Your immune system is an amazing mechanism designed to protect you from viruses, bacteria and toxins. So it goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway), in order to maintain optimal health, you must have a strong immune system.
We know that healthy lifestyle choices like eating lots of fruits and vegetables, reducing stress, exercising and getting good sleep are some of the things you can do to keep your immune system going strong. But what if I told you that “bouncing” is another tool that you might want to add to your wellness tool box? Would you be willing to give it a try?
If you’ve never heard of bouncing, that’s okay. You’ll quickly learn that it is one of the easiest ways to support your immune system and the best part about it, your feet never have to leave the ground!
Now before I give you the scoop on bouncing, let’s circle back for just a moment and talk about your amazing immune system. I promise to keep it brief 😉
Your immune system is a complex network with many layers of defense built into it. One of those layers is the lymphatic system. Not only is the lymphatic system a critical component of your immune system, it’s also the one system that bouncing has the greatest impact on.
In a nutshell, your lymphatic system is a network of vessels, tissues and organs that help to maintain fluid levels in the body. It’s basically your body’s inner drainage system. It also supports your immune system by supplying lymphocytes which circulate throughout your body to help fight off infection.
The key to having an efficient lymphatic system is movement. When your body is in motion, that’s when the lymphatic system works best. Without movement, the lymphatic system can feel like a slow moving drain which will eventually lead to all sorts of problems.
I’m sure you’ve noticed that your feet get a little swollen when you have been sitting too long or maybe your eyes are a bit puffy when you first get up in the morning. This fluid build up is likely due to a lack of movement. When your lymphatic system is working properly, the minute you start moving around, the swelling and puffiness will usually go away.
Although any type of movement can be beneficial, the motion of bouncing works like a pump for your lymphatic system. It stimulates the movement of lymph fluid throughout your body and keeps this fluid circulating in order to remove toxins and ultimately strengthen your immune system.
If you are thinking that bouncing is some new fad, think again. Bouncing has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years to stimulate the body, loosen the joints and balance the flow of energy. I was first introduced to bouncing many years ago through TCM and then learned more about it when I began to study qi gong. I am such a believer in bouncing that one of the first things I do every morning is bounce. It’s relaxing as well as energizing which is exactly how I like to start my day!
Body bouncing is best done while standing. The trick is to relax your body as much as possible, bend your knees slightly and then begin to bounce. Your feet should stay firmly planted allowing the vibration of the movement to move throughout your body. Start out slowly and find your rhythm. The key is to feel the bounce from your feet all the way up to the top of your head. As far as how long to bounce, start out with a minute or two several times during the day and see how you feel. The longer you can bounce, the greater the benefits.
If you want to take it up a notch, you might want to try rebounding. This is basically bouncing done on a mini trampoline called a rebounder. Obviously this takes some balance and coordination which is probably why I prefer to bounce with my feet on the ground! Rebounding is a great option if you want to have more of an aerobic exercise.
So there you have it…..everything you need to know to start bouncing your way to better immunity!
I think it is so important to remember that when it comes to preventing disease, your first line of defense should always be doing everything you can to build a strong immune system. I worry that mask wearing, hand washing and social distancing has given many people a false sense of security and perhaps we have become complacent in doing everything we can to keep our immune system strong. It’s time to turn that around.
Although it may be hard to visualize this now, I believe there will come a day when we no longer have to wear masks, and when that happens, I know that I want my immune system to be as strong as it can be. I want my immune system to do what it was designed to do……filter out pathogens, fight off viruses and prevent infections.
If that’s what you want, I say LET’S GO FOR IT!
