A Spring in Your Step: Kangoo Jumps at Gold's

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AEROBICS INSTRUCTORS ARE usually a bouncy bunch, but Beth Kruper takes the stereotype to new heights — literally. With Kangoo Jumps — boots fitted with a circular spring on the bottom — she leads classes that'll have you jumping for joy (and, eventually, oy).

What it is: While Gold's Gym toys with the idea of making rebounding shoes a staple at its facilities, folks at the Lorton and Woodbridge locations have been able to test them out once a week.

Just slipping on the footwear ups your calorie burn because the curved, unstable base forces users to engage their cores (or wobble all over). As 13-year-old Selina Doucet says while strapping in at a recent class, "It feels like I'm hopping on a trampoline." Watching first-timers always gives Kruper a laugh. "They get so elated," she says. But that's probably because they don't know what she has in store for them in the next hour.

Moves: Get ready to hop up and down, because you'll be doing every possible variation of it — on one leg, while turning in a circle, heading backward, kicking out to the side. Most of the steps are cardio classics (think squats and jumping jacks), but Kruper also tests students' coordination by choreographing mini dance routines. She ends with an abs segment that takes advantage of the boots' weight.

Workout: Your joints get to take it easy because Kangoo Jumps reduce the impact of smacking the ground. But your heart has a harder job. "You're continuously jumping for an hour, so, yes, it's challenging," promises Jessica Moore, 26, whose husband, Vince, is also hooked. They just bought a pair to wear while playing with their three dogs. For Kristin Lynch, 39, the classes are a fun and fast way to knock out her cardio needs: "You get a lot of bang for your buck." But you don't get banged up — despite everyone's fears that they're going to topple over, it almost never happens.

Crowd: The goofy aspect of it (and the fact that wearing the boots adds a good 6 inches to your height) appeals to kids, but little ones tend not to have the endurance needed to keep up with everything in Kruper's classes. She says it helps to be able to run two to three miles, but, of course, there's no shame in taking a time out or a water break. No matter your fitness level, you'll want to take a few anyway.

Garb: You can buy your own pair of boots (at ), but since Gold's has a large selection, you really need only socks. Swap those cute short ones that hit at your ankle for the long, old-school style to help protect your skin. Nothing wipes a smile off your face faster than a blister.

» Held at Gold's Gym Lorton (7700 Gunston Plaza) on Saturdays at 11:30 a.m., and Gold's Gym Lake Ridge (12550 Dillingham Square, Woodbridge) on Sundays at 10 a.m. Contact Kruper at Jumpforjoyfitness@live.com.

Photos by Lawrence Luk for Express