13 Fitness Classes to Try in London
Group training is still a huge trend. Whether you’re into spinning, HIIT, dance or circuits there will be a class to suit you. And if you’re lucky enough to live in London, there’s probably one going on right at the end of your street. With so many on offer, we haven’t test driven this round up of fitness classes in and around London- but it should give you a good idea of what’s available near you!
1. Silver Wheels Roller Disco.
Hands up who had some roller skates as a kid? Yup, us too- they were great fun! And that’s the idea behind the Silver Wheels Roller Disco which takes place every Saturday from 6.00pm- 7.30pm at Becontree Heath Leisure Centre, Dagenham. The ‘Silver Session’ aims to bring the fun of rollerskating to a new generation whilst giving older ones that dash of nostalgia as they skate around the room in full on disco mode! Cost is £5 and skate hire is available up to adult size 12.
2. Handstand classes.
Sammy Dineen is a professional handbalancer, and if you’re wondering what that is then you need to watch Sammy perform Mack the Knife or Bad to the Bone with his unique blend of acrobatics and showmanship. Sammy is a regular performer at the Café de Paris and graduate of the National Centre for Circus Arts, and you can actually be taught handbalancing by the man himself at St Joseph’s Primary School, Highgate Hill, 10.45am on Saturdays and 6.30pm on Tuesdays. You’ll be doing handstands in no time! £25 per class, block bookings available.
3. Dance fitness.
Keen clubber or closet raver? Full on proper dancing when you put your whole body into it is one of the best high intensity exercises going, and now you can get that amazing endorphin rush from a night out in a fitness class. With pumping tunes, colourful lights, the obligatory dark room and (they promise!), no complex choreography- you’ll be getting your groove on and getting a full body workout at the same time. FitBEAT from At Your Beat takes place Fridays at 1pm and Saturdays at 4pm at White Space, Leicester Square and Mondays at 8.15pm at Sylvia Young in Marylebone.
4. Zone Body Fit.
Suitable for both men and women, Zone Body Fit classes will be led by two trainers to give maximum motivation. Each session is a brand new workout, packing in the strength, conditioning and cardio into an intense fitness class. Watch this space for dates and times…
5. Speedflex.
Now this is a pretty interesting one. Speedflex classes involve you using the Speedflex machine, but what’s different about it to other machines that you might have used in the gym is that you have to apply force through the whole movement rather than just in one direction. The Speedflex uses no weights and adjusts resistance when needed. Lots of classes to choose from between Bank/Monument and all through the day. Free two week trial for new users too!
6. Mindset.
As any PT will tell you, keeping fit is all about mindset and that’s the approach at Mindset in Waterloo. They have 5 styles of classes designed to help you improve your overall mindset, like Reset, a hybrid yoga, meditation and core strength class and Boxset with boxing, circuits and endurance for all-out war. Phew! They also promise designer showers and a nutrition bar.
7. Sw3at Studio.
We all know that the best way to reach our goals is by working with a PT but SW3at reckon their classes offer the next best thing. This new studio on the Finchely Road focuses on boutique group classes with no more than 6 people in a class. There’s also a big focus on performing exercises correctly and smashing misconceptions about training. Classes include Form Focus, HIIT and Strength Training. £30 for access to all classes for two weeks.
8. GB Active.
Ever heard the phrase to be the best, you’ve got to train with the best? GB Active run boot camp sessions in Green Park led by some of GBs best athletes like long jumper Dan Bramble and sprint kayaker Jon Boynton. If you want to keep up with these athletes, you’re got to bring your best fitness game and be ready for a different workout every time- depending on which athlete is leading the class. You can also throw in some nutrition or fitness questions to them at the end too! £15 per session, 5 for £65 or unlimited for £45 per month.
9. The Body Project.
We don’t believe in sweating without a smile say The Body Project who run Body Project Bootcamps to burn, tone, build and buff in the most enjoyable way possible- we like the sound of that! Classes take place outdoors in Green Park, Barnes Common and Vine Road Park with babies, buggies and newbies said to be very welcome.
10. Louisa Drake Method.
Located in Fitzrovia and Muswell Hill, the Louisa Drake Method is a fitness fusion approach for a longer, leaner, stronger body. Classes are said to be small and include LDB Barre with barre choreography and low impact cardio intervals, LDM Sculpt and their signature LDM Shape Changer- a fusion of high energy dance cardio and sculpting and strengthening.
11. Versaclimber.
Said to be Europe’s first ever climb-focused group-training class, you’ll be climbing on the Versaclimber with its 75 degree vertical rail with handles and peddles. Choose from Climb to the Beat for conditioning, The Vertical Mile for endurance, or HIT Climb for performance and get ready to burn around 22 calories per minute- more than any other cardio machine apparently! Takes place at BXR London, based in Marylebone.
12. Boom Cycle.
You’ve heard of spinning but Boom Cycle promises to be the new wave of indoor cycling! Expect the lights to be down low, the music to be cranked up and for it to be one heck of a ride! You can book a ride at Holborn, Hammersmith, Battersea and Monument.
13. Matrix.
If your gym workouts are getting a bit stale, you might want to try the new Matrix classes from Digme. Taking place in Moorgate, Oxford and Rathbone Square, you’ll be using the Technogym SkillMills- a treadmill that is powered only by your legs, conditioning with TRX and kettlebells, and doing loads of bodyweight and movement exercises. Get ready for 50 minutes of mayhem!
