King West, Toronto
Author: T
Back in tha day I used to be a dancer. From the spry age of 4 years old I was that slightly chunky, probably not very graceful but keen jelly bean in ballet class and I loooooved it. I grew up in the ballet studio, spending over 10 hours a week with my dance family. I was incredibly blessed to grow up in such a positive, supportive and disciplined ballet studio that never once challenged my body confidence but constantly challenged me to work for my personal best. It's made me who I am and it made me appreciate the sense of belonging and community that you can feel when you're part of a studio.
So after 18 or something years of dancing, I retired my pointe shoes and moved on to yoga and running. Which I used to hate by the way, like HATE. I actually hated gym class too. Anyway, after moving across the world to Australia and back again I found myself constantly searching for my new home studio, I was just sampling yoga studio after yoga studio. THEN this crazy fitness industry explosion happened, and studios were popping up everywhere. Not just in yoga but in dance, barre, spin, boxing, you name it, and all of a sudden I was happy I didn't just go to one studio becasue I wanted to try them all! So I started dragging my friends to classes and picking apart what we loved and didn't love. And then lightbulb. I realised we all wished there was a guide that would do just that for us. And so, as they say, the rest is history.
Shala Ashtanga Yoga Centre, YEG | 4.5
Downtown, Edmonton
Mindset Brain Gym, YYZ | 4.5
MINDSET Brain Gym is one of Toronto's newest types of gym, one that focuses solely on the brain. Even though meditation and mindfulness studios are having a major moment, the concept they've brought to life is like nothing else in the city with state-of-the-art meditation rooms and the latest meditation technology set in a modern and futuristic environment. They've created a still space in a nonstop city, giving people an opportunity to focus on mental fitness instead of just physical fitness.
Rumble Boxing, YYC | 5
Rumble Boxing in Calgary is one of the new age, next gen boxing studios that we're seeing now. Gone are the days of the dirty, hardcore boxing clubs that may give you tendinitis and a black eye - enter the boutique boxing studio that opens the underground boxing ring up to the masses. Rumble does it well by still owning a level of hardcore with a killer workout, but serving it up in a pretty package with covetable boxing gloves, amenities galore, and in a beautiful setting. Rumble is creating a space where anyone can lace up their proverbial boxing boots and learn how to throw a right hook/undercut/cross jab combo in a well-paced, club-like, safe environment - and not have to worry about their neibs ruining their face for their Tinder date. Winning.
Studio Lagree, YYZ | 4.5
Studio Lagree is, like, a big deal. Any fitness studio regular has heard of or (more likely) been to and subsequently become obsessed with, Lagree. The workout is a hybrid of HITT and pilates, with the entire class done on an oversized megareformer pilates machine. Despite the fact this is a Pilates studio, the vibe is hardcore and the sweat is real. The class focuses on toning and lengthening your muscles to build a lean physique and don't be surprised that, even with the lack of cardio and high intensity, how tough that road is. The class killed us, and there's no doubt you'll feel a burn you didn't think Pilates could dish up.
Yoga Tree, YYZ | 5
With the enormous schedule, membership flexibility, and a massive roster of some of the most influential and popular yoga instructors in the city, this yoga brand is a must visit that we'll visit again and again.
Octopus Garden, YYZ | 4.5
Octopus Garden Holistic Yoga Centre is the type of yoga studios that focuses more on their community than, say, growing their presence on instagram - that's not the type of thing they care about. This giant studio in Toronto's west end has one of the most diverse yoga schedules we've seen and a cutting edge co-designed meditation space that's worth getting into meditation to try it. There's a true sense of calmness resonating through this studio and we walked away feeling like we should talk a little slower, say hi to a stranger, and look up at the sky instead of down at our phones. Om to that.
Bang Fitness, YYZ | 4
Bang Fitness is like no other gym in Toronto. They've been here long before the boutique fitness trend really took hold and based on their fiercely loyal members and unique service offering, they'll be here for many moons after. This full service membership gym is best known for creating programs that are custom-tailored to you and it's like getting a personal trainer that teaches you how to stand on your own two feet, so to speak. We went back multiple times to get a truer sense of the gym, as it's not just about a one-time sweat session to see how many calories you burned or how sore you are the next day. Bang Fitness is a commitment and they're about longevity, education, and teaching you how to build practices into your life so you can be - their words - SAF*.
Pure Yoga, YYZ | 5
Pure Yoga first caught our eye with their very cool, very inclusive company ethos. They want to share their passion for yoga with every body, shape, size, age, and status; employed, or between jobs, student, or retiree, single or divorcee, mother, father, grandparent – you get the idea. LOVE that. The space itself is premium and vibrant, and the hot yoga classes were challenging and actually FUN - which is not usually the first adjective I'd use to describe a yoga class.
MOVE Fitness Club, YYZ | 4.5
Coming up on their two year anniversary, MOVE fitness club stands out from other Toronto boutique gyms in a big way. This beautiful group and personal training gym is created for women exclusively and they've thought of everything that women want. Smoothie bar, nutritionist services, child minding, high-end products, sauna, plus way more all in a non-judgey and ACTUALLY supportive environment?! YAS please!