Five fun ways to break a sweat in Toronto

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I'll be the first to admit I'm not exactly a fan of the gym. I groan at the idea of running on a treadmill for an hour just to get a workout - though I begrudgingly go anyway. Recently, the launch of Jukari Fit to Fly got me thinking about my personal fitness regime, and ways to make it seem a little less like work and a little more entertaining.

But let's not stop at Jukari - there are a number of unusual, fun ways to break a sweat in Toronto. Here's five of them:

Jukari Fit to Fly
This collaboration between Cirque du Soleil and Reebok hit Toronto's Kingwest Fitness in late March. The new workout program combines aerobics with light acrobatics: the gym features low level trapeze-type bars suspended from the ceiling that participants spin, hang, and swing on throughout the workout. According to an employee at Kingwest this offers a "tough and enjoyable" workout that focuses on cardio, upper body strength, and developing your core muscles.

Circus Arts
Those who've mastered Jukari can give the flying trapeze a whirl at the Toronto School of Circus Arts - they offer drop-in trapeze classes every Friday at 6 p.m. Center of Gravity also offers a drop-in Aerial Arts class. Participants are instructed by a circus professional while learning how to use the aerial hoop, silk ropes, or static trapeze. For those afraid of heights, Center of Gravity also offers a drop-in Circus Conditioning class which is a circuit style workout involving stability balls, and weights.

Cirque-Abilty doesn't offer drop-in classes, but they do have a wide selection of ten week classes to choose from, including hooping, aerial arts, breakdancing, hand balancing, and partner acrobatics.

Trampoline
According to the Just Bounce Trampoline Club in North York, trampolining can burn up to 600 calories in just an hour - sign me up! The good news is this club offers adult-specific classes (so there's no worry of being stuck with a bunch of ten-year-olds, since it is a gymnastics facility); but the bad news is they don't have any sort of drop-in schedule: so you have to sign up for a ten week program to participate.

Guided Tourism Runs
Although I'm not typically a runner, even I'm inclined to check out a tourism run in the city. It's exactly what it sounds like: you go jogging through a specific neighbourhood or trailed area of Toronto with a guide, who helps you keep pace while telling you about the history and sights. Toronto Guided Runs currently offers five different routes, including the Don Valley Trails and Leslie Street Spit. You can meet your guide alone, or with a group any time of day between 8am to 8 pm with a reservation - so it seems they'll work around your schedule. The Running Tourist is another option. There's three different guides (each with a variety of routes to choose from) available.

Hula Hooping
Hula Hooping isn't just for kids anymore - it seems it's becoming more and more popular, and the number of places available to take a hooping class in Toronto are a testament to that! HoopToronto offers weekly classes in the East and West end, as well as a new weekly drop-in class. In the summer, they hold weekly hooping jams, where participants bring their hula hoops and gather in a park to socialize, hula hoop, and have fun.