Whether you want to work out alone, exercise with friends, or participate in an organized sport, there is a place for you at one of U of T St. George Campus’ three indoor athletic facilities or two outdoor fields. As long as you are enrolled in the Fall, Winter, or Summer Semester, you will have access to these facilities during that time. And even if you are not enrolled in the summer term, you can purchase a discounted student summer membership to access the facilities.
Engineering students can get involved in sports at many different levels, whether that’s recreational, intramural, or varsity. Recreational athletic activities are things that you can do on your own, while intramurals are organized team sports that vary in competition level. Varsity sports are the highest level of competitive sport at U of T; these teams compete against other schools’ teams.
If you are looking for something fun to do, attending a Varsity Blues game with friends is a great way to spend an evening.
Hart House
Every indoor facility has different features and offers a variety of classes and equipment. Each has its own atmosphere and it’s important that you find a place that is comfortable for you. Hart House Fitness Centre is a welcoming oasis of wellness for all students looking to improve their health. It is a beautiful historic, smaller-setting gym where everyone is welcome regardless of fitness level.
Some of the main amenities at Hart House include a weight room, basketball court, pool, indoor running track, dedicated spin bike room, Pilates reformer rooms, etc. You also have access to locker rooms, showers and towel service.
Hart House offers registered fitness classes during the fall, winter, and spring/summer terms at discounted rates for registered students. The upcoming fall term registration opens on September 3, 2024. These programs can run for 4 to 10 weeks and cover a range of activities, including aquatics and swimming, Pilates, strength and weight training, yoga, and more. Some of these classes are also affiliated with a specific club, such as the Hart House Archery Club.
Free drop-in fitness classes are available to students of all experience levels throughout each term, with no pre-registration required. These classes operate on a first-come, first-served basis. You can find information about available classes here, but keep in mind that schedules may change. To avoid any surprises, always check the posted schedule on the day you plan to attend for the latest updates.
You can also purchase personal training sessions with one of 9 Hart House personal trainers, each specializing in different areas of fitness. These sessions are great if you are looking for a more individualized experience. If you have never trained with a personal trainer before, you can also book a fitness consultation session to understand your own strength and areas of opportunities.
Athletic Centre
In contrast to the smaller Hart House, the Athletic Centre is the biggest athletic facility on campus. This means it has a wider variety of equipment and more of each type of machine. The Athletic Centre is located on the west side of the campus, right at the intersection of Spadina Ave. and Harbord St.
Some of its main amenities include an indoor track, an Olympic sized pool, dance studio, fencing salle, pedal zone, squash courts, basketball courts, badminton courts, table tennis courts, etc. You also have access to lockers and change rooms with both open and private cubicles for showering.
The Athletic Centre has amazing drop-in classes ranging from a variety of field to target and racquet sports to skating. If you’re looking to learn something new, you can also register for their Learn to Move program that offers beginner-level instruction on swimming and court sports, weightlifting exercises, group fitness activities and more!
If you are looking to work out with a group of friends or meet students from different programs with the same fitness goals, you can join the wide selection of group workouts offered at the Athletic Centre. These group fitness workouts range from barre, yoga, HIIT to boxing and olympic weightlifting classes! You can find a full list of programs offered here.
Note that some of these programs require pre-registration and an additional fee, while others are free for registered students and operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
Athletic Centre houses the largest number of exercise machines/equipment on campus that you can use at your own pace. The open gym areas at AC are the Strength & Conditioning Centre (SCC), Bruce Kidd Field House Periphery and the Weightlifting Zone (WLZ). You can access these spaces for free as a registered student.
In addition, SCC and WLZ also offers Women-Only Hours & Programs. Open Gym hours are updated for each term here.
If you want to learn a new sport or improve your skills, you can sign up for an instructional class that matches your level. Classes are available from beginner to advanced in sports like tennis, gymnastics, parkour, trampoline, fencing, skating, and more!
You can register for Fall 2024 starting on September 3 and classes will begin the week of September 16.
If you are looking to be part of a more competitive team environment, you can also join a club, intramurals or the Tri-campus league. For more information on all sports and clubs offered, check out the KPE website here.
Goldring Centre for High-Performance Sports
Goldring Centre for High-Performance Sports is the gym that facilitates training for most varsity athletics programs. It has a 2,000-seat, internationally rated fieldhouse for basketball, volleyball, and other court sports. It is close to one of the outdoor fields, and it has nice big windows, so you get a beautiful view while exercising. It is also used as a teaching facility and includes a state-of-the-art strength and conditioning centre, fitness studio, sports medicine clinic, and research and teaching laboratories.
Many programs and classes offered at the Athletic Centre are also offered at the Goldring Centre. When browsing programs on the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education KPE’s website, check the Location(s) and Schedule sections to see if a particular program is offered at the Goldring Centre.
Chestnut Residence Gym
Many engineering students live at Chestnut Residence. A huge perk of this residence is that it has its own small gym in the basement! Nothing too fancy, but it’s perfect for a quick workout that’s close to home.