Working out in the midst of a global pandemic can be a major challenge, especially as gyms have been forced to shutter in Toronto thanks to modified Stage 2 restrictions, but one company is offering an alternative to residents who want to stay fit in a safe way. 

Silofit is a company based out of Montreal that recently expanded to Toronto, and they take small office spaces and turn them into fully-equipped private gyms that can be rented by the hour. 

"Before the pandemic started, we were preparing to expand to Toronto, but our construction had to be put on hold during the quarantine," Charlotte Hamburg, the company's marketing manager, told blogTO.

"We used the time to grow our team, so we could focus on our pipeline of spaces and product roadmap. We're very grateful to be one of the few companies that expanded and had success during the pandemic."

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The Airbnb-style company's first Toronto location is at 215 Spadina Ave., and Hamburg said there are two more locations launching this month just a few blocks away. Silofit also plans to expand to the U.S. in 2021.

"When you book our Silo, you get a gym entirely to yourself - no one else will be there (perfect for Covid-19)!" said Hamburg in an email. "You can book our studios to work out alone, with friends, or with a trainer."

Silo studios come equipped with an echo bike, rower, squat rack, cable machine, dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, TRX, and more, and hourly rates range from $15 to $30 depending on the selected studio and time slot. 

Other amenities featured in studios include showers, bluetooth speakers, toiletries, free wifi, filtered water, a TV, and a whiteboard. 

"The demand in Toronto has blown us away! We were fully booked with 60-70 hours booked a week within a month of launching the Silo," said Hamburg. "We currently have thousands of users booking our spaces but noticed a majority of the hours booked are by trainers."

Hamburg said this is likely because many regular gyms require trainers to pay out between 50 and 80 per cent commission.

Studio time can be booked using the Silofit app, and users are only required to pay for the time they book without any additional fees or membership requirements. 

Hamburg told blogTO that studios are diligently cleaned between each session, making it a COVID-19-friendly way to work out for those of us living in a downtown concrete box without much space to exercise at home. 

"We're proud to give our community the privacy, safety, and security they deserve during these uncertain times," said Hamburg.