Right. So. Summer. It’s here, and so is the tidal wave of get-fit-quick schemes, the phrase ‘beach body’ is being batted around endlessly and sometimes when the sunny days roll around you can feel more like you’re in a pressure cooker than an island paradise. Well, we’re not here for that...
However, no one can deny that shrugging off that winter hibernation can be a bit of a struggle and you might be looking for constructive ways to charge all that new energy you’ve got from the longer days and the warmer temperatures. So we’ve done a round-up of all the new and exciting ways to get active right now in Battersea. There’s plenty of awesome stuff going on, whether you’re looking to mellow out, limber up or shed a few unwanted pounds in a way that is sustainable and keeps you sane. So have a little scroll and give a couple a go because it really will feel worth it, even if it’s just to hit the fancy showers at the end...
1. Capoeria with Baris Yazar
- Fresh Ground London, 68 Battersea Rise, SW11 1EQ
The Afro-Brazilian martial art Capoeira has become almost a household name in London in recent years. Most people have now heard of it, but many are still to give it a go. As Baris describes: “it is a holistic art, unifying dance, music and philosophy in a fun yet challenging game.” It can seem a little intimidating, with its high intensity, complicated looking manoeuvres but like any dance it is all about learning the basic steps and movements and building your repertoire from there. As it is structured as a game it is all about building a dialogue with those around you, which makes the classes themselves nurturing and friendly places to be. Its health benefits are manifold: it builds fitness and endurance, strength and flexibility.
Baris himself has been a successful performer and teacher of the art in London for ten years. His outstanding capacity and contribution as a teacher to the community has been recognised through the Latin-UK award for ‘Best Brazilian Dance Teacher of the year’ in both 2011 and 2012.
You can view his class schedule here. Walk-ins and beginners are very welcome at any of his classes and your South London Club card gets you 10% off all walk-in classes and workshops. So go on - give it a go!
2. Bootcamp with Beyond Boundaries
- Battersea Park, Chelsea Bridge Car Park
Come spring, it’s not just the daisies that are popping up all over Battersea Park, bootcamps are the perfect way to make the most of that fleeting moment each year where it’s actually pleasant to be outside and, if you’re lucky enough to live nearby, there are plenty to choose from. Our vote goes to Beyond Boundaries, a fitness and adventure outfit committed to putting the fun back into exercise. “They are,” as they put on their website, “all about living life a little more adventurously, having fun with new friends, meeting new people, and escaping the everyday ‘actively’ making the most of your leisure time.”
The sessions are varied, challenging and rewarding and are designed specifically with long term weight loss, weight management and body conditioning in mind. Its founder, Bobby, gained a wealth of fitness knowledge through his six years as a combat infantry soldier in diverse environments as varied as the jungles of Belize in Central America and the desert plains of Iraq. He’s always excited to share his passion for adventure with newcomers and if you fancy being one of the lucky ones then check out the session schedule here and sign up to a free taster session here. Plus you get a 10% discount with your South London Club card.
3. The Swimpod at Fybre Fitness
- 25 Northcote Road, Battersea, SW11 1NJ
Fybre Fitness is a cosy, exclusive feeling gym that offers the top notch facilities you might expect to find in larger gyms in a friendlier and altogether less intimidating environment. This includes the innovative ‘Swimpod’ - basically what the treadmill is to running - it’s an endless swimming experience which allows you to play music, project visuals - it really is a swim like no other! You can book a session by yourself or with a coach here and be sure to take along a good playlist. Save 30% off all walk-in classes and gym visits and get 20% off block bookings with your South London Club Card.
4. Yin at Battersea Yoga
- 2 Kite Yard, Cambridge Road, Battersea, SW11 4TA
Tucked away in the heart of Battersea, the studio is a beautiful space of sanctuary that offers a wide variety of classes, workshops and retreats, including mindfulness; meditation and pre- and post-natal yoga. The peaceful respite it provides from everyday urban life makes it the perfect place to try Yin yoga. It is the ultimate calming and re-balancing practice that focuses on long, slow holds of postures that are grounding and energetically restorative. Just make sure you wear something warm as this ain’t no ashtanga flow! South London Club card members get 15% off drop-in classes.
5. Kula Sculpt at Kula Wellbeing
- 91 St Johns Hill, Clapham, Battersea, London, SW11 1SY
Kula Wellbeing is a high energy studio centred around the detoxifying benefits of Hot/Bikram Yoga and dynamic, reconnecting capacity of Vinyasa Flow. They have also created their own class which combines yoga with free weights, Kula Sculpt. This fun fusion focuses on body sculpting and alignment, fat burning, cardio and the development of the strength and flexibility to provide a firm foundation for your yoga practice. Accompanied by highly charged, upbeat music and often taught in a warm room, things are about to get sweaty, so get ready. Give it a go here and use your South London Club card for a 5% discount on monthly subscriptions.
