The Miracles of Rebound Exercise - Albert E. Carter

The Miracles of Rebound Exercise
Albert E. Carter
National Institute of Reboundology & Health
ISBN 093302019
1980 Edition

It is strange how some books come across our paths. This book was given to me by my 72 year old mother in law. She has been using a rebounder daily for a few months now and wants to get one for us and the kids. But she wanted me to read the book first. And I must be honest going back and reading a fitness book from a fad from the 70's and 80's was a little different. Yet the more that I read the more interested I became. Since then I have read this book twice, looked at a few other books about Rebound Exercise, and yet this older book has some great material, excellent scientific research and I became more and more intrigued.  Doing some research I came up with this timeline of rebounding:

1936 Nissen Corporation creates modern Trampoline
1975 Victor Green patented Small trampoline - Rebounder
1977 pamphlet "Rebound to Better Health"
1979 Albert E Carter publishes The Miracles of Rebound Exercise
1981 Dr Kenneth Cooper research rebounding get 25% more gains than jogging
1981-1985 The Far-Craze Phase of rebounding
1988 publishes "NEW Miracles of Rebound Exercise"
2005 Publishes "Rebound Exercise: The Ultimate Exercise for the New Millennium"

In this book Albert Carter goes through his own history and research and also shares numerous testimonies from people who have used the practice of rebound exercise to improve their lives. Now yes the book is dated and there are some newer versions but Albert and numerous other authors. For example on p. 85 it states "Although most of us have some hidden desire to be like Charles Atlas or Bruce Jenner, we recognize the improbability and are willing to settle for some exercise program that will merely help us endure to the end." Now today in 2015 I am not sure a lot of guys would want to look like Bruce Jenner, but the concept still holds. The other quote that really grabbed me was on p. 102 "Your challenge is to study the concepts of this book and either prove, disprove, or use these concepts for better health."

Table of Contents:
The Often Invisible Obvious
A Dream and a Dreamer
Discovery of a Void
Three Powerful Horses
Rebound Exercises - Past and present
Rebound Exercises and the Lymphatics
Rebounding - A Cellular Exercise
Rebounding to Muscular Strength and Physical Fitness
A Vital Exercise for Vital Organs
Aerobic is Necessary, but
A Safe Answer to Jogging
And The Eyes of the Blind Shall See
Startling Breakthrough in Education
Success Stories

Now having read the book through twice, now I will share my story. I tweaked my knee a number of weeks before writing this review. It was progressively getting worse. I was at my mother in laws and in a fair bit of pain and thought what have I got to lose. So I got on the rebounder in the living room, actually limping to it. Very gingerly I started with the Health Bounce feet not even leaving the surface. I did a hundred bounces very gently and then 100 more - more vigorously. Then I did 100 jumps and 100 twist jumps. When I got off there was no longer any pain. I slept through that night for the first time in weeks without waking up to knee pain. And it felt better for days after.

I am looking forward to getting our rebounder and maybe even one for my standing desk at work and getting on it the 3 to 5 times a day recommended and seeing what happens. As Carter said you need to either prove, disprove or use the concepts presented. My own limited use and my mother in laws testimony both prove it, so I suggest you track down one of his book read it and give rebounding a try! You really have nothing to lose but maybe your pain, your discomfort and you can gain greater health and wellness.

The only hard part is all of his book currently are out of print and no ebook editions seems to exist but we can hope for either a reprinting or ebook versions again soon.

Books by Albert E. Carter:
Rebound to Better Health
The Miracles of Rebound Exercise
New Miracles of Rebound Exercise
Rebound Exercise: The Ultimate Exercise for the New Millennium