My Barre 60 minute class with Haley was intense and satisfying. It was a mix of yoga, pilates and…read moreBarre. There was a lot of cardio involved. The playlist was amazing but the music was too loud. It's hard to hear the instructor when there's loud music playing. Haley checked in on me and other students regularly to make sure we were all doing ok. She encouraged us to do the best we can. For a cold Friday evening, the class was full which is amazing. The studio is clean and has plenty of room to lock up your stuff. They have those code based lockers. They have two restrooms and a shower. They provide with hair ties, spray deos and dry shampoo to refresh after the workout. There's also a water filling station to refill your bottles which is a nice sustainable touch.

Love visiting barre3 for their wide variety of barre classes!…read more Always a good sweat and feel more energized after

I have been taking classes at InStudio since it opened in September and so far it has exceeded my…read moreexpectations! Offering a range of 1 hour classes such as pilates, zumba, latin dancing, and beginners ballet I opted to sign up for 2 dancefit classes: Dancefit Barre and Dancefit Cardio which are both instructed by Kate Kernaghan. Kate is an incredibly enthusiastic and talented instructor. She is very good at teaching beginners like myself dance choreography and fitness techniques and she also does an excellent job in challenging her students every class. Dancefit Barre classes are a combination of pilates inspired floor exercises as well as ballet based barre exercises that help strengthen and lengthen the lower body. This class requires the use of weights which I find helps in the development of arm strength. We also do exercises using the barre which helps improve balance and posture and gives your leg muscles a good work out. Note: yoga/pilates mats are available for use for dancefit barre classes. Dancefit Cardio is an intense sweat producing workout that really gets your heart rate up! Kate does a great job in using a wide range of dance moves that targets different areas of your body. I really enjoy this class a lot as I find it is a great way to burn off those calories I consumed the night before. Great song selection and easy to follow choreography. I would recommend this class for beginners and those who are looking for a fun cardio workout! Overall, I think this studio is a great find. It offers class packages at $150 for 10 classes, $80 for 5, or $280 for 20 classes which I think is an excellent price especially in comparison to other fitness studios that offer similar classes in the downtown core area. I like that the studio is easily accessible by TTC and that the classes are held on weeknights and weekend mornings which is convenient for my work schedule. I would definitely recommend this studio for those who live near the area and are looking for a good fitness class!

InStudio has stepped up its game since it started back in September 2013. I've been with InStudio…read moreliterally since day one of the program and I'm still here taking classes consistently. I feel like Kate, my main instructor, has nursed my journey in ballet. Two biggest reasons as to why I highly recommend InStudio and will continue to stick with them: 1. It's become more affordable AND convenient for post-secondary students! They introduced a student rate of $13 per single drop in spring 2014. Then in January this year they made student class bundles available to purchase in advance (in person only)--no longer do I need to spend extra time at the register to pay each time I want to take a class or feel guilty for not going to at least one class a week because of my lack of self-discipline. I understand that not everyone can take advantage of the offer but for me it's my biggest incentive to keep going there instead of other studios that don't have a student rate. I attended one term at NBS but ultimately couldn't keep going because $370 a term is just too much for me to shell out (don't be mistaken, NBS is top notch). 2. More classes, more levels = more flexibility. There used to be one Beginner Ballet, then two, then levels adjusted and a higher Beginner II came to birth, then another one. You get my drift. Within a year time their client base rose and they adapted to the demands. They even introduced a beginner pointe workshop this year, however my concern is that *anyone* can sign up for the workshop even if they have no dance experience. Hm, shouldn't there be an assessment to allow students to go on pointe? That aside, if you're an adult looking for beginner pointe options, InStudio's got you covered. Adult beginner pointe classes are almost non-existent in the city. ---- Based on my experience with Kate and Jonathan, I can say that the quality and style of teaching still hold true to my first review: accommodating, reassuring, thorough. It's challenging but lots of fun. I've already brought 3 friends to try Beginner Ballet I, none of them have any dance background but they all enjoyed their experience. Since classes are held at the rehearsal spaces of the National Ballet of Canada, studios are without a doubt spacious, bright, and fully equipped. I believe the only ballet classes that don't have a live accompanist are during daytime due to lower attendance. Speaking of attendance, I wish they'd cap it off at a certain number! There's been more people coming to my regular Saturday Beginner Ballet II, and that's fine with me as long as that everyone has enough space to stand and move about. I recall one particular day it was so packed that I couldn't even do a proper jeté at the barre or a ports de bra in the centre without fearing that I'll kick someone or intrude into their space. So there you have it, 4 stars to InStudio for its accommodation, flexibility, and bonus affordability for poor students like me but 1 star off for overcrowded classes and the no-no of not assessing students' readiness for pointe.

