A workout at the airport is arguably an impossible thought for most. Where will you shower? How much time will you have? Is it even worth it? The answer is hell, yes. GoodLife‘s pre-security gym at YYZ brings a whole ‘nother level to airport fitness on-the-fly.
With countless equipment for all workout styles, there’s a little something for everyone. Those who want to stay active during their travels have a massive range of options to keep up their fitness routines. Treadmill? Yup. Free weights? Check. The best machine to stretch out on after a long flight? You know it. (And it’s fantastic. See below.)
What sets this airport fitness facility at Toronto Pearson apart from the pack, however, boils down to a few things: its modern appearance, the well-kept amenities, the selection of workout equipment, and their incredibly knowledgeable and friendly staff.
For what it’ll cost you to sit at the bar and have a couple of glasses of wine, you can run, jump, lift, squat, stretch and work your way to a better body (and a healthier layover).
RECOMMEDED: Best airport gyms to break a sweat
Why you should try airport fitness at YYZ
There’s no need to be a member or pre-book entrance
That’s right – you can walk into the gym and workout without the hassle of signing up for a membership or anything. If you do want to become a member, you can, but it’s not necessary to get your sweat on at GoodLife’s Toronto Pearson airport fitness facility. For a guest pass, it’ll cost you a well worth it $15, and it gives you all-day access to all their amenities.
Guest Pass: $15
You can rent work-out clothing (and keep the socks)
One of the first questions we had was, what happens with the socks? Thankfully, those aren’t re-used. We were pleasantly surprised at how clean and new all the workout clothing was! We got a tour of their back stockroom and workout gear, and we can assure you that everything is fresh, clean, and ready to go. The workout gear is so good that you’ll want to take it with you – unfortunately, only the socks can be slipped in your carry-on.
Clothing Rental: $10
There are over 50 ways to get your sweat on
This gym offers a wide variety of equipment for cardio, strength training, and stretching. Any type of workout you want to do, you can. If you need someone to spot you, they can help with that too.
Every staff member at GoodLife Fitness at Toronto Pearson is trained and certified for every piece of equipment and is more than happy to help you learn something new or help you out with making a workout plan.
Cardio Machines: 15 treadmills, 6 recumbent bikes, 6 upright bikes, 3 spin bikes, 2 steppers, 4 step mills, 20 cross trainers and 2 rowers
Strength Equipment: 40 pairs of dumbbells (range: 5-100lbs), 10 barbells, 2 squat racks, 21 benches, 28 pieces of strength (like the equipment found in the FitFix circuit)
They have massage chairs with a view of the flight screens
Why would you choose to sprawl out in the uncomfortable gate chairs when you can sit in a massage chair while keeping tabs on your flight? GoodLife has a set of six massage chairs with a view of the flight screens so you can keep tabs on your flight status. It’s a lot harder to be bummed out about a delay when you’re getting a Shiatsu massage. Just saying.
Massage Chairs: 6
Going somewhere hot? They have tanning beds
If you’re traveling to a warm destination and your skin is still looking more like snow than a sunny glow, you can get tanned at GoodLife pre-flight. They have both kinds of tanning beds – the lay down “coffin-style” bed and a standing booth too. You’ll have access to the tanning facilities with your $15 guest pass.
Tanning Beds: 2
Also available:
- Private change rooms
- Multiple showers
- Blow dryers
- Hangers for your clothing
- Lockers
- An ironing board and iron
- Water vending machines
Overall, it’s a lot easier to work in some airport fitness before your flight than you may think. We recommend this as the best place to work out on-the-fly. Whether you’ve got 45 mins or 3 hours, GoodLife has a little something for everyone.
It’s been proven that sitting around for extended amounts of time isn’t good for your body. You’re already going to be sitting for the duration of your flight, so why not get moving pre-boarding? With personalized work out plans, showers, and clothing rental, there’s no excuse not to get your health and wellness on when you’re at Toronto Pearson.
So next time you’re at the airport, skip the bar and turn your layover into a fitness makeover.
(Ps. We promise if you ask for Adriana, the GoodLife Toronto Pearson manager, she’ll tell and show you everything you need to know and more.)
UPDATED May 14, 2019
