We always thought “no swinging” was the number one rule of weight training. Then we tried Kettlebell.

Founded in Russia and centuries old, Kettlebell is all about the swing. The instructor makes it look easy as she guides you through familiar moves (lunges and presses) and brand new ones like the “snatch” and “clean” (no joke) with small cannonball-esque weights in 10, 15 or 17.5lb denominations. At first, we felt awkward, a bit like Jennifer Coolidge trying to “bend and snap” in Legally Blonde, but gradually we got into the flow. Kettlebell worked our glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core. The key is balance and control so don’t fret about keeping up with the regulars and do plant yourself in the first row by the instructor. 

Classes at Energia Athletics are 45 sweaty minutes long and get booked quickly in advance ($18/class).

Energia Athletics, 
164 Danforth Ave., Toronto, 
416-406-6664
, www.energiaathletics.com

Girls just wanna have fun, but when their gym kit makes them look like Little Miss Sunshine, you can bet they won't be turning cartwheels.

There's no sitting on the sidelines with Lilikiks, a Vancouver-based girls activewear line that has just launched its online store.

With on-trend colours, super-soft fabrics, and high-end technical detailing, styles like these will take them from tennis to track and back again.

She shoots, she scores!

Shop by sport or by style at their new e-store.

www.lilikiks.com

June equals weddings and weddings equal bachelorettes, but when our go-to party dress wouldn’t quite zip up, we admitted we had let things slide.

Kick-start your summer fitness regime with the Circuit 60 class at Track Fitness. The unique, total body workout alternates intense treadmill and weight training in five- and ten-minute intervals so there’s no time to get complacent. Before you can complain about the sprints, it’s time to hit the floor for push-ups or squats. While the class is designed for varying abilities—walkers, joggers and runners—everyone is pushed to their limit for a full sixty minutes.

Incidentally, the same duration as the hot bath we took when class was over.  

$25 per class (first class is free). Track Fitness,  417 Spadina Rd., Toronto, 416-481-7872, www.trackfitness.com

If you treat bikini season like a test (with dread and lots of cramming), then we’ve got the study group for you.

Shape up starts by enrolling in Survivor Bootcamp. The four-week intensives offer two, three or five day a week routine outdoor grinds in Canadian cities. Lead by very motivating instructors, they combine cardio and circuit training for trimming down and toning up. We’ll testify that they’re no walk in the park, but yield serious results.

And the high we had afterward felt better than scoring an A+.

From $190, find a location and sign-up at www.survivorbootcamp.com

Ever since Michelle Obama flaunted her hula hooping skills on the lawn of the White House, women across the continent have decided to whirl their way to better bods.

Hooping can burn up to 600 calories in an hour, and as well as being a lot of fun, it tones the body in all the right places.

Wham-O, first released the hula hoop in the '50s, and it remains most enthusiasts' ring of choice. Pick one up in hot pink and neon green and get gyrating.

Check out Hoop Toronto for tips, tricks and classes in the GTA.

$9.95 at Swipe, 401 Richmond St. W., Toronto, 416-363-1332, www.swipe.com

If your summer exercise plans have stalled, or never properly began, a month of Fit Chicks could be just the kick-start you need. 

Fit Chicks is like bootcamp but without all the anger. No two classes are the same and instructors plan every minute of the eight one-hour sessions to work your entire body. Think jumping jacks, walking lunges, push-ups and abs, and did we mention the group meets rain or shine? Be prepared to work hard but rest assured, the time flies because it’s actually fun. Throughout the month, you will receive emails with training tips, recipes and news to keep your motivation and focus intact. 

Fit Chicks takes all your measurements on the first and last day of class and yes, we saw results - three inches lost overall, but we’re not telling where!

Fit Chicks, $159 for four weeks, www.fitchicks.ca 

Need a new 5K? Give Cedarvale Park a whirl. 

Step one, find your running buddy. Part of this run is through the woods so please, no solo missions.

Start at the Heath exit of St. Clair West station—the south entrance to the park. Head north along the trail, which will begin to veer northwest. Eventually you’ll see the steps up to Strathearn Road on your right. For an added challenge, run up and down them, twice. Continue past the off-leash dog area on your right and then the tennis courts on your left. At the end of the route, you’ll be at Ava and Everden Road. Take a quick minute to stretch and head back to the start.

The terrain is part-trail, part-path and there’s just one short hill at the very end. 

By our estimate, it’s a nearly perfect 5K.

www.cedarvalepark.com

With grownups swinging, tight roping and juggling their way to buffer bodies, circus camp is no longer just for kids.

The Harbourfront Centre’s Marsha Kennington, with professional aerialists Rebecca Leonard and Ana Shepherd, will have you walking on your hands and flying high this summer. Develop grace, confidence and leaner, stronger limbs while swinging on a trapeze, walking a tight wire and learning to juggle.

Juggling? You’re already a pro.

Coronation Park, Lake Shore Boulevard at the foot of Strachan Avenue, just south of the Princes Gates. $42 per class or $210 for 6-week session. To register or for more information call 416-973-4093, www.harbourfrontcentre.com/learn/courses

If your idea of scaling new heights is stepping into 6-inch stilettos, we’ve got a challenge for you.

Get your gams miniskirt-ready with a beginner lesson in indoor rock climbing at the Toronto Climbing Academy.

After a lesson in safety, knot tying, and belaying, it’s up, up and up. A great workout when you get going, you’ll feel the burn in your core, quads, and calves. 

Just remember: don’t look down, breathe deeply, and leave vanity at the door. The harness flatters no one. 

Approx. $45 pp, Toronto Climbing Academy, 100a Broadview Ave., Toronto, 416- 406-5900, www.climbingacademy.com

Tired of being the girl who resorts to the running man on the dance floor? Take a cue from Shakira and shake up your routine with belly dancing classes.

Undulate, shimmy and shake your way to a better body under the tutelage of veteran belly dancer and fitness trainer Sue Zarik, owner of Hip Kik.

If you’re concerned about excess jiggle in your shimmy, hop into a Get Fit Fast Class. The combination of pilates and strength training will have you toned and taut quicker than you can click your zils.

Walk like an Egyptian? Nah, we’d rather dance like one.

Hip Kik, 3070 Dundas St.W., Toronto, 416-760-772. For more info and prices e-mail Zarik at hipkik@rogers.com