Archive for December 7, 2010
jumping for joy…
I was less than happy to see snow flurries flying through the cold, gray sky yesterday with the forecast for the rest of the week in the 30′s. Of course, it’s a natural thing to expect here in December in the northeastern part of the US. I continue to struggle with the reality of dark at 5pm, leaf-less trees, abounding shades of gray and brown, and particularly my refusal to get outside and do my two-mile daily walk. It’s just too cold and dreary! If you identify with any of this so far, please read further; I have a solution at least for parts of this cold, dark dilemma…
My brother introduced me to the rebounder a dozen or so years ago; it is one of those small trampolines that sits about a foot off the floor. Jumping, running, walking in place for 15 or 20 minutes on this thing has the same aerobic effects on the body as 45 minutes on the treadmill. It’s 40″ in diameter and can be propped against a wall when not in use, or the legs fold flat and it can slid under a bed.
Mine is now propped against my wall in my office/workroom…I simply roll it over to the middle of the room, put on some great Krishna Das chanting music or anything else that has a good rhythmic beat and for 20-30 minutes,do what I call, jumping for joy. It really is a great dreary, cold day substitute for those walks I love and need and just can’t enjoy in below 40 degree weather.
Here are the benefits you can expect from using the rebounder:
Helps fight fatigue: Rebounding tones the glandular system to increase the output of the thyroid gland, the pituitary and the adrenals — which all help to restore energy.
Strengthens the heart: Rebounding strengthens the heart.
Increasing the G force will cause greater contraction. The involved muscles work harder and get stronger.
Nourishes the heart: By strengthening the heart muscle, rebounding allows the resting heart to beat less often. Each beat becomes more powerful and sends out a greater surge of blood around the body to nourish its 75 trillion cells.
Improves circulation: Rebounding encourages collateral circulation — the formation of new branch blood vessels that distribute blood to the heart. This is helpful when there is a lack of nutrition to the tissues as a result of impairment of the main blood flow.
Reduces blood pressure: Rebounding boosts muscle tone of the middle arterial muscles which acts as a buffer during high stress periods.
Aids muscle training: Muscle training from rebounding also helps return blood pressure to normal levels more quickly after acute stress.
Lowers cholesterol: Rebounding has proven to help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Fights heart disease: Rebounding holds off the incidence of cardiovascular disease.
Boosts red blood cells: Rebounding increases the functional activity of the red bone marrow in the production of red blood cells. The red blood cells carry oxygen and nutrients to the tissues of the body and also help remove carbon dioxide from them.
Facilitates oxygen: Rebounding establishes a better equilibrium between the oxygen required by the tissues and the oxygen made available.
Circulates oxygen: Rebounding circulates more oxygen to the tissues.
Increases respiration: Rebounding increases the capacity for respiration. Breathing is controlled by changes in the volume of the chest cavity brought about mainly by muscular movements of the diaphragm. Repeated rebounding exercise accomplishes more muscular movements of the diaphragm with the consequent chest expansion.
Aids muscle performance: Rebounding helps fluid move easily within the body, thus helping muscle performance and lightening the load required of the heart.
Aids lymphatic circulation: Rebounding helps lymph fluid circulate throughout the entire body – which acts as your body’s internal vacuum cleaner.
Promotes body growth: Growth of the long bones is especially stimulated by rebounding due to the stimulating effect of the pituitary gland, which produces a growth hormone.
Stimulates metabolism: Rebounding provides for a better absorption of nutrients from food intake and conditions all the body’s systems to handle energy more efficiently.
Enhances digestion and elimination processes: The gentle bounce exercise of rebounding has been exceedingly effective in returning natural, regular bowel movements to chronically constipated individuals.
Aids endurance: Rebounding expands the capacity for fuel storage, resulting in extra endurance.
Reduces obesity: Rebounding diminishes body fat, improves muscle tone, improves the efficiency with which the body burns carbohydrates, and lowers pulse rate and blood pressure.
Builds alkaline reserve: Rebounding provides an addition to the alkaline reserve of the body which may be of significance in an emergency requiring prolonged effort.
Aids peak cell function: Rebounding helps the body attain absolute potential of the cells through chemical function.
Improves coordination: Rebounding improves coordination through the transmission of more impulses and responsiveness of the muscle fibers.
Aids in muscle tone: Rebounding affords a feeling of muscular vigor from increased muscle tone. Healthy muscles are important to our sense of well-being, our grace, our coordination and energy.
Builds strength reserves: Rebounding supplies a reserve of bodily strength and physical efficiency.
Delivers muscle pain relief: Rebounding offers relief from neck and back pain, from headaches and from other pains caused by the lack of use of the various joints and muscles of the body.
Eases menstrual discomfort: Rebounding curtails the occurrence of fatigue and menstrual discomforts.
Maintains peak brain function at any age: Rebounding results in better mental performance, with keener learning processes.
Brings on better sleep: Even very light, gentle rebounding allows for better and easier relaxation and sleep.
Minimizes the numbers of colds: Rebounding helps keep the entire body with all its variable systems in tune and minimizes the number of colds, allergies, digestive disturbances and abdominal problems.
Stops premature aging: Rebounding can prevent or diminish the hardening of the arteries. By conquering this ultimate pathology, you will keep your mind alert, skin smooth, skeleton flexible, libido intact, kidneys functioning, blood circulating, liver detoxifying, enzyme systems alive, hold memory intact, and avoid all symptoms of the aging process.
I follow jumping with a yoga practice. This helps me be out of my head and in my body, the stretching feels delicious, and this movement allows me to slow down and be present with each inhalation and exhalation.
You can find rebounders on my brother’s cool website if you want to check them out www.evolutionhealth.com While you’re in his site check out incredible photos of him walking the wire…
Of course, another aid to what is called SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is what my kids call the happy light, or the official name is full-spectrum lighting. Sitting in front of this type of light helps with mood and energy levels since it’s providing similar effects as we get from the sun. Here’s one of the sites if you want to look into this http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/
Please let me know how you support yourself emotionally and physically in these cold, longer-dark days and in your life in general…
Namaste ~
