Traditional High Energy Rebounding classes performed at a high tempo (132BPM+) are best performed without the use of a handle bar for several reasons. Use of a stability bar in these classes is restricting and will have an adverse effect on posture and will limit core activation.
The concept of a handle bar was introduced as a part of rebounding exercise as a “gimmick” in Eastern Europe a few years ago.
Here are some of the reasons why we do not use the bar with Rebound Fitness workouts:
- If you watch any of the videos featuring a bar the repetitive forces placed on cervical spine from extending the neck 100’s of times per minute for 60 minutes will most definitely have an adverse effect on joint health and lead to painful postural conditions over time. Specifically, a degree of forward head posture due to the shortening and tightening of the cervical extensor muscles and lengthening and weakening of anterior neck flexor muscles
- Participants also tend to lean on the bar which results in less core activation and poor upper body postural habits. It also inhibits lymphatic flow as the upper body is effectively not moving
- The bar will restrict movement patterns and exercises that should be included in your class. Most effective exercise programmes should include rotational movement patterns/exercises as these are functional and needed for everyday life movements that target key core, waist rotator muscles. With a bar in place it’s very difficult to incorporate these in to a rebound programme and easy to knock/hit the bar with your hand/arms at velocity which can be painful
- From a practical point of view of storage setting up and putting away stability bars is time consuming and takes up a lot of space
Rebound Fitness certified Instructors are able to educate and coach participants to adopt a low centre of gravity and feel perfectly in control and stable without leaning on a handle bar.
So when do we recommend use of the stability bar?
We would encourage older populations, children or adults with special needs and clients undergoing injury rehabilitation to use the bar for a stability aid when following a specialized rebound programme.
Over time, the participants may become comfortable rebounding without the stability bar and this is to be encouraged to achieve all of the health and fitness benefits.
* reproduced with kind permission of Rebound Fitness
