The best fitness classes in London

If you thought normal pilates was hard, wait until you try it on the Reformer bed. With a sliding platform, the bed helps you stretch into new positions, while pulleys and springs give resistance to work your muscles and joints. Reformer pilates will tone your whole body, especially your core, as well as improve flexibility and fix bad posture.

Mayfair, Kensington and Angel clubs. Find information on membership packages here.  

Fancy a rumble in the (City) jungle? Then it’s time to don your boxing gloves and head to this high-intensity class, which intersperses three ‘skills’ rounds (you versus the punch bag) with body-weight drills, which are guaranteed to get your heart rate up. We give 1Rebel extra marks for having an iron in the changing room, so you can still look groomed despite your punch-up.

Oxford Circus, Broadgate. Information on packages here.

Designed to be ‘the toughest workout in the city’, this class uses the type of equipment you’d normally expect to see on TV’s ‘World’s Strongest Man and Woman’. Think hardcore sets of tyre-flipping, sled-dragging and the dreaded Atlas Stones, and you get the idea. City Strongman is the brainchild of former rugby star Ben Gotting, and will help you burn fat and improve strength.

Vauxhall. Information on packages here.

Third Space launched The Yard – London’s largest functional training space – in Canary Wharf earlier this year, and it’s home to a class that offers maximum calorie burn. The Yard WOD is a circuit-based class, with five teams working across zones that include rowers, bikes and plyo boxes. Prepare to be knackered, but satisfied.

Canary Wharf. Find information on membership packages here.

Want to go back to basics? Equinox’s Master of One class is a 45-minute workout using just one weight. It’s designed to deliver cardio benefits and strength training without the need for tonnes of fancy apparatus. You train one side of the body, then the other, during intense one-minute intervals. The goal is to achieve overall balance (as any sporty type will tell you, a symmetrical body is a far less injury-prone one) and improve core strength.

Kensington. Find information on membership packages here.

You might feel like there’s a baffling array of yoga classes out there, but for those who are unsure, Triyoga’s Vinyasa Flow is a good place to start. Postures are sequenced into a smooth, unbroken movement, with emphasis placed on harmonising your breath and your body. The classes often feature short meditations and breathing techniques, and are divided up by skill level so you can choose the right level of challenge, whether you’re a complete newbie or yoga pro.

Various locations. Find more information on packages. 

There’s more to staying healthy than working up a sweat every day. Occasionally, your mind and body require you to lie down – preferably on an organic cotton cushion – and simply breathe. If you need to work your brain, not just your biceps, visit meditation studio Re:Mind in Victoria, where the lunchtime Re:Charge class involves breathwork to help you feel focused and relaxed. The guided meditation will soothe and energise you for the rest of the day.

Victoria. More information on packages. 

If you already love to get stuck into a Psycle spinning class, check out its yoga, barre and strength options too. OMFG promises to be the toughest, sweatiest yoga class in London, taking your practice from ‘om’ to ‘OMFG’.

Oxford Circus. Packages also available.

Deep stretching, breathwork and meditation. That’s what’s on offer at Third Space’s super-relaxing Exhale class, an antidote to some of the more gruelling workouts on the gym’s timetable. This class begins with a short meditation before moving on to a series of long, intense stretches. Finish off with 20 minutes of meditation to leave you feeling loosened up and Zen.

Various locations. For membership rates visit www.thirdspace.london.

Whether you’re concerned about achieving chiselled abs or not, a strong core is the key to good technique in almost any form of fitness. That’s why Kobox’s core classes are essential. With a mixture of old-school core exercises, new TRX manoeuvres and dynamic ab drills, this class gives you a workout you can really feel.

Various locations. Packages available.

FLOW LDN’s fast-paced, mat-based Pilates class will help you improve flexibility, strength, posture and alignment without putting pressure on your joints.

Fitzrovia. Packages available.

Including elements of boxing, mixed martial arts and self-defence, F45 classes see you move across nine fat-burning stations in small teams and aim to burn up to 750 calories per 45-minute session. If you’re looking for upbeat instructors and a strong sense of camaraderie, this is the one for you.

Various locations. Packages available.

Ballet dancers might look delicate, but beneath the slender physique lies superhuman strength. Barrecore is your chance to try out some ballet-inspired moves, perfect for toning up and building stamina. The class focuses on small, intense movements with a high number of repetitions – it’s impossible not to feel the burn, but despite this being a high-intensity workout, it’s low-impact and suitable for all fitness levels.

Various locations. Packages available.

Promising a total body workout, boxing has a host of celebrity fans from Kate Hudson to Gigi Hadid. This 60-minute class intersperses high-intensity skipping and boxing with other exercises such as burpees, press-ups, squat thrusts and tuck jumps. Exhausting to think about, but perfect if you want to feel the burn.

Aldgate. Packages available.

A true fitness phenomenon, with more than 53 studios worldwide, Barry’s Bootcamp offers one of the best ways to work out in the capital. The interval-based class switches between treadmill sessions and strength training that uses free weights, bodyweight and resistance bands. Overall, it’s a brilliant way to shape up and burn calories.

Various locations. Packages available.