Fitness

How luxury gyms aim to reach the next wellness frontier

Published

1 year ago

May 27, 2025

How luxury gyms aim to reach the next wellness frontier

Altea Ottawa occupies a former 129,000-square-foot Canadian Tire at the corner of Carling Avenue and Clyde Avenue North. The new fitness and wellness centre offers a variety of classes, including reformer pilates.Supplied/Altea Active

What was once an expansive garage is now home to a large swimming pool in Ottawa’s newest wellness destination – a members-only health and fitness sanctuary that merges self-care and sophistication.

Altea Active, a chain of new fitness and wellness centres, opened the pool at its 129,000-square-foot Ottawa outpost in early May, says chief executive officer Jeff York, a former executive at both Farm Boy and retailer Giant Tiger.

With high-class amenities such as aquatics facilities, recovery areas and multiple types of fitness classes, Altea Ottawa – which officially opened in November – is redefining how and when Canadians get their sweat on in a postpandemic world.

Renewed focus on fitness

In the year after June, 2022, almost 400 fitness and recreational sports centres opened across the country, according to Statistics Canada. At the same time, fitness industry revenue hit nearly $4.3-billion in 2022, up from $3-billion a year earlier as pandemic restrictions relaxed.

It’s “a new day in fitness” across the country, says Sara Gilbert, president of the Fitness Industry Council of Canada. While Canadians once spent money on trips they had postponed during COVID, they’ve “turned to themselves again” with a renewed sense of urgency, she adds.

The renovation of an old Canadian Tire into arguably Ottawa’s most modern fitness facility reflects an industry that has “always been at the forefront of innovation,” Ms. Gilbert says.

“You look back in the 1980s and we had these huge step-aerobic studios, and that took up most of the space in gyms. The gym industry … our strength is the ability to innovate and always listen to what members need, and the ongoing transition of our facilities to meet those needs.”

Redefining Canadian workout culture

Altea Ottawa is now Canada’s largest fitness and wellness centre.

The $30-million facility boasts nine fitness studios (the spin room alone cost $1-million), six pickleball courts, exercise machines of all kinds and zones for emerging fitness-class concepts such as HyRox (the new CrossFit, Mr. York says). There’s also a postworkout recovery area with red-light therapy and Hyperice cold-therapy boots, a women-only exercise space, the new 25-metre pool, as well as a smoothie bar and a Starbucks in the lobby.

The $30-million Altea Ottawa boasts nine fitness studios, including its iconic spin room, which alone cost $1-million.Supplied/Altea Active

There are four other Altea locations across the country. A fifth will arrive soon in the former 31,000-square-foot Nordstrom Rack in Toronto’s upscale Yorkville neighbourhood. The forthcoming location will open under the name of AVANT by Altea Active – the company’s ultrapremium offering that’s specific to urban areas such as Yorkville.

“We tend to look at real estate as a static thing, but it services a fluid world, and as that world ebbs and flows, change abounds,” says Shawn Hamilton, principal at Proveras Commercial Realty in Ottawa. “Spaces get occupied with uses we would never have dreamed of.”

Unlike other large-scale gyms, Altea’s facilities won’t be popping up everywhere.

“It’s the opposite of GoodLife. We want to be exclusive,” Mr. York explains. “We are going to [places] where the market is already there for people who want the best. But we want to deliver it at a competitive price where people are still getting value.”

Standing out in a crowded market

Mr. York says Altea’s competition are mid-sized fitness studios. If you’re a regular at hot yoga, boot camps and spin classes, you could pay upward of $1,000 a month in fees, he explains. Altea offers all that and more in one place – something that is becoming more common across the country.

Altea is not the only fitness centre working to redefine exercise culture in Canada. At Toronto’s The Well, a mixed-use complex less than a kilometre from the CN Tower, sits the newest Sweat and Tonic – a cheekily-named boutique gym that offers more than a half-dozen classes, personal training, a spa with registered massage therapists, a pool and sauna. The city’s Yorkville neighbourhood is also saturated with fitness options, including luxury gym Equinox, Barry’s Bootcamp and three GoodLife gyms.

“You’ve got to be where people live, work and play. That’s the key for the future,” Mr. York says. “You upgrade your facility because that’s where the market is going. The murky middle is not where you want to be.”

Altea Ottawa features a strength-training area and exercise machines of all kinds. CEO Jeff York says it’s unlike other gyms thanks to its exclusivity and to targeting a part of the market where people ‘want the best.’Supplied/Altea Active

Altea’s Ottawa plan was clear from the start, Mr. York explains, with 80 per cent of the original blueprint becoming reality. It eliminated a restaurant and members’ club from the plan – the same thing it did at the Liberty Village location in Toronto – because it wanted to focus on fitness.

