By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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CHERRY VALLEY — Michelle Young dims the lights before the evening class begins at ((Bounce)) Rockford.
Then the disco lights come on.
It’s all a way to set the mood for the hourlong mini-trampoline fitness class, which aims to break up mundane gym routines.
“It’s basically a dance party,” said Young, a 37-year-old recovery room nurse who launched her own fitness business in October. “It gets you distracted. An hour flies by without knowing you’re doing it, and then you look down at your watch and you’ve burned 700 calories.”
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((Bounce)) Rockford, which is part of The Bricks at 125 E. State St. in Cherry Valley, has brought a growing fitness trend to the region. The global market for small fitness trampolines is projected to reach $4.1 billion by 2027, up from $2.9 billion in 2020, according to Research and Markets. It has also got a boost in attention from celebrities such as Cindy Crawford and Eva Longoria, who tout the benefits of rebounding, an alternative name for trampoline workouts.
“People are looking to get active again after the pandemic,” Young said. “They’ve been sitting at home for awhile, so it’s really finding anything fun and engaging to get people back into that fitness routine.”
A small study conducted in 2016 showed that trampoline workouts have roughly the same caloric burn as running at a pace of 6 miles per hour or biking 14 miles per hour. But there was one major difference: Participants felt like they weren’t working as hard as they’re heart rate showed they were.
“We would expect participants to report ratings of perceived exertion of about 13 at this intensity level,” Dr. John Porcari said in the study, “but the subjects averaged an RPE of 11.7, or a light to moderate intensity.”
In other words: Participants didn’t realize how hard they were working because they were having too much fun.
The workout is also easy on the joints, Young said.
“The trampoline absorbs 87% of the shock, so it’s different compared to just going out and running or floor-based exercise,” she said. “It’s really good for people who are getting a little older and have those achy joints. It’s really a great workout.”
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Young, a former lacrosse player at Penn State, learned about rebounding while living in the United Kingdom with her husband, Christopher, who was stationed there with the U.S. military.
When she moved back, she said opening her own studio was the only way to bring the classes here. The ((Bounce)) brand was founded in 2014 by Kimberlee Perry in England, and Young said she’s the first person in the U.S. to get licensed as a ((Bounce)) instructor.
“It’s very big all across the U.K. — England, Wales, Scottland — I learned how to bounce over there,” she said. “Once I moved back to the U.S. I couldn’t live without it.”
The workout blends cardiovascular and strength training. Typically, the first 40 minutes of the workout are high-energy cardio work with jumping, high-knees running and twists. The last 15 minutes focuses on strength and toning with pushups, squats and arm exercises before the session concludes with stretching.
“Whether it’s your first workout, just getting back into a fitness routine or whether you’re a professional athlete, there’s something to gain from the classes,” she said. “You can bounce super hard down through that trampoline, or you can take it a lot lighter and bring it down to a nice step and tap.”
Fast facts | ((Bounce)) Rockford
Where: 125 E. State St., suite B, Cherry Valley
Cost: It’s $8 to try it for the first time; then prices range from $15 for a single session to $130 for a 10-class pass. Fine more about pricing here.
On the web: bouncerockford.com
Contact: bouncerockford@gmail.com
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas.