Sport & Fitness

1-10 | 11-20 | 21-30 | 31-40 | 41-50

The Third Space

11 Shaolin Temple UK
It’s not every day you get the chance to train with a genuine Shaolin, but Shi Yanzi is a thirty-fourth generation fighting monk sent by the Abbot of the Shaolin Temple in China’s Henan province to spread the word in the UK. Archway is where he pitched up, running a busy programme of kung fu, tai chi, chi kung and san shou (Chinese kickboxing) classes for all ages and standards – plus, for those wanting to learn more about the culture, occasional workshops in Mandarin, calligraphy and Buddhism. The Temple now has offshoots in Tottenham and Lewisham.
Shaolin Temple UK, 207a Junction Rd, N19 (020 7687 8333/ www.shaolintempleuk.org) Tufnell Park tube. Membership £100, plus £65-£85 per month; trial class £8.

12 Aegis Personal Training
Greg Smith and Graeme Marsh founded Aegis four years ago and have put together a high-calibre team of specialist trainers and therapists. Their 3,000 sq ft gym near Liverpool Street station offers ample workout space, plus rooms for a range of treatments. There’s no joining fee; you simply pay for as many sessions as you want. Aegis also provides personal training at the Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel in Holborn.
Aegis, 16 Hewett St, EC2 (0800 288 8635/www.aegistraining.co.uk) Liverpool St tube/rail. Cost £60-£90 per hour.
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MOST STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES
13 The Third Space
Spread across four levels and connected by open steel staircases, the club’s facilities include a skylit climbing wall, boxing room and even a table tennis table set on a glass floor above the pool. The gym is kitted out with Cybex, Life Fitness and StairMaster machines, and those about to compete at high altitude can prepare by working out in a hypoxic chamber with reduced levels of oxygen to simulate conditions at 7,000 to 9,000 feet. There is also a Pilates and Gyrotonic studio and exercise classes like yoga, martial arts, burlesque and the Nike Rockstar Bollywood workout on offer as well as a Fresh & Wild juice bar, gym kit laundry service (£35 for 10 washes), wi-fi access, integrated medical centre offering complementary therapies and a live DJ four times a week.
The Third Space, 13 Sherwood St, W1 (020 7439 6333/ www.thethirdspace.com)Piccadilly Circus tube. Membership from £30-£118 per month.

14 Body Conditioning Studio
Ex-Rambert dancer Dreas Reyneke has long been one of London’s most highly regarded Pilates teachers and is now joined by two extra instructors, Stephen Beagley and Jane Burn, both of whom are ex-ballet dancers.
Body Conditioning Studio, 3a Ladbroke Rd, W11 (020 7727 9963/ www.dreas.co.uk) Notting Hill tube. Classes £34 (80 mins).

15 The Place
Though The Place is known for its excellent professional training, there are classes and courses for adults and children of all standards in ballet and contemporary techniques.
The Place, 17 Duke Rd, WC1 (020 7121 1101/www.theplace.org.uk). Euston Square tube/Euston tube/rail. Classes from £9.80.

Iyengar Yoga Institute

16 Iyengar Yoga Institute
A light and airy design characterises the two studios at this leafy Maida Vale venue. Around 50 classes take place weekly with a maximum of 35 people in each class. All teachers are certified by the BKS Iyengar Yoga Teachers’ Association.
Iyengar Yoga Institute, 223a Randolph Avenue, W9 (020 7624 3080/ www.iyi.org.uk) Maida Vale tube. Classes from £9 members, £11 non-members. Membership £50 per year, £18 for three months.

17 Bob Breen Academy
Bob Breen created his academy in Hoxton in 1970 and has taught people how to shape up and kick butt ever since. There are regular foundation courses teaching basic kick boxing, jeet kune do (the technique popularised by Bruce Lee) and self-defence, after which you’re encouraged to venture into other classes.
Bob Breen Academy, 16 Hoxton Sq, N1 (020 7729 5789/ www.bobbreen.co.uk) Old St tube/rail. Cost £75 per month (six-week foundation course £160).

18 Westway Sports Centre
The main attraction here is Britain’s largest climbing centre, which extends up inside the White City roundabout. However, Westway is also home to eight indoor tennis courts plus London’s only public clay courts, while the six artificial football pitches are heavily used. If you fancy something different try Eton Fives, an arcane game played on a three-walled court (there are four here, again the only ones in London), in which you strike a small ball with gloved hands. The courts have various hazards and the unpredictable bounce demands quick reactions.
Westway Sports Centre, 1 Crowthorne Rd, W10 (020 8969 0992/ www.westway.org/sports/wsc) Latimer Rd tube. Session costs vary (£8-£20 tennis, £8.50 climbing, £6-£8 fives).

19 Bodydoctor
The traditional Bodydoctor course consists of 20 one-to-one sessions over six-and-a-half weeks at smart premises in Primrose Hill (or the new Bodydoctor Plus in Chelsea). The doc – aka David Marshall – and his team stick to the tried and tested principles of strength, cardio and flexibility training with nutritional advice. They also promise to ‘kick your ass safely and sensibly rather than just for the sake of it’.
Bodydoctor, Unit 8, Utopia Village, Chalcot Rd, NW1 (020 7586 6222/ www.bodydoctor.com) Chalk Farm tube. Cost from £80 per session.

Reebok Sports Club

MOST LUXURIOUS
20 Reebok Sports Club
Spanning three floors, this modern sports club takes gym membership to a chic new level complete with a bar and deli and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Canada Square. Reebok has just spent £400,000 on new gym equipment and is building a new studio that will be ready soon. For now, there’s plenty to keep you busy from golf to boxing and indoor football as well as a range of classes. Swimmers are well catered-for with a stunning 23-metre pool and those who like to unwind after a workout can relax in the sauna and steam rooms. In all, about as stylish and serene as a gym gets.
Reebok Sports Club, 16-19 Canada Square, E14 (020 7970 0900/ www.reeboksportsclublondon.com) Canary Wharf tube. Membership
from £55-£99.