20 Exercise Classes for 2020
Start the decade on a high with our pick of the capital's best new workouts
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by Ellie Smith
Looking to kick-start your fitness regime this January? With new exercise classes and studios popping up all over the capital, working out doesn’t have to be boring – and there’s something for everyone. From mindful spinning to Latin American dance classes, we bring you the best new fitness classes to try in London this year…
20 Exercise Classes for 2020
Skyline Stretch at Sea Containers London
Sea Containers London has partnered with boutique fitness studio Core Collective to launch a series of fortnightly yoga classes, taking place in the hotel’s rooftop lounge, 12th Knot. Open to all abilities, classes will alternate between Power Yoga, a fast-flowing yet calm session, and Stretch + Mobility, centred around improving posture and flexibility. Classes take place every fortnight on Sundays (Stretch + Mobility, 10.30am) and Mondays (Power Yoga, 6.30pm). seacontainerslondon.com
RIG at Sweat It
Expect heavy resistance and ab burn at Sweat It’s RIG class, a 50-minute functional strength training class designed to improve power and muscular endurance. Bodyweight exercises are combined with equipment such as landmines, Olympic bars and resistance bands on the studio’s custom functional rig. This Aldwych gym stays true to its name, so prepare for some serious sweating. sweat-it.com
Power Reformer at Raw Pilates
Kick your Pilates training up a notch with the recently launched Power Reformer class at North London studio Raw Pilates. This dynamic, reformer-based class is ideal for those wanting to add a cardio element to their workout, alongside all the toning, strengthening effects of Pilates. rawpilates.co.uk
Throwback Thursday at Fly LDN
Take a trip back in time with Fly LDN’s new yoga class, which takes place to the sound of throwback tunes – with song requests welcome. An immersive yoga studio, the dark studio space at FLY LDN is lit up by a huge HD screen, which shows a series of images and videos of serene landscapes: from crashing waves to snow covered mountain tops. flyldn.co.uk
Spinboxx and Dine at London Secret Garden
Embrace the outdoors at this unique class, which takes place under a canopy in a secret garden tucked away in Kensington. The Spinboxx team will lead a 45-minute workout covering everything from flexibility to cardio to strength, fusing together aspects of boxing, spin and circuits. Afterwards, enjoy a nutritious breakfast in one of the garden’s dining domes. londonsecretgarden.co.uk
Women Only Sparring at The Secret Boxing Gym
Keen to get in the ring? The Secret Boxing Gym recently introduced a Women Only Sparring class, designed in response to the increasing demand of female members wanting to get more out of boxing. Taught by Commonwealth and IBO World Champion Richard ‘The Secret’ Williams, the class will guide you through technical and practical sparring – suitable for beginners and seasoned fighters alike. thesecret.london
DAN’s Fitness at DAN’s
Shimmy your way through January at London’s first American dance-fitness studio, just launched in Oxford Circus. Founded by Ecuador-born Daniel Bermeo, DAN’s aims to make dancing more accessible, modern and fun under the expert guidance of professional dance instructors from around the world. The DAN’s Fitness class involves a combination of Latin dance moves, resistance band training and dumbbell exercises for an energetic and uplifting workout. dans.co.uk
StrengthBOX at Sweat by BXR
Though the Antony Joshua-backed BXR in Marylebone is members only, anyone can attend the pay-to-train classes at boutique fitness studio Sweat by BXR, which recently opened a second outpost in Canary Wharf. Their newest offering is StrengthBOX, designed to help develop boxing technique and total body strength using a combination of skills, resistance and weight training. Think deadlifts, medicine ball slams and dumbbell thrusters alongside drills on the bag. sweatbybxr.com
NOGA at The Fore
Billed as ‘yoga without the yoga’, The Fore’s new NOGA class helps develop mobility, core strength and posture. You’ll practice conscious breathing while performing exercises with the TRX, flexing the mind as well as the muscles. the-fore.co.uk
Strength at Psycle
Though known for its high-energy spin classes, Psycle is expanding into other areas: barre, yoga, and most recently strength training. Using a mixture of functional training, HIIT, resistance training and circuit-based cardio, each class has a different focus, such as body and core, upper body and abs, or stamina. psyclelondon.com
Ballet Sculpt at PHYSIQUE
New West London studio PHYSIQUE is the brainchild of former professional ballet dancer Mercedes Schindler, offering a mix of barre, yoga and pilates classes. Channel your inner ballerina at Barre Sculpt, Mercedes’ signature barre class involving a mixture of core, strengthening and flexibility exercises designed to achieve a lean dancer’s body. physique-studio.co.uk
