Rebounding: Good Or Bad For Joints?
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It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!
Have a question or a request? We love to hear from you!
In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!
As ever: if the question/request can be answered briefly, we’ll do it here in our Q&A Thursday edition. If not, we’ll make a main feature of it shortly afterwards!
So, no question/request too big or small 😎
❝I was looking at rebounder trampolines and wondered if you know if they are appropriate to soften the impact for someone with bad joints to try to regain strength and mobility? I have slightly brittle bones due to some medications, and am hoping to find a good impact exercise to do that will strengthen my bones without breaking them❞
What an exciting plan!
Let us first bring attention to our usual medical/legal disclaimer, and also take the opportunity to note that we are not doctors, let alone your doctors, and certainly cannot speak for your specific condition. Please do speak with your osteopath, physiotherapist, and/or any other relevant medical professionals, before undertaking a new exercise routine.
What we can do, at least, is speak in some general terms, in accordance with what science is available. Let’s tackle this piece by piece:
Exercising in the context of bad joints
For people with bad joints, there’s often something of a catch-22:
- Exercise, and inflame them
- Don’t exercise, and they “seize up”
Hence, the trick is—in few words—to exercise them very gently, while taking them through a full range of motion.
That’s “in few words”, though, so if you’d like it in more words than that, we’ll refer you to our entire main feature that we did on this a little while ago:
When Bad Joints Stop You From Exercising (5 Things To Change)
If the issue with your joints is arthritis, then you might want to consider the relevant portions of:
…as applicable, and if the issue is cartilage problems (which can occur in arthritis and often does, especially osteoarthritis, but is certainly not confined to arthritis), then:
How To Rebuild Your Cartilage ← this is really critical, as it covers exactly what you are looking for; an approach to strengthen weakened joints without further damaging them in the process.
As for whether rebounding will be good for that latter… In principle it certainly can be, for exactly the reason you asked about and we’ve talked about so far (it softens the impact while allowing you to do full range of motion).
However, there are more things to consider, and since there’s overlap, let’s talk about it along with…
Exercising in the context of osteoporosis
There are two ways of looking at this:
- Pros of trampoline rebounding: indeed 80% or more of the impact is absorbed, making it gentle (and yes, the fact that it is still impact work will improve bone density)
- Cons of trampoline rebounding: if you land incorrectly, you may become a heap of broken bones (for this reason, it may be best if your bones are in at least decent condition already before starting)
This is relevant also for the issue with bad joints, independent of osteoporosis or osteopenia (the pre-stage of osteoporosis); in principle it makes the exercise gentler, but it also increases the chance of injury if anything goes wrong.
In terms of what is generally recommended when it comes to osteoporosis and exercising, exercises should be “steady” and “straight”. In other words, no unexpected movements or sudden changes of direction.
For trampoline rebounding:
- Are there unexpected movements? Not if everything goes according to plan, but one misstep may mean disaster.
- Are there sudden changes of direction? Not in the sense described, again, if and only if everything goes as planned.
You may be thinking: well that is fair, but any sporting activity comes with a risk of something going wrong, and that’s true, but there’s definitely a scale from swimming pool yoga on the light end, to horseback polo on the dangerous end, for example.
So the real question becomes: which sporting activities/exercises have the least potential for disaster? And faced with that question, one must admit that a yoga mat carries fewer risks than a trampoline.
You can read more about this topic here: Osteoporosis & Exercises: Which To Do (And Which To Avoid)
Want to learn more?
For more about rebounding on trampolines specifically, and the health claims vs the health science for them (or not, as the case may be), check out:
Putting Mini-trampolines to the Test ← this is an interesting read, mostly concerned with assorted health metrics for healthy participants, rather than with specific conditions, though.
We also shared a video about this a while ago: Rebounding Into The Best Of Health ← this does mention the bone density thing, but not from a perspective of already having low bone density
And finally, if you’d like a kind of exercise that does a lot of the “softened impact resistance work” with less throwing your body around at high heights, then you might want to consider:
What is reformer Pilates? And is it worth the cost?
Take care!
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Is Your Menopause App Spying On You?
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In your opinion, do companies collecting your data respect the notion of consent?
Or perhaps, like most of us, you’re getting a little jaded of being presented with options such as:
Let it also not go without mentioning, the number of times we, upon clicking to “personalize” privacy options (i.e., do damage limitation within what they allow), we see a text along the lines of:
“We at Company Inc. value your privacy. We and our 1,917 partners with whom we share your data—”
So, if that’s the baseline, what’s this about menopause apps now?
