BungyPump is used in rehabilitation settings in Sweden and Australia. This page sets out what has actually been measured, what it means, and where the limits of the evidence are. Every document is free to download and reproduce for your patients.
Independent testing
In December 2012 MODO Sports Academy in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, tested BungyPump against rigid poles and against walking with no poles. Fifteen participants aged 21–57 each completed the same 30-minute treadmill walk three times — unaided, with rigid poles, and with BungyPump — at 6.5 km/h with the gradient rising from 1° to 3°. Calorie consumption was measured with a Polar RS800CX and OwnCal; VO2max with Cosmed equipment.
| Measure | No poles | Rigid poles | BungyPump |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average energy expenditure | 233 kcal | 259 kcal | 343 kcal |
| Average increase vs no poles | — | +11% | +48% |
| Highest individual increase vs no poles | — | +38% | +77% |
| Average VO2max vs no poles | — | +3% | +21% |
The practical translation the report offers: matching 60 minutes of BungyPump walking would take roughly 90 minutes of ordinary walking, or about 80 minutes with rigid poles.
Where the variation comes from
Individual results ranged widely — from 5.9% to 77.3% against walking without poles. The report attributes this to differences in technique and upper-body strength: participants who could depress the poles further and hold them down longer got more from them. The effect is effort-dependent, not automatic. That is relevant when you prescribe them: a patient who plants the pole without pressing gets a rigid pole.
Physiotherapist assessment
Rovena Westberg, registered physiotherapist at Toppform Sjukgymnastik, assessed BungyPump and wrote the three rehabilitation programs below. Her report identifies the muscle groups recruited: triceps, rotator cuff and deltoid, latissimus, serratus and rhomboid, trapezius and pectoralis major, together with the lumbar stabilisers and the abdominal muscles working continuously against the resistance.
She notes that the suspension means the pole meets the ground more softly than a rigid pole, reducing load through the shoulders and elbows, and that pressure on the foot, knee and hip joints is lower than in unaided walking. She specifically recommends it for patients with back problems, on the basis that the poles activate deep stabilising abdominal and back muscles which support posture and relieve the vertebrae.
Her stated view on dosage is worth quoting to patients: you need neither train hard nor for long to improve meaningfully, but you do need to be regular. A shorter walk daily beats one long walk a week.
Programs you can give to patients
Each is a printable program developed with Rovena Westberg. You are free to reproduce them.
| Program | Indication |
|---|---|
| Breast cancer rehabilitation | Maintaining movement in muscle and tissue around the surgical area post-operatively, at an intensity the patient sets |
| Fibromyalgia | Low-intensity conditioning starting below current capacity, structured for fluctuating symptoms |
| Heart and lung | Graded cardiovascular work for cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation |
| Resistance exercises | Seven pole-based strength movements, ten warm-up and stretching movements, and a six-week starting schedule |
Limitations
Stated plainly, because you will ask anyway:
- The MODO study had 15 participants. It is a manufacturer-commissioned test, not a randomised controlled trial, and it has not been peer reviewed.
- It was conducted on a treadmill at a fixed pace and gradient. Outdoor walking at self-selected pace will differ.
- Participants were aged 21–57, so the results do not directly describe an older or clinical population.
- Results are strongly technique-dependent, with a more than tenfold spread between individuals.
- The 77% figure is the single best individual result. The average was 48%. Where we quote 77% anywhere on this site, that is what it means.
There is a growing independent literature on Nordic walking in older adults covering balance, mobility and cognitive outcomes, and clinical trials underway on Nordic walking for falls and fear of falling. That work concerns poles generally rather than BungyPump specifically, and we do not claim it as evidence for this product.
Ordering for a practice
We hold sole distribution rights for BungyPump in Australia and New Zealand, and handle the two-year warranty and spare parts directly. Trade pricing starts at five poles. We also lend demonstration poles at no charge to registered practitioners and accredited instructors assessing BungyPump for patient use — in Sydney we will come to you and run the demonstration with your team.
The Walkathlon is usually the right model for a caseload: a moveable locking system holds it rigid for support-only walking and unlocks for resistance, with a free upgrade from 4 kg to 6 kg included. One pair covers a patient from early balance work through to conditioning. It also adjusts down to 100 cm — the shortest minimum in the range — which makes it the simplest model to fit correctly across a caseload of different heights.