As someone who finds exercise to be the very best method for boosting my mood and productivity, when I set myself the challenge of completing 30 workouts in 30 days, I was impatient to get started and immediately started planning what I knew would be a monster month.
How did the challenge come about? It was thanks to the arrival of a new fitness sensation in London – ClassPass. The basic premise is that, after paying a monthly fee, you’re granted access to a huge variety of classes and studios in London via their online booking system. You name a workout; they’ve got it, with options in every type of fitness space in every corner of the capital.
…Which brings me to the past month of my life, in which I’ve sweated, stretched and squatted my way across the city; taking myself out of my West London comfort zone and journeying to the East, South and North in search of my new favourite workout.
But after all the planks and pliés, lifts and lunges, balances and burpees (and trust me, there have been a lot!) – have I enjoyed it? That would be an understatement. ClassPass has such a huge variety of classes that this has been my opportunity to challenge my body and expand my fitness horizons more than ever before. Trying a workout that I wouldn’t normally do (and without having to sacrifice a hefty one-class fee) has been the most fun of all. I’ve hit the barre for ballet, channelled my inner Rocky for Box Fit and suspended myself from silks while manoeuvring my limbs (or attempting to) into contortionist-worthy positions. And that’s before the ab blasts, TRX sessions and flowing movements of the various disciplines of yoga.
As for my favourites, there are a few standouts in particular. If you, like me, are something of a cardio-and-weight, HIIT-loving hound with a somewhat sadistic love for the next-day muscle ache, few workouts come better than Lomax Blast in Chelsea, and GymClass in Holland Park. For a more chilled vibe but an equally muscle-shaking workout, head to TenPilates or Bootcamp Pilates; both of which have helped to transform me into a reformer Pilates convert.
‘There must be downsides to this ClassPass thing!’ I hear you say – of course there are. For one, my new addiction doesn’t come cheap, but I genuinely believe it to be well worth the price. Given that most decent fitness classes in London will set you back £20 or more for an hour’s session, the monthly £79 fee at ClassPass doesn’t sound quite so bad. Attend just two classes per week and you’ve got your money’s worth – a realistic workout plan for all of us.
The only other negative is the 12-hour cancellation window that, if time gets away with you and you accidentally miss, does come with a £15 no-show fee. However, this is really a blessing in disguise; forcing you to stick to your pre-made fitness plans.
But back to the positives. Along with your many class choices that include those for beginners and the ultra-fit, the studios themselves are equally as varied; ranging from small boutiques to established chains. One day I was scrabbling to tricep-dip in time with 30 other women, and the next day I was one of just four people flowing smoothly into Downward Dog. I’ve had attentive, hands-on instructors and those that could rival Shaun T for barking orders, and have survived 60-90 minutes of body-sculpting moves in spaces from the bright and airy to the bare-bricked and dimly-lit (read: Shoreditch).
The words ‘Push yourself’, ‘Just breathe’, ‘Get lower’ and the dreaded ‘Now hold!’ have graced my ears too many times to count over the last 30 days, but I have absolutely loved it. My thighs have burned, my biceps shaked and my abs pushed to their limit, but I feel stronger and fitter as a result; with a great many studios, and undoubtedly ClassPass, to thank.
So with just two, completely bearable downsides and too many positives to list, I would have to give ClassPass a five-star rating, a big thumbs up and name it a definite ‘must’ for any active Londoner.