Safety instructions

PLEASE READ ALL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE USING YOUR REBOUNDER!

These Safety Instructions are intended to promote your safe and enjoyable use of the Rebounder, and failure to follow them can result in serious bodily injury.

Use the Rebounder only as described in these Safety Instructions. Misuse and abuse of this Rebounder is dangerous and can result in serious injury.

Proper assembly is essential for your safety, so please read through the Assembly Instructions carefully before using your Rebounder.

The owner and anyone supervising the use of the Rebounder are responsible to make all users aware of these Safety Instructions.

Secure the Rebounder against unauthorized and unsupervised use. This is especially important if you are using the Rebounder in a home, yard or any other venue where children may be present.

Make sure that the floor or area around the Rebounder is clear of all objects that may cause injury if you step on them when dismounting.

Rebounding is a very effective cardiovascular exercise and, as such, increases your body’s need for oxygen, so be sure that the room in which you use your rebounder is well ventilated with fresh air.

Adequate overhead clearance is essential. When choosing a location for your Rebounder, be sure to provide sufficient clearance for ceilings, ceiling lights, ceiling fans, wires, tree limbs, etc. Failure to provide adequate head clearance can result in head or neck injury.

Lateral clearance around your Rebounder is essential. Maintain a clear space on all sides of the Rebounder. This is important because mounting and dismounting the Rebounder’s pliable surface with precision can be challenging, and stepping on, or bumping into, an object during this process could cause serious injury. Place the Rebounder away from structures, fences, play areas, furniture, and other exercise equipment. Many Rebounding exercises involve moving your arms or legs beyond the periphery of the Rebounder, so be sure that there is plenty of unobstructed space around the rebounder for these movements. Be sure to remove all obstructions from beneath the Rebounder before mounting it.

Do not place the Rebounder on an elevated surface. The Rebounder should be on a level surface on the floor level or the ground and it should not wobble, tip or glide. Be sure that all six legs are securely in place and that each leg has its anti-slip rubber foot attached.

Inspect the Rebounder before each use to make sure it is in proper working condition. Be sure to replace all worn, defective, or missing parts. For Rebounders with screw-in legs, make sure that each leg is screwed on firmly, and for Rebounders with folding legs, be sure that each leg is securely snapped into place.

It’s essential that your feet grip the mat securely when using the Rebounder. Whether you plan on using socks, shoes or bare feet while rebounding, be sure that they do not slide or feel unstable on the mat before you begin exercising. Cotton socks usually work well. If you are using your Rebounder outdoors, make sure that the mat is clean and dry.

When rebounding, do not wear loose clothing that could become caught in the Rebounder or tight clothing that could restrict your movements.

It’s always best to consult your doctor or healthcare provider before beginning any new exercise program, especially if you have any preexisting health issues. People who are 50 years or older and people who have problems with their back, their joints or their feet, or people who suffer from bad circulation, heart problems or health issues related to injuries or accidents, should definitely consult their doctor before using the Rebounder to make sure that it’s a safe, appropriate exercise choice for them. If, after using the Rebounder, any deterioration of health is observed, consult a doctor before continuing to use the Rebounder.

Adapt the level of your fitness training to the level of your ability, both in terms of its intensity and duration. Be sure not to overwork yourself.

If you are new to rebounding, don’t exercise for more than five minutes at a time during the first week. Rebounding engages a wide variety of muscles throughout the body, many of which tend to be underused, so it’s important to start slowly to give your body a chance to adapt to this new form of exercise. After the first week, you can increase your training time up to ten or twenty minutes per session and even include more than one session per day. However, if your body feels uncomfortable after your rebounding session, then you might have overworked yourself: reduce the duration and intensity of your workouts. When you do choose to increase the intensity of your training, be sure to do it gradually and only when you can do so comfortably, without overexertion or strain.

After a few weeks of adapting to rebounding exercise, we recommend twenty to thirty minutes of daily use, if your health and fitness permits, which can be broken up into shorter sessions throughout the day. Keep in mind that it’s the regularity of exercise that produces the greatest benefits, so if you plan on spending a certain amount of time exercising per week, it’s better to divide this time into shorter workouts throughout the week rather than longer workouts on just one or two days. Persistence is the key to increasing your fitness!

It’s not uncommon to experience muscle ache after the first few workouts on the Rebounder as your muscles, particularly muscles sets that may have been previously underused, adapt to this form of exercise. If this happens, be gentle with yourself and reduce the duration and intensity of your workouts until it passes. We recommend stretching the leg muscles after each rebounding session with the kinds of stretches used after jogging. Never “push through” discomfort or pain when exercising, as these may be warnings of overexertion, injury or other serious issues.

Some people experience slight dizziness or light-headedness during their initial rebounding sessions because their body isn’t used to this kind of movement. If you feel dizzy or faint, stop your workout immediately. Never use your Rebounder if you feel disoriented. If you continue to feel dizzy after three days have elapsed, we strongly suggest that you visit your doctor or healthcare provider.

If you find that you are having difficulty staying balanced while bouncing, move the Rebounder beside a wall, or put a heavy, tall-backed chair beside it so that you have something to hold onto to steady yourself, should you need to. In most cases, any feeling of unsteadiness subsides after the first week or two. If the issue persists, or if you have a preexisting problem with balance or proprioception, we offer sturdy, hand support bars in our online shop that are available in sizes to fit any bellicon® model.

You don’t need to perform high bounces to enjoy the health and fitness benefits of rebounding. Most workouts don’t involve bouncing more than two or three inches above the mat. A bellicon® workout should focus primarily on bouncing deeply into the mat, thus taking full advantage of the bellicon’s pliable surface, because the downward portion of the bounce cycle is the most beneficial. People who prefer a very gentle workout, or for those engaging in rehabilitative exercise, can choose to bounce in such a way that they dip several inches into the mat at the bottom of each bounce but, at the top of the bounce, their feet never leave the mat. We call this approach “health bouncing,” and it’s an extremely low-impact exercise that can be very effective.

Never attempt or do high jumping, somersaults, flips or any acrobatic maneuvers with the Rebounder.  Such activities can result in severe injuries or even death. The Rebounder was designed only to be used as a platform for exercise and never as a gymnastics device.

The Rebounder’s fabric-coated, elastic bungee bands will eventually wear out, with a duration that varies according to how much they are used. Check regularly to see that your bungee bands are in good shape. If the fabric sheathing around the bungees frays, exposing the latex strands within it, please replace the set. Replacing your bungees is easy and does not require tools. For instructions on bungee replacement, click here.

Always come to a standstill on the Rebounder before dismounting. To avoid injury, never jump from the rebounder to dismount, but always step down carefully onto the floor, making sure to maintain your balance.

Never allow more than one person to be on the Rebounder at a time. The Rebounder is not structurally designed to be used by more than one person and the instability caused by more than one person on a bouncing surface can lead to serious injury.

Anyone using, or supervising the use, of this Rebounder must be thoroughly familiarized with these Safety Instructions. If children are to use this Rebounder, they must be closely supervised by an adult, and it should be made inaccessible to children when not in use. Keep pets away from the Rebounder at all times.

The Rebounder is constructed of weather and UV resistant materials and may be used outdoors. However, to protect the Rebounder’s appearance and longevity, we recommend keeping it from overexposure to rain, sleet, and snow.

We hope that these Safety Instructions help you to enjoy all of the wonderful benefits of your bellicon® Rebounder safely and effectively!