6. Barré at Eve and Grace
- 103 E Lavender Hill, Battersea, SW11 5QL
Eve and Grace are all about promoting wellness with none of the judgement that so often comes with it. Their sessions are inclusive and intimate, with no more than ten people to a class. This perhaps makes their studio the perfect place to try the infamous Barré, a favourite with actors and supermodels and therefore often dreaded by us mere mortals. Though relatively new to most people’s vocabularies, Barré was actually conceived in 1959 by London ballerina Lotte Berk. She came up with the concept whilst recovering from a back injury and devised an exercise system that combined moves from her rehabilitative therapy with bar work from her ballet practice. Joan Collins and Barbra Streisand were among the early disciples of her West End basement studio. Today Barré is more popular than ever, with people drawn to the lean, toned ‘ballerina physique’ it is associated with, as well as its lengthy list of benefits including flexibility, endurance, posture and weight loss.
Eve and Grace offer both a classical Barré workout and a HIIT-Barré fusion that combines the toning pilates and dance movements of Barré with interval cardio. You can book a class right here and your South London Club card gets you 20% off.
7. The Trapeze at Flying Fantastic
- 48 Culvert Rd, London SW11 5BB
Flying Fantastic is an aerial fitness school, offering classes that will have you dangling upside down (semi) gracefully from just about anything you can imagine - silks, hoops, straps, trapezes, corde lisse - you name it, they’ve got it. A good place to start is with the static trapeze, as it provides confidence and stability in the air for first timers. Trapeze exercise is mainly dependent on core strength, so expect to use those obliques and your low back - plus, for an extra abs workout, take a friend along with you for some guaranteed belly laughing. Booking right here.
8. Boxygen at Power of Boxing
- 30 Petworth St, London SW11 4QW
Boxing is really having a moment right now. There’s an amazing sense of positivity surrounding the sport that’s hard to put your finger on. Maybe it’s the gym’s sense of community. Maybe it’s the exercise’s release of endorphins. Maybe it’s that its followers spend more time beating up hanging bags, and less time on pent up stress and frustration than the rest of us. Who knows? But I’ll tell you one thing - if it’s the secret behind bodies like Anthony Joshua’s, Conor McGregor’s and the Hadid sisters’ then it’s good enough for me! Power of Boxing’s Boxygen sessions are small, group classes that include bag work, skipping, pad work with trainers and a final ab blitz. All their sessions are non-contact, so there’s no need to worry about the first rule of fight club, and are suitable for all levels, so sign up here.
9. Pilates at Pi Studios
- 35 Parkgate Rd, London SW11 4NP
Pilates comes in all shapes and forms nowadays. You’d be hard pushed to find a strength and flexibility workout that doesn’t incorporate it in one way or another. Pi Yoga is a great place to take your pilates practice to the next level, whether you’re a complete novice or a self-taught YouTube disciple. The studio is focussed around the classical discipline of pilates and is steeped in the history inherited from Joseph Pilates himself. They are fully equipped with a variety of state of the art pilates machines and have a brilliant team of instructors offering everything from private tuition to fun, group orientated classes. Give their Barrels and Chairs class a go - it works on your balance, concentration and strength in an intimate group of just four people. Book here.
10. Mojo Movement
- Unit 79 Queens Circus, 326-342 Queenstown Road, London SW8 4NE
Mojo Movement is a tailor made exercise system built to challenge the idea “that anyone can arrive at the gym, be warmed up in a matter of minutes, be doing burpees the next and then walk back out the door until the next time.” They think this pattern is totally unsustainable and are committed instead to change through movement that improves all aspects of fitness and wellbeing. Every class at the centre is different and has its own specific focus but they always being with a focus on mobility, then a flow which utilises whole body movement. Next is the ‘Go!’ park - high intensity, fat burning interval training followed, finally, by a restorative, slow-tempo cool down that uses stretching and breath work. Give them a go here for a workout that is totally original and will actually make you look forward to working out.
11. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Stars Gym
- 5, Albion Riverside Building, 8 Hester Rd, London SW11 4AX
Elements of Japanese jiu jitsu can be mythologically traced to over 2500 years ago, when it was used by the law as a punishment technique. The first school of judo and jiu jitsu in Brazil was opened over a hundred years ago by the Japanese martial artist, Geo Omori. Over the next two decades the pursuit was taken up by prominent figures in the sport such as the Gracie siblings and Luiz França and through experimentation focussed on gentler groundwork, the art of Brazilian jiu jitsu developed into the sport as we know it today. It is a common element of mixed martial arts practice and is great for developing suppleness, agility and strength through resistance. Plus, classes are fun, dynamic and a great way of meeting new people. Get ready to (gently) throw down right here!
12. Boom Cycle
- 1 & 3, Battersea Power Station, Arches Lane, London SW11 8AB
Kick it up a gear with a session at Boom Cycle. They describe themselves as the ultimate ‘party on a bike’ - the lights are turned down low and the world class sound system is turned up high for a totally immersive, high-energy, full-body workout. (Phew. Even writing that was exhausting!) They encourage you to set your own goals and are there to provide the support, entertainment and as many high-fives as it takes to get you there. It’s straight out of Bridget Jones’ Baby and you’re guaranteed to feel results (sweat is just fat crying, right?) and it all feels totally worth it when you’re slathering yourself in the Ren toiletries in the fancy showers at then end and sprucing yourself up with the Dyson hairdryers.
What is the South London Club?
The South London Club is a local discount card to help support small independent businesses across South London whilst saving all who live, work & play in South London money! With over 800+ local discounts to choose from, you will discover & explore all the best hidden gems in South London. Join over 6,000 of us & celebrate all that's independent & South London!