Fitness enthusiast Hala Krunz is the latest addition to Inspire Sports’ bubbly group exercise team, bringing with her one of the wackiest workout trends in the business – Kangoo Jumps.
What are they? Why are they? This week we take them for a ‘test jump’.
The biggest problem in performing most sports and vigorous athletic activity is the excess strain on joints due to repeated impact, and this is the reason Kangoo Jumps rebound shoes were originally developed; they’re a solid, secure boot with a springy step just perfect for regular joggers, runners and athletes.
According to the Kangoo Jumps website, and scientific studies conducted by the Swiss Federation Institute of Technology, all the latest sport shoes on the market boasting cutting-edge cushioning features and claiming to reduce impact just aren’t cutting the mustard in providing significant protection.
That’s because they do not lengthen the impact time significantly enough to allow the brain and muscles to react in a timely manner to absorb impact energy.
The studies compared these trainers to Kangoo Jumps and found that the latter’s patented Impact Protection System not only helps increase impact time, but also reduces the impact stress by up to 80 per cent while protecting ankles, knees, hips, lower back, and spine, making it the most superior, low impact ‘shoe’ out there.
As the Kangoo Jumps are so ski boot-like and take you higher off the ground than even ice skates, we wouldn’t exactly call them shoes though, and had a hard time picturing them replacing your everyday running shoe out in public (we'd probably head out with normal spares in a backpack, which in itself would be annoying). But the future gets weirder by the minute, so who knows.
For now, we’re more than happy to entertain them in the fitness studio with specialised classes and choreography such as Hala’s.
The Abu Dhabi-based Jordanian teaches special full body-engaging Bootcamp and Power routines using the footwear, and believes the trend will set fire in Abu Dhabi soon enough due to it being accessible to all ages, including and especially those with injury, and its playful nature.
“I came across Kangoo Jumps via social media, I like to try all types of activities and exercise trends that way,” says Hala. “I’ve done Zumba for five years, got on board with Insanity workouts, Les Mills classes. I never thought of being an instructor for any of these but when I saw Kangoo Jumps I loved it so much I immediately went in search of them.
"With Kangoo Jumps you lose all the negative energy" – Hala Krunz
“I found a distributor in Dubai who also taught people to be certified instructors. The training was three full days of jumping, I was dead but it was amazing. You can’t jump and be angry – with Kangoo Jumps you lose all the negative energy.”
Not only is it fun, it’s effective. If we don’t move enough, excess levels of toxin actually clutter or poison our lymphatic system.
The lymphatic system, which is also our immune system, does not have a pump like the heart to keep its liquid in motion though, and in some places the lymph fluid will actually crystallise into cellulite, which many of us know is hard to eliminate.
Rebound exercise, such as with Kangoo Jumps or trampolining, has been found to be the most effective way to keep everything moving quickly and smoothly. The more efficient you make your lymphatic system, the more your metabolic rate, and your body’s ability to burn calories, increases.
With regular rebound exercise, you’ll very soon see noticeable improvements in our muscle tone, endurance levels and weight management, and you’ll even start to burn calories whether you’re exercising or not!
What sets Kangoo Jumping apart from trampolining is of course being able to do it anywhere and move around more freely in a wider training space – our sample class included full-on dance routines after jogging round the studio first to get acquainted with our new foreign foundations (it only takes a couple minutes). In the cooler months Hala even plans to take things outside in varied terrain.
Even better than trampolining too, each boot weighs 2.5 kilos so it’s easy enough to get some sufficient weight training in as well. Kick a leg as high and as long enough and you’ll certainly feel it.
For a portion of the class we were down on floor mats lifting and circling them in quick time to modern thumpy music too, and the hurt was more than significant.
“The added weight means you’re losing significant calories as well as replacing fat with muscle,” adds Hala, who also teaches the class at new ladies-only gym TONE Fitness in Bain Al Jessrain.
“The shoe’s technology allows for you to add higher weights too. Every part of the shoe can be changed for a tougher or easier workout, and to suit heavier and lighter body types.”
And while Kangoo Jumps are not really designed for jumping very high, but rather for jogging, aerobic exercise, cross training or dancing, one could buy additional tension springs and accessories for more extreme uses. That said, even Hala’s basic courses are hardcore enough for the average gym body, and will leave you huffing and puffing, but also having fun.
WHAT: Kangoo Jumps classes
WHERE: Inspire Sports HQ at Al Bateen Secondary School, Abu Dhabi
WHEN: Sundays and Tuesdays at 19:30
WHO’S IT FOR: Ladies only COST: Dh90. That’s Dh45 for the class and Dh45 for Kangoo shoe rental; if you have your own shoe it’s simply Dh45. You can buy shoes through Hala.
CONTACT & INFO: www.inspiresports.ae; 050 157 5508 (or 5540, or 5560).
