Want to get back into fitness for 2019 but still feeling a little... sluggish? Embrace idleness with these super chill ’exercise’ classes in London. Learn to control your breathing at Blok, slap on a CBD patch for some dope stretches at Gymbox and swap hardcore HIIT for more easy going LIT.
You have the whole year to challenge yourself to a spin class and sweat it out at the gym. Now is the time to ease yourself in. Witness the lazy fitness with our guide to the best low-impact classes around.
RECOMMENDED: The best yoga classes in London
Forget HIIT. It’s time to get LIT (that’s low-impact training, to the uninitiated). The Fly LDN class swaps cardio-led circuits for weight and TRX suspension training, boosting both strength and agility. Although it’s low impact on your joints, don’t expect to get away scot free. Slow movements increase the burn on your muscles, turning you into a lean, mean LIT machine. Fly LDN. Tube: Aldgate. Days vary. £20.
You know that thing you do roughly 20-30,000 times a day? Well, you’re doing it wrong. But don’t panic – Breathpod founder Stuart Sandeman is on hand to provide a breath of fresh air to your respiratory system. He’ll be offering up a series of techniques that could improve your strength, conditioning and focus, and all without leaving you gasping for air. Blok. Tube: Liverpool St. Wednesdays. £17.
Like the idea of yoga, but feel like you’ve landed yourself in the middle of a contortionists’ convention every time you take a class? Then this easygoing experience at The Refinery is for you. Passively stretch out all of your knots and kinks as you drape yourself over blankets and bolsters in a variety of poses, with the biggest challenge being not falling asleep. Vinyasa-please! The Refinery. Homerton Overground. Days vary. £14 (£5 for first timers)
Think pink with a 2.5-hour guided session of restorative poses in a magenta-hued room at ChromaYoga. As part of the class, an in-house acupuncturist turns you into a human-shaped pin cushion. The teachers will be moving about the space to offer mini massaging and reiki sessions too, but you’ll probably be too chill to notice. Chromayoga. Tube: Old St. Days vary. £28, book in advance
Swap CBA for CBD at Gymbox’s latest ‘holistic retreat’ class. Participants are given cannabinoid-containing patches to wear throughout, which will supposedly help with inflammation. The dope session is aimed at those looking for a break between tough workouts, recovering from an injury or just not able to hack sitting at a desk after the festive break. Gymbox. Victoria, Holborn, Old St and other locations. Days vary. Membership costs from £63 a month, £20 day pass.
Okay, we’ll level with you – this will make you break out in a sweat. The turbo-charged pilates session will give your body a complete workout, toning muscles you didn’t even know you had along the way. But it’s a welcome break from shouty bootcamp-style classes that dominate many gyms nowadays – and there’s not a mustachioed ex-army officer in sight. Ten Health & Fitness. Chiswick, Notting Hill, Fitzrovia and other locations. Days vary. £30.
Bending and extending before and after exercise is the real highlight of any class – either the pain hasn’t really started or it’s finally over. Cut out the meddling middle section and devote 45 minutes to getting your flex on at this Barrecore class. You’ll come away feeling fully recovered and ready for the daily grind. Barrecore. Kensington, Chelsea, Wimbledon Village and other locations. Days vary. £28.
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