Review on JumpStart Your Cardio With JumpSport 220: A Safe & Low-Impact Fitness Rebounder With Arched-Legs & Video Guides Included by Josh Allen

This is a bit of a long review (sorry!), but I'm hoping that someone might benefit from the ridiculous amount of time I spent.I did A LOT of research before I bought my jumpsport, both on trampoline brands and on the benefits of rebounding.I’ll start with the benefits. I’m a science nerd, so my first instinct was to search all the sciency-nerdy journals for any studies on rebounding. There aren’t many. The most informative (and most cited) was a paper from the 70’s, whose author worked at NASA, which found the G-force that’s created while jumping is evenly distributed over your body as opposed to the G-force created from jogging, which is concentrated at you ankles/knees.Why is that good? Your body is going to resist and strengthen itself against any force put on it. It will build up bone and muscle (as long as the amount force applied isn’t damaging it) to keep you stabilized. Which is what the NASA study said. The participants become better conditioned from the rebounder, as opposed to just running, in a shorter amount of time. Good news for deconditioned astronauts!There are a few other studies – rebounding improved the elderly’s sense of balance (but so did other exercises) and got fit college athletes even fitter (though I’d guess it’s just because it engaged muscles they weren’t using in their current exercise routine). In general, everything I read was positive.Notably, one claim I didn’t find support for is the health bounce. No reputable papers gave any support for its existence or suggested any lymphatic benefits above those of exercise in general.Now on to the trampoline itself.When I decided to get a rebounder, I considered most of the top brands. I’m a fan of buying something once and having it last, even if it means I spend more up front.I decided to go for a bungee rebounder because I wanted a quiet and soft bounce. There are only 2 brands on the market for bungees, really. What sold me on the JumpSport was the price. I wanted quality, but I also wasn’t sure that I would love jumping, so I didn’t want to spend a fortune.The 220 is a great intro trampoline, I think. It’s very well made – the mat should last decades, the bungees are thick and sturdy (and haven’t given me any problems in the year I’ve owned it) and the frame is solid, though not too heavy. Other reviewers mentioned having issues with leg stability, but I haven’t run into any problems.The jump is extremely quiet and doesn’t shake the room. I jump next to a cabinet full of very breakable items and they barely shake at all. The bungees are all but silent – really, the only noise I make is when my feet hit the mat.There are a few things that are less than ideal, but are to be expected from the 220/bungee rebounders in general. The bungees only come in one tension option (equivalent to the softest option on the 350 and softer than all tension options on the Pro versions, according to the JumpSport rep I spoke with). One-size-fits-all isn’t the way to get the most from a lot of things, including from your rebounder. But it’s the trade off for keeping the price down and the rebounder should be adequate for most people using it.The health bounce. I’m still not sure there’s any benefit to it, but bungee rebounders aren’t the best for it. Most instructions I’ve seen say to bounce so that you’re barely leaving the mat. Anything more will create too much G-force. Not the case with bungees – you’ll need to jump significantly higher (I had to go about 6 inches off) to get the G-force necessary because of how soft/gentle the bounce is. (if you want to experiment, fill a clear Tupperware container 1/3 full of rice and hold it to your body while jumping. The health bounce sweet spot happens when the rice ‘floats’). You’re supposed to do 1-2 health bounces a second for the maximum benefit, which definitely won’t happen if you’re jumping a foot in the air every time.So there are some downsides, but if you know what you’re buying when you buy it you won’t be disappointed. The 220 is great for exercise. Jumping is fun! And I do think it's improving my health. My blood tends to pool in my legs (part of a medical issue - POTS). They'll ache and, at the worst times, turn red/purple (it's gross). It still happens now, jumping didn't magically cure me, but the frequency has gone from a few times a week to a few times a month.I also love how convenient it is. I keep it ready for use in the corner of the family room (I turn it on its side and prop it against the wall if I ever need the space) and I'll step on for a few minutes while I'm waiting for my dog to do her business, or waiting for dinner to cook. I'll turn on the TV for a longer exercise session.All around, it's a great trampoline. The only thing I would change on it is to have adjustable tension cords - but, again, JumpSport offers that on their higher end models. The 220 model has lived up to all my expectations. If you're on the fence, I promise you, you won't regret this purchase (especially if it's a Black Friday deal again this year!)