fitness toronto

The top 10 unconventional fitness facilities in Toronto

If you're tired of the same old weights and treadmill routine, why not try an unconventional fitness facility in Toronto? These unique spots will have you jumping, rowing, pulling and lifting things you didn't even know you could. They're also all about having fun while keeping fit in unique way.

Here are my picks for the top unconventional fitness facilities in Toronto.

Monkey Vault

Located in an abandoned refinery in the Stockyards district, this gym is all about getting moving and having a whole lotta fun. With 10,000 square feet of space filled with bars and walls at various heights, you'll be able to practice parkour, gymnastics, stunt training, and much more.

Scullhouse

This is Toronto's only dedicated indoor studio with an unapologetic high-intensity focus on rowing. Found on King Street East, it emphasizes the group aspect of rowing with a synchronized swish of the machine for a 55-minute high-energy row. It's basically the SoulCycle of rowing.

Nucleo Fitness

This is a boutique studio in the Leaside and Bayview area that combines HIIT and pilates to rock your body. Mixing a full workout on their signature WaterFlywheel (water filled rowing machines), fitness junkies spend most of the time balancing on a mat for the pilates portion of the workout. It's all about the core at this gym.

Puirsuit OCR

Found on Dufferin, just north of Queen Street West, this space is a 10,000 square foot obstacle course with 19 challenges. Decorated like a 1980s community centre, half the space is dedicated to obstacles, and the other half is for classes. There are areas featuring free space ropes, stall bars, a slack line, and best of all, two 11 and 14 feet high cove walls.

Surfset Toronto

Ride the wave to Yonge and Eglinton to this surfing-inspired workout studio. It offers four different classes; Balance, which is a yoga-inspired workout; Burn, a sweat-inducing cardio class; Build, to work on your muscles; and Blend, a mixture of all the workouts. All take place on their signature surfboard balancing machines.

The Circus Fix

For those who always wanted to join the circus, or just want that acrobatic body, there's a gym for that. It's suitable for newbies to pros and this massive Carlaw Avenue space teaches classes like acro yoga, aerial hammock, silks and a drop and dangle class.

SkyZone

Are you working out or just having the best time ever? It'll be hard to tell if you hit up this trampoline park located near Leaside. With wall-to-wall trampolines and a giant pit filled with foam cubes, you won't even notice that you're getting your fitness on. They offer a more adult-friendly SkyRobics classes if you need a bit more focus.

Barreworks

Located on Queen Street West (with another location midtown), this no-tutu required facility will turn you into the ballerina you always dreamed of being. Buns and legs of steal are formed here as workouts burn fat and reshape muscles by combining fitness training, core conditioning, yoga and pilates.

Extension Method

As one of the top barre studios in Toronto, this one is found inside an industrial building on Eastern Avenue, just east of Parliament. It specializes in all aspects of ballet-style fitness training, but don't worry, you don't need to be a pro dancer to get involved.

Big Hit Studios

If you need need to hit things repeatedly, really hard, this industrial-style Sudbury Street boxing gym might be for you. It offers a variety of fitness classes for all levels. Kicking gets your heart rate up while strengthening the lower body and the core. The studio provides gloves if you need them.

Lead photo by

Nucleo Fitness by Jesse Milns


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