A Mermaid School is Coming to Toronto This Year

File this one under unique ways to work out.

We told you about Aquamermaid opening up shop in Montreal, and due to its fast growing popularity, they’re already planning to expand to Toronto by the end of summer.

It sounds like a joke, but considering how much excitement there is around the concept, maybe we shouldn’t be laughing.

Aquamermaid teaches adults and children to swim while wearing a mermaid (or merman) costume.

We all watched The Little Mermaid wondering what it would be like to live the life of Ariel, and now we can find out. Well, minus the handsome prince, of course.

One part fitness, one part childhood fantasy, it borrows from the worlds of synchronized swimming and cosplay to create a new form of exercise.

Wearing tight fitting spandex skirts with a plastic monofin at the end restricts student’s leg movements, forcing them to learn a whole new form of swimming and staying afloat.

Founder Marielle Chartier Hénault came up with the idea when she was modelling for an underwater photo shoot that required her to pose as a mermaid.

“I really liked that experience and I thought it was a really good workout,” she told the Toronto Star.

While it might not be the best exercise for someone who is completely out of shape because of the leg restriction and breath involved, it’s not particularly challenging, and might motivate those less interested in the typical gym experience to get off the couch.

While she’s currently only scouting Toronto for a location – nothing has been decided yet –the hope is to have expanded down here as early as September.

Just when you’ll be longing for beach weather again, you can pop back into the water and pretend like you’re in the ocean.

Or in a Disney movie – whatever works.


#NOTABLE

Images in body from: Aquamermaid

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