Expert Fitness Coach Shares Rebounding Exercises for Your Wellness (Exclusive)

Incorporating rebounding exercises into my daily movement routine was a life-changing experience: it unlocked the childlike jubilation that bouncing on a trampoline once brought me, and it made moving around fun again. A fitness trampoline, the accessory upon which rebounding is performed, was an affordable purchase that has since paid dividends to my mental health and physical well-being.

My journey was inspired by Colette Dong, founder of New York City's the ness. From the aesthetically pleasing and motivating videos on the ness's YouTube channel to the sense of community fostered on their social media, Dong's guidance is accessible and welcoming to newcomers regardless of fitness level.

Dong, a trampoline cardio expert, shared her favorite rebounding exercises on the trampoline and the many benefits of each move exclusively with Green Matters.

Bouncing on a mini trampoline or rebounder can unleash the child within, and studies attest to the benefits rebounding exercises bring for those of all ages. "Trampoline cardio is not only child's play but a dynamic and effective workout for adults," Dong tells Green Matters exclusively.

"This low-impact, high-energy exercise combines fun with fitness, offering a full-body workout that enhances cardiovascular health, strengthens muscles, and improves balance and coordination."

"Whether you're looking to elevate your fitness routine or simply add a playful twist to your workouts, trampoline cardio delivers impressive health benefits while keeping the joy of movement at the forefront," Dong said.

Below, Dong takes us through her five favorite rebounding exercises you can do at home.

When I reignited my fitness journey on a rebounder, I lacked the confidence to stabilize my body and find my balance. Dong, naturally, recognized that issue and diagnosed it immediately: "The key to maintaining control on a fitness trampoline is to bounce down into the trampoline and not up," she tells Green Matters.

"Bounce down is the best move to start practicing with because it helps you perfect the downward motion and set yourself up to safely perform all other moves on the trampoline."

This exercise develops many of the muscles needed to continue advancing to more complex movements on the rebounder. "All of the effort happens when you press your heels down into the soft mat, activating your hamstrings, glutes, and core," Dong said.

"Keep your hips parallel and start to slice one foot in front of the other, like you're walking," Dong advised. "Scissors engage your inner thighs, lower core, and upper body."

"Cross jacks put a fun spin on your regular jumping jack," Dong said. Jumping jacks are my favorite classic calisthenics exercises, and when attempting this variation on the rebounder, this move had me breathing heavily in no time.

"Simultaneously move your heels out towards the end of the trampoline before squeezing your inner thighs to bring them back in, alternating which heel crosses in front," Dong advised.

As I developed competency in maintaining my balance and trusting my footing on the rebounder, I yearned for a move that would leave no doubts about how my aerobic endurance was developing. "With the heels grounded, bring your knee to your opposite elbow, crossing your body like you are buckling a seatbelt," Dong explained.

The Knee Cross move recruits various muscles that, in the moment, made me recognize my body was becoming stronger, stabler, and capable of enduring more complex moves. "Knee Cross is amazing for engaging the entire core," Dong affirmed.

The childlike enthusiasm and joy you feel as you symbolically become untethered from the responsibilities of adulthood and freely bounce up and down on your rebounder is, mercifully, a cool-down move.

"High bounce is our rest and recovery!" Dong exclaimed. "You finally get to catch some air by simply jumping up and down. Enjoy moments of weightlessness while you kick-start your lymphatic system."