This is a review for their smoothies and seating area…read more I was craving something refreshing like a smoothie so I decided to come here. The Lagree Shake caught my eye because the ingredients sounded so good and I'm so happy that I tried it because it was amazing. The smoothie itself was very nutty from the cashew butter. I decided to remove the creatine because I didn't want to consume it. The cashier was able to move the creatine from my smoothie to my boyfriend's smoothie. I also tried a bit of the immuno berry smoothie. Taste wise it wasn't that great but I'm sure the benefits are good. There's some seating with some outlets if you want to do some work and also some barstools to sit at as well. There's also a water filling station and a fridge filled with juice, chia pudding, and light bites like falafel. Hopefully, I can come back for this smoothie!

As I'm walking around in this heatwave, like the tourist I am today... I came across S&T, and I…read moreordered the Hydrate & Immunity. Good vibes, energy and music are a free bonus!

Professional help to recover full mobility. I had a knee injury and was struggling before my…read moresurgery, Angela recommended some exercices to gain some strenght prior to the surgery to help recover speadily after. Very satisfied with her evaluation and suggestions; the owner is passionate and has a keen eyes for details, she is worth consulting and working with.

I've been coming to Angela weekly for almost 9 months now and it was one of the best decisions I've…read moremade regarding my health. She's taught me so much about my own body and how to use it better, I used to not work out at all, but have been doing private pilates lessons with Angela and group barre classes and it's been a great combo for me personally. In fact, my barre teachers have asked if I (who for all my life have been the furthest thing from athletic) have a dance background or have noted that I seem very aware of how to move my body. This is all Angela. When I first started here and she asked me to breathe into my back or relax certain muscles, I thought that was an impossible ask but we've gotten there. I try my best to do the homework she gives me since I find it really pays off and she's constantly tweaking my exercises based on my progress. It really feels like she's on my side. I feel stronger and leaner and definitely have a better posture. Please note that there are two (adorable) cats at her place - I'm allergic but the workouts are worth it to take some allergy medicine.

Beautiful space and great teachers but their prices are OUTRAGEOUS. They now charge SIXTY DOLLARS…read morePER CLASS! Monthly rates become worth it if you go a few times a week but I know that's not realistic for everyone. It's also a lot of you consider that many of us also have a monthly gym membership. Sad that I could never get friends or family to join me for a $60 drop in :/ I wish this company well, I just wish it was more accessible to people who don't have the privilege of disposable income.

889 Yonge is really an Oasis for yoga and spa fans alike!…read more I went on a Monday night a FREE first class! Yes it is really free! No one trying to sell me any packages... The receptionists was so nice showing me where the rooms were and offer me sandals to walk around. They have 2 practice rooms. I was attending a restorative class and the room is quite spacious with all the props set up in a nice mahagony cabinet. There are free yoga mats, free towels, free mat cleaner spray to use! I have to tell you this place is popular! The class is packed! I love my restorative class! The instructor and the assistants came around and adjust everyone and make sure we have the proper alignment. There are bolsters, blankets, strips and my favourite EYE PILLOWS! The lighting is soft, that make the class so relaxing! The waiting area is really nice too.. with hot tea, water and magazines you free to enjoy while you wait for the class. They also has excellent spa products to use in the washroom/change room! I love the smell of spa! and all the hand creams and soap... BTW, they no longer provide free yoga mats starting April 2010. So bring your own or rent one from them for $2.00.

Equinox is a luxury high-end fitness club founded in New York where they have locations worldwide…read more This location spans 2-3 floors. The gym has plenty of equipment for all your cardio and strength workouts as well as has a large variety of group classes ranging from pilates, boxing, spin, yoga, and even barre. There is also personal training, a spa, sauna, and their clothing shop as well. There is also an IQ Food Co for your post-workout smoothies and healthy eats. This particular review is for a sculpted yoga class I was able to attend at Equinox. I can't comment on the membership prices since the class was a free event held at Equinox, however, I still had access to the entire gym after the yoga class. This particular location on Bay St. is inside Commerce Court West where you have to take an elevator up to the 3rd floor to access the gym. Upon entering you immediately face the reception area. The lighting of the gym at first when you enter is dark and moody. The areas with the machines are well lit and the yoga room overlooks the corner of Bay/King. The change rooms are big where there are plenty of lockers available. You are able to find the steam room, showers, and washrooms inside the changeroom. There is ample space to change and shower after your workout. Everything I needed for the yoga class was provided. The room is not heated. The spacing of the mats are generous where there is ample room for everyone to move. The instructor we had was clear with her instructions and the workout was fun. After class we were provided with cool refreshing towels. Overall, the gym is clean and provides many amenities with all the workout equipment and machines you can think of. The space is nice and definitely caters to a certain type of clientele. Location is in the heart of the financial district as well making it easy for anyone in the downtown core to access.