Laughing Therapy at Gymbox
Counteract January blues at Gymbox, which is introducing a new yoga class designed to get you chuckling. Alongside the classic breathing exercises and movement, expect to giggle your way through the relaxing workout – and leave on a high. gymbox.com
Combine at The Foundry
Bootcamp-style studio The Foundry is widely regarded as one of the city’s toughest workouts, so prepare to be put through your paces in the Combine class, a 45-minute circuit training session completed in mixed teams of three or four. You’ll move around the room as a group, with exercises ranging from hammer throws to sprints on the rower. Although teams are essentially competing against one another, there’s a friendly vibe – expect plenty of cheering and high-fives. foundryfit.com
BoxCon at 12×3
Famous for its plethora of physical and mental health benefits, boxing is one of the best all round workouts out there. Give it a go at 12 x 3, which now has two studios across the city – the original in Aldgate, and a second in Paddington. The idea here is authentic training from proper boxers, with two coaches and maximum eight students in each class to allow one-to-one support. Don’t let the ‘no guts no glory’ slogan scare you: all abilities are welcome, and there’s a 50/50 male and female split. As the name suggests, the BoxCon class features 12 three-minute rounds, with a mixture of boxing drills, bag work and pads – made all the more fun with a great soundtrack. 12x3gym.co.uk
Mondrian 30 at F45
Mobility is an essential component of physical fitness – hence the new flexibility sessions at F45, designed to complement the high-intensity circuit training they’re famous for. During a Mondrian 30 class you’ll go through a series of dynamic movements to relax, unwind and nourish the body, introducing techniques to restore and lengthen muscles. f45training.com
Mindful Ride at Boom Cycle
Spinning classes are renowned for their post-workout high, but the new Mindful Ride concept at Boom Cycle takes endorphins to new heights. Created in collaboration with mental health charity CALM, the 75-minute session is designed to bring together the physical and mental benefits of exercise. The class will begin with a guided meditation, leading into a 50-minute ride which combines Boom Cycle’s ‘party on a bike’ concept with subconscious coaching, aiming to inspire riders to reach a heightened level of sensory hedonism. Afterwards, participants will be invited into a reflection zone to re-centre. Launching 25 January and running every quarter at Boom Cycle Battersea. boomcycle.co.uk
Grid Training at Virgin Active
Virgin Active are tapping into the growing trend of group workouts with their new 45-minute Grid Training class. Participants will be broken down into teams of two to three people, who will work together to complete a set of high-energy exercises, from burpees to kettlebell swings to squats. Group training is proven to be more effective for both physical and mental health – not only will you work harder (burning up to 800 calories in a class), the post-workout endorphins will be even more powerful. Win win! virginactive.co.uk
CIRQ at Cirq
The city’s newest functional fitness studio is Cirq, which opened its doors on Fleet Street late last year. HIIT is the name of the game here: classes involve 40 minutes of cardio and strength intervals across nine stations. Expect to press, squat, sprint and crawl your way through the intense workout, helped along by screens at each station reminding you what to do. One of the major selling points here is the flexibility – opt for the FLEX programme, and you can walk in and join a class at any time, and even dip out early if you need to rush off somewhere. cirq.life
TRX Sculpt at Core Collective
Swish boutique gym Core Collective launches its new TRX Sculpt class this month, available to book exclusively at its Knightsbridge studio. Designed to strengthen and lengthen the body, the class fuses TRX and barre exercises with a series of isometric and eccentric sequences, improving posture, alignment and mobility. core-collective.co.uk
Re.Hit at Rumble Gym
One of the capital’s newest fitness openings is Rumble Gym in Dalston, a boutique studio which puts sustainability at the forefront. Not only is the gym carbon-neutral, for each workout a client books, a tree will be planted to help off-set their carbon footprint. There are a range of classes on offer here, but the 40-minute Re.Hit class is our top pick. With classes starting every 10 minutes, it’s perfect for those who struggle to commit to workouts – you can drop in any time during the time during the day. rumble-gym.com
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