Kirsten Jordan
Member Since: June 20, 2009Reviews
Centre Ring
Ten thing you need to know about taking a class at Centre Ring: • Beginners are welcome (and by beginners I mean people like myself who have never even strapped on a pair of boxing gloves in their lives) • All the equipment you need is... +
Ten thing you need to know about taking a class at Centre Ring:
• Beginners are welcome (and by beginners I mean people like myself who have never even strapped on a pair of boxing gloves in their lives)
• All the equipment you need is provided (gloves, etc.)- That said I would highly recommend buying your own pair of hand wraps.
• If you have never wrapped your hands before ask for some help - trust me you don’t want to not have your hands protected properly
• The 1hour and 15 minute boxing class is an intense workout which will leave you dripping with sweat
• The class includes a lot of skipping rope intervals which may be painful but are definitely a good cardio workout
• Arm and leg strengthening exercises are included in this workout
• You will get to do some bagwork which is great for working out some frustrations
• The classes I have taken have great music
• To get the full Center Ring experience take a class with the owner, Wayne Bourque, who is a former Canadian champion
• It truly is an all round good workout
Boxing classes are offered daily at Centre Ring throughout the week, so check out their website for more details. Cost is around $20 for the class and you go drop-in. I have taken a number of Saturday classes there and each time I go I wish I went more often. Would probably help me get rid of some frustrations!
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Get Spun
For me joining a gym and having a firm 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... +
For me joining a gym and having a firm 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.
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Spynga Inc.
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... +
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.
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Moksha Uptown
I seemed to be in a punishing mood this Saturday as I swapped my regular Pilates class for a 90 minute hot yoga class at Moksha Uptown. I used to go to this particular Moksha studio quite a lot in the winter, but have slacked off in recent months as... +
I seemed to be in a punishing mood this Saturday as I swapped my regular Pilates class for a 90 minute hot yoga class at Moksha Uptown. I used to go to this particular Moksha studio quite a lot in the winter, but have slacked off in recent months as my schedule has gotten busier. I also found that their 90 minute classes are often a bit too much for me – 60 minute classes seem to suit me better but aren’t that convenient for me to get to. It’s not really so much to do with the heat, but the extra length of time holding poses that aren’t my favourites in the first place. Dancers pose and something called salabasana are definitely positions my body is not meant to be in.
This particular class I found myself in on Saturday was taught by one of their more hardcore teachers – normally @ Moksha you don’t end up doing a lot of downward dogs, but she kept on having us do some flow sequences which meant that I had to take a lot of breaks. I do find, though, that you tend to “get away with a lot” at any of the Moksha studios I have been to. Teachers there just don’t tend to correct – not sure if there is some form of philosophy behind that. So chances are I’m probably not doing a lot of the poses correctly?
What to expect at the studio?
The studio itself is clean, but kind of tight on space. The woman’s change room is actually extremely cramped and you will often find yourself waiting for some space to use. I would not advise showering there either. Bathrooms are also not located inside the studio space which is kind of annoying.
Why go here?
Escape the winter air and feel some warmth
Getting soft skin (I swear after class here your skin feels so soft!)
Try something new
Tip: Check out Yoga Journals’ online pose directory for some good tips/variations about what yoga poses are and how to do them properly.
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Kula Yoga
Last night I was cooked or was it cooking? To put this into context I was taking a yoga class at Kula Yoga Studio in the Annex. All day I was on the fence about going to this yoga class with friends as I normally go to Pilates at Core Studio on... +
Last night I was cooked or was it cooking?
To put this into context I was taking a yoga class at Kula Yoga Studio in the Annex.
All day I was on the fence about going to this yoga class with friends as I normally go to Pilates at Core Studio on Monday evening now. But in the end I decided that sometimes it is good to have some variety and try something new. So, off I went.
Kula Yoga (not to be confused with Tula Yoga) is located in the heart of the Annex area of Toronto and is one the second floor of a building that looks like it houses a bakery and a bar. Strange. The studio itself was nice and clean and normally yoga pricing applied. I ended up buying the $20 ‘all you can handle introductory special’ (7 days of unlimited yoga).
The flow class I took was 90 minutes and was taught by Colin who I believe is the director of the studio. He started the class of with the usual yoga babble of setting intentions for the class and making sure that you are not letting your mind wander to elsewhere, but to be here. Then he started talking about how we are always cooking or have something cooking inside of us. I think he kind of lost me at that point, but strangely enough I wasn’t overly irritated by all this yogi talk. Usually I am.
The makeup of the class
As always there were a lot of downward dogs and planks, but what I actually did enjoy was Colin’s encouragement of using props (blocks, straps) for those of us who were not quite there yet. For the first time I think I was actually in a somewhat proper forward bend. We also did a few out of the box things that were supposed to help open up the upper back (geared towards people like me that work at a computer all day) and also attempted a few handstands which I wasn’t too sure about. I admit I was afraid. Strange how when you are little you are always doing things like handstands and then as you get older you stop doing them?