Tried complementary yoga class and was impressed by the amenities. There were plenty of locker…read morespaces,steam room and sauna. Yoga studio was very spacious. However I did not like the vibes of clients who like to take selfies inside the studio and you can still enter the studio once class has started.

If you like convenience and are shopping for a one-stop shop, YOGAthletix conveniently combines…read moreinterval training, HIIT, Barre Fit and yoga all in one studio. Even if you're unsure, YOGAthletix very generously offers a 1-week unlimited free trial promo code when you sign up for their newsletter. REGISTRATION All administrative work happens online via MINDBODY's platform/mobile app. If you're comfortable navigating other apps and webpages, it's superbly easy to sign-up and cancel classes. Personally, I've tried to cancel classes at least 24 hours in advance, and have signed up for classes as late as 30-minutes before class start. Obviously the earlier you sign-up/cancel is ideal, because it helps the instructors plan for numbers and any group/partner work. As for what to expect when you arrive, there are no reception staff and you simply find your name on a tablet and check in. CLASS SCHEDULE With classes as early as 6:30AM during the week and as many as 3 classes on a week night, another bonus of YOGAthletix is its flexibility to offer something for diverse schedules. On the weekend, it has 3 classes each day, with a 8:30AM start on Saturday and 9:30AM start on Sunday. Many of these classes are also consecutive, with no extended breaks in between, making it easy to stack your visit with multiple classes. As well, the classes are scheduled in a way that you do get a break, i.e. HIIT right before yoga, followed by Barre Fit. Most of the classes are 50-minutes each, with approximately 5 minutes dedicated to warm up at the start and 5 minutes to stretch at the end. The 10-minute buffer is great to allow traffic to flow in and out and to allow adjustments in the set up. CLASS FORMAT In terms of the format of the classes themselves, GETnFIT and GETnRIP'D are both interval based training, where FIT is focused on cardio and RIP'D, as the name suggests, on strength and toning. Logistically, GETnRIP'D will move you through various stations in groups of 2+, and GETnFIT is all mat based---but don't be surprised if there are some partner work thrown in for fun like punches. In all the class offerings, GETnRIP'D is the only class where you'll need athletic footwear. All other classes are done barefoot with the option of keeping your socks. For tips on what to bring and what to expect, be sure to refer to YOGAthletix's FAQ page. In terms of yoga, I'm personally not as experienced, but having the 1 week trial definitely gave me a greater appreciation for yoga. Previous to YOGAthletix, the form of yoga I've tried to practice consistently---read once a month a few years ago, was Kundalini---not something usually offered in most studios. As a result, I was never convinced I would like yoga, but after trying YOGAthletix's Yogasana and its nameskae Yogathletix classes, I feel like I "get" the appeal of yoga. EQUIPMENT For both FIT and RIP'D, YOGAthletix has no shortage of equipment, from rowing machines, to punching bags and boxing gloves---from the looks of it, it might be because they share a space with DTS Fitness Education. As for their yoga classes, there's ample supply of straps, bolsters, and beautiful cork yoga blocks, but do bring your own mat! What I was not used to, were Ugi Balls. For weight training, I'm more used to barbells, free weights, and medicine balls, so using Ugi Balls felt very awkward. If you haven't heard of them either, it's looks and feels like the love child of a medicine ball and a bean bag. For the record, there's nothing wrong with using these, just a personal adjustment. If you need to hydrate, all restroom faucets have filtered water and there is a gender neutral washroom available. INSTRUCTORS Whatever your fitness level, YOGAthletix instructors will give you modifications to help you scale your movements to either heighten the intensity or lower the impact, which to me, signals expertise. During my 7-day trial, I had the opportunity take classes with various instructors and really appreciated different aspects of each instructor, i.e. from learning proper form for and how to scale my Chaturanga to my level of strength, to learning different poses to help me approach YOGAthletix's pose of the month--Bakasana/Crow Pose. Out of all the instructors and based on my previous experience, I enjoyed Barb's and Tricia's class the most. I loved Barb's class because she's the only one who's default burpee is chest to the ground, which is how I've learnt them. I love Tricia because she surveyed the group for feedback on both her GETnFIT and Yogasana classes (thanks to a small class size). Based on our feedback of wanting to target our abs in GETnFIT, Tricia ensure we worked our abs plus our backs to fully exercise the core. For Yogasana when I asked to stretch our quads, she did so and also included and emphasized poses that would stretch our piriformis, which I have a lot of trouble with in relation to my quads and IT band---a holistic approach!

