They say that when you get older, you smile less and laugh infrequently (babies apparently smile around 400 times in a day and adults supposedly 20*). So if there was a way to inject instant happiness, even for a moment, where you truly forget about money issues, arguments, who’s going to cook tonight and what time you have to be up the next day, you can be sure to find it at your first SuppaJump Class.
SuppaJump London promises to be a low-impact, high-energy and fun class with a difference. The difference being that you’re equipped with sturdy Kangoo shoes, similar to that of rollerblades but instead of wheels, you have a heavy duty plastic oval that sits at high tension underneath your foot. The first thing you notice when you try and stand up is that the floor is no longer hard, but bouncy. Imagine mini trampolines attached to your feet… Did you just take a moment to imagine that? And did a smile appear on your face? I thought so. Regardless of whether you’re actually burning calories during a SuppaJump workout, your face is certainly active – whether from smiling like a maniac (a sure fire way to clear the people around you, especially in London where everyone’s suspicious of everyone else) or a strange grimace contortion as you realise you’re losing your balance.
It’s actually quite hard to fall over. Not that I tried much – the desire for self-preservation was strong. The shoes you wear support your ankle and there are little rubber nubbins on the bottom to stop you slipping, even when on a wet floor (we tested this out). I imagine that the only way to fall over is to trip over your own two feet – and if this is something that happens often, you firstly need to see your doctor and secondly steer well clear of this class.
So it was on a really disgustingly wet Bank Holiday, I and eight other women found ourselves at Fashercise’s BoxPark pop-up. To celebrate the launch of their online stylish sportswear shop, they were, in conjunction with Voopy, holding a week of various London fitness classes. Amongst the classes I could have tried out were Total Boxer, Boom Cycle, Ravercise, Indaba yoga, Urban Vitality and Djibouti Hoola Hoop. What a great way to kick off a sportswear brand! And perfect timing too – after the gluttony and debauchery that so often coincides with a bank holiday, fitness is the only way to get back on track.
Clinging onto passers-by, the Fashercise founders and anyone else who ventured near enough to these Kangoo-shod beings, our group made our way to the bridge by Shoreditch High Station. Normally, SuppaJump classes take place in a studio but this was for the launch of Fashercise! Equipped with wireless headphones that pumped music through it, we could also hear Carolina’s instructions. All the moves in the first part were designed to get us more comfortable with the Kangoo shoes and included jumps, steps and walking. By the end of the class, we were all jumping one-legged in the air, thrilled with our new found height and energy. As someone who is starting to develop a knee problem, I can safely say there wasn’t any pain – during nor after. In terms of muscles worked, the relative instability of the shoes means that your core and small muscles around your thighs and legs are constantly working to re-adjust your balance. There’s less focus on your arms but this is great for a cardio and core workout. Plus, it is SO MUCH FUN. There’s definitely an element of dance involved also – it’s a bit like a mix between dance and aerobics and for those who used to dance around in their bedroom, this will take you straight back to those good old days.
Useful links
- SuppaJump – funner fitness
- Fashercise – for the stylishly fit
- Voopy – a showcase of interesting fitness classes for Londoners
*There’s so many varying numbers around smiling that finding proper research is tricky. It’s fair to say that adults are generally less smiley than babies or kids; you just have to spend 10 minutes in the presence of both to realise that.
What fitness session makes you smile or feel like a kid again? Is it ballet lessons? Maybe obstacle courses? Maybe you’ve not yet found a fitness session that you really enjoy? If that’s the case, we can help! Just get in touch.
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