Jump your way to fitness with this Friday's Fitness Trend, Kangoo!

These shoes are going to bring you to whole new fitness heights, literally...

I'm back with another installment in the PGX Friday Fitness Trend series and I'm bouncing in with a funny, intriguing, maybe even absolutely hilarious but looks-like-so-much-fun fitness trend in the form of Kangoo! So what is Kangoo and how does one do it? Well, it's all about the shoes!

Kangoo Jumps are bouncy rebound shoes that will have you, quite literally jumping higher than ever without impacting your joints! Three scientific studies have shown that with their patented Impact Protection System, these bouncy boots have the ability to reduce impact on the knees by up to 80%! If you suffer from a sports injury or the effects of one in the past, these shoes might be something to consider.

"Their impact reduction also significantly enhances the healing process after sport injures or surgery, relieves pain, and provides the opportunity to exercise in a way that will also alleviate some of the symptoms of diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, etc." More information (a lot more) and the scientific papers from these studies are available on the Kangoo Jumps Health page.

Without reading through the details of the many benefits of Kangoo Jumps, I think it's safe to assume that these shoes will give your muscles a decent workout. If you wear them running, you'll get cardio exercise combined with the core muscle engagement required to keep you balanced on spring loaded shoes!

If you're close to any Kangoo classes why not give it a try? If anything, it does look like a lot of good, laugh out loud, silly fun. That sounds like the best way to work out! Read about New York Times writer, Daniel Krieger's experience with Kangoo and enjoy this hopping video of Kangoo featuring NYC trainer, Mario Godiva.

Image source: iuliamusat.blogspot.ca

Get your model on and train like an angel!

Travelling and need a portable workout? The Victoria's Secret Angels know all about that!

It's a busy time of year with plenty of people travelling to be with family and friends. As much fun as that is, it can be disruptive to our regular fitness routines or even just our plans to get fit! That's why I'm loving this full body workout from the Victoria's Secret Angels and their trainer, Justin Gelband! Yes, it's true. These models actually workout and eat well in order to have the strength to carry those wings and look healthy!

In their fitness series, Train Like an Angel, they dedicated one week to an easy-to-follow, no-gym-necessary, workout routine that will allow you to easily stay in shape, even if you are flying all over the place this season! Check out this jet setting workout below and stay fit. You'll be able to freely enjoy this winter's activities and tasty eats!

Workout/image source: VSX by Victoria's Secret

Train Like an Angel!

It's not all fluff and poses for the Victoria's Secret models. They work to be runway ready!

Whether you are interested in fashion or not, you have undoubtedly seen many many times, images and ads of terrifyingly thin models and photoshopped movie stars floating around. Almost everywhere we look now, there they are: skinny girls and doctored photographs setting an impossibly high and unhealthy standard for body image.

Here's a different image of a model:

It is refreshing to see a company and it's models promote a healthier lifestyle and share their workouts. Yes, these women still seem incredibly small but at least we know they actually work for their figures. Aside from the videos they share, here's another tid bit to consider: many of the wings they wear on the runway are actually quite heavy! These models have put up to 50 pounds of extra weight on their backs while still keeping their walk tall and stilettos firmly on the ground!

In preparation for this year's show, they've started sharing new videos and tips from celebrity trainer, Justin Gelband, to help viewers and fans "Train Like an Angel!"

Don't get jealous; get fit! Until tomorrow PGX'ers...

Image source: Hello Daily News

Today's Thursday Obsession: Eating Like an Olympic Athlete!

The 2012 London Olympics are almost here! Let's learn to eat like an Olympian!

We're 14 days away from watching the world's greatest athletes compete in the summer olympics and I wondered, "What do these incredible people eat to keep themselves in tip top, spit spot shape?!" Luckily for me and anyone else who was wondering, Canadian National Olympic team dietician, Kelly Anne Erdman shared her knowledge on how these and probably all other athletes are keeping healthy to prepare for the games!

Check out the fabulous article from BCLiving.com and learn how to eat and maintaina the healthy lifestyle of an Olympic athlete!

As always PGX'ers, stay healthy!

Image source: Adam Van Koeverden - Top 10 Athletes to watch in 2012 London Olympics

Looking for new fitness ideas? PGX is too!

Today we're checking out the celebrity favourite, the Tracy Anderson Method...

What do Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristin Davis, and Courtney Cox have in common (aside from acting)? Their fitness routine and today's Friday Fitness Trend, the Tracy Anderson Method. In her GOOP newsletter, Gwyneth Paltrow is all praises for this method, attributing her Iron Man figure to Tracy's videos. Tracy Anderson is a highly sought after trainer based in Los Angeles who has come up with a fun way to target muscles and tone without the bulk, incorporating aerobics, strength training and dance.

After some investgation into Tracy's latest regime, Metamorphosis, I have to say, I'm not a fan of the restrictive and extremely low calorie meal plan and don't recommend any form of crash dieting (I can't stress that enough). However, meal plan aside, I see how her exercises can be effective. Tracy Anderson claims that she can help you avoid bulking up by regularly changing your exercise routine. Whether this is how you avoid bulk or not, mixing up your fitness routine and keeping it fresh is definitely one of the best ways to keep your metabolism up and avoid those pesky plateaus!

So if you are looking for some new moves to mix up your routine workout, check out this video of Tracy's arm workout or this video of lower body exercises. Add some variety to your workout and you will definitely be taking another step closer to your goals. Keep on moving everyone!

Image source: Well and Good NYC