“On the highly elastic bellicon®, you only ever see beaming faces. We have also had this experience at a large prevention specialists’ congress, where the response was one hundred percent positive and full of enthusiasm.

After leaving the German armed forces in 1985, where I served as head of sports affairs, my wife and I offered a series of seminars for stressed managers. We found that more than half of the participants suffered from back pain and disc problems, and many of them even took medication for it on an ongoing basis.

The main cause of this was chronic lack of exercise. We helped them bring enough movement into their everyday lives that their mental and physical performance rose again.

One aid that many of those affected took up with great pleasure and unusually high adherence to training was the highly elastic mini-trampoline, suspended with rubber ropes. Moving on it is not only great fun, it is also particularly effective, because braking in the mat is a form of eccentric muscle training, similar to walking downhill. Beyond that, however, this device has many more positive properties.

My 20 reasons for the bellicon®:

  1. A mini-trampoline is the only training device that achieves a disc-friendly, upright posture.
  2. Through the involuntary tensing and relaxing of the muscles (gravity effect), not just every muscle but even every body cell is activated.
  3. This also activates the otherwise barely reachable “support and micro musculature”.
  4. Since no muscle can escape the relaxation reflex, the bouncing has a strong effect. After 15 minutes, every muscle lets go.
  5. The bouncing triggers a strong lymphatic drainage effect. Lymph return flow is accelerated fourfold.
  6. This also drains the sinuses.
  7. Connective tissue is strengthened, helping to prevent varicose veins.
  8. The neuromuscular system (all pathways) is strongly stimulated, which makes you “quicker in the head”.
  9. Bouncing on a bellicon® is a very effective way to gently prevent osteoporosis, or even reverse it. By working against gravity, phosphates and salts can act to harden the bones.
  10. The long braking distance (eccentric efficiency) triggers far more metabolic work than is possible with other sports.
  11. The decisive benefit is that the walking, rhythmic movement particularly benefits the joints. This way, the synovial fluid (“joint lubricant”) can optimally nourish the cartilage matrix.
  12. The same applies to the spinal discs. These are very well “flushed through” by the vertical oscillations, meaning they are regenerated and rebuilt.
  13. Bouncing does not cause cell over-acidification; instead a balance of lactate formation and lactate breakdown occurs, also known as “steady state”. This allows fat-burning enzymes to form. As a result, fat burning is promoted.
  14. Since the elastic tension bands store your own take-off energy on landing, the energy expenditure is 40 percent lower than with jogging. Oxygen turnover in relation to the work performed is even 68 percent higher than with running.
  15. This means the level of exertion is low and you don’t necessarily have to sweat.
  16. Nevertheless, fitness is significantly increased.
  17. Since more oxygen reaches all the organs, even your eyesight improves.
  18. After just three minutes of bouncing on the bellicon®, you feel refreshed.
  19. The involuntary balance and coordination work creates confidence in stepping and handling (fall prevention).
  20. What’s more, bouncing on the bellicon® is spontaneously fun and results in high adherence to therapy.”

Gert von Kunhardt, health senator of the Federal Association of Prevention Specialists
Lindenweg 24
23714 Timmdorf (Bad Malente)
Phone: 04523 990290

gert@kunhardt.de
www.kunhardt.de