TORONTO: Mayor John Tory has announced the launch of ParkFitTO, a new pilot initiative offering residents outdoor fitness programming.
With provincial restrictions still in place, the City of Toronto’s recreation centres will deliver fitness programs during the summer season at outdoor locations. With ParkFitTO, the City will offer outdoor drop-in fitness workouts as well as weekly outdoor group fitness and walking programs.
In order to facilitate drop-in workouts, a number of the City’s recreation centres will move fitness centre and weight room equipment outdoors into parks and other spaces adjacent to community centres.
ParkFitTO will operate from June 14 until September and will follow public health guidelines to ensure the health and safety of participants. ParkFitTO provides both free and affordable paid options for individual and instructional group fitness.
Outdoor group fitness and walk-fit classes Starting on June 8, residents will be able to register for group fitness and walk-fit classes, with programs starting on June 21.
Outdoor group fitness classes are registered programs for one hour each week for a four-week period. Participants must be 13 years or older and each class is limited to 10 people. These programs will be continuous throughout the summer.
Outdoor group fitness classes include:
• Outdoor walk-fit programs, in which instructors lead participants on pre-determined routes through neighbourhoods and parks. This program is free of charge, and there are more than 1,500 spaces available for booking at 32 locations across the city.
• Fee-based group fitness classes include Zumba and Zumba Gold, Cardio High/Low, Cardio Dance and Cardio HIIT, Gentle Fit, Stretch and Tone, Run Fit and Boot Camp and are delivered by qualified staff. There are 2,350 spaces available for registration at 23 locations across the city. Register online at https://efun. toronto.ca/TorontoFun/Start/ Start.asp. In addition, phone registration will be available at 416- 396-7378.
Outdoor fitness permits for businesses Commercial permits for private businesses who want to offer outdoor fitness, yoga or martial arts classes in park spaces will be available free of charge this summer, subject to Council approval this week.
The City will accept requests for permits from June 14 through to October 3. Permits will be issued for open green spaces in parks, and approval for permit requests will depend on proximity to environmentally sensitive areas, sports fields, gardens, conflicts with other permitted or programmed areas and other site-specific considerations. Typically, these permits are issued at a cost of $47.06 per hour. Interested businesses can contact pfrcustomerservice@toronto.ca or 416-396-7378.