6 Of The Most Fun Animal Workout Classes In Canada
Updated: Jun. 21, 2017
You’ve seen them on your Facebook feed. You’ve liked the viral videos. Now it’s time to take an animal fitness class for yourself.
This is how you achieve #beastmode
You won’t want to skip your workout when it involves the cutest four-legged creatures. We found some of the top ways to work up a sweat alongside the sweetest (and furriest) fitness buddies you’ll ever exercise with. Bonus: being in their company has been shown to boost oxytocin – a.k.a. the stress-reducing hormone – levels. Here are our favourite animal workouts in Canada.
Forget downward dog, try downward goat
Work on your ujjayi breathing and perfect your poses in the company of adorable kids – of the goat variety! The playfulness of pygmy goats and their sweet nuzzles as you get your downward dog on in a barn or on a farm helps to bring a happy energy to the practice. Be prepared for these social animals to climb onto you at this trendy workout that’s popping up everywhere, including in Niagara on the Lake.
Fox Den Yoga, $20 for a drop-in class at foxdenyoga.com.
Go for a R-U-N!
Pound the pavement with your pup in tow with one of the cutest animal workouts in Canada. You get your cardio done while your dog burns off some energy. And it maybe even help your pooch lose a few extra pounds, if needed. Running with your dog calls for some training, though. Taking a class with this Halifax company will give you and your dog the knowledge to do it safely by learning the proper commands.
Dog Runnin, free consultation for one-on-one and group training at dogrunnin.com.
Cat pose this caturday
Combine your zen yoga practice with your love of felines in the purrfect workout: Cat yoga. With a cat on your mat, you’ll be inspired by their flexibility and languid movements. And their presence will help you focus on being in the moment. Even better, participating in classes helps to socialize the rescue cats who are in need of a home.
Edmonton Humane Society, $20 a class at edmontonhumanesociety.com.
Some bunny will go to yoga with you
A workout with rabbits? You might think you’d have to do plyometrics. But not the case. Instead, hop into a bunny yoga class held by the non-profit Bandaids For Bunnies, dedicated to helping abandoned pet rabbits in Richmond, B.C.
Bandaids for Bunnies, $20 a class at sunberryfitness.com.
Top dog of the class
Fitness with your little Fido helps check so many things off your list: Getting physical activity into both your day and your dog’s, helping to socialize your four-legged buddy, while also training him to maintain focus on you. Bootcamp-style classes that include drills and circuits like these held in Edmonton will put you both through the paces.
Top Dog Fitness, $20 for a drop-in class at topdogfitness.ca.
A bit of horse power
Give your mental health a workout with an equine therapy session. That’s right, spending some quality with horses can help you grow as a person. That’s because as prey animals, horses count on their intuition and body language to make it through each day, explains personal coach Jennifer Schramm of King City, Ont. Working alongside them through a variety of exercises (for example, figuring out how to get the horse through an obstacle without leading it physically), these majestic creatures, by picking up on your movements and physiological responses – along with the equine therapist’s facilitating–will help to uncover things about your personality and behaviour that you likely have not come to realize.
Jennifer Schramm classes, $595 for a weekend workshop at jenniferschramm.com.
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