How Rebounding Exercise Affects Your Immune System

The immune system is a crucial component of human health in general and cancer protection in particular, and wise lifestyle choices can give you the power to guard and boost your immune system’s efficiency. We all know that healthy habits like eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, not smoking and cutting back on alcohol are essential to immune system health.

You may also be aware that the immune system is very sensitive to stress.But do you know that another key ingredient for a robust immune system is regular exercise, especially a certain kind of exercise?

Most people think of exercise in terms of physical fitness, but regular exercise also plays many other roles. Not only does exercise help you maintain a healthy weight, reduce stress, increase circulation to bodily systems and detoxify the body, but it also stimulates the immune system. Before I go into further detail on how exercise can boost your body’s immunity, let’s discover more about what comprises your immune system.

Basic Introduction to the Immune System

A healthy immune system responds to disease-causing elements such as allergens, bacteria, fungi, parasites and cancerous cells and provides your body with proper defenses against invading microorganisms that cause allergic reactions, infections and other illnesses. Your immune system has three key components that work together to keep you well and healthy: physical barriers, innate immunity, and adaptive immunity.

Physical Barriers – The skin and mucous membranes protect the exposed surfaces on the external body and on internal organs. The respiratory, urinary, digestive, and reproductive tracts are covered with mucous membranes that prevent foreign objects from entering. Enzymes in sweat, tears, and mucus fight and neutralize potential dangers.

The Innate Immune System – Antigens (foreign invaders) that enter the system through a burn, ulceration, or another infiltration of skin or mucus barrier are confronted by the innate immune system. The innate immune system primarily consists of white blood cells that travel throughout the bloodstream and bodily tissues to find and attack these antigens. This innate system immediately responds to all threats, and it may completely vanquish microorganisms and other antigens without the use of other parts of the immune system — but it can sometimes be overtaken by certain viruses or other invaders.

The Adaptive Immune System – The adaptive system will rise up and fight when the innate system cannot overcome the invader alone. Some bacteria and viruses – and even cancer cells — are able to continuously mutate and thus build resistance to drugs and the immune system. The adaptive immune system will adapt to these mutations in order to target specific antigens. Your adaptive immune system’s arsenal of B and T-cells will replicate in massive numbers to fight mutated invaders. After the antigens are destroyed, a memory mechanism will remain in place. This creates future immunity to that mutated antigen.

These three systems are the building blocks of your immune system, but the immune system also needs the assistance of the lymphatic system, the cardiovascular system, and the respiratory system to properly do its many jobs. Exercise can strengthen your immune system by stimulating and regenerating the physical, innate, and adaptive components of your immune system, as well as supporting these other systems. But what exercise should you focus on and why? Hint: It’s something you probably enjoyed regularly as a child — jumping!

What is Rebounding?

Rebounding is a fancy word for bouncing or jumping on a mini trampoline. Exercising on a rebounder is one of the most beneficial and safe exercises available.Rebounding is low impact and stimulates every cell in the body, resulting in maximized health. The health effects of rebounding have been publicized by NASA and are recommended by health practitioners. As stated in the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation(1990), “The mini trampoline [rebounder] provides a convenient form of exercise with a major advantage being its apparent low level of trauma to the musculoskeletal system.”

According to James White, PhD, Director of Research and Rehabilitation in the Physical Education Department at the University of California San Diego, “When you jump, jog, and twist on this [jumping] device, you can exercise for hours without getting tired…and it’s a good way to burn off calories and lose weight.” A similar endorsement for rebounding appears in the Journal of Medical Science for Sport and Exercise: “The findings indicate that exercise on a miniature trampoline may provide a safe, adequate indoor exercise for normal and many cardiac patients of varied ages…”

How Rebounding Boosts Immune Function

Rebounding can help to stimulate and regenerate the physical, innate, and adaptive components of your immune system. Rebounding further benefits and strengthens the other systems that support immunity throughout your body. A strong and healthy immune system also needs a strong and healthy cardiovascular, respiratory, lymphatic and cellular system in order to properly do its many jobs. Rebounding stimulates and strengthens all of these systems.

The impact of rebounding on your lymphatic system is especially valuable and key to efficient immune function. Rebounding uses the forces of acceleration and deceleration to stimulate the immune system in one unique way that many other types of exercise fail to do. The up-and-down movement facilitates motion in the lymphatic system, which transports immune cells throughout your body. By stimulating lymphatic flow, rebounding is also great for detoxifying your body of toxins and other harmful substances.

The Bottom Line

The health effects of rebounding happen at a cellular level and at a higher rate than other forms of exercise. Rebounding can make the difference in your health and happiness by increasing your blood flow, loosening your tight muscles, flushing your lymphatic system, releasing endorphins, and clearing your mind. The rebounding action is impact free, it removes the impact of tension and stress on your body, and it’s really enjoyable!

Rebounding is highly recommended by BeatCancer.org. Learn more about rebounding in this free eBook Rebound Your Way to Optimal Health from Rebounder Zone!

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About the Author Leonard Parker is a health blogger, business development manager, and owner of the eCommerce store, Rebounder Zone, which specializes in rebounder trampolines, health equipment, and useful health information for mature adults. Rebounder Zone was started because Leonard saw firsthand how healthy living with regular exercise can change lives, and he wanted to help others experience this incredible benefit too. Leonard is a graduate of Stanford University and has worked as a digital marketing specialist and technology consultant. For any questions about rebounding or about the information mentioned in this article, feel free to contact Leonard at leonard@rebounderzone.com.

References:

[1] Gruber, J. S. (2004). On The Rebound: A Fun Easy Way to Vibrant Health & Well-Being. Retrieved July, 2016, from http://reboundworld.com/allontherebound1.1.pdf
[2] https://www.rebounderzone.com/pages/be-nice-to-your-immune-system-and-rebound
[3] Journal of Applied Physiology 49(5): 881-887, 1980. http://jap.physiology.org/content/49/5/881.abstract
[4] Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, 1990: 10; 401-408
[5] Journal of Medical Science for Sport and Exercise, 1980; 12:118
[6] Walker, M. (1989). Jumping for Health: A Guide to Rebounding Aerobics. Garden City Park, NY: Avery Pub. Group