In 1989, Reebok revolutionized women's fitness with the creation of Step Reebok.

Today, the company revealed its new launch of an innovative gym workout - JUKARI Fit to Fly.

The workout is the first in a series of initiatives to come out of a new, long-term partnership with globally renowned entertainment company, Cirque du Soleil.

JUKARI Fit to Fly makes fitness fun again by introducing a new way to move in a gym workout and is accessible to all women, regardless of fitness levels.

The name "JUKARI" comes from the Italian meaning "to play."

The hour-long workout has been created on a specially-designed piece of equipment called the FlySet. The result is a workout that gives the sensation of flying while strengthening and lengthening the body through cardio, strength, balance and core training.

THE JUKARI Fit To Fly WORKOUT

JUKARI Fit to Fly isn't just fun to take part in, it is an effective hour-long total body workout of cardio, strength, balance and core training.

A trained instructor guides a class of up to 12 people through the workout moves using the FlySet.

The FlySet hangs from the gym ceiling and has been designed specifically for JUKARI Fit To Fly.

The FlySet consists of a durable three-stranded rope fixed to the ceiling with a 360 degree swivel point at an adjustable length with two attachment loops.

The FlyBar, a 4.5lb neoprene coated attachable steel bar, is placed through the two loops, which can be varied in height, to create an apparatus that strengthens and lengthens the body as you experience the sensation of flying during the workout.

The class will launch in top gyms in twelve cities around the world including Hong Kong, Mexico City, Madrid, London, Krakow, Munich, Seoul, Kuala Lampur, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Montreal and Los Angeles.

The Reebok-Cirque du Soleil partnership and JUKARI Fit to Fly workout are the direct result of insights into what women really want from exercise.

A survey of 15,000 women across 25 countries in 2008 found that while nearly half of all women know that exercise and keeping fit is very important to their overall health, less than 25% participate in fitness often. Specially-commissioned Reebok research looked at why this might be. The findings showed that nearly two thirds (61%) of all women would workout more if it was more fun. More than half (54%) felt exercise was a chore.

Says Katrin Ley, Head of Womens at Reebok, "These insights proved women perceived exercise as a chore, were unmotivated and uninspired to exercise but would workout more often if the gym was fun. The combination of Reebok's heritage in women's fitness and the fun, excitement and innovation that Cirque du Soleil brings to their craft meant that we are in a unique position to provide a solution to this need. The result is a whole new way to move through the JUKARI Fit to Fly workout and a new range of products to wear, designed specifically for women."

In early 2008, Reebok & Cirque Du Soleil came together with a single objective - make fitness fun again for women.

They embarked on a journey to create an inspirational workout that would shake up and invigorate a woman's gym routine. After eight months of development and rigorous testing JUKARI Fit to Fly was ready.

Says Uli Becker, President of Reebok, "Reebok has a strong history in women's fitness, and Cirque du Soleil is world renowned for creativity and innovation. Together, the combination of our unique DNA, creates a first-of-its-kind partnership to change the way women experience the gym."

Says Mario D'Amico, CMO at Cirque du Soleil, "This partnership is the perfect fit. Reebok understands what women want from fitness and what products work best, while our performers are renowned for their athleticism, choreography and artistic flair. The challenge to bring these two skill-sets together to create a new gym workout was very exciting for us."

Twitter: @ihavenet

More Fitness Articles