An exercise that's as fun as it is effective? Get jumping.

Rebounding can have a couple of different meanings. While my mind goes immediately to basketball, someone else might think about the date she had after her last break up. But, neither of those things are what this post is about.

Rebounding, or jumping on a mini trampoline (rebounder), is one of the hottest ways to get in great shape. It's super beneficial -- a NASA study found rebounding to be 68 percent more oxygen-efficient than other types of cardio exercise, including running. Plus, you know, bouncing around is fun.

Perhaps even more important is the fact that rebounding has zero impact, but gives you high-impact results. And, you can do it in a class (such as Urban Rebounding), or you can do it at home with your own Urban Rebounder Folding Trampoline Workout System.

While I rang in the new year, wrapped up in my warmest sweater and avoiding the outdoors at all costs, Beyonce and hubby Jay-Z spent the time frolicking on the beaches in the Caribbean in a skimpy bikini (well, Beyonce did, anyway. I'd rather not see Jay-Z in a bikini, no offense or anything).

B took some much-needed time out of her busy schedule to show off her sexy curves and play on the water -- she was spotted tearing up the waves on a jet ski and jumping on a water trampoline. Good for her -- a couple of hours at those activities can help her burn around 500 calories.

Sure sounds like a fun way to celebrate the new year. And she looks fantastic. Not that I'm jealous or anything.

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When I think of the mini-trampoline, my mind jumps back to the early 80s when my sisters and I would take turns using the trampoline and later we'd all work out with the Jane Fonda record. (Wow. I really dated myself there. But I was young in the early 80s. Really young.)

Now those mini-trampolines are called rebounders. While the equipment itself doesn't seem to have changed too much (though some have added features for folding and storage), the workout has improved with time. Take the Urban Rebounder system, for example. You don't simply bounce around aimlessly. The rebounder comes with a fitness DVD that will guide you through a 30-minute set of twists, squats and other moves.

The Urban Rebounder system isn't the only one available. Check out your local sporting goods store for more options, or do a quick search on the Internet for "rebounder." Want more fun fitness ideas? Check out AOL Health.

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When I was a kid, I took gymnastics at a local ... gymnastics place (for lack of a better term). I eventually quit, deciding that baseball, basketball and football were more my things. Anyway, the one part of gymnastics I always missed was bouncing around on the trampoline. As the years passed, I've always been tempted to buy one, but for one reason or another never got around to actually doing it. This is a shame, really, because not only are trampolines a lot of fun, using them also burns a good amount of calories.

Studies show that 10 minutes on a trampoline burns just about the same amount of calories as a 30-minute run, and it does so with 80 percent less impact on the ol' bones. Moreover, there are actual exercises you can perform on a trampoline, many of which you're probably familiar with already.

Common moves like the push-up, standing squat, lunges, and even jump squats done on a trampoline require greater use of your core muscles than when done on a hard, flat surface. The instability of the trampoline necessitates a certain amount of stabilization, or else you will tip over ... which is no problem, because then you can literally just bounce right back again.

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So, I admit to faltering big time on workouts lately. By the end of winter, facing the gym or even another day in the cold just gets to me. But now, spring is here! And the neighbors' trampoline is open for business!

It often happens on nice days. All the neighbor kids get off the bus and the siblings come out to greet them and everyone ends up staying outside romping around and enjoying the sun and air. In our neighborhood, the kids invariably end up piling into the trampoline in the back yard of one of our neighbors. They got it as a big family Christmas gift a couple of years ago. And boy has it gotten some use since then.

Every so often, the parents join in at their own risk. Jump. Kick. Twist. Turn. Fall. Laugh. We're rewarded for the courage by burning a few calories while we spend some good old fashioned quality time with our kids. And it almost feels like we've found a little fountain of youth. Almost.

Heidi Klum has already extolled the virtues of the trampoline, citing it as one of the things that keeps her in supermodel shape. This week, when she appeared on Jimmy Kimmel's talk show, she showed off her trampoline jumping skills -- and dragged Jimmy with her.

