If you wish you were a trapeze artist but lack the gymnast’s body, you’re probably the target Cirque du Soleil and Reebok are reaching for with Jukari Fit to Fly. The two athletic brands spent the last two years developing the ‘sweat with a smile’ workout, with input from Canton, MA.-based Reebok trainers and Quebec-based Cirque coaches and artists. It’s for women who say they would exercise if it was more fun, says Cirque SVP marketing Mario D’Amico.

‘What really swung us over to Reebok was their heritage in all things women,’ he says, adding that a Cirque-style workout accessible to the average woman has been ‘on a shelf’ at the company for a decade. ‘For a nanosecond you can pretend you’re a Cirque trapeze artist. I think the psychology of that is incredibly important.’

Similar to Reebok’s Step program, Jukari Fit to Fly incorporates equipment (an adjustable trapeze called a FlySet), two collections of women’s fitness apparel and footwear (On the Move and the Reebok-Cirque du Soleil line) and a proprietary workout routine (complete with re-engineered Cirque music) licensed by gyms in the Reebok network. About 20 gyms from around the world have already signed on, including three in Quebec. More are expected throughout Canada by the end of the year, says Reebok Canada VP and GM footwear and apparel Daniel Gervais.

Reebok will handle marketing, with creative coming out of the HQ in the States. A Canadian roadshow of major sports retailers unspools over the next two years, as well as washroom ads in gyms and restaurants by NewAd and online support at Reebok.com/ca. It’s the first in a series of ‘Fit to…’ programs, adds D’Amico, which will be refreshed approximately twice a year.