The Urban Rebounder is a 48" gym quality exercise trampoline designed to give people a very effective low impact workout. It is used throughout the world in homes and popular gyms, is fun, and affordable. It was developed by a man named J.B. Berns (urbanrebounding.com) who has over 20 years of experience of martial arts training. He needed a safe effective way to exercise and stay in shape after he experienced a knee injury. Traditional aerobic exercise systems like step aerobics, running, biking, elliptical training, spinning, etc, where too strenuous on his knee. Thousands of people now use the Urban Rebounder to get either start or get back into an exercise program. This specially designed indoor trampoline is well made, sturdy and will provide a wide range of health benefits to many people of different fitness levels.It only stands 10 inches tall and 48 inches across. It can be folded up and stored out of the way if you desire (although I recommend leaving it in the open position so it is more motivating to use it).
It comes with 2 DVD's with a wide range of workouts and a setup video.
It has the quality of a gym machine but the afford-ability of a home machine. In fact, famous fitness centers such as Bally's, Crunch, Equinox, Gold's, and the YMCA have rebounding classes that feature the Urban Rebounder.
Summary: This is somewhat of a long post so I will do my best to summarize it on only a few sentences.
The Urban Rebounder is one of the on the market today. The average rating on Amazon is 3.5 out of 5 stars. The price is almost one-third as much as it two closest competitors (and ).
Rebounding has been shown to be twice as effective as running on a treadmill and safe for people who are recovering from injury* or people who want a change to their current fitness program.
Who Would Get the Biggest Benefits from a Mini Trampoline Workout?
The biggest advantage of using an Urban Rebounder (or any other high quality mini trampoline) is that you will be able to do high impact exercises that do not cause significant stresses on your lower body. The rebounding workout can be customized to fit just about any fitness level. If you are older than 12 years of age and less than 300 pounds you can use this exercise equipment to either:- get back into shape
- get some exercise even if you are injured or have reduced mobility or you want to work on specific sports moves and strengthening exercises
- have fun while exercising
- you are a runner or used to be a runner but you want a workout that is not as hard on your legs anymore
What does the public think of the Urban Rebounder?
Often you can tell how good a piece of exercise equipment is by asking the people who own one if they like it or not. Amazon has over 100 reviews of the Urban Rebounder from previous buyers. The average customer review is 3.5 stars out of five. While there are too many reviews to go through, I have read a lot of them. Some of the more informative ones include:- - 4 out of 5 stars - Better than I expected!
- - 5 out of 5 stars - My favorite form of aerobics
- - 5 out of 5 stars - Great workout; easy on knees so far
- - 4 out of 5 stars - easy indoor exercise
that uses it at home and at the school for therapeutic reasons.
The Pros of Owning an Urban Rebounder
- sturdy construction (a total of six 8 inch metal legs that are 1" in diameter offer a strong base), round deck that supports the mesh is also made from a high quality metal tubing, the springs are larger than most other designs and have a special shape that minimizes stresses - you can work out at your own pace (beginner, intermediate, advanced videos are included but you can simply bounce lightly or run in place vigorously depending on your fitness levels)
- can be used if you are recovering from an injury (always consult your doctor beforehand though). There is much less stress on your joints, especially when compared to running
- it easy to assemble (be sure to get help opening and closing it, strong recommendation to have 2 people when folding or unfolding the rebounder)
- you can use it indoors or outdoors if necessary. Care should be taken to avoid getting it wet though
- fun to use. Bouncing is actually quite fun and at the same time it helps stimulate the lymphatic system (the seldom talked about part of the body responsible for cleaning up cellular waste)
- excellent form of cardio. It works all major muscle groups, helps build stamina, muscle strength and increase balance and coordination
- very good way to work your core abdominal muscles without the strain of doing sit ups or buying another 'uni-tasking exercise machine'
- it is an efficient form of exercise. A NASA study revealed that rebounding is up to two times as efficient as running on a treadmill (see below) and even 10 to 15 minutes of bouncing can produce health benefits in many people
- comes with 2 workout DVD's that retail for $40. Workouts included on DVD 1 are: First Timers, Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Senior, Abdominal. DVD2 contains: Box and Bounce, Dance Bound, Core Bound, Hip Hop Bound. More videos can be ordered if you would like a different flavor of working out
- has a stabilizing bar to help with your balance (it is not designed to fully support your weight, but rather their to aid your balance while using the equipment). Personally I used it about 5 or 6 times then I took it off because I did not need it anymore.
Negative aspects of the Urban Rebounder
- easy to setup but you do need 2 people. Spring loaded hinges can pinch your hands so READ THE INSTRUCTIONS (sorry for shouting) and wear gloves when folding or unfolding the unit
- children under 12 should not use the rebounder unless supervised by an adult. This is an exercise machine, not a toy
- it is a bit on the noisy side. Place it on a carpet to reduce the noise level. Oil the spring connections with WD-40 to help also. The noise is caused by metal on metal rubbing. There are these yellow plastic tubes that go on the connections but they may slip off over time. I spent an hour putting most of them back on and it really reduced the noise levels a lot.
- it is a bit heavy so don't really expect this to be very portable. It IS capable of being folded up and carried around but unless you have to (like you are a personal fitness trainer) I would not recommend it
- some people had a smell issue. The trampoline arrived and had a smell of new vinyl (that's what one person called it). Most people either aired it out for a day or two OR complained and sent back the unit
Tips for Owners
- keep the instructions and manuals and read them before using the rebounder
- wear comfortable shoes that have excellent support
- use a spare piece of carpet under it to reduce noise and impact on your floor or existing carpet
- if you have the room, keep it out in the open as a reminder that exercise can be a daily event
Where can you get an Urban Rebounder for a cheap price?
At this stage you are probably wondering where to buy the Urban Rebounder. I bought my from a TV shopping channel but the price was higher than Amazon's today. So, my suggestion is to if you wish to purchase an Urban Rebounder. Amazon also gives you super saver shipping on most products, including this one.Why is it recommended?
I am recommending Urban Rebounding for the following 4 reasons.- It is the most affordable high quality indoor mini trampoline on the market today. Closest competitors are the and models but they are about 3 times the price.
- I personally own one and can attest to how much fun they are, the high degree of workout that can be achieved and the low stress on the joints when compared to running
- According to a very old study done in 1980, rebounding is a more efficient and lower impact form of exercise than running (see below for details).
- The urban rebounding workout system has been featured on The Today Show, the Martha Stewart Show, The Doctors, The View, As Seen on TV and has been written up in articles by at least 10 exercise and fitness magazines.
- G-forces on the ankles are two times that on your lower back and forehead when running on a treadmill. This is used as evidence as to why people develop lower leg soreness or injuries when running
- G-forces on the ankles are about the same as your lower back and forehead when bouncing and low enough that injury was not likely for normal healthy individuals
- Your muscles will get the same level of work with less oxygen needed which also means less stress on the heart. This means that rebounding is less strenuous than running on a treadmill
- Low impact rebounding (less than 4 Gs) was measured to be as much as two times as efficient as running on a treadmill
- High impact rebounding (4 G's and up) is not any more efficient than running on a treadmill however, the stress on the ankle is still safe enough that injuries should not occur in healthy individuals
* always consult a physician before starting any exercise program
Urban Rebounder Folding Trampoline Workout System: Sports & Outdoors