In fact, she encouraged him to take off his shoe and socks, which he initially refused to do, and for good reason -- when he finally took off his socks, some of his toenails were painted (apparently by Ben Affleck).

At any rate, Heidi proved to have some good moves on the trampoline, and Jimmy did a pretty decent job of staying on. While it might not have been the most efficient way to conduct an interview (we learned that Victoria Beckham would be a celebrity judge for the Project Runway finale, but that was about it), it sure was a lot of fun to watch. It was short, but if they'd gone for much longer, I would imagine they would've been fairly out of breathe. I mean, when's the last time you were on a big trampoline? It's a workout!

And let me just say, Heidi gets more likable every time she hits a talk show. She's fun, she's goofy, and seems to get along well with everyone, and now that she jumped on a trampoline with Jimmy Kimmel, I think I have a girl crush.

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz! My 12-year-old daughter has started getting into fitness, all on her own motivation. She's always been on the thin side, and is certainly a healthy weight...and a fairly healthy eater. She said she wants to work out to build muscle and put on a few pounds (certainly not what you usually hear from girls at that age group). I want to support her, but I also want to be sure she is doing things in a healthy age-appropriate way.

She lives with her dad and we live in different states, which certainly makes matters more complicated. If she lived with me we could figure out ways to exercise together. Her dad and his girlfriend are both overweight with unhealthy habits. Any suggestions on how to get started? And is there anything she shouldn't be doing yet or things I should look out for? Thanks, Judy

Hello Miss Judy. You ask a great question and are smart to be both excited and leery of the situation. A child of 12 eager to pursue true fitness is an absolute gift. It is also a perfect point for that child's parent to stop and evaluate the situation, to make sure it's addressed correctly.

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Remember when you were a kid and the highlight of your day was when you got to jump on the bed at a hotel or your friend's trampoline? Kids have so much energy to burn off, and jumping's a great way to do it -- it's exhausting! And we often forget that we have a lot of energy to burn off too, but it often gets pushed aside during our busy days, only to keep us awake at night when we should be sleeping. Maybe we should try jumping too?

Laugh all you want -- I'm serious. Jumping is a great new fitness trend that's actually be around for a while. Jump training, also known as Plyometrics, has bee used for decades by athletes, and it's being incorporated into normal people's fitness too. And guess what -- it's fun. Check out this video if you don't believe me.

There are a number of ways you can stay fit with a jumping routine, including:

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When I was growing up, if there was a kid in the neighborhood that had a trampoline that kid was the most popular person on the block. In the summer, all the local youngsters would head over to double-bounce each other and on hot days, run a sprinkler underneath to cool off. Not only was it great exercise, it was a whole lot of fun.

So I find it disappointing to read that both the Canadian Paediatric Society and Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine have recommended that parents not let their their kids use trampolines at home for recreational purposes. I realize that the bouncy equipment results in loads of injuries each year. According to the information I found, injuries ranged from approximately 20,000 to 60,000 a year in the US based on 5-year period and between 149 and 660 a year in Canada over a 13-year period -- which doesn't sound like much compared to the US numbers but the they are actually pretty similar when looked at on a per capita basis.

Granted that's a lot of broken arms and sprained wrists but rather than suggesting an altogether ban as a solution, I prefer Health Canada's approach which advocates educating kids about the dangers of trampoline use. Basically, parents need to be reasonable and take responsibility for their kids safety. It's important to advise children on safe trampoline use, set strict boundaries and be willing to take the time to supervise but I don't think that it's necessary to prevent your kids from using trampolines at all.

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Last Fit Factor, I wrote on doing all sorts of things you haven't done since you were a kid, both for fun and fitness. Then I went and wrote this post based on an article from Gabby Reece that really inspired me. She talks about all the ways in which we should take inspiration from kids--from their honesty and candidness to their enthusiasm for life and their simple outlook on everything. In so many ways, it makes sense and I feel almost like us grown-ups have it backwards and should be taking lessons from children.

Anyway, I decided to continue my post on stuff you haven't done since you were a kid and give you some more ideas on how to get out there and have some fun, old-school style.

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