If you’re reading this, chances are you already love to workout and get your sweat on, but we could all use some time off from dominating the treadmill and throwing iron around from time to time. Traditional methods of staying fit are rewarding, they make us feel invincible and as though we can achieve anything, but some days you just want to throw some fun at your exercise schedule, feel like a bit of a child, and have a right old giggle with your girls while you sculpt those abs.

Indeed, whilst we’ve been slugging it on the cardio machines and revisiting that same spinning class week after week, we’ve been missing out on a whole host of inventive, creative ways to keep in shape  gain new skills, and get those endorphins pumping. If nothing else, you’ll get that coveted six-pack just from laughing!

Rebounding
The thought of a trampoline may take you hurtling back to summer’s days spent happily and effortlessly boinging about in the back garden, but have you tried trampolining as an adult? Yup. Hard work. Guaranteed to have you drenched in sweat, Frame’s Rebounding class takes the classic mini-trampoline and turns it into an addictive, hilariously good-time exercise class that will make an immediate cardio queen of you.

Gymnastics Motus Strength
With the advent of HIIT training we’ve come to regard our workouts as ineffective unless we leave the gym soaked in sweat and cursing staircases for two days afterwards. And whilst metabolic training is an important and useful part of our regimes, it has led to skills-based, functional training to fall somewhat by the wayside. Offering a counter to this, specialist gym Motus Strength has introduced a series of skills-based classes to offer more than just a short-lived rush of adrenaline and a mangled ponytail. Motus’s gymnastics classes will not only see your general fitness improve but will also provide cognitive and psychological benefits to enable you to master the skills you’ve always wanted to perfect, in a way which is accessible to everybody. As Motus’s founder and all-round performance guru, Bruce, says: All of our classes include a huge skill component as correct technique/coaching is essential for progress.  And its the long term progress together with the benefits this brings that makes people happy with their achievements. Athletes and serious fitness people have always trained this way’. Motus’s gymnastics classes are run by world-renowned gymnast Ivan Pastore, who is guaranteed to have you at one with the rings, dominating the parallel bars and at home on your hands – yes YOU are capable of holding an Instagram-worthy handstand!

Paddleboarding (www.active360.co.uk)
Channel your wannabe Californian and get SUP-ing (that’s Stand Up Paddleboarding to us newbies). Once reserved for the niche hang-ten crowd, paddleboarding has gone mainstream, giving you the chance to sculpt those inner core muscles, improve your balance and tone your legs all with the deep blue sea (or, deep blue pool…) as your backdrop. Once you’ve perfected your balance on the board, paddleboarding is surprisingly relaxing and being surrounded by gentle water is a fantastic way to calm the mind.  And once you go pro, the whole new world of yoga SUP-ing opens up to you!

Clip ‘n’ Climb
For school groups and half term birthday parties at first glance, Chelsea’s Clip ‘n’ Climb indoor rock climbing centre also offers a fantastic big person/fitness freak’s approach to the fun of indoor rock climbing by combining a 30 minute climb sandwiched between restorative yoga practice. The early morning class begins with a flowing warm up to mobilise your joints and get you climb-ready before you take to the plethora of walls to challenge your climbing and scrambling capabilities and get in a good full-body workout to boot. It’s then back to the mat to stretch out those limbs and set your intentions for the day to come.

Suppa Jump
There’s nothing that will get you burning calories whilst simultaneously laughing your head off than a class completed with a pair of Kangaroo Jump shoes strapped to your feet. This high intensity interval class is a hardcore, heart-pounding workout for the whole body to boost your endurance and strength through traditional aerobic moves incorporated into dance routines, all with a little extra spring! Suppa Jump makes for an excellent cross-training workout and complement to your usual athletic endeavours, particularly running, as it hones explosive power but without strain on the joints. This class would make a fabulous kick-off to a fit hen party celebration!

Morning Gloryville
Sober. Morning. Rave. Yes indeed. If there was ever a way to torch those calories and get in a healthy dose of feel-good hormones without even thinking about it it’s by leaving your inhibitions in bed and dancing your little socks off!  Morning Gloryville’s mix of early a.m. fluorescence, pumping house music and care-free vibes may make your head hurt at first thought but rising with the Sun to shake your tail-feather on the first Wednesday of each month is an undeniable good time. Take away the alcohol which usually connotes raving and replace with nourishing smoothies to have you to trumping the day and arriving at your desk buzzing with a hedonistic mix of endorphins and creative energy. That’s our kind of hangover!

Aerial Yoga
If you’re still nurturing childhood daydreams of running off to join the circus, this is the class for you. This variety of yoga incorporates traditional practice with suspended slings to use the full weight of the body and power of gravity to incite lightness and feelings of flying. Aerial yoga is surprisingly chill, once you’ve gotten used to the feeling of blissful weightlessness and learned to trust that the sling won’t come crashing down from the ceiling under your weight and is a fantastic way to practice inversions and get your seratonin flowing too!

Words: Rachel Bednarski

Image: Frame