Out...of...breath...

Rebounding is supposed to be a great exercise for breast cancer survivors, especially since it helps stimulate the lymphatic system. That's one reason I bought my rebounder in the first place...I suffer from Lymphedema. Lymphedema occurs when the normal lymphatic flow is disrupted and lymphatic fluid accumulates in the body. It's uncomfortable and, at times, can be quite painful. So, to help my body reabsorb the lymphatic fluid that collects in my upper arms, I jump. My rebounder is not only fun, it's a medical necessity. 

If you've never jumped on a rebounder, it's quite an experience, even my youngest granddaughter, Heather, loves it! Let me tell you about it. My rebounder is not the typical rebounder. Mine has bungee cords holding the rebounding trampoline on to the frame. Most rebounders have metal springs. I chose the kind with the bungee cords because it was quieter and provided a safer jump experience. Maintenance is low and the bungee cords don't have to be replaced but every 3 years. 

In preparation for rebounding, comfortable clothes is a must. You're going to be jumping and bouncing and you don't want to be wearing anything restrictive. I usually wear a tshirt and sweats. You can jump barefoot, in sock feet, or in tennis shoes. I usually jump barefoot or in tennis shoes. I've found that socks are too slippery and slippery socks and an uncoordinated jumper don't make for a good mix! Shoes help people with weak ankles and provide more stability. When you've decided how you want to jump (barefoot, socks, or with shoes) it's time to climb up onto the trampoline. The rebounder is only about 14 inches off the ground but even that height can prove you unstable if you don't have good balance. 

The best way to get going is just to start gently bouncing so you can get the feel of things. I always try to stay right in the center of the trampoline because I'm afraid if I get too close to the edge, I'll get my feet tangled in the bungees and fall....I'm a klutz, just so you know (and I'm not kidding here). After you've bounced gently and slowly, you can start to increase your height and speed. I've found the higher I go, the less stable I am. You can twist from side to side as you jump up and down, you can do jumping jacks, you can alternate feet...there's a lot you can do. Just the up and down motion stimulates the lymphatic system and disburses the lymphatic fluid. (There are many rebounding routines out there on the internet if you need one.)

Since I tend to get a little wobbly and off balance, I've found that it helps me to use a stablizing bar. You can purchase one specifically for your rebounder but I've found I can scoot the rebounder close to my treadmill and hold onto one of the treadmill bars while I jump. Holding on to the bar affords me some much needed stability and gives me more confidence as I jump higher and higher. 

Today, as I was jumping, I started to form my own little jumping routine. First I marched in place to give my heart rate time to increase gradually. Next, I started to jump up and down gently and then began jumping from side to side. After doing that for a little bit, I started to twist side to side as I jumped. I was having fun! I decided to ramp it up a notch and started bouncing harder and faster. Within just a few minutes I had to stop! My heart was beating really fast and I could hardly breathe. I wondered why I was having trouble breathing...I hadn't ever had difficulty breathing when exercising before and then, I remembered. 

When I had my PET scan, to look for the spread of cancer in my body, the radiologist noted I'd had damage to my right anterior lobe of my lung from the radiation treatments. I guess that's why I was getting out of breath easily, so I slowed it down a bit and felt better. As I continued jumping, I had to laugh. Here I was jumping on my rebounder while holding onto the treadmill handrails. I got a mental image of myself being really energetic and doing a big jump from the rebounder right onto the treadmill and immediately beginning a rapid jog. Before my mind could return me from the treadmill back to the rebounder, I took a deep breath and hopped off. I'd better not push it. One and a half lung isn't the greatest for rebounding but it surely would be stressed to the max if I included jogging on the treadmill too. I'd hate to have had to call 911 and tried to explain what I was doing and how I'd gotten so out of breath. I don't think they would have believed me. 

Rebounding is a fun, low impact exercise and I highly recommend it. Just be careful and check with your doctor first. 

© bonnie annis all rights reserved

What a workout!

I was so excited as I pulled into the driveway and saw the huge box against my front door. My rebounder finally came. I could barely wait to get out of the car and open the front door! It is August, not December, but it felt like Christmas to me.

With a good amount of effort, I drug the box inside the house. It was more cumbersome than heavy. As I unboxed the rebounder, I was amazed at how quickly it went together. All I had to do was screw on the 6 stabilizing legs and put on some end caps. Voila'! My rebounder was ready.

I flipped it over and stood looking at it for a few minutes. It looked really nice. I'd gotten to choose the color of the bungees and the top. I chose hot pink, very significant of my breast cancer journey, don't you think? As I looked over the rebounder, I wondered if it would hold my weight. It looked sturdy enough even though I wasn't a little kid anymore and I was significantly heavier than I had been way back then!

I slipped the instructional DVD into my computer and pressed play. Timidly, I stepped up onto the rebounder watching the bungee cords as they gave way just a bit. So far, so good. I marched in place and got used to the way it felt to be on the top of the rebounder. I'd never been on one before and this was very new to me. I was surprised at how I struggled to keep my balance. I'm sure it will get better with time. I wished I'd bought the stabilizing bars that were optional, but hindsight is 20/20. Maybe I'll order then later.

The lady on the exercise video began to move on her rebounder. She was so thin and energetic! (Naturally, why would they choose an overweight instructor?!) I watched and mirrored her actions. She started out slowly and then increased the intensity. As I was working out with her, I thought this was going to be a pretty easy way to exercise. First we were just marching in place and then we progressed to jumping jacks.

Getting up a little courage, I began to bounce along with her. This was supposed to be an exercise that would help my lymphatic system. I sure hoped it worked. It was starting to be fun! I bounced a little higher and a little higher copying her movements. The higher I got, the more out of control I felt. I needed to slow it down a little. I realized as I was beginning to slow myself down, the light fixture in my office was right over my head and if I'd kept on bouncing higher and higher, I would have probably knocked myself out on the light. I got a mental image of myself trying to explain to the doctor how I got a brass finial embedded in my head! Heavens!

I'd worked up a sweat and as I was wiping my forehead, the instructor finished up the workout session. I stood on the floor and watched her. I glanced from the computer screen to the written instructions I'd received and noticed a warning. The warning said to keep exercise sessions between 2 and 5 minutes a day for the first week. I'd already worked out about 15 minutes. It also said the day after you began rebounding, you'd notice sore muscles in areas that had not been worked for some time. That tells me that tomorrow, I'm going to feel the burn. I have a lot of muscles that haven't been worked out in a really long time.

I'm so glad I was the only one home today when I began rebounding. I bet I looked really funny. I had on a black and white striped exercise top, black leggings, and some fuzzy pink polkadot slipper socks on to keep me from falling. Can you imagine me bouncing up and down hair flying all over the place while stifling unbridled laughter?

After a few days, I'm sure I'll get the hang of it. I'm excited to know it's low impact. My poor old knees are thankful too. Fifty seven years old and jumping on a mini  trampoline...who wouldn't thunk it?

©bonnie annis all rights reserved

Jump for joy!

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know I struggle daily with swelling in my upper arms. It drives me nuts! Within just a few minutes of waking, my arms are already getting fat, and I have a condition called Lymphedema to thank for it. It not only causes discomfort, it also causes me to have to buy shirts two sizes larger than I normally wear just so I can get my arms in the sleeves! So, you can imagine my frustration and my desire to find any and everything that will help decrease the effects of Lymphedema on my body.

Today, as I was researching, I found an interesting study by By Dave Scrivens, Certified Lymphologist, that was published in the Well Being Journal Vol. 17, No. 3. In his article, Mr. Scrivens says, "The body has a built-in need for activation. The lymph system, for example, bathes every cell, carrying nutrients to the cell and waste products away. Yet the lymph is totally dependent on physical exercise to move. Without adequate movement, the cells are left stewing in their own waste products and starving for nutrients, a situation that contributes to arthritis, cancer and other degenerative diseases. Vigorous exercise such as rebounding [jumping on a therapeutic mini-trampoline] is reported to increase lymph flow by 15 to 30 times. Also, bones become stronger with exercise. Vertical motion workouts such as rebounding are much different and much more beneficial and efficient than horizontal motion workouts, such as jogging or running. The lymph fluid moves through channels called “vessels” that are filled with one-way valves, so it always moves in the same direction. The main lymph vessels run up the legs, up the arms and up the torso. This is why the vertical up-and-down movement of rebounding is so effective to pump the lymph."

Dr. Scrivens also says: The lymphatic system is the metabolic garbage can of the body. It rids you of toxins such as dead and cancerous cells, nitrogenous wastes, infectious viruses, heavy metals, and other assorted junk cast off by the cells. The movement performed in rebounding provides the stimulus for a free-flowing system that drains away these potential poisons.

Unlike the arterial system, the lymphatic system does not have its own pump. It has no heart muscle to move the fluid around through its lymph vessels. There are just three ways to activate the flow of lymph away from the tissues it serves and back into the main pulmonary circulation. Lymphatic flow requires muscular contraction from exercise and movement, gravitational pressure, and internal massage to the valves of lymph ducts. Rebounding supplies all three methods of removing waste products from the cells and from the body."

So as I read about the beneficial effects on the body of rebounding, it just made sense! I thought weight lifting would be the best thing for displacing the fluid collecting around my upper arms but after the pain I suffered last night from using them, I've changed my mind and think this may be the best option. Now to find the perfect rebounder. 

Do you remember the scene from the movie, "Fried Green Tomatoes," where Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates) is jumping on her rebounder? That's going to be me soon! I'll let you know how it works and maybe I'll enjoy it so much, I'll be jumping for joy every day!

©bonnie annis all rights reserved