Toronto Top Ten: Best Workout Spots

The sensationalism of New Year’s resolutions often distracts us from realistic goal setting, and the stark, all-or-nothing approach many of us take with these annual decrees prevents us from actually following through with our New Year’s goals.

While many of us take the change of the calendar year as a cue to nix bad habits and adopt better ones, it’s important to remember that long-lasting motivation is always born of positivity. Positivity fuels us, while negativity prevents us from seeing clearly, and reaching our goals.

Classical psychology tells us that positive and negative reinforcement are much more effective means of conditioning behavior than positive and negative punishment. Positive punishment refers to when something aversive is added in response to a behavior, such as a slap on the wrist, while negative punishment refers to when something desirable is taken away in response to a behavior, such as an ice cream cone.

Positive reinforcement, on the other hand, refers to the addition of something desirable in response to a behavior, like a relaxing massage, while negative reinforcement is when something aversive is taken away in response to a behavior, such as extra pounds.

When we lose extra weight and start seeing these results, we are motivated to continue losing weight by means of negative reinforcement. The term may seem counterintuitive, but it’s true; the more weight we lose, the more this negatively reinforces our goal of shedding those extra pounds; similarly, the more toned we become, the more this positively reinforces our goal to get in shape. By taking away extra pounds, we negatively reinforce. By adding toned muscles, we positively reinforce. All of this reinforcement, whether negative or positive, is a much more effective means of conditioning our behavior than punishment, simply because as animals, we respond better to reward than we do to punishment. That’s why allowance can be such an effective tool when raising kids, and dog treats are so useful when we’re training a new puppy.

In the depths of my eating disorder, I exercised to punish my body. I despised – deeply despised – my body, and so I tortured it, to try to change it. I was obsessed with weight loss, and I tried to fuel this goal by punishing myself every time I felt I had a terrible workout. Not a good run? No food. (Negative punishment). Subpar yoga class? Run twice as far tomorrow. (Positive punishment). Firstly, this is not sustainable. I only weakened my body with these punishments. Secondly, this is not motivating. I’ve written about this before on the blog – about how exercising to be skinny never motivated me the way exercising to be strong does – but this post is about more than that. This post is about the reasoning that lies behind our goals, our New Year’s resolutions. To be motivated to make changes we must be driven by something positive. We will never exercise as effectively as possible, nor will we enjoy exercise, if we are doing it because we hate our bodies. We will, however, become better at exercise, and be far more likely to enjoy it, if we are fueled to do it by a love of our bodies, and a desire to make them healthier.

Below is a list of my absolute favourite spots to exercise in Toronto. Each of the below options is a ton of fun, and always makes me feel like I'm doing something good for my body.

1. Boxercise at Centre Ring – Wayne or Garfield will teach you how to throw a punch and launch a hook, while getting your heart rate up and toning that booty. I’ve mentioned my love of boxing before on the blog, but Centre Ring’s boxercise classes are the perfect option for the beginner boxer who also wants to mix in some cardio, squats, and ab work.

2. Hot Core Flow at Moksha Yoga – I’ve been a hot-yoga enthusiast ever since my first class, when I was flooded with endorphins after an hour of Vinyassa. Hot Core Flow is another one of my favourite classes that Moksha Yoga offers (Moksha has yoga studios all over the world, and several beautiful ones here in TO). This particular class focuses on the development of deep core muscles, which in turn allows for the strengthening of all the body's muscles. If you visit Moksha Uptown, pop into Chantal’s Hot Core Flow class. You won’t regret it.

3. Interval Training at Ferris 360 – I’m a huge fan of the interval training classes at this tiny boutique gym, simply because they provide such an exhilarating, well-rounded workout. With small class sizes, and encouraging instructors, this gym offers various high intensity classes, all with a positive vibe.

4. Running/Cycling along the Beltline – I love running when my motivation to run is coming from a positive place, and Toronto’s Beltline is a fantastic trail to run on. The line extends east-west across the city, from Bayview Avenue to Allen Road, and you can choose to run, walk, or bike along a portion of the path, or conquer all of it, as my dad and I did together one summer.

5. Cycle/Tone at Ultimate Athletics – It took me a while to find a spin class that was right for me, and when I found this half spinning, half toning class, I knew I’d fallen in love. While an hour or 90 minutes of spinning can be a little repetitive, the trainers at Ultimate Athletics keep you on your toes by alternating cycling and free weight exercises for a balanced workout class.

6. Bikini Boot Camp at Elle Fitness – The talented instructors at Elle Fitness have dubbed this class “Bikini Boot Camp” for a reason, and it’s not the charming alliteration that comes with it. This rigorous class is one of many exercise options at the all-women gym on King West, but it’s the one that will make you feel like it’s time to flaunt a bikini, because BOY does this class fire up your muscles. All of them. All the muscles. The class is so much fun, and there’s always great music playing for the duration of the workout.

7. Dance Class at The Underground Dance Centre – I grew up dancing 4, 5, sometimes 6 times a week, so I know what great exercise dance is, and how much fun it can be. What I love about dancing now, especially at Toronto’s Underground Dance Centre, is how it never feels like a workout. It feels like fun. Especially when the Underground offers classes like “Beginner Beyonce” in addition to hip hop and contemporary.

8. Ballet Boot Camp at The Extension Room – Similarly, The Extension Room utilizes the foundations of dance, specifically ballet, to create incredible workouts that tone the bod, while helping advanced and beginner dancers alike, develop beautiful technique. Their Ballet Boot Camp is not for the faint of heart, but it’s a lot of fun, and will leave your muscles feeling alive the next day.

9. bAAArre Class at Barreworks – Also inspired by balletic foundations is Barreworks, a studio that offers a selection of barre classes that strengthen the arms and legs, and leave your core rock-hard. I love how tiny, isolated movements can have such a huge impact on my muscles, and I really like focusing on my technique in these classes; I guess it brings me back to my days as a bun-head.

10. M3 Fusion at Studio Lagree – Last but certainly not least is the M3 Fusion class at Studio Lagree, affectionately known as “pilates on crack” by those who have stepped into the Forest Hill Village or King West Lagree locations. The class plants its participants on pilates “carriages” which are suspension-based apparatuses on which one performs exercises, for maximum results. The first time I did a Lagree class, I felt it in my muscles for an entire week afterwards, but man, is this a great workout. It’s fun to do and not too strenuous while you’re doing it, but offers incredible results and leaves your body more limber and loose.

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