Home workouts are excellent (and have been necessary for most of last year) for your fitness, but there’s nothing like the rush of completing a gruelling session to some banging beats in a room full of strangers.
Even if digital fitness is here to stay, online-only exercises will never be able to replace the much-loved traditional brick-and-mortar facilities — at least not in London. London’s finest luxury gyms provide some of the most premium fitness experiences in the world, proving that tough workouts can be completed even in the most lavish of settings – with unique amenities equal to those found in five-star hotels.
Here are our three favourite London fitness spaces, as well as what they have to say about what they offer. Why not boost your endorphins at one of these tried and tested spots?
Bodyism
Bodyism in Westbourne Grove is a relaxing environment that will leave you feeling lighter and brighter. It promises natural interiors, purified air, and cutting-edge hairstyling equipment from ghd. They also offer Lernberger Stafsing’s all-natural, organic, and vegan haircare products as well as body and skincare products from Wildsmith Skin. Every session, from one-on-one training to group sessions, takes a holistic approach to rejuvenate your mental and physical health.
Your personal training journey will begin with a Body Oracle consultation to assess your overall health and wellbeing. After that, you’ll work with performance professionals to create a custom movement programme tailored to your specific needs.
We spoke to CEO of Bodyism, Nathalie Schyllert, and this is what she had to say:
What’s your favourite thing about Bodyism?
I love Bodyism for many reasons but the main thing I would say is the people. Both the Bodyism team and our members are genuinely the nicest people to be around. You get happy and motivated just by walking through those doors.
What’s your favourite training programme or class for keeping fit?
My favourite training programme is to mix things up. I try to do a weekly mix of Yoga and Sculpt classes, PT sessions and long walks in the park.
What are your favourite exercises for boosting endorphins?
Our Bodyism Signature Advanced class brings my endorphin levels way up especially when there’s a really good playlist. It’s a perfect example of a class that is hard work, but it still doesn’t make you too exhausted afterwards and keeps you injury-free.
Visit Bodyism’s website here.
Find Bodyism: Bodyism, 222-224 Westbourne Grove, London, W11 2RH
BXR
BXR, which was founded by heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, provides a number of ways to punch, kick, and fight your way to fitness, whether you’re a seasoned sparrer or have never thrown a punch before. With sites in Marylebone and Canary Wharf already, where boxing, strength & conditioning, versaclimbing, yoga, and Pilates classes are all on offer, BXR will launch a fancy new City outpost on the 22nd of this month, promising to be something special indeed. It will be located at 22 Bishopsgate, Europe’s first ‘vertical village,’ and will have a 125-meter-high climbing wall with 360-degree views of the city. Book a spot on the climbing wall early in the morning to catch a glimpse of London’s sunrise. Like its other locations, BXR City will have a members-only gym floor as well as a boutique pay-to-train concept; Sweat by BXR.
We spoke to Alex Nicholl, MD of BXR London, and this is what he had to say:
What’s your favourite thing about BXR?
BXR celebrated its 5th Birthday on 25th January 2022. When I look back at my favourite elements of BXR it centralises around the people and the community we have created.
Starting with our team – many of whom have worked alongside me since day one – once people join the BXR team be it behind the scenes, as FOH or as a trainer, we seem to retain them and they enjoy being part of our brand as we grow year on year.
Our members and clients make up the rest of the community and being in our flagship location in Marylebone we do have the crème de la crème.
Be it our members who live very close, or those who come to visit us every day from all areas of London with our unique offerings we bring the very best.
What’s your favourite training programme or class for keeping fit?
Creating the UK’s first ever VersaClimber studio in the UK and our signature class Climb to The Beat – this is by far our favourite training programme. The VersaClimber is a completely non-impact, total body workout and your burn more calories on this machine than any other.
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What are your favourite exercises for boosting endorphins?
Fortunately, our signature class Climb to The Beat on the VersaClimber has been created within a conceptual nightclub setting in terms of music lighting and atmosphere. The cleverly designed workout class merges exercise with music and is arguably one of the most endorphin-boosting classes out there. In fact, we challenge people to find one that gives a better workout high!
Visit BXR’s website here.
Find BXR City: BXR City, 22 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4BQ
Barry’s Bootcamp
Barry’s is recognised for delivering one of the most gruelling (but effective) 50-minute HIIT workouts anywhere, set to blasting music in the notorious Red Room and switching between treadmill-based cardio and floor-based weights… to the point where they’ve nicknamed it ‘The Best Workout in the World.’ They claim that you can burn between 700 and 1,000 calories per class. However, it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted, but it does work. With seven fitness studios in London, the format hasn’t altered because why fix something if it’s broken? Expect to emerge from the studio flushed in the face, struggling to catch your breath ever so slightly, and sweating profusely from every place possible. If you’re up to the challenge, we’d also recommend signing up for Hell Week, which means taking classes for seven days straight at a discount.
We spoke to the team in the office at Barry’s HQ, and this is what they had to say:
What’s your favourite thing about your gym?
The best thing about Barry’s in my opinion is the community that Barry’s has created. Everyone from clients, deskers and instructors are so friendly and energetic that it makes coming to the gym the best part of your day. Not only the energy of the people, but the class itself. With the nightclub-like atmosphere and music, the 60-minute workout goes so fast and you enjoy every minute of it. With the mix of treadmill and floor circuits, you can never get bored in the class as you are constantly moving and changing. This is why I love Barry’s and haven’t found a class that tops it.
What’s your favourite training programme or class for keeping fit?
Combination training is the best fitness programme to follow as not only will you build muscle and strength with the weights on the floor section you increase your cardiovascular health with treadmill running. So you get an overall improvement of health in our classes. We give you the option to do Double Floor and exclude the running from your class, if running isn’t your forte or if you are focusing on building strength.
What are your favourite exercises for boosting endorphins?
Any form of exercise will boost endorphins but personally, I find running one of the best mood boosters. I feel great after completing a run and have a burst of energy afterwards. Especially at Barry’s, I can’t help but feel energized after the class as I know I have completed an intense workout and pushed myself but also had fun. Working out with like-minded people and being part of the Barry’s experience with the music and the Red Room, you can’t help but feel motivated and happier.