Flickr credit: takomabibelot

For some reason everything I did this weekend seemed to involve the letter ‘S’, so…

S is for…

• Sweating through a 1 hour mat/reformer Pilates class Friday post-work
• Sushi at Fin Izakaya on Friday night
• Spinning class at Energia Athletics Saturday a.m.
• Sample sale Saturday mid-morning
• Starving Artist Saturday brunch (vegan options available!)
• Shopping for some summer clothes for B
• Watching sports Saturday evening
• Cheering on some Sporting Life runners on Sunday & then doing my own 13km run
• and finally…a snooze Sunday afternoon.

Update:

Today also marks the official end of my two week experiment of being dairy and meat free. After reading The Kind Life I was inspired to give it a try. So, how did I do? I must admit I cheated 3-4 times by having some salmon and eggs. My body just seemed to need it and I now know better than to not listen to my own body. I have missed dairy (particularly feta), but I haven’t missed it terribly. Moving forward I think I am going to go back to including fish in my diet, but am still going to try and cut out dairy and other meats from my life. One of the main reasons why I want to continue this experiment is that I think that it is having a positive influence in how I am feeling.

Yesterday I received an email that made me happy. I had been wondering if any of Toronto’s fitness facilities would be organizing  anything in support of the recent earthquake that hit Haiti. I’m happy to say that Quad Spinning has organized a special spinning class this Sunday. The three hour cycle will take place at their Quad east location on Queen (3 p.m. start)  and all proceeds will be going Doctors without Borders (applied towards Haiti relief). Great idea.

So, how do you get involved?

Spots are limited so you need to pre-register. The suggested donation is $20 and you can spin for as much or as little time as you like. Even if you can’t make the cycle donations are still welcome. Check out their website for more details.

If anyone has more information on other facilities doing things like this let me know.

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.

For years I have been reading about all these cool fusion workouts I could be doing if I lived in New York or L.A. Things like the Skinny Jeans Workout or Body Architect Xpress just don’t seem to be classes offered in the Toronto area. But I thought my luck may have changed when a friend mentioned this place called Spynga to me.

What is Spynga?

According to their website, Spynga is Toronto’s first spinning and cycling studio and is run by two childhood friends (why can’t I ever do something like this with my friends?). Their trademark class is a spinning/yoga combo called Spynga (spinning + yoga = spynga). You climb on a spinning bike for 25 minutes and then jump off the bike and start to do yoga for the next 25 minutes. This class was definitely appealing to me. I get to sweat and stretch at the same time. I also was convinced that this workout was as close to L.A. as I was going to get in the next 12 months. I had to try it.

So, one dark and dreary December night after work I made the trek to St.Clair West to try this out. Getting there was, to be honest, kind of scary. Not a big fan of walking down Bathurst in the dark. I arrived at the building and was a bit confused as I wasn’t sure I had the right address. There seemed to be a lot of offices in there dealing with unemployment and career placement. Turned out I was in the right building, so I made my way to the studio (Tip: Don’t try to walk up the stairs to the 3rd floor studio as you can’t seem to get past the 2nd floor. Just take the elevator).

If I didn’t know that I was in the right place I knew that I definitely was when I arrived at the 3rd floor. The music was pounding. Excellent. I love loud and fun music while taking an exercise class. Upon arrival, I signed up for the Spynga flow class. I don’t think I have ever been this excited before taking a class before.

Then the class began and my excitement levels dropped. I don’t know if it was just the class I was taking, but it just didn’t really work for me. Both the spinning and the yoga portions of the class were mediocre. I’ve had better elsewhere. I actually felt like the instructor didn’t really know how to explain yoga. Best part of the experience was the adjustment at the end with some aloe/lavender cream. The other reviews of this place have been great, but I think like me everyone is getting caught up in the novelty of this workout and not the actual specifics of it. I’d be curious to meet someone who is a regular there. To be fair I may have just gotten the wrong instructor.

Where to find Spynga: 1415 Bathurst Street (just south of St. Clair Ave) Suite 302 Toronto, Ontario M5R 3H8 Canada