Bounce Away Cellulite: The Rebounder

No, she doesn't mean burning your bra. She’s talking about rebounding — jumping on a small trampoline for several minutes a day. The reason, Gittleman says, is that cellulite is the result of a sluggish lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is a series of vessels and glands that serves to deliver immune cells to, and collect waste products from, cells throughout the entire body. Unlike the circulatory system, which has the benefit of the nonstop work of the heart, the lymphatic system has no pump, so it relies on muscular contractions to keep the fluid moving to and from the extremities of the body. And if you’re sitting most of the day and/or not getting regular exercise, your lymphatic fluid is likely in need of a jump start.

"Cellulite is the result of fat cells and excess fluid getting stuck in your lymphatic fluid and forming deposits," Gittleman explains. "When you bounce on a rebounder, you get your lymphatic fluid moving and help flush those waste products — and the resulting cellulite — away."

Any exercise helps stimulate the lymphatic system, but according to Gittleman, jumping on a rebounder is particularly effective because the intensified gravitational pull you experience at the bottom of each bounce squeezes toxins from the cells and does an exceptional job of moving waste products along. "People who start rebounding find they have a much better muscle-to-fat ratio because it gets the backed-up fluids and fat cells out," she says. And, best of all, bouncing on a rebounder is legitimately fun — so you’ll be more likely to do it regularly.

Good sources of high-quality rebounders include lympholine.com, needakrebounders.com (they even have a foldable version), urbanrebounding.com, and the DVD Carol's Health Bounce, which provides a good introduction for bouncing beginners.

So hop to it!

Author slug: Freelance writer Kate Hanley is the author of The Anywhere, Anytime Chill Guide and founder of msmindbody.com.