Another running season is now upon us! If you’ve been thinking of trying running for fitness or fun (or both!) this is a great time of year to start.

Some very basic advice for the beginner:

- Always warm up before a run. This can be something as simple as going for a short walk and stretching.
- Make sure you have proper running shoes. You don’t have to spend a ton on them, but they should be shoes made for running and not for cross-training, walking, or any other sport. Not sure where to get shoes? For basic shoes, any sports store will do – just make sure you take the time to try on several pair and walk around in them to see if they’re comfortable. If you’re looking to spend a bit more, my favourite shop in Toronto is The Runners Shop, located on Bloor Street West, across from the ROM.
- Keep hydrated, especially if it is hot outside. It is best to drink some water before you go for your run, and then drink small sips of water during.
- Don’t push yourself too hard! Just start out with a nice, easy pace, and take a short walk break when you need to.
- The Running Room has great clinics for both beginner runners (Learn to Run is particularly popular) as well as seasoned runners who are looking to train up to a new distance and/or improve their time.

Think you might want to try competing? It’s a ton of fun and often the events are fundraisers for great charities. Just a small selection of the runs coming up in Toronto this year:

May: Sporting Life 10K
June: Toronto Challenge 5K run/walk
July: Acura 10 miler and 5K
August: Toronto Women’s 10K and 5K
September: Toronto Waterfront Marathon/Half/5K
October: Goodlife Toronto Marathon/Half/5K/Relay

Just wanted to let everyone know of a fun, fitness-related event taking place on Family Day (February 15th).

MP Olivia Chow and Friends of Christie Pits Park are having their yearly Family Day skating party. There will be games, activities for kids, free hot chocolate and pizza, and of course lots of skating! It’s from 1-3pm.

If you go, enjoy it!

I’m excited to announce an Iyengar yoga teacher has been added to the list of practitioners at Halcyon Health. She’s starting a 6-week intro course this upcoming Tuesday night!

6-week introductory course with Kari Romaniuk

Tuesdays, 6:15-7:30pm
November 3 – December 8
$90 for the 6-class series

“Iyengar Yoga is a precise, systematic method of Yoga as developed by BKS Iyengar of Pune, India. The primary focus is on concentrated movements to fine tune the body and to increase mobility, stability, strength and alignment. The intense concentration draws the attention inward, quieting and integrating the mind and body. Iyengar Yoga is yoga for health. It involves techniques for the well-being of both body and mind.”
~Yoga Centre Toronto, www.yogacentretoronto.ca

“Iyengar Yoga is characterized by great attention to detail and precise focus on body alignment. [B.K.S.] Iyengar pioneered the use of “props” such as cushions, benches, blocks, straps, and even sand bags, which function as aids allowing beginners to experience asanas more easily and fully than might otherwise be possible without several years of practice… Standing poses are emphasized in Iyengar Yoga. They are said to build strong legs, increase general vitality, and improve circulation, coordination and balance… Iyengar teachers complete at least two years of rigorous training for the introductory certificate. They may complete subsequent… levels of certification, potentially entailing a decade or more of training.”
~www.wikipedia.org

Come and experience Iyengar yoga for your health and well-being, and welcome Kari to Halcyon!

Click here to register – choose ‘Classes and workshops’, go to the November calendar, then choose ‘Iyengar Yoga – 6 week intro – KARI’.

Been a while since I’ve posted some fitness ideas. Here are a few now that the cold weather has hit us.

Esther Myers Yoga is offering several workshops, including one on Yoga for Health and Well-Being. For details on that and other classes, please see their website.

Octopus Garden also has several upcoming workshops. One that caught my eye takes place on October 31st, on proper alignment during yoga. For further details, check out their website.

On the theme of yoga, Passport to Prana is back again this year. For $30 you get a pass that gives you a single free class at a large variety of studios here in Toronto. If you are looking for a new yoga studio, or you just like the chance to try a bunch of them, this pass is a great idea for you!

Some locations of The Running Room still have their popular running classes going. If this interests you, there may still be time to register – check their website for details.

Whatever you do this month, have fun!

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these posts, but I have some interesting fall classes to share with you all!

Esther Myers Yoga Studio has a weekend course coming up next month (October 24/25) which explores yoga and its health benefits. They mention it is not only good for yoga students (new and more advanced) but also good for yoga instructors, health professionals, and meditation teachers.

As mentioned previously, Flow! Yoga has now gone to a completely pre-registered class format. They still offer a variety of yoga classes, plus Nia and Pilates.

Octopus Garden yoga has several upcoming special classes, including another class with Danny Paradise. As well, they have three yoga retreats planned over the next year – two in Mexico, one in Tuscany!

The Toronto Bike Union will be hosting a bike tour of Toronto’s French forts on September 19th. It sounds like fun, especially if you’re interested in Canadian history, and it’s free!

The Running Room is still running their various clinics throughout the fall. Some of them start over the next few weeks. If you think running might be something you want to try this fall, the Running Room’s programs are a great way to do that.

Tango classes with Leeliana are back. Looks like most have already started, but some start this month. Her website has some details if learning to tango sounds like fun.

Registration for the various classes offered at the MNJCC has already begun, but chances are there are still spaces in many of their classes. Most classes don’t start for another few weeks. For the adult classes, see here and for the kids’ classes, see here.

Best Body Boot Camp has another session starting up on September 14th. This session will still be held in Christie Pits Park – a good way to get fit while enjoying the outdoors while those last days of summer are still here!

Registration for fall Pilates classes begins today at Body Harmonics. This is a great Pilates studio with a wide variety of classes, including a Post-Natal class on Tuesday afternoons (babies welcome!).

And finally, Halcyon’s own Tiina Veer is holding her Yoga for Round Bodies bi-weekly series again this fall. Classes start in October and are designed for any body at any level of fitness or yoga knowledge.

Whatever you do this fall, enjoy it!