North Campus Open House
It’s our second spot just across the street!
We’re ready to show you around our new ‘Recess North Campus’. This space is dedicated to personal training, and allows us to shift activities making more room for more of what you currently love at our OG home at 653 Bloor Street West.
While our North Campus has technically been open for a couple of weeks, we’ve only just wrapped up the final details — equipment is in, cardboard boxes are gone, and the space is feeling like it should.
This new studio at 640 Bloor Street West (2nd floor, Unit 202) is something you’ve helped make possible. With the growth of both classes and personal training, we simply outgrew our original space — and were lucky to find a spot right across the street.
Come by and see it for yourself:
🗓️ Sunday, April 26
🕧 12:30–3:00 p.m.
- Tour the space
- Take a look at the new equipment
- Have a refreshment
- Say hi 👋
Newsletter Topics
Topic 5
Run Club Is Staying Alive!
- Exploring earlier start times to beat the heat
- Adrian is connecting with a run coach for special guest sessions
- Join the WhatsApp group to stay connected (and motivated!)
Originally set to wrap this week, but due to demand, Run Club will continue!
We’re exploring earlier times to beat the heat. Join the WhatsApp group to stay in the loop. Adrian is also connecting with a run coach for special guest sessions.
Pop-Up Pottery Market
Saturday April 25th, 2026 – 9:30am-2:00pm
Careful, don’t drop that dumbbell on that mug – you break it, you buy it!
Don’t be silly, we won’t have tables set up on the gym floor – but the whole reception will be taken over this upcoming Saturday with ceramic creations are all made by members of the Recess Fit Club community.
It’s a nice excuse to slow down for a minute before or after class. No need to plan around it—just wander through if you’re around, or pop in if you’re nearby.
If you’d like a preview, we’ve shared a few pieces on Instagram as well as on flyers posted up in the gym.
More classes Added 🗓️
With our new North Campus rocking-and-rolling, we’re able to expand our class schedule. Here is the first-wave of our new class additions:
Starting the week of April 20
- NEW: Monday 8 a.m. Get Stronger
- NEW: Monday 11 a.m. Get Stronger
- CHANGE: Wednesday 12 p.m. will now be Get Stronger
Starting April 26
- Pilates is moving from Wednesday at 12 p.m. to Tuesday at 12 p.m.
We’ve had lots of interest from folks who like the idea of doing Get Stronger and then Pilates back-to-back, so shifting Pilates to Tuesday helps us begin making more of that possible while also creating room for another midday Get Stronger class.
What we’re working on next.
- more 8 a.m. weekday classes
- building toward 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. weekday options
- adding a possible Thursday 12 p.m. Pilates
- future evening and weekend additions
This is just the beginning, but all newly added classes are now available for booking.
How to find out where you are on a class waitlist
A great question came in from Patti this week:
“Can I see the class waitlist position before I join?”
Short answer: not quite.
In our new booking system, you are only able to see your position after you add yourself to the waitlist (but not before). Find out where you are in the queue with the following instructions.
From the Browser
- Log in to any widget
- Select the navigation menu
- Select My Schedule to view position on the waitlist
From the App
- Log in to the Walla App
- From the Home tab look for a section labeled Your Upcoming Visits
- Waitlist positions for each class are indicated here
Other waitlist pro tips:
Our waitlists tend to move more than you might expect.
That’s because of our flexible cancellation windows:
- 7 a.m. classes: cancel by 9 p.m. the night before
- All other classes: cancel up to 3 hours ahead
So while a class might look full at first glance, spots often open up as plans shift. It’s worthwhile adding yourself to the waitlist especially if the class is a few days out.
Meet Nicole
I’m also excited to introduce you to Nicole, who is teaching Tuesday 7 p.m. Pilates.
Nicole is super warm and approachable, and ready to welcome you to the dimmed lighting of our back room for some simultaneously challenging and stress-reducing movement.
Share Your Thoughts: 2026 Get Stronger Planning
Next week we’re finalizing the first new curriculum for 2026 (Q1) Get Stronger, and we’d love to hear from you.
Now that we’re deep into Maximum Strength Month, let your instructor know:
Which exercises you enjoyed
Anything that surprised you
Movements you connected with
Patterns or techniques you’d like to keep seeing
Your feedback genuinely shapes the next phase.
Get Protected from the Flu and COVID
As posted on the Toronto Public Health website: “Flu and COVID-19 vaccines … will be available for everyone … starting October 27, 2025.”
We’ve pre-booked ours at the pharmacy in the Loblaws (Dupont & Christie), and in past years we’ve had great luck with walk-in flu shots at Bloor Park Pharmacy (by the Baskin Robbins at Bloor & Christie).
It’s a priority to do what we can to avoid getting others’ sick. So, if you’re feeling unwell or have any sudden symptoms, please don’t come to class. To dissuade you, we’ll gladly refund your credit if it’s too late to cancel without penalty. Staying home when sick helps protect everyone.
Other reminders:
- You’re always welcome to wear a mask.
- We’ve got 2x commercial HEPA air purifiers running 24/7 at the gym.
Podcast Suggestion
Learn more about what seasonal illnesses may be ahead this winter with CBC’s The Dose' podcase episode titled: "How can we protect ourselves from fall and winter respiratory viruses?" Click to listen.
Improving Access to Classes
We know some of you have been finding it difficult to get into classes at popular times, and we want to acknowledge that challenge. To better enable our current members (and your routines), we’ve temporarily closed Recess to new folks.
If you’ve had trouble getting into a class, we apologize and will do what we can to make sure we can continue offering the classes you love. The aforementioned hip replacement does personally limit us (read: me, Millie) from adding more classes to the schedule for now, as much as I’d like to.
That said, we really encourage you to:
-
Add yourself to the waitlist — spots open more often than you might think.
-
Cancel even inside the three-hour window if you can’t attend; it may still help someone else jump in last-minute.
Thank you for helping keep registration flexible and accessible for everyone. And thanks for sticking with us. <3
Topic 4
That’s Strength, Too
If your grip is giving out before your legs—congrats! That’s progress. For exercises like dumbbell deadlifts, we’ve got lifting straps available. They shift the load and can help you keep form as your strength grows.
- Watch this 1-minute demo to learn how to use them—takes a little practice, but we’re here to help.
Are you Recess-mobile?
That brings us to the end of this newsletter!
Share your thoughts, questions, feedback or whatever else is on your mind in our feedback form here.
