About Rebound Therapy
What is Rebound Therapy?
Rebound Therapy is a specialised use of trampolines that enhances movement, balance, muscle tone, sensory integration, communication, and much more.
Development commenced in 1969 by Eddy Anderson, it provides therapeutic exercise and recreational enjoyment for individuals with a wide range of additional needs – from mild learning disabilities to profound physical and sensory impairments.
The therapy uses a structured methodology and assessment framework to ensure measurable progress and safe, effective outcomes.
Who Can benefit?
Rebound Therapy is suitable for children and adults with:
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Mild to severe physical disabilities
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Mild to profound learning disabilities
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Sensory impairments (including dual sensory)
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Autism spectrum conditions
It also supports those looking to build motor skills, coordination, and confidence in movement.
Why Use Rebound Therapy?
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Improves Balance and Posture
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Increases or Decreases Muscle Tone
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Enhances Relaxation and Sensory Processing
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Supports Communication Skills
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Boosts Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Function
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Provides a Fun, Motivating Experience
The true value of the process lies in the fact that, for a brief moment, Earth is left behind. A new freedom is discovered in controlled movement – away from gravity’s straitjacket – in a kind of relaxed poetry of motion, available to all, regardless of disability.
How Does It Work?
Rebound Therapy works by using the trampoline as a dynamic, energy-responsive surface that interacts with the body in unique ways. With every movement, the user experiences changes in pressure, gravity and motion – from the weightlessness at the top of the bounce, to the deep compression as they land. This shifting environment stimulates muscles, joints and the nervous system, offering a rich source of movement and feedback.
The trampoline bed stores energy like a spring – absorbing input from the user or practitioner and returning it with equal force. A technique called popping involves applying energy from a distance, triggering movement without direct contact.
What makes the trampoline especially effective is its deliberately unstable surface. This challenges the user’s balance and posture in a safe, supported way. Even subtle movements activate deep core and postural muscles, while changes in tension can be used to encourage symmetry and weight-bearing through both sides of the body.
These properties combine to create an “active base” – a constantly adapting surface that supports, guides, and gently pushes the body toward improved coordination, awareness, and control.
How Rebound Therapy Supports the Body and Brain
Through controlled bouncing and dynamic motion, Rebound Therapy supports a range of physiological and neurological responses.
Here’s how:
Cardio-Respiratory
Stimulation
Each bounce requires the body to respond to shifting gravitational forces – from sudden deceleration to temporary weightlessness.
This natural demand increases the heart and respiratory rate, boosting circulation, improving oxygen uptake, and supporting lymphatic and venous drainage. It’s gentle but powerful cardiovascular work.
Adaptive
Muscle Tone
Rebound Therapy helps regulate muscle tone, which is especially beneficial for those with hypertonia (increased tone) or hypotonia (reduced tone).
Low, rhythmic bouncing can reduce spasticity by calming overactive muscles, while higher bounces can activate and strengthen underused ones. The practitioner adjusts the amplitude to meet each person’s needs.
Postural Control
& Alignment
The responsive surface stimulates sensory receptors in the joints, muscles, and skin – which feed back to the body’s postural system.
This helps users develop stronger postural muscles, resulting in better trunk control and more stable movement patterns.
Improved Balance
& Coordination
Because the trampoline is constantly in motion, it creates a dynamic environment where balance is continuously challenged – safely and supportively.
This is particularly effective for adults, where traditional balance exercises (e.g., in lying or seated positions) might lack the same stimulus.
Enhanced Body
& Spatial Awareness
The multi-sensory input from bouncing – pressure, stretch, movement, and resistance – strengthens kinaesthetic awareness.
Over time, users gain a clearer sense of where their body is in space, improving body image, movement confidence, and overall spatial understanding.
Supports Communication
& Interaction
The rhythm and movement of Rebound Therapy often encourage spontaneous vocalisations like gasps and laughter.
These reactions help build expressive confidence, while shared motion enhances eye contact, focus, and social connection – supporting both verbal and non-verbal communication.
Other Benefits
In addition to the physical and neurological effects outlined above, Rebound Therapy can support:
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Improved communication skills
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Increased self-confidence and self-image
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Greater independence
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Better patience and consideration of others
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Stronger trust in the practitioner
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Enhanced social and spatial awareness
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Improved colour and number recognition
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More accurate perception of height and depth
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Faster reaction times and better stamina
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A greater sense of achievement and freedom of movement
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Relaxation, enjoyment, and positive emotional engagement
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Stimulation of the digestive system
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Improved bowel function
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Gentle internal organ massage
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Support for lymphatic drainage and toxin release
The work is intrinsically motivating and offers high therapeutic value for the time and effort involved. Its impact grows significantly when the practitioner can skilfully create varied movement patterns that align with the user’s individual needs.
The Role of the Practitioner
A skilled Rebound Therapy practitioner must:
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Control their own movement on the trampoline
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Manage and adapt the surface for the user’s needs
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Accurately assess and create achievable goals
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Use techniques safely and effectively
Training is essential to ensure these skills are applied correctly.
Who Can Provide Rebound Therapy?
Anyone, regardless of profession, can enrol on an approved Rebound Therapy training course. These certificated programmes, validated by national and international boards, provide the knowledge and skills needed to deliver sessions safely and effectively.
Training courses are available across the UK and internationally, and all legitimate courses are run or validated by ReboundTherapy.org.
To preserve the integrity of the practice, only those trained and validated by ReboundTherapy.org (or an approved partner) may describe their work as Rebound Therapy. All certified practitioners receive a validation number and certificate signed by an approved tutor.
You can request the validation number for your Rebound Therapy course certificate via the Rebound Therapy Validation Portal.