“Rebounding freed me from pain!”
Esta McIntyre, 63, suffered from chronic pain and fatigue—until she discovered a fun way to exercise that restored her youthful mobility
Oh no, I can feel the pain coming on already,” Esta McIntyre agonized early one morning, as a headache that she knew would turn into a full-body ache settled over her like a veil. “I knew there was no way I could go to work this way. But as I dialed the phone to tell my office, I wondered if staying home was the right decision. Should I be going to the emergency room instead?
Overwhelmed by pain and fatigue
“I was a tough cookie—wired to work in a high-pressure corporate job for 30 years. But lately, pain was stopping me from keeping my usual pace. I was missing events and canceling appointments. I didn’t know what was wrong, so I finally went and had a full workup at the doctor, looking for things like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
“When the lab results came back, the doctor told me I had mixed connective tissue disease, an autoimmune condition where the body attacks its own ligaments and tendons, resulting in pain and fatigue.
“I was prescribed steroids, but I didn’t want to take them, fearing the side effects. My doctor wasn’t happy at my refusal, and he didn’t have any other advice for how I might cope with this condition. For the next few years, I lived on over-the-counter anti-inflammatory meds. They took the edge off, but I struggled each day. Living in denial didn’t work. There had to be another way.
“When I was offered a free session with a fitness trainer at a local tennis club, I begrudgingly gave it a try. I didn’t really want to move when everything hurt, but I knew exercise could help keep my tissues flexible and take weight off my sore joints.
“Fitness was so foreign to me. Doing burpees and running on a treadmill wasn’t fun. It felt like work, and I was already working 55 hours a week at my desk. As I dabbled in different exercises, I also slowly changed my diet and started losing some weight, but nothing was really helping to alleviate my pain. I kept hunting for answers—even educating myself about fitness and becoming credentialed as a trainer—trying to understand what might work for my body. All I knew was that I was not going to give in to my diagnosis.
Relief at last!
“Everything clicked for me the day I visited a fitness expo and was introduced to rebounding—exercising on a mini trampoline to reduce strain on the body. I stepped onto the fitness trampoline, not knowing what to expect, but I loved it immediately. It felt like play! And it was so much easier than exercising on the floor because the impact of each movement was cushioned. I bought one
immediately, hoping it would help me get healthy.
“I took a class to learn some trampoline moves and practiced at home. Surprisingly, I discovered the goal isn’t jumping as high as possible. Instead, it’s about safely focusing on the ‘down’ jump—using force to press my feet into the trampoline, while keeping my knees pointed in the same direction as my toes.
“I also learned to do more than just bounce. I did ab crunches while lying on the trampoline and used resistance bands and hand weights for different moves too. One day, I even had fun laughing and HulaHooping on the trampoline. And since I was on an unstable surface, each move helped reshape my rear end, core and abs in a way that seemed impossible with other exercises.
“Thanks to that gentle movement and other healthy changes, my pain dissipated, my range of motion improved, and I even shed 10 pounds! When I visited my new rheumatologist, he said, ‘I’m reversing that old diagnosis. I don’t see any markers for autoimmune issues anymore. Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it!’ I was also thrilled to find out that my bone density had improved.
“I was so grateful for my transformation that I decided to pay it forward. I left my desk job and became a certified trainer and the owner of My Health Studio, where I have a circuit of 10 JumpSport trampolines. I call it ‘fitness for people who love to eat and hate to move!’
“Now I help people with arthritis or multiple sclerosis benefit from rebounding. Even gently rocking— not even catching air—can ease pain and inflammation. It’s so easy and fun. One client had tears in her eyes when she told me, ‘Oh my gosh, I feel normal again.’ It’s a feeling I’m happy to know myself. After years of pain, I feel empowered!”
“Thanks to rebounding, my pain dissipated, my range of motion improved, and I even shed 10 pounds!”