Periods may stop, but privacy violations sure don’t
While period/ovulation-tracking apps have come under much scrutiny lately for their privacy violations, menopause apps have received comparatively little regulatory (or research) attention.
So, researchers (Dr. Maryam Mehrnezhad et al.) conducted a modest yet significantly-sized survey (n=310) to examine privacy and safety issues in menopause-related digital technologies.
The problem is similar to that of the period/ovulation-tracking apps, in that most collect intimate health information—including emotional symptoms and sexual activity history—which could potentially be accessed or misused by employers, insurers, or scammers.
What Dr. Mehrnezhad and her team found is that many platforms lack adequate safeguards and are often rife with misinformation, to potentially add injury to insult (insofar as incorrect information can result in material harm).
This study was done in Europe, and many current apps fall well short of requirements under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) because their privacy policies are difficult to find or understand (see the sort of obfuscations we gave examples of up top), and a cynical person might even say that this is intentional when they’re making money from selling that data (let’s be clear, when they say “we and our 1,917 partners”, they mean “we and the 1,917 companies we sell your data to”).
So, how about in the US? Well, the US doesn’t have Federal equivalent, although some states have privacy laws of their own (with California’s being the strongest, albeit still not close to GDPR).
In short: if you have such an app, check your app’s privacy policy, but chances are very high your data is being sold to not just the highest bidder, but really, to every vaguely compelling bidder.
You can read the study itself, here: User Risk Perceptions and Privacy Attitudes towards Menopause Data Collection and Use
Writer’s anecdote: not a menopause-tracker exactly, but I used to use the Finch self-care app; it’s a cute interface with a virtual pet that basically does CBT and DBT, as well as being a journalling app. One of the things I liked about it was that all my data stays on my device, and even if I make a manual back-up of my data, I can back it up to a drive of my own, not theirs. However, last year they changed to prompt every day to upload my personal data to “the cloud” (pro tip: “the cloud” is just someone else’s computer; in this case, theirs) and, ironically for a self-care app, weren’t willing to take “no” for an answer. So, I deleted my data and deleted the app.
What can we do to get the same features without such privacy violations?
There are tiers of privacy available:
- Purpose-built apps: negligible privacy. You would get more privacy if you nailed your personal data to your front door, Martin Luther-style.
- Multipurpose apps: if you go for something like a general purpose journalling app, then there is slightly better privacy, just because when your data is sold or leaked, it’s not already formatted in an easy-to-analyse way. However, on the flipside, it’s not so easy to use for you, either.
- Offline computer/device: here we mean one that does not have access to the internet and will never have access to the internet at a future point. For example, you bought a tablet without mobile internet, and immediately disabled the WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.
- Pen and paper: near complete privacy, unless your home is searched (as happened to some American women in the wake of Roe vs. Wade being overturned).
- Between your ears: perfect privacy, with the caveat that you may not have perfect recall.
A good compromise is to do something like a monthly self-check of all the aspects of health you find important and can check yourself at home, for example:
Your Health Audit, From Head To Toe ← these are all excellent areas to pay close attention to
Take care!
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Life Is in the Transitions – by Bruce Feiler
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Change happens. Sometimes, because we choose it. More often, we don’t get a choice.
Our bodies change; with time, with illness, with accident or incident, or even, sometimes, with effort. People in our lives change; they come, they go, they get sick, they die. Our working lives change; we get a job, we lose a job, we change jobs, our jobs change, we retire.
Whether we’re undergoing cancer treatment or a religious conversion, whether our families are growing or down to the last few standing, change is inescapable.
Our author makes the case that on average, we each undergo at least 5 major “lifequakes”; changes that shake our lives to the core. Sometimes one will come along when we’ve barely got back on our feet from the previous—if we have at all.
What, then, to do about this? We can’t stop change from occurring, and some changes aren’t easy to “roll with”. Feiler isn’t prescriptive about this, but rather, descriptive:
By looking at the stories of hundreds of people he interviewed for this book, he looks at how people pivoted on the spot (or picked up the pieces!) and made the best of their situation—or didn’t.
Bottom line: zooming out like this, looking at many people’s lives, can remind us that while we don’t get to choose what winds we get swept by, we at least get to choose how we set the sails. The examples of others, as this book gives, can help us make better decisions.
Click here to check out Life Is In The Transitions, and get conscious about how you handle yours!
