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.