot of mobility for rebounding and your knees are the main joint where you get mobility in the lower part of the body.

Constant jumping could cause the knees to be stressed out. This could slowly weaken the knee or even injure it. However, it is possible to strengthen the knees and become stronger.

6. Could Weaken the Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor is the one that keeps our bladders, our uteruses (for females) and all the other organs on top. Repeated jumping could weaken the pelvic floor muscles (also known as prostate) that help us control our bladders.

The up and down jumping force goes directly through the legs, to the hips, and then to the entire body. For females, who have bigger pelvic floors (because they have to hold their newborn) are more susceptible towards this problem.

The problem includes weak bladder control, constipation and even weak prostate.

This is why it is advised, especially women who have history of childbirth, to consult a doctor before rebounding. Also, even if they rebound, their landing should be soft.

7. Loss of Bladder Control

We have just talked about the pelvic floor, we might as well make a separate point about the bladder control.

The pelvic floor or the PC muscles also known as the prostate are the ones responsible for giving you control of the lower body organs. These muscles help you hold in or let out urine, stool or even farts. Rebounding puts pressure in these muscles as we bounce, especially in women.

As these muscles get weaker, like we pointed out in the last part, you start to lose control over these basic functions.

8. High Blood Pressure

Rebounding can be great for the heart which could help in reducing blood pressure. However, there are some people out there who might get their blood pressure increased from rebounding.

It might be better for patients with high anxiety to stay away from rebounding as it could increase their blood pressure. 

9. Could cause Heart problems

If it can raise blood pressure, it can surely cause heart problems.

10. Increase Fatigue

Those who are a bit overweight or obese might get tired very quickly rebounding. They might get tired quicker than average people. The worst part is that they might even stay tired after rebounding through the whole day.

This condition does not apply to everyone.

Is Rebounding safe for the Pelvic Floor in Women?

Rebounding or just jumping on a trampoline demands great body control and power. The impact of rebounding revolves around the landing part which is concerning. The high impact landing is the one thing that causes the most problem especially in the pelvic area of women.

There was a study where researchers investigated female trampolining athletes under the age of 15. Their main purpose was to see the level of incontinence (bladder or urine leakage) from stress of high impact trampolining. Surprisingly all the athletes that were chosen for the study had shown signs of incontinence.

Now, rebounding is nothing like trampolining, but research has shown that this problem could also arise from rebounding. Women in their mid 30s or 40s who want to get back into shape by rebounding are also susceptible to this problem.

Now pelvic floor problems could arise even without rebounding. Problems like weak PC muscles, weak urine control, and pelvic floor laxity could come from a long history of pelvic floor related problems. Child birth, pelvic floor surgery, abdominal fat, age, poor lifestyle choices could cause these problems.

Rebounding with these pre-existing conditions is only going to make things worse. So we think women with these issues better consult a doctor before rebounding.

How to Rebound Safely and avoid Negative Effects

Since there are so many negative side effects of rebounding, it almost seems risky to exercise on a mini trampoline. However, we don’t want to discourage anyone and instead we want to offer a solution.

What if there were ways to modify your workout on a rebounder to avoid the complications of the rebounder. Take a look at the points below.

• Avoid landing with both your feet. Landing on both your legs increases the impact of landing which could impact the pelvic floor. So try to land on with one leg and then the other.
• It is like how the military marches using the left foot first and then the right. Practice jumping and then landing with the left or right foot and then the other one. This will reduce the impact of the land.
• Always keep one foot on the rebounder mat. When jumping, keep the landing foot lower to make sure you land first on that foot.
• If your rebounder has a handrail, use it. This will help you keep balance and lower the impact of landing.
• Avoid rebounding for a long period and keep the exercise intensity low.
• Take breaks between sets.

F.A.Q.s

Who should not use a rebounder?

People over the age of 50 or people with back, knee or joint pain from injury or any other reason should consult their doctors before getting on a rebounder. Even though a rebounder is supposed to make you fit, you need to have a certain level of fitness in order to start rebounding in the first place.

Why rebounding is bad for you?

Rebounding isn’t bad for you if you are a normal person who just wants to get in shape. Rebounding is bad for those who have some sort of condition that requires them to go check in with their doctor before rebounding.

Is rebounding bad for your brain?

Rebounding helps in improving blood circulation, which help in improving brain functions. So rebounding is actually better for your brain. However, not everyone is the same. Some have health conditions which could get worse if they do rebounding exercises.

Is rebounding bad for your kidneys?

Rebounding isn’t bad for your kidneys. In fact, rebounding will help your entire body and all of its organs. However, rebounding could cause problems for your kidneys if you already have kidney issues.

What are the side effects of jumping?

Trampoline jumping everyday is normal for healthy people, but it could cause problems for those who have pre-existing problems. It could increase heart rate, periods in females and may even increase joint pain for those who have weak bones. It is always better to consult a doctor before jumping straight in.

Final Thoughts

We hope the negative side effects of rebounding don’t discourage you from exercising. Rebounding is the most effective form of exercise. It is fun and super effective at burning calories, keeping you fit.

Only those who have pre-existing health problems or medical conditions should worry about the negative side effects of rebounding. Rebounding is super effective for the body because it is physically demanding.

It requires a lot of stamina, mobility and balancing. Those who have weak bones or joint issues should be careful about going on a rebounder because they can’t fulfill these demands.

And it’s not only about the bones or joints, every part of the body should be considered carefully before getting on a rebounder. This is why it is better to consult a doctor before rebounding. However, those who are fit and normally healthy people should not worry about anything and can go on a rebounder anytime they want.