I walked away from this class feeling that it wasn’t the worst yoga experience, but it wasn’t my best either. But I do think this is a class that beginners/inflexible people could do.
Studio surroundings were quite simple, but clean. My ultimate test - I do think I would consider showering there.
Only real complaint - class went over by about 10 minutes causing me to miss more of my beloved Bachelorette.
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889 Yonge Yoga Studio
One of the main reasons that I chose this particular studio was that it was conveniently positioned to the Rosedale subway station. I had no clue what to expect as I have never heard anyone mention the place before; in the years I have been running... +
One of the main reasons that I chose this particular studio was that it was conveniently positioned to the Rosedale subway station. I had no clue what to expect as I have never heard anyone mention the place before; in the years I have been running in Rosedale I have never even seen it which is weird as it is apparently located right on Yonge Street.
For some reason I was convinced that 889 Yonge would be a very crunchy granola-esque yoga studio. I don’t know why, but the name seemed to say to me ‘bring your Birkenstocks’ (which I don’t own). I soon learned that you shouldn’t judge a studio by its name.
889 Yonge is truly a beautiful space. I think I fell in love with it upon entering the front door. As soon as you walk in you are greeted by some very friendly staff who really make you feel comfortable.
One of the things I appreciated about this studio is that they showed me around (unprompted). It was nice to actually know where everything was located, so I didn’t have to wander around aimlessly trying to guess where the bathroom or class was. I realized as I did the tour of the studio that the owners must be women- there were just so many feminine touches around! You were given slippers to walk around in, there was a library of yoga books to read, a tea garden to relax in prior to or after your class (try the tea it is delicious), environmentally friendly tampons in the bathrooms and hair elastics in the change room! The ladies change room was also one I would actually consider using. Normally I tend to get in and out of these places as fast as I can and shower at home. I got so caught up in the place itself that I almost forgot what I was there for…a yoga class.
The yoga class I took was called fundamental flow and was taught by Kim McBean. I honestly didn’t really know what to expect. I assumed it would be kind of similar to any other yoga I have attempted. The 75 minute class was quite challenging for someone like myself (beginner and terribly inflexible), but as a whole I enjoyed the challenge. The class itself is pretty athletic in style as the sequences were done quite quickly and there were a lot of planks. I found that the teacher did try and challenge us with poses that we may not normally get a chance to do until a more advanced level. One of my biggest discoveries in the class came when we were in the standing pigeon pose: my left side is way more inflexible than I thought…a lot more.
Yoga at 889 Yonge is membership based, but drop ins are welcome for $20 (you also don’t have to rent a mat as they have spares!). They also have a beginner’s yoga workshop series ($120 for four classes) that they offer frequently. Oh and I almost forgot the two best things about this place: they have a shop where they sell great lines of clothing and they have a spa!
PS: There appears to be a $28 mani/pedi place next door.
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Core Studio
When I first moved to Toronto a couple of years ago I discovered Core Studio on Queen Steet as it was close to where I was living at the time. This trendy yoga and pilates studio quickly became my second home. The Pilates classes I was taking there... +
When I first moved to Toronto a couple of years ago I discovered Core Studio on Queen Steet as it was close to where I was living at the time. This trendy yoga and pilates studio quickly became my second home. The Pilates classes I was taking there were amazing and the changes in my body were incredible. I swear my waist had never been so tiny and my core so toned.
I then got a job and moved to another neighbourhood in Toronto. Slowly my daily attendance at Core dropped to a couple of times a week, then once per week and finally I just stopped going. My job and the fact that I was training for a half marathon just took over.
In the last couple of months, though, I have realized that going to this studio added something to my life and taking classes there just made me feel better about myself. I also have realized that actually doing core work is an important part of being a strong runner.
So, I gathered up the courage to go back to the studio and am one of their 30-day challenge participants. I’m on the “light option” of practicing yoga or pilates 21 times in a month. It has been difficult, my core has screamed at me at times and to be honest it is hard to be a level 1 again when I used to be more advanced. I also don’t think I am going to make the 21 times as my schedule hasn’t permitted it. However, instead of stopping the challenge and giving up I am just going to try and do what I am able to.
Participating in Core Studio’s 30-day challenge has given me the much needed kick in the butt to get back to the studio and make room in my life for something I used to love so much.
I think the main reason why I love it here so much is that it isn’t as yoga studio-esque as the other places I have been to. It has some athleticism involved and the teachers are just plain great.
Definitely recommend going here and trying it out. They have an introductory special as well — two weeks of unlimited classes just sets you back $40.
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