Challenges of renovation

Altea’s renovation in Canada’s capital took just over a year. A full month was needed just to remove shelves, nuts and bolts from the Canadian Tire for what would become the facility’s hotel-like lobby, Mr. York says.

The challenges also ranged from laughable – swapping the directions of the old escalators – to serious, such as installing individual HVAC systems in each room and studio. It was a hurdle, but it was a success. Despite the facility’s roughly 6,000 members and upward of 350 fitness classes per week, there’s a reduction in body odour because of the new system.

That work was all taking place on the inside.

“No one knew we were working on it because we never changed the physical structure,” Mr. York says. “The biggest question was, ‘When are you going to start construction?’ but we had already started for six months.

“Making a big building feel comfortable is hard to do.”

Only 16 per cent of Canadians have a gym membership, according to the Health and Fitness Association, so it’s no surprise that fitness facilities in Canada would aim to strike a balance between value and choice.

“Many boutiques under one roof is the way fitness should be delivered,” Mr. York says.

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Fitness

The bridge variation women over 40 need to build deep core strength – without a single crunch

Published

7 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Press Room

The bridge variation women over 40 need to build deep core strength – without a single crunch

Building a stronger core is important at any age, but particularly once you wave goodbye to your 30s. Research shows muscle mass decreases approximately 3-8% per decade after this age, with the rate of loss increasing further after 60, and because having a strong core is so important to overall mobility, it’s an area of the body you don’t want to neglect.

Luckily, strength and fat loss coach Silvana Catalano has shared the ab exercise she credits with helping her build a stronger core after 40.

‘I stopped doing crunches and started doing this foam roller bridge variation instead,’ she said. ‘[It works] better than any crunch.’

Explaining why she moved away from the traditional ab exercise, Catalano said that ‘crunches flex [bend] your spine repeatedly under load’.

‘After 40, this can cause neck strain, back pain and only targets your surface muscles — not your deep core muscles,’ she added.

How to do the foam roller single-leg bridge with leg extension

Lie on your back with both heels on a foam roller, knees bent, and arms by your sides.
Press through your heels to lift your hips into a bridge, creating a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
Keeping your hips elevated and level, extend one leg straight up toward the ceiling.
Hold briefly, maintaining control and avoiding any hip drop or rotation.
Lower the extended leg back to the starting position with control.
Repeat on the opposite side while keeping your hips elevated throughout.

Perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps each side.

You can progressively overload the exercise every week, or increase the difficulty, in a few ways, including:

Adding extra sets or reps
Holding the bridge position for longer
Adding weight by placing a dumbbell or weight plate across your hips or a resistance band around your thighs

Why it works

‘The foam roller is the game changer,’ says Catalano. ‘It creates instability that forces your deep core to work overtime to stabilise your entire body.’

Your transverse abdominis — the deep core muscle that wraps around your waist like a corset — fires throughout the entire movement.

She added that this is the muscle which can help to make your stomach appear flatter.

‘Not your surface abs or your rectus abdominis [your ‘six pack’ muscles] but the deep muscles underneath’,’ she concluded.

Combining the foam roller bridge with the single leg extension engages your glutes, hamstrings, core and hip flexors simultaneously, improving lower-body strength and control.

One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women’s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan – created exclusively for Women’s Health COLLECTIVE members – you’ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.

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Fitness

Strength training over decades linked to longer life – Harvard Health

Published

20 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Press Room

Strength training over decades linked to longer life – Harvard Health

We’ve long known that aerobic exercise might help us live longer, and now strength training is being credited with the same effect. People who do up to two hours of strength training each week, over several decades, may reduce their risk of dying earlier from several serious conditions, including heart disease and neurological diseases, according to a Harvard-led study published June 12, 2026, in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Researchers analyzed three major studies involving 147,374 adults (79% women) who were middle-aged or older at the study’s start and tracked for up to 30 years. Participants reported how frequently and vigorously they exercised, including resistance training (which can include weight lifting and body-weight movements) and aerobic activity (such as brisk walking, cycling, and running). Deaths from all causes were also recorded.

Participants who logged between 90 and 119 minutes of resistance training each week were 13% less likely to die during the study period from any cause compared with those who did no strength training. They also had a 19% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a 27% lower risk of dying from neurological diseases such as dementia. Aerobic exercise remained a strong, independent predictor of living longer, but the greatest benefit was observed when resistance training was combined with it. Participants who regularly did both had up to a 45% lower risk of dying during the study period than those who did little aerobic activity and no resistance training.

If you don’t already engage in strength training, it may be wise to start. Begin with body-weight exercises such as squats, push-ups, or step-ups on a low stair. Add resistance bands or light dumbbells to increase the benefits. Consider enlisting the guidance of a physical therapist or personal trainer, and aim for consistency over time.

