The trampoline renaissance: How to properly bounce back

The humble rebounder is back and better than ever! This time with a growing body of research suggesting that one of the gentlest workouts might also be one of the smartest…

Pilates studios are fully booked, walking clubs are everywhere, and recovery has taken over our lives. We are always finding new and fun ways to incorporate exercise and wellbeing into our daily routines, without compromising enjoyment and fulfilment.

So why wouldn’t the nostalgic workout of bouncing on a mini trampoline be the next biggest trend? It’s a pretty whimsical way to squeeze in a workout, I must say.

Searches for ‘rebounder workouts’ have surged across social media over the past year, with everyone from professional athletes to wellness creators swapping high-impact HIIT sessions for ten-minute bouncing routines. It might look like a playground throwback, but the science suggests rebounding deserves to be taken seriously.

Back in the late 1970s, NASA researchers explored rebounding as a way to help astronauts rebuild muscle and bone density after spending prolonged periods in microgravity. Their findings suggested that jumping on a trampoline generated substantial physiological demand while placing relatively low stress on the joints compared with running.

Published in 1980, the NASA researchers found that bouncing on a trampoline generated around 68% more external work than treadmill running for the same level of oxygen consumption, suggesting it was a remarkably efficient form of exercise. The trampoline also distributed forces more evenly across the body, reducing impact on the ankles compared with running. While modern astronauts now rely on advanced resistance equipment rather than rebounders to combat muscle and bone loss in space, the study helped establish rebounding as a legitimate low-impact workout.

Nearly 50 years later, that balance of challenge and gentleness is exactly why rebounders are back. If you find getting up to go running difficult, the elastic surface absorbs much of the impact generated when your feet land, as opposed to the impact of running on pavement. That means your heart and muscles can still work hard, while your knees, ankles and hips experience less repeated loading. For people returning from injury, looking for lower-impact cardio or simply wanting to move more consistently, that's a pretty good combination to coax you back into working out.

Research has found that rebounding can improve cardiovascular fitness, balance, and coordination while recruiting multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Every bounce requires your core to stabilise, your glutes and calves to generate force, and your postural muscles to continually adjust to the moving surface. In other words, you're doing a lot more than simply jumping up and down.

Balance may be one of the biggest winners, because as we age, maintaining balance becomes increasingly important for preventing falls and preserving independence. Because rebounding constantly challenges your body's proprioception (your awareness of where you are in space), it provides a subtle but effective way of training stability alongside strength.

That's particularly relevant given that one in three adults over 65 experiences a fall each year. While a rebounder isn't suitable for everyone, exercises that improve balance and lower-body strength remain some of the most effective tools we have for supporting healthy ageing.

Then there's the question that seems to be circulating socials right now: does rebounding detox your lymphatic system? The internet loves to make this claim, but the evidence is less dramatic than many mini-trampoline influencers suggest.

Your lymphatic system doesn't need detoxing, to be honest. It already does an excellent job of clearing waste products and supporting immune function. However, unlike blood, lymph doesn't have a central pump like the heart. Instead, it relies on muscle contractions and body movement to keep fluid circulating. Activities such as walking, stretching, swimming (and yes, rebounding) may help stimulate this natural movement, but they aren't cleansing your body of mysterious toxins.

Perhaps the rebounder's biggest strength isn't physiological at all, but psychological. Exercise adherence remains one of the greatest challenges in public health, with many adults struggling to meet recommended activity levels. If bouncing for ten minutes feels less like exercise and more like play, you're far more likely to keep coming back.

And as you all know, at balance we're less interested in the ‘perfect’ workout than the one you'll actually do. The rebounder isn't a miracle machine, nor does it replace strength training or walking outdoors, but as part of a varied movement routine, it offers something increasingly valuable. It’s a low-impact exercise that's accessible, evidence-informed and, perhaps most importantly, fun. So, go on, get bouncing!