A Halifax gym is pitching a new idea that allows people to pay it forward through working out.

Cyclone Group Fitness is promoting what owner Elana Liberman calls "pending fitness." Liberman was inspired by hearing about coffee shops where customers can pay in advance for people who cannot afford a coffee.

"So I thought, wouldn't that be neat to do with fitness," says Liberman.

Liberman is offering the pending fitness idea to businesses by encouraging them to sign their employees up for a group fitness class.

The employees then choose to offer a worthy organization a free fitness class that Liberman delivers on her own time.

"I would like to think everybody wants to give back in some way," she said. "So by promoting health and wellness in another organization or community group, [the donor is] winning as well. And I'm winning because we're doing really neat things."

Liberman offers classes such as circuit training, spin bicycles, and kettlebell lifting. She says it is good for her business to bring in new customers who haven't tried such classes before.

Liberman also says she has been touched by watching a group of employees vote on who to donate a class to.

"Seeing something live happen, and seeing the vote and people resoundingly said 'Yes, this is who we want to give our class to,' it was so live and in the moment and powerful."

'You have that great feeling of giving back'

Development company Southwest Properties was the first to try a pending fitness class with 17 employees, including CEO Jim Spatz. The employees chose to donate a free class to workers at Laing House, which supports youth with mental illness.

Jody Sampson works at Southwest and organized the outing.

"It gives you a great workout, which just everyone can use for just their mental health and well being, and secondly you have that great feeling of giving back," she said.

Liberman says since launching the program in December, she's received five calls from groups that want to donate a class.