Posts from — July 2009

Flirty Girl Fitness is offering people the opportunity to find out. Natalli Reznik, one of the top finalists of So You Think You Can Dance, Canada, will be leading a special two-hour workshop that will be sure to spice up your hip hop and latin moves. The workshop will be held on the Saturday, August 15^th at 1 p.m. Spaces can be reserved via phone or email.

Flickr: sun dazed

Boot camps seem to be the ‘in’ thing to do these days and I’m starting to feel a bit left out that I don’t have one to go to. Usually 5-6 weeks in length these boot camps are apparently supposed to make you sweat and lose inches fast.

For those of you looking for some Toronto area boot camp ideas I have scanned the web for a few that sound kind of interesting!

1. Bridal boot camp is for brides looking to tone up for their wedding day. According to their website they have helped 100s of brides achieve their fitness goals and look fabulous on their most special day.
2. Belly boot camp is geared towards “mommies in training” and offers women who are pregnant the opportunity to work out in a group setting with other pregnant ladies. They also offer a “bellies and babes” boot camp for the women looking to get back to their pre-pregnancy shape.
3. Pilates boot camp at Core Studio offers Pilates lovers the opportunity to take their training up a notch with some simple cardio and strength training moves. Their boot camps run throughout the year.
4. Wanting to look bikini ready all-year round (you just never know!) then the Bikini Boot camp is for you. They also seem to offer some free tryout sessions, so you can check out their offerings before committing.
5. Finally, for those of you just wanting a plain old regular whip you into shape boot camp there is something for you – Tara Postnikoff and Dr. Sarah Cohen will be running a fall boot camp that is held twice a week and is guaranteed to help you lose inches.

Yes, there truly is a boot camp for everyone. I wonder if we will every get our own version of the Thank Dog Boot Camp? If I was a betting person I would say that this time next year there will be one. Hey, maybe someone will even invent a boot camp that you can do with your cats?

Many Pilates studios prefer if new students take a couple of private sessions before joining any of their group classes. Private sessions with fully qualified Pilates instructors can be quite costly, so whenever you can get a deal on a private definitely take advantage! You can use this coupon at Stott Pilates studio at Yonge and Eglinton.

Stott Pilates is also offering a free introductory group class!

For me joining a gym and having a contract is kind of like doing all your shopping in a department store. Department stores may have everything you need, but like gyms, do they really have everything that you are truly looking for? Gyms do have spin classes; yoga and boot camps, but rarely are any of these classes spectacular. To get spectacular you need to go to a place that specializes.

I recently had the opportunity to go to a spinning class at Get Spun on Spadina. For me the Get Spun name says it all – you go there for spinning. Spinning classes are a tough workout and according to their website you can burn up to 900 calories in one class which according to my nutritionist is ½ of my daily caloric intake. Other benefits of spinning include:

• Weight lose (yay!)
• Toning

I took a 45 minute class there and I really enjoyed it. The instructor was fun and actually a real cyclist which I think is an added bonus when taking spinning. I also liked the fact that it was a high intensity workout done in a short amount of time – perfect for people on a tight schedule. There were a variety of different levels within the class as well, so I think beginners would find the workout doable – just take it at your own pace and adjust

The place

The facility itself was kind of cool as it was done up in an industrial loft style.  For some reason the whole place made me feel as though I was working out in New York which was fun. The bathrooms were passable in the sense that they were clean and I think that I would shower there if I took a lunchtime class otherwise I would just wait until I got home. Other perks – their in-house juice bar and mini clothing store.

To take a spinning class at Get Spun you can either just pay for a single session ($18 taxes included) or purchase a package. A ten class package costs $150. Get Spun also offers Gravity classes and Pilates. Pre-registration for classes seems to be preferred and you can do this online or via phone.

One of my biggest issues in trying to be healthy is that I love to snack. My snack of choice up until recently was the deadly, but comforting salt and vinegar chips. I never could find a snack that could replace or satisfy my snacking needs. If one more person suggested why don’t you try carrot sticks as a substitute I was going to lose it! Didn’t they realize I was looking for a healthy snack that was at the same time somewhat tasty? Carrot sticks were just not going to do the trick.

But then I discovered Lara Bars via the nutritionist I was seeing. I was shocked these bars are so delicious and came in flavours like Key Lime Pie, Coconut Cream Pie and Peanut Butter Cookie. I now stock up on these bars and turn to them when I need a mid-afternoon snack pre-workout. The bars are also vegan friendly, dairy free, gluten free…basically suitable for anyone!

I recommend you track these bars down immediately. In Toronto I have been able to find them at the Metro grocery store at Yonge and Eglinton, Noah’s Health Food store (better selection of flavours) and at a Health Food store in Kensington Market. They are an amazing pre and post workout snack. You can also order them in bulk via their online store.

They also were recently featured in the current issue of Real Simple magazine as one of their picks for a nutritious snack.