Alternative exercise classes to improve your fitness
Spice up your health and fitness routine with some new and exciting exercise classes – they're great fun, but also tick all the boxes for a super effective workout
1. Aerial and suspension classes
The basic principle of this space-borne dance discipline is to move your body through the air (mostly suspended upside down), defying the laws of gravity in a series of spins, drops and rolls using only the barest essential props – think hammocks, silks, single dangling cords, and exercise rings. It requires maximum strength in all muscle groups, stamina, flexibility, learned technique and intense focus (in order to balance) to perform the tricks of aerial exercise, high above the floor.
Suspension exercise is out of the ordinary and provides a comprehensive mind and body workout. A wide variety of classes – such as Hoop, Circusfit, Trapeze and Dance – are now available at gyms around London.
WHERE TO TRY: Skylab Studio offers a range of classes in aerial dance from beginner level to seasoned professional; its meticulously choreographed moves are designed to hone and tone and bring a bit of circus to your life. The minimal support of the props provided allows you to access postures that would not be possible on the gym or studio floor.
Location: 17 Ferdinand Street, Camden NW1 8EU
Price: £20, drop-in class
2. Body combat
Body combat classes and martial arts have got a lot of attention in recent years: quite simply, because they are a super effective way to work out. Martial arts are a traditional form of physical combat, practised in self-defence, law enforcement, and by people looking for physical and spiritual development and wellbeing.
Moves combine intense cardiovascular exertion with challenging muscle toning, flexibility and balance – they also enable you to let off steam and release pent up stress or frustration in a positive and productive way. Increasingly popular amongst women, combat disciplines range from judo, karate and Tai Chi to more unusual forms of wrestling, grappling and kickboxing.
WHERE TO TRY: Gymbox offers 21 different body combat classes in over 20 different combat sports, which include ladies only classes and Krav Maga – a self defence system designed for the purpose of street survival by the military in Israel. It combines techniques from boxing, savate (French foot fighting using the hands and feet as weapons), Wing Chu and Muay Thai, offering a very comprehensive and rewarding all-body functional workout.
At Gymbox, Muay Thai is also offered as a separate class – it is known as ‘the Art of Eight Limbs’ and uses ‘controlled sparring’ – punches, kicks, knees and elbows – to make the attack. All levels and abilities are catered for.
Locations: ten across London
Price: £20, day membership
3. Qigong
This is an ancient Chinese holistic practice, combining flowing movement, self-massage, meditation, and deep rhythmic breathing (link to breathing article), to balance your vital energy. Qigong is now practiced worldwide in martial arts training, as well as for spiritual healing, relaxation and exercise.
Movements are flowing, often dance-like and draw on the basic Qi (the body’s life energy), and fundamental principles of relaxation and slowness. The gentle movements warm the muscles, tendons and ligaments and promote good circulation to leave you feeling energised, spiritually satisfied and physically toned – it is the apex of mind, body and soul alignment.
WHERE TO TRY: Triyoga offers Qigong to all comers and all levels of ability. Believing physical ill health to be a manifestation of inner turmoil and emotion, Triyoga advocates Qigong as a means of managing stress, depression, confusion and anger.
Locations: Camden, Chelsea, Ealing, Shoreditch, Soho
Price: £17, drop-in class (discounts available for block booking)
Read more ...4. Yoga classes to suit all tastes
Yoga has quite deservedly become an increasingly popular practice worldwide. Muscle toning, cardiovascular effort, stretching, meditation and good breathing technique make it an excellent form of exercise for all people of all ages.
As a result, the practice has majorly diversified in recent years to accommodate a range of levels and interests: you can now do yoga on your paddleboard (on a canal or the Thames), you can zone out in yogic karma with your dog, you can hang from the rafters in a silk hammock, intertwine with your partner or a friend in partner yoga, or even try goat yoga (where you may find yourself in downward dog with a goat perched on your back) – the choices are endless.
WHERE TO TRY: The options are many and varied, but below is a selection:
Active 360 offer yoga classes at Brentford Lock, using your paddleboard as a mat to give extra bite to all your poses.
Location: Brentford Lock, Commerce Road, London TW8
Price: £25, drop-in class
Doga Yoga promises to intensify your relationship with man’s best friend, by offering a yogic experience alongside your pooch in the heart of trendy Hoxton.
Location: The Courtyard Theatre, Bowling Green Walk, 40 Pitfield Street, London N1 6EU.
Price: £25, drop-in class
Nine Lives Yoga offers a truly challenging and bonding experience for couples. Its partner yoga sessions offer couples a chance to deepen their connection through intertwined poses that intensify the strength and challenge of the exercise.
Location: London and Brighton
Price: on application (private classes, retreats and workshops available)
5. Trampoline/Rebounding classes
For a burst of high energy cardiovascular and core strength exercise that will rival the benefits of regular running with less impact on the joints, try a trampolining class (also known as rebounding).
Regress to childhood joy with an hour of star jumps, single leg hops and pogo bounces to get the endorphins rushing and leave you rewardingly sweaty. Studios are popping up all over London to capitalise on the recent rebounder craze.
WHERE TO TRY: BBS Body by Simone offers 55-minute trampoline classes that promise to give you a punishing cardio work out with lower body and core strength exercise in an interval training formatted session.
Location: 86-88 Delancey Street, Camden, London NW1 7SA
Price: £22, drop-in class (spring rate)
6. Dance classes
The sheer exhilaration of letting go and moving to the beat makes dance in its various forms a favourite form of exercise for many. Whilst Zumba, Salsa and Classical dance are old favourites, you can now experiment with more variations on the theme than you ever knew existed.
Try Ballet Barre for sculpting of the thighs, glutes and calves; vogueing (a fusion between yoga and a form of modern house dance inspired in the 80s) for a cardio blitz with yogic stretching and intense lower body workout; or even pole dancing as an off-beat option to dance your way to perfect abs and upper body. We can’t begin to cover the wealth of options here, so try the class below to pique interest and get you started.
Where to try: Frame offers a music video dance class, which takes moves straight from MTV and allows you to work towards a full commercial routine with backing dancers and freestyle time. Expect full on cardio and pure dance joy.
Locations: six across London, including Fitzrovia: 25-33 Berners Street, London W1T 3LR
Price: £15, drop-in class
7. 'The Escape', at Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire
For something that takes you right out of your exercise comfort zone, sign up for this weekend of specially-choreographed adventure…
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