You might have realised by now that I EFFING ADORE a throwback. Old photos, movies, and OBVIOUSLY music!!! That being said, this little diddy is beyond perfect for this post about two fun and “childish” exercises I've been doing at home lately to get my 30 minutes of exercise in. This song not only has “Jump" in the title, it's also by two pre-pubescent “childish" kids. I couldn't resist, and I couldn't help loving this song when it came out all those years ago. ENJOY ;)

So this week the weather here in my neck of the woods has gone back to being completely bipolar, with splashes of sun mingled in with all this Noah's Ark rain and wind and chaos. With all the weather nonsense, walks in natural surroundings I was happily blogging about a few weeks ago aren't as accessible as I want them to be, so they quite simply aren’t happening every day. Also, the regular yoga has taken more of a back seat at the moment as I want to get more active and move around more right now. I think that’s part of the whole fit thing, going with YOUR own flow and doing what feels right for YOU on any given day. This is me lately. And I feel like Hula Hooping and jumping on my Mini Trampoline :)

I've been aiming to get my heart rate up and my blood pumping for at least 30 minutes a day. I try to think of how a lake stagnates if there is no movement, so I kind of relate that to my blood and my body. If my body is NOT moving every day, it’s basically stagnating. Also that 30 minutes of movement / elevated heart rate helps with metabolism, a balanced constitution, and it’s great for your mind as well.

I've been looking for fitness hacks that are fun, easy and accessible, and that I don't dread doing. I was especially reminded about the fun aspect when I did the post about Hayley Angell. She did this vlog series here around Glasgow before moving back to Oz, all about her quest to get fit while having fun so she was doing things like pole dancing in a wonder woman leotard. So awesome, soooo fun, you MUST watch. Follow that link above :)

I honestly feel that staying fit and healthy really should be fun and accessible, and that you should enjoy yourself. Also in crazy weather environments, or with limited budgets, it should be indoors and one of my fave aspects is when these things are free. At least after you invest in getting a couple of pieces of kit, gear, and A DVD or two. But once you have made the initial little purchase these things are yours forever. I love that.

So I have dusted off the mini trampoline and the slightly weighted hula hoop, and I got the DVD's. I also dusted off the wireless headphones and made sure my Spotify Playlist was up to par with the level of fun, make-you-want-to-move content. I love my list.

So my main tips are to try these exercises, see if you can have fun with them, and below I have added links to anything I am using or finding useful, along with my Google finds regarding benefits, and I added a couple of links to some other interesting and insightful blogs I found about Hula Hooping and Rebounding.

A note about the DVD’s: I have one hula hoop DVD, and two trampoline DVD’s. I watched all of them a few times when I first got them, to hear what the instructors had to say, but now I prefer to put them on silent and use my playlist or music as the soundtrack instead. Furthermore, there are about a bazillion YouTubers out there waiting to be discovered who have fun workouts, so dont feel you need to go buying one.

If I was able to cast from my phone to the TV in the spare room where I do my exercise, I probably wouldn’t have purchased them. And If I get totally bored with them I might bring the laptop into the spare room, but for now these will do. So really, dont go out buying any DVD’s if you have access to another way like YouTube on the phone or laptop, this is just what I’ve been doing for now.

A NOTE ABOUT MY WEIGHTED HULA HOOP: I have to say that the hula is giving me a tiny bit of bruising around my hips as my body gets used to it. But it's totally fun and it brings me right back to childhood. I was really rusty and could not keep the hoop spinning around me for more than a few seconds at first, but after a few days of practice I am back at being able to hula clockwise AND counterclockwise, and I'm noticing my belly is trimming down. Which that feels quite FAB!!!

Below I have used my Google fingers to find you the best list of benefits of each of these exercises:

The benefits of regularly jumping on a trampoline / rebounder are:

Increases respiratory capacity.
Circulates greater oxygen to tissues.
Lightens the heart’s workload.
Reduces levels of arterial blood pressure during exercise.
Lessens the higher blood-pressure period after exercise.
Strengthens heart muscle and other muscles, causing them to work with greater efficiency.
Stimulates metabolic activity.
Promotes growth and tissue repair.
Tones the endocrine system, especially the thyroid, to increase output.
Improves coordination through enhanced transmission of nerve impulses and muscle response.
Produces vigor through increased muscle fiber tone.
Provides relief from neck and back pains, headaches and pains due to poorly toned physiology.
Enhances digestion and elimination.
Stimulates lymph flow for increased immunity and cold/allergy prevention.
Creates purer sleep and relaxation.
Here is the lovely blog post that I swiped my fave benefits from. She says so many good things about rebounding, in a way that I cannot. Give it a read if you would like to find out more. Follow this link.

The benefits of regular hula hooping are:

Burns As Much Fat As Treadmill Workouts.
Can Replace Ab Workouts.
Strengthens Your Heart.
Strengthens Your Back.
Fights Anxiety and Depression by increasing endorphins.
Also, if you’re interested, my Google Fingers just found a really lovely Blog Post about Hula Hooping, and she gives some seriously good tips for beginners in here. She also put a YouTube link to a fab looking hoop workout. Follow this link to that Blog Post.

Below are links to the things I am using and finding useful:

40” Rebounder / Trampoline

Weighted Hula Hoop

Toe Sox for Trampoline (especially if doing the Tracy Anderson DVD)

Tracy Anderson DVD - for Trampoline NOTE: This one is hard - I have done a dance DVD of hers before. I DO NOT recommend this for anyone who has not done a previous Tracy Anderson workout DVD. If you are familiar with her other stuff go ahead and give this a try. Also, I bought the German one, and use the English option. The US/ UK version was unavailable.

Juice Master DVD - for Trampoline

Hula Hoop DVD - “Hulaerobics”

Skullcandy Uproar Wireless Headphones