Does Rebounding Cause Headaches?

In a field of good press about the various benefits of bouncing on health, mood and general wellbeing, are there any potential downsides to the increasingly popular rebounder? Occasionally, you may hear of someone who has experienced headaches during or shortly after completing a session on their mini-trampoline. 

Is this something you need to be worried about, or are there simple explanations and remedies for this?

But Does rebounding cause headaches? Rebounding is not likely to cause long-lasting headaches or migraines. It may even, over time, reduce your chances of experiencing headaches if this is a form of discomfort you deal with regularly. If you think your rebounder could be causing you a bit of soreness in the head, it could be due to the unfamiliar movement, dehydration, or tension in the neck and facial area.

Let’s take a closer look at how headaches related to the rebounder can be minimised or even avoided altogether. We’ll also be having a think about how, over a longer period, the rebounder could even prove to be a useful aid in helping you achieve a healthier, headache free way of life!

Why Does Rebounding Give Me a Headache?

If you’re finding that the joy of rebounding is being offset by a sore head, there could be a number of straightforward reasons for this. 

Like any exercise, rebounding can be thirsty work. Dehydration is one of the most common, and fortunately preventable, causes of headaches. Many exercise-related headaches, rebounding or otherwise, are likely to be related to lack of fluids in some way.

When the body is dehydrated, blood vessels within the brain may actually contract ever so slightly. This contraction can cause pain, although scientists still have a lot to learn about the exact causal links between dehydration and headaches. 

Ensuring that you are properly topped up with water prior to rebounding and having a bottle to hand are the simplest ways to try to make sure your bouncing session isn’t curtailed by a sore and thirsty head.

Just as a lack of water can lead to headaches, low blood sugar or blocked sinus can also cause similar symptoms. When you rebound, your muscles can require more sugar in order to function properly and keep you balanced and moving. Too little blood sugar and you could experience weakness, lightheadedness, or headaches. 

A small glucose boost should usually be enough to rectify this. Have a banana, some jam, a spoon of honey, or a small bowl of cereal after your rebounding session if you think this could be the cause of soreness. 

Why Does My Head Hurt When I Jump?

Can the bouncing movement itself cause headaches? There is no proven link between the actual motion of the trampoline and headaches, though anecdotal reports from some people indicate that the motion can be problematic for a few individuals.

If you are new to this form of exercise, it can pay to go slow and steady, and to progressively build up your workouts in order for your body and brain to get used to the motion. 

Some headaches may also be caused by tension in the muscles supporting and surrounding the head. Neck tension is often a common cause of headaches, whether through subconscious stress or conscious exercise. 

If you find that you are tensing your muscles a great deal during your rebounding session, you might find that this leads to unwanted pain around the forehead and neck. Practice breathing deeply and freely when you bounce. Try to make a conscious effort to relax your shoulders.

Getting off momentarily and giving yourself a brief neck massage can also be helpful in resetting and loosening the muscles, allowing you to step back on the trampoline with a more balanced, relaxed posture. Trying to massage yourself whilst bouncing might not be the easiest option! 

Try this useful neck massager:

Rebounding For Headaches

Might rebounding actually be good for headaches in the long run? There are no strong scientific links between rebounding and headache relief. Nor would anecdotal evidence suggest that getting straight on the rebounder is a surefire way of curing a headache in the moment!

Nevertheless, exercises such as rebounding can be effective in combating many underlying causes of headaches and can, when used as part of a healthy diet and exercise routine, help to reduce headaches over time.

Stress is a common cause of headaches amongst adults. Rebounding appears to have a reliably positive effect on users’ stress levels over time, helping them to blow off steam, clear their mind, and bring a bit of vitality and calm into their daily routine. 

Similarly, high blood pressure has also been linked to a higher frequency of headaches, as well as a well documented host of other health issues. Rebounding, by encouraging healthy circulation and aiding with weight loss, can be a fun and effective tool for helping reduce some of the most common causes of high blood pressure, which in turn can only be good news for headache sufferers.

Finally, whilst rebounding in the moment causes muscles all over our body to tense and release along with the bouncing motion, over time this can actually help to loosen and relax our muscles. Any chronic tension we are holding in our neck or forehead could potentially be lessened by regular rebounding.

Final Thoughts

Generally speaking, rebounding is not likely to exacerbate or cause headaches. Any headaches that do occur as a result of mini-trampolining are likely to be mild, temporary, and easily remedied. There is no clear scientific evidence linking mini-trampolines to migraines or head pain in general. 

Nevertheless, if you have suffered a head injury, a concussion, or suffer from migraines frequently, it is always worth checking with a medical practitioner if you are thinking of incorporating a rebounder into your exercise routine.