As the weather warms up our thoughts turn to lazy summer days and holidays in the sun, the thought of baring all is the catalyst for many of us to think about toning up, and what better way than to bounce yourself fit with the latest fitness craze to sweep into Southampton - Boogie Bounce.
Boogie Bounce is a complete exercise programme using a mini trampoline, choreographed to inspiring, chart-topping music. The routines are low impact, offering an excellent work out for the heart and lungs, and so provide the basis of a fitness regime for people of all ages, shapes and sizes, from beginner to dedicated fitness fans.
However, it is much more than an effective way to lose weight and inches and improve muscle tone.
Founder Jenny Belcher first established the concept in 1996, but the Boogie Bounce of today began to take shape in May 2014, when Jenny suffered a serious knee injury following a mountainside fall.
Trapping her foot between two rocks, Jenny discovered she had snapped her anterior cruciate ligament, the main stabilising ligament inside the knee, completely, torn the cartilage and damaged the collateral ligament and all the surrounding soft tissue. The ligament was removed, although this had lodged in the joint, which meant Jenny could not straighten her leg and she spent three months on crutches while recuperating.
To regain full mobility Jenny faced a knee reconstruction operation, which would involve removing a part of the hamstring muscle to use in place of the cruciate ligament, drilling holes through the knee, threading the makeshift ligament through and bolting it into place. However, a top consultant explained that the surgery could not be carried out until her knee was more stable and she had full flexion and extension.
Jenny faced a six-month wait for the operation, after which she would have to get about on crutches for another three months, along with extensive physiotherapy during a 12-month recovery period. She decided to take control of her rehabilitation, and instead of undergoing the complex surgery to reconstruct her anterior cruciate ligament - bounced her way back to full fitness.
For years mini trampolines have been used by physiotherapists, doctors and consultants to help patients regain their mobility following lower limb injuries. David Beckham used one to rehabilitate his ankle. Jenny decided to incorporate Boogie Bounce into her own exercise regime, based around the low impact routines she was already teaching.
To provide greater stability, Jenny’s husband designed a T-bar handle which was duly fitted to the mini trampoline.
It proved to be a ‘Eureka!’ moment - not only did the stabiliser allow Jenny to use the mat as a resistance tool, but it also brought a totally different aspect to the cardio vascular element of her exercise programme. It was more effective because she was able to execute different types of moves without the fear of falling.
Jenny pressed on, devising a programme that built up the muscles in her legs, to support her damaged knee, while also working her heart and lungs. Week by week Jenny saw improvements, as the pain disappeared and her knee ‘gave way’ less frequently. Bouncing on the trampoline with the T-bar delivered an overall body work out with an element of conditioning that had a huge impact on her core stability, too.
Jenny says: “Physiotherapists having been using mini trampolines to help patients regain their mobility following lower limb injuries for years, but I have taken the concept to another level.
“Bouncing is ideal for people who cannot cope with fitness programmes that have a high impact on joints, ligaments and soft tissue, so it’s great if you have a bad back. NASA says bouncing is ‘the best exercise yet devised by man’ - I could not agree more.
"Bouncing saved my sanity.
"I am proud to offer Boogie Bounce as the exercise regime of the future. I had a very serious knee injury but am back doing all the things I love, so I’m proof that Boogie Bounce really works.”
Having experienced for herself the health benefits this new look Boogie Bounce programme could bring, Jenny established her new business and a YouTube clip of people bouncing around on mini trampolines fitted with T-bar handles went viral, and now there are more than 200 Boogie Bounce instructors around the UK, including classes in Cadnam on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
For further information and to find your local class visit www.boogiebounce.com.
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