Already worrying about your New Year’s resolutions? Vv Magazine’s Libby Roach gets a head start on her 2015 fitness kick with Nike’s Training Clubs at the Academy of Lions!
Belt tightening is both a literal and figurative term each and every holiday season, with gifts to buy, parties to stuff your face at, and no time for good old fresh air and exercise (unless you count sweating through your Canada Goose jacket in the mall a workout). Before you know it, you’ve gorged your way through one too many puddings and are starting to resemble the giant ham that has been haunting your dreams (and fridge) since Boxing Day.
Before the shame spiral pulls you down any further, consider tackling both problems, financial and physical, with Nike’s Training Club at Ossington’s gritty Academy of Lions. Classes are held three times a week and are totally free. I have been faithfully using their free app for years now and can attest to the difficulty level of their programs, but let’s face it, after a while your motivation may dwindle and it’s obviously easier to ignore an app than it is a person putting you through the paces. Motivation wasn’t my only reason to check out the class; you run the risk of injury for many moves if you’re not doing the exercises correctly. Bottom line: shame works — and if you’re like me after Christmas then there’s usually plenty of it to go around.
This year I took a different approach — I am starting my New Year’s resolution early. Armed with a few goals in mind, I headed to AOL to check out NTC’s classes, led by some of Toronto’s top trainers — today featured Canada’s only Nike Master Trainer, Eva Redpath. Blessed with a dancer’s body and the energy of a teenager, Eva took us through her drills in breakneck speeds, combining moves together to create a fast-paced workout designed to get you in and out in record time. The workouts are no joke: think jump squats, planks, and Eva’s favourite move called the toy soldier, but what I get most out of it is the social aspect of joining a gang of like-minded fitness junkies all working towards their common goals (whether it’s maintaining what you have, shaving off a few seconds for an upcoming marathon, or looking to slim down for an upcoming trip).
All you need is a bottle of water and a smile. Sign up for classes here to secure your spot.
What workouts do you want to try at Nike Training Clubs at the Academy of Lions? Let us know in the comments section below or tweet us at @ViewTheVibe