Jump into a new kind of exercise regime with Kangoo Jumps.Photo by Katie Mykleseth
She effortlessly hops through the exit of the café. Once outside, she bounces from side to side like a boxer before the bell rings. Her alternating steps rapidly transform into bounding leaps. The spring in her jumps and the brief images of her airborne poses are like the elaborate jumps of children on a backyard trampoline. The bouncy boots make her efforts seem playful, but her racing breath reveals the cardio workout she is getting from the footwear.
Kyna Rosen is working out.
Kangoo Jumps, the footwear that makes Rosen fly high, were originally developed to decrease the stress on runners’ joints says Rosen, founder of Kangoo Club AZ. The boots are attached to springs and can accompany different cardio workouts. The spring-loaded shoes resemble rollerblades except, instead of wheels, Kangoo Jumps have tension bands and spring arcs fastened to the bottom of the boots.
An initial reaction to watching someone use the boots may cause wide eyes or a small chuckle. Rosen says the benefits of Kangoo Jumps move fitness lovers past the odd appearance.
“I think for people when they are first starting out … they think that Kangoo Jumps are kind of goofy. But once you realize how effective they are, they don’t seem goofy anymore. They seem futuristic,” Rosen says.
Kangoo Jumps are an exciting alternative to everyday exercise.Photo by Katie Mykleseth
Rosen says there are many benefits to using Kangoo Jumps during exercise, such as taking 80 percent of shock off the joints, burning 25 percent more calories, improving muscle recovery time and increasing cardiovascular endurance.
Rosen has worked with Kangoo Jumps since 2009 and says she wanted to work with Kangoo Jumps because she was looking for a new way to exercise.
“I was looking for something fun and different that I could share with other people and get good results. Something I could get results with but I wouldn’t have to work so hard,” Rosen says. “It’s like a portable gym wherever you go.”
The unique look and idea of this “portable gym” has attracted journalism senior and cycling instructor Jillian Fertig, who says Kangoo Jumps provide a unique workout.
As an avid runner, Fertig says she would love to incorporate Kangoo Jumps into one of the marathons in which she competes. “I would be curious to see if [they] would help improve my times,” Fertig says.
Maintaining balance was the initial issue to overcome when first stepping into the boots, Fertig says, “but once I got a rhythm down I caught on really quickly.”
Brad Evans, co-owner of Easy Exercise Solutions, says the initial steps in the boots require a slight balancing act, but the necessary adjustments will spring the athlete into exercise. For example, Evans says Kangoo Jumps can give a better workout than a standard running shoe, and can relieve the joints when running on surfaces like concrete.
Because of the Kangoo Jumps, Evans says he can run and enjoy himself. “They help me keep in shape. For me, they make it fun to just go out and run, something I probably wouldn’t do in regular shoes because it hurts. I started jogging and realized they were fun and you don’t feel the pain in your knees and ankles,” Evans says.
Balance can be a challenge when wearing these futuristic shoes.Photo by Katie Mykleseth
The catalyst for Evans work with Kangoo Jumps was the change he witnessed in his mother when she started to use Kangoo Jumps. Evans says, “She has a bad back and was jumping and running like I had never seen her before the Kangoo Jumps.”
While Kangoo Jumps can be beneficial to routine runners, they can also bring the sport back into an athlete’s life. Mike Gallagher, a client of Rosen, says Kangoo Jumps enabled him to renew a passion he thought he had lost.
“I had back surgery and back problems so I gave up running because it was too painful, but Kangoo made it easy to run again because they take the shock out of it. It takes away all of the pain of running. Once I got the boots, it was the first time I ran since the surgery,” Gallagher says.
Gallagher’s story does not come without some comic relief. The unique look of the boots still sparks a chuckle, and when recalling what it is like running in Kangoo Jumps, Gallagher laughs. “I get a lot of questions and looks when I wear them — a lot of curiosity," Gallagher says. "It takes a little getting used to getting all of that attention.”
Withstanding curious glances and questions is a small cost for an exhilarating way to shape up. Slipping on the boots, buckling the straps and jumping into step can mark the beginning of a lively new way to exercise.
Reach the writer at kmyklese@asu.edu or via Twitter @mykatiejo
