So this is how Neil Armstrong felt when he took those first small steps for man on the moon.
Not the magnitude of the moment, but the motion of the movement. Picture the old footage of astronauts doing the low-gravity lunar shuffle. Kangoo Jumps rebound boots put a similar hop in your step and may be the closest approximation on earth to genuine moon-walking.
“It’s like taking a trampoline to the gym or to the beach,” says Jill Boyer- Holland while demonstrating the bounce-worthy appeal of Kangoo Jumps on the Hollywood beach Broadwalk.
Coincidentally, NASA used trampolines to study the benefits of “rebound exercise,” concluding it is the “most efficient, effective form of exercise yet devised by man.”
The loop spring fastened to the bottom of the boots cushions every stride much like a carriage spring. The benefit for runners is obvious as a low-impact method of cross training.
For Boyer-Holland, Kangoo Jumps meant liberation from a debilitating leg injury that kept her from exercising and working as a fitness instructor. Since taking her first hop in KJs just over two years ago, she has become such a disciple of the boots that she is U.S. coordinator for training and education for Kangoo Jumps as well as a dealer.
“I got hurt and spent a long time feeling sorry for myself. Because of these I can exercise on my own. My husband had a hip replacement, and he runs on these,” she says. “It’s fun, it’s great exercise. You can’t have excuses anymore that ‘my head hurts, my knee hurts, I have a bad back.’ “
At first glance Kangoo Jumping appears like a novelty: pogo in stereo. Scientific studies have shown an array of health benefits.
The boots, developed by a Swiss engineer in 1994, have been shown to impact the knees and ankles up to 80 percent less than running while providing significantly more cardiovascular improvement. The posture needed to run in the boots promotes proper alignment of the spine. The steady bounce, bounce, bounce even stimulates the lymphatic system to excel toxins from the body.
Sheila Bechert, of Sea Ranch Lakes, had a different reason for introducing KJs to three generations of her family.
“They are fun and you feel kind of energized when you’re on them,” she says. “It reminds me of when I was growing up and they had those spring shoes – those that went boing, boing in the cartoons. I always wanted those spring shoes. Now I have them.”
Bechert, a retired medical administrator, got a pair for her grandson, Morgan Weber, for his 11th birthday just over a year ago, then another pair for Morgan’s dad, Tom Weber, so they could Kangoo together.
All three of them participated in the first Kangoo Jumps 5K in South Florida, which was included as a separate division of the Memorial Day Classic at Weston. Josh Stern, of WildSide Online, which manages many of the races in South Florida, said it will be up to individual race organizers as to whether to include a Kangoo Jumps division in future races.
The boots are rapidly gaining acceptance and popularity. Kim and Kourtney Kardashian were photographed Kangooing in Miami. Tyra Banks and Martha Stewart tried them on their TV shows, and they were featured on NBC’s “Today” show.
Kangoo fitness classes are expanding in South Florida, including Memorial Health and Fitness in Hollywood, and Kangoo Boot Camps at Hollywood’s John Williams Park and Greynolds Park in Aventura. Details about classes, training and product information are available on Boyer-Holland’s website at kangoosrus.com or by phoning 954-557-6195.
“This is the new spin bike,” Boyer-Holland says.
The boots, which come in several models that retail from $229 to $259, are not available in stores. They can be purchased on the Internet or directly from distributors.
They are easier to move around in than they may appear at first glance.
“I never fall on them; I feel very safe,” says Bechert, who did note one drawback. “You can’t walk anywhere without people wanting to know all about them. So you always have to stop and talk about them.”
Craig Davis can be reached at