Image: © The Good Brigade/Getty Images

Fitness

‘This works’: Fitness icon Suzy Jalowsky, 60, shares the simple exercise formula she swears by

Published

1 day ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

‘This works’: Fitness icon Suzy Jalowsky, 60, shares the simple exercise formula she swears by

It’s easy to overcomplicate your fitness routine, especially when you’re being bombarded by information on social media about how to optimise every aspect of your workouts. But improving your fitness and building strength doesn’t have to be complicated – as a new reel from fitness icon Suzi Jalowsky shows.

The 60-year-old shared how just 30 minutes of walking daily paired with three simple strength workouts can help women over 40 ‘look better, feel better and stay strong’ as they age.

‘This works,’ she wrote in the caption. ‘Consistency with the basics will take you where you want to be. We often look for complicated solutions, but the basics are what truly change your body.’

Suzi Jalowsky’s strength routine

To add to the simplicity of the workout, Jalowsky uses just two 12lb (roughly 5kg) dumbbells throughout – so you don’t need to spend hundreds of pounds on expensive equipment to get started.

The workout

How to do the moves

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
Hinge at your hips until your chest is almost parallel to the floor, keeping your back flat and your shoulders down.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other and your arms hanging below your shoulders.
With a slight bend in your elbows, raise the weights out to shoulder height, squeezing your upper back and shoulder blades together.
Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position with control.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Bend over while bracing your core and keeping your back straight and chin tucked.
Draw the dumbbells towards your waist, keeping the elbow tucked into your side.
To complete the rep, extend the arms back to the starting position.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands on your hips.
Take a big step back with your right leg, crossing it behind your left. Bend your knees and lower your hips until your left thigh is nearly parallel to the floor. Keep your torso upright and your hips and shoulders as square as possible to the wall in front of you.
Return to start. Then repeat on the other side.

Start with a dumbbell in each hand, arms down and palms facing your body.
Rotate each hand so your palms face forwards. Keeping a slight bend in the knees, activate your glutes.
Engaging your core to avoid any sway in the hips, bend your arms, lifting one of weights to chest height in a slow, controlled movement.
Keep your shoulders relaxed and down, and keep your head, neck and spine neutral. Don’t arch your back.
In another slow, controlled movement, lower the weight back down to your thighs by straightening your arms while raising the other one to your chest. Repeat.

Stand with your knees bent and lean forward slightly, with a dumbbell in each hand.
Keeping your back straight, bend your dumbell-holding arm 90 degrees at the elbow so your triceps are aligned with your back and your biceps are perpendicular to the floor.
Engage your core and your triceps and hinge at the elbow, lifting the dumbbell up and back as you try and straighten your arm. Your triceps should stay still; only your elbow moves.
Guide the weight upward until your arm is straight, pause, then lower back down slightly to begin your pulses.

Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, evenly distribute your weight, and turn your toes out to 10 and 2 o’clock. Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
Keep your core tight and chest tall as you inhale, bend your knees, and sink your hips down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Exhale as you drive through your feet back to an upright standing position.

Upright row

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the dumbbells with straight arms in front of your legs. Your palms should face your body.
Engage your abs. Keep your chest up and eyes forward.
Lift the dumbbells up to mid-chest height or just below your chin. Keep your dumbbells close to your body by raising your elbows up and out to the sides.
Pause at the top, then lower with control to the beginning.

Serve the platter

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Bend your elbows to 90 degrees, tucking them tightly against your waist with your palms facing upwards.
Slowly extend your arms out in front, raising them to shoulder height.
Pull your elbows pack to the starting position.

Start with your feet together, holding a dumbbell in both hands at your sides. Shift your weight to your left leg, with your knee slightly bent.
Hinge at your hips to bring your chest down while raising your right leg behind you until your body is in a line from your head to your right foot.
Reverse back to the starting position and repeat, then switch sides.

Star jump with squat

Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and a single dumbbell held with both your hands in front of your chest.
In one movement, jump your feet out to the side and press the dumbbell over your head.
Jump your feet back in, bring the dumbbell back to your chest and lower into a squat. Continue by jumping your feet out to the side again and repeating the movement.

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Lauren Geall is deputy site editor for Women’s Health UK and Men’s Health UK. She graduated from Exeter University with a BA in English Literature before studying an MA in Magazine Journalism at City, University London. She’s been writing about health, fitness and wellbeing for over five years, with a total of seven years in digital journalism. Prior to her current role, she worked at Stylist as the acting health and fitness editor. As well as being a keen runner, Lauren is passionate about women’s sport and can often be found cheering on Arsenal Women at the Emirates or keeping tabs on the Red Roses’ latest win.