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The Great Cholesterol Myth, Revised and Expanded – by Dr. Jonny Bowden and Dr. Stephen Sinatra
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
The topic of cholesterol, and saturated fat for that matter, is a complex and often controversial one. How does this book treat it?
With strong opinions, is how—but backed by good science. The authors, a nutritionist and a cardiologist, pull no punches about outdated and/or cherry-picked science, and instead make the case for looking at what, statistically speaking, appear to be the real strongest risk factors.
So, are they advocating for Dave Asprey-style butter-guzzling, or “the carnivore diet”? No, no they are not. Those things remain unhealthy, even if they give some short-term gains (of energy levels, weight loss, etc).
They do advocate, however, for enjoying saturated fats in moderation, and instead of certain polyunsaturated seed oils that do far worse. They also advocate strongly for avoiding sugar, stress, and (for different reasons) statins (in most people’s cases).
They also demystify in clear terms, and often with diagrams and infographics, the various kinds of fats and their components, broken down in far more detail than any other pop-science source this reviewer has seen.
Bottom line: if you want to take a scientific approach to heart health, this book can help you to focus on what will actually make the biggest difference.
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The Only Arm Exercises You Need After 60
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
It’s important, but it’s not so complicated that you have to do a lot of things for it:
Keeping your strength up
Age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) starts in our 30s if we’re not careful, but it accelerates sharply after 60, especially without resistance training. This, of course, leads to reduced independence in daily tasks like lifting, carrying, and pushing, and generally is a harbinger of systemic decline (i.e. the rest of your body gives up too).
However! Research (cited in the video) shows strength can be rebuilt at any age, even into your 80s and 90s.
First, understand the general idea: use resistance training 2–3 times weekly for about 20 minutes each session, focusing on compound exercises rather than isolated moves, because compound movements strengthen multiple muscle groups more efficiently, and also reflect how we actually use our bodies in day-to-day life.
Now, settle into a core arm routine:
- 3 sets of 8–15 controlled repetitions of a dumbbell row to strengthen your arms, shoulders, and back
- A curl, twist, and press to build your biceps, triceps, shoulders, and rotator cuff
- A pushing exercise chosen at your level (e.g. wall press, chair press, knee push-up, or full push-up) to strengthen your chest, triceps, and shoulders.
How to progress safely as you go: do the most challenging variation you can complete with good form for 8–15 reps, progress when you can exceed 15 easily, and take care to move slowly rather than using momentum, prioritizing good form.
For more on all of this plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like:
Resistance Is Useful! (Especially As We Get Older)
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7-Minute Face Fitness For Lymphatic Drainage & Youthful Jawline
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Valeriia Veksler is a registered nurse with a background in cosmetic medicine. She’s been practicing for 7 years, and on the strength of that, is going to teach us how to give our face some love for 7 minutes:
The routine, step by step
Preparation: clean your face and apply your usual moisturizer. Breathe deeply: Inhale through the nose, exhale to release tension.
Neck massage: use fingertips in circular motion from the bottom of the neck to the hairline and back for 30 seconds. This helps promote blood flow to the face.
Sternocleidomastoid massage: use knuckles to massage in circles from the sternal area up to the jawline and down to the collarbone for 30 seconds. Keep posture straight, shoulders down, and relax muscles.
Collarbone pressure: apply and release pressure with fingertips above the collarbones for 30 seconds. This stimulates lymphatic flow and helps reduce puffiness.
Under-chin massage: use knuckles to massage side-to-side under the chin for 30 seconds. Relax the under-chin area and promote lymphatic drainage.
Jawline massage: with knuckles, massage from the chin towards the ears in circular motion for 30 seconds. Relax the jaw.
Nasolabial fold and nose massage: place index fingers near nostrils and move mouth in a “O” shape, then massage around the nostrils and up the nose for 30 seconds.
Smile line lift: press palms on the smile lines and slide hands up towards the temples for 30 seconds. This helps lift the face and sculpt cheekbones.
Under-eye massage: use index fingers in a hook shape, massaging under the eyes along the bone structure for 30 seconds. This promotes blood flow and lymphatic drainage.
Temple lift: use fingertips to lift the area near the left temple for 30 seconds, then assist with the opposite hand to lift further. Repeat on the other side. This reduces crow’s feet and lifts the corners of the eyes.
Forehead lift: place hands on the forehead, lock fingers, and gently elevate the skin upwards. Glide fingers towards the hairline for 30 seconds. This promotes blood flow and smooths the forehead.
