Bungee workout: Except for the 'fun' aspect, I don't see much benefit

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  • steph2strong
    steph2strong Posts: 426 Member
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    spartan_d wrote: »
    fernt21 wrote: »

    I'm quite surprised you think working out being fun is overrated? should everyone suffer through and hate exercise thinking yay I'm glad thats over with? Am I misunderstanding your statement.

    Yes, you are totally misunderstanding what I said. I opined that this workout looks like it would be fun but comparatively ineffective, i.e. compared to other workouts, there's an awful lot of doing nothing. Obviously, that's not the same as saying that a workout is worthless if it's at all enjoyable. Surely you can see the difference rugt? If not, I can provide examples of how these statements aren't equivalent.

    And I stand by that evaluation. Others have said that holding a pose or holding onto a strap will "challenge" the core, but I think that's overstating things. There might be some core engagement, but IMO it would be small compared to, say, most calesthenics. Holding onto the strap while swing in a circle certainly won't do much, especially since much of one's weight would still be supported by the harness at one's weight. (Just FTR, I teach core engagement exercises when I design training routines for trail runners and other racers.)

    If you say that your bungee workouts are challenging for you, then I will take your word for it. I can certainly imagine some bungee routines where one has to actively resist the bungee cords for extended periods -- running against them for a minute, for example. In this video though, such moments aren't just brief, they're also few and far between. So if there are some great, demanding bungee workouts out there, this vid isn't exactly a great example.

    Seriously, where's the challenge in picking your feet off the ground, falling into sitting position, and then letting the bungee cords bounce you back up? That sort of thing creates the illusion of "working out" without requiring any actual effort, and this video is full of zero- or low-effort movements like that. It might be nice to do for fun, but as far as workouts go, the effort-to-time ratio is pretty low.

    So what I think you really have to do now is get out there and try one! I think it would be an incredible experience and if you hate it and think it has no exercise benefit there we go. But I promise you, many, many people, men and women have found a lot fo benefit and enjoyment from this workout. Keep an open mind :) try not to make snap judgements without adequate experience or information.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
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    I think it looks like a lot of fun! It also looks like something pretty adaptable to different levels in the same class(using more or less resistance). The spinning stuff would probably get me pretty dizzy and possibly sick, but I am prone to motion sickness.
  • margbarco
    margbarco Posts: 128 Member
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    “There's plenty of motion, but the cords do most of the actual work, and some of the moves are very much useless”


    The cords facilitate the flying in a circle, yes, but the person has to use their muscles and strength to hold up 100% of their body weight while in the air.
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
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    Just throwing it out there that a workout being fun doesn’t mean people will fall back into old habits and stop being active. I started pole bc it looked like fun, and that was 4 years ago and I’ve placed in competitions, traveled across the country to perform, and I am actually paid for my talents.

    As far as a bungee workout, I think it’s one of those things where it looks easy until you do it. Same with the trampoline exercise classes, I thought that would be easy but it was harder than I expected.

    Try it and let us know if there is any difficulty or skill involved.
  • Wissajane
    Wissajane Posts: 1 Member
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    Not all bungee studios just “hang” or swing around in their bungees. My local bungee studio that I’ve been a member of for 4 years teaches correct movements and exercises. The purpose of using a bungee is to give your joints a low impact workout. You will adjust the number of bungee cords you require based on weight, experience and the level of skill you have. I have lost 42 pounds since I started doing bungee along with a healthier diet and a dance fit class. There are lots of people who use bungee fitness as their physical therapy for injuries or surgeries with their doctors blessings.

    You will see a lot of bungee studios on social media doing a lot of crazy moves or just flopping around in their harnesses. Just know that there are amazing studios that can help you get the right workout with a bungee. And when you find a good one you will definitely know you are getting a workout.

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