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Putting bounce in exercise

By Douglas R. Clifford, Times Staff
In print: Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Eight-year-old Elizabeth Winans of Largo takes a trip recently down a 17-foot slide at Bounce U, an indoor facility for parties and fitness in Largo.
	[DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times]

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Bounce U was opened in Largo by retired Marine Lt. Col. and former NASA astronaut Andy Allen and his wife, Brenda, in 2007 to provide a fun place for fitness and family togetherness. Allen is a veteran of three space flights and has logged more than 900 hours in space. He was the pilot on shuttle missions in 1992 and 1994, and was mission commander in 1996. "Getting to do something with my wife has been most of the fun, since I have done so many things in my life solo, Bounce U has been the perfect fit since we could enter into it as a family," Allen said. "I spent a lot of time getting ready to go into space, and recovering after being in space, and fitness plays a big role in this. There is a fitness level about going into space; there are significant physiological changes that happen to our bodies in space. Bounce U is a perfect fit. In space we lose about a third of our muscle mass, we exercise on a lot of machines, we use a lot of isometrics, we ride bikes. Bounce U is a great example of low-impact exercise which is not over-stressing knees, hips and ankles, but at the same time, you are putting stress on the joints and exercising the muscles. … You can race your mom and dad down the slide. Whether you like it or not, you will get fitness in there."