The end of January typically marks the end of most New Year’s resolutions, especially if they have anything to do with regular or increased exercise.
So to help you keep that health-related resolution, Global News reached out to our social media followers to learn their favourite places in Calgary to get fit.
The list was long and varied, but we narrowed it down to five for this week’s edition of #YYC5.
Barre Belle
At Barre Belle, you don’t have to be a dancer to train like one.
Four studios across the city, with a fifth opening soon, offer dance-inspired classes that combine strength and cardio sequences designed to make you sweat.
The Calgary-created chain is the biggest in Canada. There are a total of seven studios in Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver, with more planned for each city.
Rumble Boxing
Those with a punchier attitude can learn to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee at Rumble Boxing.
High-intensity, high-energy boxing and bootcamp classes are made for all levels of fitness, including beginners.
No experience is needed to join the Rumble Tribe in their fight for mental and physical well-being.
YMCA
Why not try the ‘Y’?
With a wide array of amenities and multiple locations across the city, we’re told it’s a favourite for everything related to fitness.
And with the world’s largest YMCA located in the southeast community of Seton, the Y is making it easy to get fit.
WATCH: World’s largest YMCA opening in south Calgary
Studio 85
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The get fit gurus at Studio 85 believe good things come to those who sweat, so they offer multiple ways to help you do just that.
From hot and warm, power and restorative yoga, all the way to high-intensity interval training, they know how to HIIT it at Studio 85.
Core Spin
Rounding out Calgary’s five favourite places to get fit is Core Spin.
Owners Krista and Tyler McRae have been a power couple since they were teens and have been in the fitness industry for more than two decades.
They moved to the southeast community of Lake Bonavista nearly five years ago, and that’s when they were presented with the opportunity to open their own fitness studio.
“He just came home one day and he said, ‘Let’s open a spin studio,'” said Krista, laughing at the memory.
Even though they were new to spin, the couple decided they wanted to bring the high-intensity cycling workout to their community.
“It’s a really authentic workout experience,” said Krista, explaining what drew them to spin. “You can get super sweaty and have fun doing it and just come together with a group of people that are all there with the same goal as you.”
With your feet locked into the pedals of a stationary bike, differently-coloured lights change to the beat of the constantly pulsating music.
The environment can be intimidating for first-timers, Tyler admits, so the couple offer one-on-one classes for beginners to help familiarize them with the workout.
“We bring people in, we break it down for them,” said Tyler, adding they “show them that it’s not as scary… as it could appear.”
He said anyone can do spin, and once they do, they’re usually hooked.
“We always have kind of a magic number of five,” said Krista. “Once you kind of hit five classes, that’s when the magic starts to happen and everyone’s, ‘OK, now I get it. I get why this is so awesome and why people can’t stay away.'”
With the success of their Lake Bonavista studio, the couple decided to expand. They opened a second location in Mahogany and added HIIT — or High Intensity Interval Training classes — to the schedule.
“We’ve always had it in our heads that we want to offer a full-rounded program here,” said Tyler of their decision to start offering HIIT classes at the Mahogany location.
“People often come in and do a spin class and then a HIIT class, or they alternate for days,” he said.
On the benefits HIIT classes offer, Krista added that “you get that strength training more than you’re going to get in the spin room, so it’s a really great balance between the cardio and the strength training.”
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