There’s a lot of talk about the importance of core strength these days, and with good reason. When working together, the muscles in your torso, pelvis, hips and back act as a power source for the body - stabilizing and transferring power to the extremities. Which is why a strong core is essential for professional athletes, dancers, martial artists and others whose careers depend on their physical prowess.

But even if you aren’t playing for the World Cup or dancing for the Bolshoi Ballet, you still rely on these muscles every day. If your core is weak, even simple, routine activities can be difficult and exhausting. Your posture is also likely to suffer, making you more susceptible to lower back pain and injury.

The bellicon® is ideal for core workouts. While bouncing on the pliable surface, your body automatically engages your abdominal, back, side and pelvic muscles in order to maintain your center of gravity. The result is a stronger, better conditioned core. And you’ll be getting the world’s best aerobic workout at the same time, increasing your energy along with your power.

Let the bellicon® help you increase the value of your core and discover how much more you can achieve.

Does burning calories while sleeping, eating or texting sound too good to be true? It’s not if you’re working out on a bellicon®.

While bellicon® workouts average between ten and forty minutes, the resulting increase in your metabolic rate can last for up to 24 hours. During this time, your body continues the accelerated breakdown of sugars and fats, processing of oxygen and building of muscle – no matter what you do. This is why it’s best to use your bellicon® every day, even if it means reducing your workout to just a few minutes, so you can get that metabolic boost. Squeezing in a quick bounce between appointments or while watching TV does your body a world of good.

The great news for calorie counters is that rebounding puts the numbers on your side. If you weigh 75 kilos and go for a 30-minute jog, the energy you expend will be equal to about 175 calories. The same run on a bellicon® burns 205 calories and it’s way more fun!

A recent study showed rebounding burns fat 50% faster than running, but it does a lot more just melt fat. It’s a whole body workout that strengthens your heart and lungs, boosts your immune system and tones muscles…all at the same time.

Plyometrics, or jump training, can have a big impact on athletic performance. The most common type of plyometric exercise is jumping on and off a platform, which forces muscles to rapidly contract and extend, increasing their power and shortening their reaction time.

Olympic athletes were the first to take advantage of the muscular explosiveness plyometrics offered, but everyone else has been quick to start hopping on the bandwagon – and off again. The American Council on Fitness and UK Strength and Conditioning Association both recommend plyometric exercise. It’s can also be helpful for rehabilitation after an injury, especially if you’re returning to a physically demanding job.

While the forces unleashed in intense bursts improve strength, coordination and reaction times, they can also be hard on the body. Thanks to the design of the bellicon®, which eliminates stress and strain on joints and ligaments when jumping, you get all of plyometrics’ help without the hurt.

Who doesn’t want the best of both worlds? Like getting the benefits of both eccentric (negative) and concentric (positive) muscle training.

Negative muscle contractions occur while lengthening them under tension, as in lowering a barbell during a biceps curl. The upward part of the curl is the positive movement, during which the muscles contract.

Eccentric (negative) exercise requires less energy than concentric, which is why you can hold and lower 40% more weight than you can lift. Not only does the increased tension break muscles down and rebuild them more efficiently, but negative loading also makes you less tired than positive. In fact, it can increase your metabolic rate up to nine percent more than concentric exercise and will leave you feeling energized for hours after working out.

On a bellicon®, you get both types of muscle contractions: positive during your upward motion and negative during descent. It’s a win-win workout. And since the bellicon® has been designed to reduce impact, it not only prevents overuse injuries but can even help heal them.