7 places to get a free workout in Toronto this summer

Aug 8 2017, 10:33 pm

If this summer has taken a major toll on both your waistline (those dockside beers add up) and your wallet, we feel you.

After all, there’s so much food to eat (thanks to food festivals happening every week), booze to consume, concerts to attend and road trips to make memories on.

But it’s this time every summer that you should start getting your act together; you don’t want to emerge from Labour Day Weekend any more more sluggish than when summer started.

That’s why you may want to take advantage of these free workouts in Toronto.

Foundation Training at Kit and Ace

Shake off the hangover and kick off your Sunday with a Foundation Training session with Devon McGregor. The practice is designed to heal pain, improve posture and strengthen and tone the body. Mats and Flow water are both provided. To confirm attendance, RSVP to [email protected]

When: Sundays 9:45 am to 10:45 am
Where:
Kit and Ace; 102 Bloor Street West

Yoga in St. James Park

If your office is in the east end, you’re a flexible freelancer, or you’re taking some time off for the summer, you may want to know that you can take a free midday yoga class on Wednesdays in the flower-filled St. James Park. Bahn Thai Spa will lead the August classes.

When: Wednesdays in August, 12:00 pm to 12:45 pm
Where: St. James Park, 120 King Street East

Nike+ Run Club

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Lace up those (hopefully Nike) runners and bond with other pavement pounding runners at the Nike+ Run Club (NRC). As one of the Nike+ membership benefits, you can enjoy weekly running and training sessions that cater to everyone to the beginner runner to the seasoned marathon junkie. Register online as the classes fill up quickly.

When: Various times
Where:
Meet at The Loft, 538 Richmond Street West

Free gym use at Regent Park Community Centre

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If a gym membership isn’t in the (credit) cards, the shiny new Regent Park Community Centre offers free programs and the use of the weight rooms on a drop-in, first come, first serve basis.

When:  Monday to Friday 7:30 am to 10 pm, Saturdays 9 am to 6 pm and Sundays 10 am to 6 pm
Where: Regent Park Community Centre, 402 Shuter Street

Free yoga classes at Lululemon

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Lululemon is more than a spot to score stylish workout gear and fancy water bottles. The brand hosts free weekly yoga sessions at a variety of locations throughout the GTA – so you can sweat and shop at the same time. The Yorkville location is currently hosting free Sunday sessions.

When: Sundays at 10 am 
Where: Lululemon Yorkville, 153 Cumberland Street

MEC Biking and Running Sessions


Longtime go-to outdoors brand MEC offers free group biking and running sessions throughout the summer. There are an assortment of meet-ups to choose from, held in different, often nature-filled parts of the city (if you’re in the market to meet fellow active-minded young people, you’ll find them here).

Lole Atelier Workouts

Lole offers more ways to sweat than their famous all-white yoga event (The White Tour, for those in the dark), with free fitness events held every two weeks at both the store’s Yorkville location and at studios throughout Toronto. These range from yoga to bootcamp.

When: Every two weeks; info available online.
Where:
Lole Yorkville; 88 Yorkville Ave and various Toronto locations

Erin Nicole DavisErin Nicole Davis

+ Health & Fitness
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