Getting Fit to Fly

Looking for a lift in your exercise regimen? A little Jukari Fit to Fly may just be the workout for you. The total-body workout created by Cirque du Soleil and Reebok uses a trapeze-like bar to give participants the sensation of flying while “strengthening and lengthening the body through cardio, strength, balance and core training,” according to the Reebok website. After debuting in Quebec in 2009, the fitness program has finally made its way west to Toronto’s Kingwest Fitness in Liberty Village.

The workout program, which combines aerobics with light acrobatics, features a low level trapeze-inspired bar called the FlySet. Custom-designed to allow 360 degrees of movement, the suspended bar allows participants to twist, hang and swing throughout their hour-long workout. Lyn Heward, creative director of the Reebok-Cirque du Soleil program, says the class was designed to give women “the feeling that they are performing while they’re working out.”

By combining artistic expression with exercise, Jukari is bringing the fun back to fitness. After all, the term itself does come from the Italian for “to play,” and what could be more fun than swinging around like a kid on the playground?

By practising such traditional exercises as push-ups and sit-ups on the custom-designed FlySet, participants can focus on building upper body strength and developing core muscles, all while burning plenty of calories. So, if you’re growing weary of spin class, hot yoga or the dreaded treadmill, give Jukari Fit to Fly a swing.

— Kimberly Rupnarain

For more information, visit Kingwest Fitness at kingwestfitness.com or call 416-533-5464.