3 pros: - Cheap new member options! E.g. free first class,…read morefirst two weeks for $19, etc. - Easy online signup system with SMS and email reminders - Real sense of community with attendees of all ages, genders, and fitness levels! 3 cons: (For the HIIT workouts) - Instructor's microphone tonight sounded very muffled and the music was waaay too loud (tip: don't workout under the speakers) - HIIT intervals are too long at 60 seconds each, without breaks. IMHO the best workouts are the ones that challenge you to push yourself to your personal limit without demoralizing or completely fatiguing you before the next set. It's extremely hard to push yourself when the interval is too long because after awhile your form starts to fall apart, you get tired, cranky, bored, etc. It's kind of like heavy lifting - I think people are more likely to attempt a max weight with 3 reps instead of 10. - The giant beanbags they use here as weights are difficult to carry, especially if you have small hands, since these monsters are oddly shaped, don't have handles, and are slippery. I would have rather used dumbbells.

These classes are great workout!…read more I do not look as graceful as the instructors, but I leave the class feeling like I have worked hard... with that perfect tired but energized post work out feeling .. Plus .. if you go to the early morning class, there is like no one there!

This uptown boutique barre studio has been open a little under two months now, and as someone who…read moreheard about it through word of mouth, I REALLY like it. The space is clean, sleek and bright. There's a shower there, as well as some lockers to store your things. (And, if I understand correctly, there's a small childminding service available while you work out.) The owners - a husband-and-wife team - are great, too. They're super-friendly, and helpful if you've got questions. There are 7 types of barre/ballet classes (plus a ballet-fusion class for kids), and sessions are offered much most times of the day, every day of the week. The weekends *are* - understandably - busier than weekday mornings. (And I heard that classes were full throughout Easter weekend.) But as someone with an alternative schedule (I work weekends and am off weekdays), I like the fact it's *not* crowded early weekday mornings. The instructors (I've had classes with Marvin, Dave and Rochelle) - are great. They're super-helpful - talking you through/demonstrating exercises, and helping you to correct your body to feel the full effect of the exercises. (If you're an early riser, or attend a class that's sparsely attended, you might get more attentive instruction.) They're even there to answer questions about stretching, etc. For anyone unsure of which barre studio to choose (there are now two, with Barreworks opening its uptown location), I would invite anyone to try out a class or two at Barre Beautiful before deciding. I think it's worth it.

Excellent gym and great classes…read more Service, valet parking feature, cleanliness, facilities - all make this a great gym for the price point.

How to get a reasonable person to write a 1 star review:…read more Step 1: Imply from the drop that cancelling contracts is basically half the sales person's job and assuage any worries of commitment by saying "It's really easy to cancel just call me whenever" and we'll get it done. Step 2: Receive said request for cancellation and gaslight me. Step 3: Commence dodging calls and emails for a month. Step 4: Pass me off to a GM who wants to debate the philosophical definition of the word 'easy' for three weeks. (See attached photo.) Step 5: Casually imply I should commit insurance fraud by forging a doctor's note. Here is a list of gyms who don't charge $250/mth for a... [looks up reviews] 3.3 star "luxury gym" experience, all within 2 minutes of Equinox: 4.8 Stars: KX Fitness 4.9 Stars: Avant 4.0 Stars: Goodlife on Bloor 3.9 Stars: Goodlife in Manulife Center 4.9 Stars: Sore and Fit 5 Stars: VB Strength Fix your steam room.

2 rooms for reformers- one upstairs and one downstairs. 5 reformers in the room, it's a tight space…read morebut it's great for beginners as it's a small class so the instructor can correct your positions and assist you. Overall it was an ok class just not my favourite reformers studio. The music also wasn't my vibe.

If you are a fan of non heated yoga practice or really into pilates, you would have love Core…read moreStudio. As a stand alone yoga studio, the yoga classes does lack varieties or the "Hot" factor. But personally I think Core Studio is trying to use Yoga to compliment their Pilates and bootcamp classes instead of the other way around. It is good for Core Studio in a way as it differentiate itself from all the other yoga studio that doing mostly yoga and have one or 2 Pilate classes a week or some yogalates class?? I do love the spaces...high ceiling... you don't feel like you are in a cave looking out to the windows... The brick walls does add some rustic charm to it. The Sunday late morning Yin/Restorative class I attended using my Passport was both relaxing and energizing at the same time. I love how the instruction gave my lower back and my neck/shoulders a little massage...using topical muscle relaxation cream.. it was just this numbing sensation... Then when we were in the final savasana a lavender head massage! :) The change room is small and no where really for your valuables... but they do let you bring your wallet into class. The prices for reformer class can be pricey but I might give it a try!