Ever want to bounce around like a kangaroo?
A new workout trend where you get to do just that has made its way to Bradford West Gwillimbury.
It is a high-impact cardio workout done while wearing special boots called Kangoo Jumps. The boots are designed to give you a more intense workout without feeling any pain or pressure on the joints.
Bradford West Gwillimbury resident Sandra Silva took note of this new fitness trend and turned it into a business opportunity.
Silva said she has always been a fitness fanatic, being involved in sports like volleyball and soccer, but after she got married and had kids, she began having problems with her thyroid, which resulted in weight gain and chronic depression.
It was after her diagnosis of hypothyroidism that she decided to combat her symptoms with fitness.
It was at a canfitpro expo where she met Kangoo instructor Becky Overbeck from Alliston who introduced her to Kangoo exercise.
Shortly after that, she became a certified Kangoo fitness instructor and began renovating her basement to create her own Kangoo studio for the people of Bradford.
In December 2018, she opened up her home gym, Kangoo Club Bradford.
“I was helping myself by helping other people,” she said, of starting the club.
She runs her Kangoo classes six days a week and, so far, she said business has been great with just more than 20 registered members.
Her one-hour class is structured into half an hour of cardio in the boots and half an hour of body toning and conditioning.
While she can only fit 12 participants in her studio at one time, she plans to run her classes outdoors come May, where she will be able to accommodate up to 30 people per class.
The Kangoo Jumps can cost upward of $300 to buy, so Silva offers a rental service for her clients.
She said the boots were originally designed for athletes recovering from leg injuries. The boots are made to have less impact on the joints, helping to prevent injury.
Silva said the boots burn 25 per cent more calories than wearing just regular running shoes and they have helped a lot of her clients see better fitness results.
“It’s also great for cross training options for runners,” she said.
Members Nicole Hill and Amber Emmett met through the classes and have become good friends since starting together in January.
Hill said she has lost 20 pounds since starting the classes and loves coming for not only the workout, but for the social aspect as well.
“It gets me out of the house, and (it) is very energetic,” she said.
Emmett, even after long and tiring days of commuting and working, said she always loves coming to class because she feels so energized afterward.
“I don’t feel like death when I leave… It’s 8:00 p.m. and I have so much energy and I don’t know what to do with it,” she said.
Silva’s classes have become so popular she often has to have waitlists for people trying to book.
In the future, as her memberships continue to grow, Silva said she would like to find a bigger space in town to offer her classes.
To see what all the hype is about, you can check out the Kangoo Club Bradford Facebook page or book a class online.
