The best new fitness classes London has to offer: autumn 2021

Gymbox: Watch My Wheels

Jumping on the roller-skating zeitgeist that has seen Londoners of all ages strap on a set of wheels and glide (or wobble) through the city’s green spaces, trend-setting fitness chain Gymbox has partnered with London-based roller-skating collective Watch My Wheels to launch an eight-week, studio-based crash course to help beginners kick-start their skating journey. Expect an immersive skating experience bolstered by an all-out 80s soundtrack. Classes are held at the gym’s Farringdon studio.

FRAME: Your Mum’s VHS / Jumpboard Pilates

Taking inspiration from the era of Jane Fonda and Cher is new FRAME fitness class Your Mum’s VHS: a full-body, cardo-meets-muscle-strength workout set to vintage beats. Ankle weights, resistance bands and your own body weight all come into play here, and while 80s attire is not mandatory, it's very much encouraged.

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Turning the intensity down a notch while keeping the results just as high is the all-new Jumpboard Reformer Pilates class: a fusion of interval jumping on springboards with traditional reformer Pilates (which uses a bed-like frame and platform on wheels to tone your muscles). The class introduces a cardio element to the strengthening and conditioning Pilates is known for to create a full-body workout.

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Core Collective: Singles’ Night

If the gym is integral to your sense of identity, you might be looking for a partner who holds these hallowed halls of exercise in similarly high regard. Perhaps you already have your eye on someone who’s been spinning, lifting, sweating on the mat next to yours? If you’re a Core Collective regular, you’re in luck. The gym has begun hosting singles’ nights, featuring a sweat-heavy circuit class followed by a round of speed dating. Drinks are provided, including relatively virtuous hard seltzers courtesy of White Claw, sparkling water from Dash, wines and beers. Snacks, too, are on hand to help guests refuel and the gym's resident DJ will be spinning the decks.

Gymbox: Sunday Roast

Taking the theory of smiling through the pain to side-splitting new heights is Gymbox’s Sunday Roast session: the nation’s first comedy gym class, and 45 minutes of being physically and verbally roasted. The class sees attendees complete circuit-style HIIT exercises dressed in sauna suits for added difficulty, while comedian Tom Webb from 99 Comedy Club pokes gentle fun at them to lighten the mood. Not sure you could handle being the butt of the joke? Don’t worry: in the pre-class questionnaire, you can state the level of teasing you’re comfortable with – consider this the equivalent of not sitting in the front row at a stand-up night.

Roar Fitness: Roar Metal

To celebrate the launch of its new Kensington Studio and class concept Roar Metal, Roar Fitness gym by former Olympic speed skater and PT extraordinaire Sarah Lindsay is offering Londoners the chance to try out three new weightlifting-focused workouts. Lindsay, who is famous for her body transformation results and boasts a celebrity following including Pixie Lott, Paloma Faith and Vogue Williams, has developed three 45-minute workouts nicknamed: The Mosh (a strengthening session targeting all major muscle groups), The Shred (building glutes and tightening those abs) and The Baseline (focusing on the legs).

New gym alert: John Reed Fitness

Berlin-born fitness brand John Reed is bringing its DJ-led workouts, Asian aesthetics (think hanging lanterns and Buddha statues) and Finnish sauna-style chillout zones to London. The club boasts 40 outlets around the world, from Los Angeles to Istanbul, but the September opening is the brand’s first in the UK. From the Broadgate base, look forward to a 50-strong programme of classes, including boxing and hot yoga, and a chance to work out to the brand’s signature John Reed radio station. Twice a week, DJs play live sets, spinning a mix of electronic, hip-hop and pop records, all mixed with your workout in mind.