Relax 11 Lines: place fingers at the center of the forehead, gently press into the tissue, and let them glide away from each other towards the eyebrows for 30 seconds.
Bonus:
- Ensure good posture throughout.
- Relax, stay mindful, and breathe deeply during the exercises.
- Feel the warmth and energy from improved circulation, after the routine.
For more on all of this plus a visual demonstration of everything, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like to read:
Top 10 Foods That Promote Lymphatic Drainage and Lymph Flow
Take care!
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IBS diets don’t work for everyone – new research shows why, and it’s not just about the food
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
If you’ve ever tried a diet to fix gut symptoms, you’ll know it can be hit or miss. One person swears it changed their life. Another follows it carefully and feels no better.
This is especially true for irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. It’s a common condition that causes stomach pain, bloating and changes in bowel habits.
Many people with IBS are told to try the low-FODMAP diet. This reduces certain carbohydrates (known as FODMAPs) that the gut absorbs poorly. These are fermented by gut bacteria, producing gas and drawing water into the bowel, which can trigger symptoms.
Reducing FODMAPs – found in foods such as onions, garlic, apples, wheat and some dairy products – can help ease symptoms. The diet usually involves restricting these foods for a short period, then slowly reintroducing them to identify which ones trigger symptoms in each person.
For many people, it works. But for many others, it doesn’t. Our new research helps explain why.
We found the effectiveness of a low-FODMAP diet for IBS doesn’t come down to food alone, but also how the gut and brain work together.
Ivan Pantic/Getty Images Different levels of gut sensitivity
IBS affects how the brain and gut communicate. Signals travel between them, shaping how sensitive the gut is and how strongly symptoms are felt.
A simple way to think about it is as a volume dial. For some people, the gut is turned up, so even normal digestion can feel uncomfortable or painful. For others, the dial is lower.
Food matters, but it is only part of the picture. The brain can also turn symptoms up or down, influenced by stress, anxiety about gut symptoms, and expectations about how the body will respond.
To understand this, we studied 112 adults with IBS over six months as they completed the three phases of the low-FODMAP diet. Participants worked with a dietitian through restriction, reintroduction and personalisation, allowing us to track how symptoms changed as foods were removed and then reintroduced.
We measured symptoms, quality of life and psychological factors such as anxiety and expectations. We used statistical modelling to identify response patterns and what predicted improvement.
The brain can turn symptoms up or down. Oscar Wong/Getty Images What we found
Some people improved quickly and stayed better. Others improved only slightly, or not at all, even after completing all phases of the diet. We found psychological factors played a major role in whether the diet worked.
Importantly, the difference was not just what people ate, but how they thought and felt about their symptoms and treatment.
People who believed the diet would help were more likely to improve. This is called “treatment expectancy” and is seen across health care.
People with high gut-focused anxiety were less likely to improve. This means they were very worried about their gut and more sensitive to normal sensations, like gas or movement in the bowel.
People who felt more in control of their symptoms also tended to do better.
These factors often changed before symptoms improved. This suggests the brain may help drive changes in symptoms.
This doesn’t mean IBS is “all in your head”. The symptoms are real and can have a big impact on daily life.
The gut and brain are closely linked. Stress and anxiety can change how sensitive the gut feels and how strongly symptoms are experienced – for example, many people notice “butterflies” in their stomach during stress.
What does this mean?
Right now, IBS treatment is often trial and error, with diet changes commonly tried first, followed by psychological therapies if needed.
Our findings suggest we may need to rethink this approach.
Some people may benefit more from psychological approaches, such as stress-reduction or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). These can help people reframe unhelpful thoughts about their gut, reduce anxiety, and gradually face foods or situations they fear may trigger symptoms.
Others may respond well to diet alone. And many may need both.
If we can identify these differences earlier, for example by assessing anxiety or expectations, we could better match people to the right treatment.
This research marks a shift in how we understand IBS. It’s not just a food problem. It’s shaped by the interaction between diet, the gut and the brain.
For people living with IBS, this could mean fewer restrictive diets, less frustration and faster access to treatments that work.
For clinicians, it opens the door to more personalised care, where treatment is tailored to how a person’s gut-brain system is working.
In the end, improving IBS care may not be about finding the perfect diet. It may be more about understanding how the gut and brain work together, and using that to guide the right treatment.
Jessica Biesiekierski, Associate Professor of Human Nutrition, The University of Melbourne
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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