The point of the article is to clarify the misconception (seemingly promoted by rebounder manufactures) that rebounding builds bone. There is no evidence supporting that (including the mentioned NASA study). It might be a good exercise but there are many ways to achieve what you claim without spending money on a rebounder.

Hi Katie, I am not the right person to ask your question: “Purely in terms of strengthening a weak pelvic floor – does the rebounder have merits over stomping?” I do not stay up dot date on pelvic floor studies the way I do Osteoporosis studies. It is a question for an experienced Pelvic Health Physiotherapist to address. For waht it is worth, my personal opinion is that depending on how aggressively she is bouncing the gravitational pull on her pelvic floor is likely greater with rebounding than it is with stomping. Having had two vaginal births, episiotomies and forceps my pelvic floor can deal with stomping better than it can with jumping. I hope she is working with a pelvic floor Physiotherapist.
Margaret

Hi David. Thank you for asking to clarify the blog for you.

The very low impact of a rebounder is not considered “bad” if you are concerned about the health of your joints, your cardiovascular fitness, your balance and your general enjoyment of movement.

However, the very low impact of a rebounder is considered insufficient to stimulate bone building.

Impact provides the stimulation needed for building bone. The ground reaction forces provide the stimulation up through the feet and the leg bones to the hip. The harder the landing force, the more the bones to respond to the forces.

Forces should not be so great that we fracture. For example, jumping off a one foot high surface is not appropriate for individuals if their bones have not adapted.

Progressive loading is recommended because it allows someone to gradually build their bone strength.

Since the rebounder is more gentle than jumping on the floor, it may be perfect for someone who has not been walking regularly or at a pace beyond a “comfortable walk”. However, once you have the fitness level to walk more briskly, you will surpass the ground reaction forces that are created on the rebounder.

Here’s a blog expanding the concept:

http://melioguide.com/osteoporosis-exercises/is-walking-good-for-osteoporosis/

Wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Margaret

Thanks!