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The fitness equipment for personal
training, home and office use.
About ReboundAIR
REBOUNDING AND STRESS MANAGEMENT
"What does rebound exercise, laughter &
vacations have in common? Let's talk about it!".
Al Carter, CEO, Author, looks into this question.
What exactly is stress? About fifty years ago,
Dr. Hans Selye recognized the mind-body connection
involved with stress, as all of his patients had
similar physiological and psychological characteristics.
There were studies done with laboratory rats that
found that these same physical responses existed
with animals when they were put under stress.
Selye claims that it is not eustress or good stress
that harms us but distress. Distress occurs when
the body becomes chemically unbalanced for long
periods of time creating an unhealthy internal
environment for the cells of the body.
Dr. Hans Selye was the pioneer in research into
stress in the thirties. He defines stress as,
“The non-specific response of the body to
any demands made upon it.” The body's response
to stress is known as the general adaptation syndrome.
When Dr. Selye was asked to present a paper in
France, it was found that there was no word in
French for stress, so they coined one: Le stress.
Similarly, when asked to speak in Germany, there
was no German word for stress, so it was named
Der stress. Dr Selye identifies stress as two
kinds: Eustress, or good stress and distress,
or bad stress. He is therefore, without doubt,
the founder of the concept of stress.
All bodies except for those in a coma are constantly
reacting to stress, -- the interaction between
living things and their environment -- either
eustress or distress. In fact, the whole purpose
of all exercise programs are designed to cause
the body to react to a eustressful situation so
that the body becomes stronger, making it capable
of surviving a distressful situation.
Each demand made on the body is unique in that
there is a definite response: when we are cold,
we shiver; when we are hot we perspire. In addition,
a great muscular effort increases the demands
upon the heart and vascular system. In most heavy
exercise, the arterial pressure rises about 30
to 40 percent, which will increase blood flow
by about an additional twofold. In other types
of stress besides muscular exercise, a similar
rise in pressure can also take place. For instance,
during extreme fright, the arterial pressure often
rises to as high as double normal within a few
seconds. This is called alarm reaction, and it
provides a head of pressure that can immediately
supply blood to any or all muscles of the body
that might want to respond instantly to cause
flight from danger.
However, whatever the specific response, there
is also activated a non-specific response which
is independent of the cause. For example: The
woman who is told that her husband died in the
World Trade Center suffers a terrible mental shock.
If, years later, he walks into the room alive
and well, she experiences extreme joy. The specific
results of the stress are opposite, but the non-specific
effect on the body is the same.
These stimulatory occurrences that cause the
body to react are known as stressors. In and of
themselves stressors are neither good nor bad,
it is how the individual body reacts to the stressors.
A well-balanced, healthy body will react to stressors
in a eustressful manor, where an unhealthy body
will react negatively in a distressful manor.
But the accumulation of stressors, whether good
or bad, if intense enough, will ultimately cause
physical disorders.
Men who took annual vacations were 17 percent
less likely to die over a nine-year period than
those who’d skipped vacations - and 32 percent
less likely to die of heart disease - say researchers
at the University of Pittsburgh and State University
of Pittsburgh and the State University of New
York at Oswego. The data came from a study of
12,866 men at risk [unhealthy] for cardiac problems.
The researchers say time off may contribute to
good health [healthier] by providing an escape
from (dis)stress and more time with family and
friends (eustress). [ top ]
Rebounding Eustresses the Body.
Rebound exercise, utilizes three natural sources
of eustress to enhance the body’s ability
to handle distress. By combining the vertical
acceleration and deceleration forces of the change
of velocity with the force of gravity, each cell
is required to adjust to an environment of increased
perceived gravitational pull. This natural, purposeful
stimulation makes it possible for the body to
function better in a one G force environment.
We have taken the license to change slightly
an article found in Personal Fitness Professional,
August 2001. We inserted the term “Rebound
Exercise” in place of “Exercise,”
and redefined “Stress” as “Eustress.”
[ top ]
10 Ways Rebound Exercise Helps Change Distress
to Eustress.
1. Makes you feel less anxious - Distress can
make you feel anxious which causes a chemical
imbalance, and studies show that people feel less
jittery and hyperactive following rebound exercise.
2. Relaxes you - One rebound exercise session
generates between 90 and 120 minutes of relaxation
response. This post-exercise euphoria improves
your mood and leaves you feeling relaxed because
your body is in homeostasis.
3. Increases alertness - Studies have shown that
when large muscle groups repeatedly contract and
relax as in yoga or rebounding, the brain receives
a signal to release specific neurotransmitters,
which in turn make you feel relaxed and more alert.
4. Makes you feel better about yourself - Think
about those times when you’ve been rebounding
regularly. Haven’t you felt better about
yourself? That feeling of self-worth contributes
to greater eustress.
5. Reduces depression - Some researchers believe
rebounding can be more effective than medication
for treating depression in some people.
6. Helps you sleep more restfully - Distress
can make it difficult to get a good night’s
sleep, but studies show that people who rebound
regularly sleep better than those who don’t.
7. Increase energy - Distress can leave you tired
and weary, because your body is spending excess
energy trying to get you back to homeostasis,
but even 10 minutes on the rebounder can go a
long way to upping your energy level. And the
old adage is true - the more energy you use, the
more you seem to have.
8. Rids the body of distress-causing adrenaline
and other hormones - Vigorous activities such
as rebound jogging and the strength bounce are
particularly effective.
9. Encourages a healthier diet - People who exercise
regularly tend to eat more nutritious food. And
it’s no secret that good nutrition helps
your body move from distress to eustress.
10. Helps you take time for yourself - Whether
you rebound alone or with a friend, it’s
important to take time for yourself during distressful
periods. [ top ]
Laugh a Little, Live a Lot
As much as we would like to tell you that rebounding
has all the answers to a stressful question we
have to admit that it doesn’t. UCLA researchers
are hoping humor will prove to be a miracle pill
in a study examining a tantalizing premise: What
if something that makes you feel good can stop
you from feeling bad? (changing distress to eustress?)
They’re testing the theory in a pain lab
at UCLA Medical Center. Watching videos ranging
from clips of old Marx Brothers’ films to
“The Simpsons” helps the youngsters
endure required treatments that cause pain.
The notion that humor might actually produce
healing-enhancing changes in the body is gaining
respect among some scientists in a field called
psychoneuroimmunology, which studies interactions
between the brain and the body’s disease-fighting
immune system.
Prominent humor-health researcher Lee Berk ,
assistant adjunct professor of family medicine
at the University of California at Irvine says
that they use the term eustress - “eu”
meaning “good” in Greek -- to define
what happens to the body when it feels mirthful,
or the opposite of distress.
In a distressful or painful situation, the body
increases production of distress hormones such
as cortisol and epinephrine. That in turn causes
an increase in heart rate and blood pressure.
Research has shown that distress also can inhibit
the body’s immune system and make people
prone to illness.
So, maybe all you have to do is laugh. But then
I don’t believe I have ever seen anybody
frown when they are rebounding!
Regular Rebound Exercise, add a good dose of
laughter, and refresh yourself with some time
off... our first lesson in managing stress!
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