If you’re gym mad, then the festive period is no reason to slack off (and it might even provide a good excuse to escape the family). The good news is that most London gyms are open over the Christmas holidays – some even on Christmas Day. For those who can’t get to class, several studios also have online classes to tide you over.
Iuliana Capilnar, personal trainer at the east London The Gym Factory, believes that keeping up your schedule is a good thing. “staying active during the holidays can be challenging, but it’s important to remember that fitness isn’t seasonal. Even if you can just manage a small bit of movement, go for it, because every little step takes you closer to your goals, meaning you don’t have to “start again” in January.
So, here’s where you can get your fitness fix over the festive break.
The Gym Factory, Forest Gate, east London
If you want to work out on Christmas Day, head down to the large, well-stocked gym in east London, which has two floors with extensive selection of cardio and weights machines along with a huge range of free weights. Open 7am-10pm weekdays; Saturday 9am-9pm; Sunday 10am-6pm. gym-factory.co.uk
Climbing walls, across London
Want climb on Christmas Day? London has several climbing walls open, including EustonWall, VauxWest, RavensWall, and BethWall, which will be open from 9am-5pm. Mile End climbing wall is open daily from Boxing Day onwards, including NYE and New Year’s Day. londonclimbingcentres.co.uk
FRAME, across London
FRAME’s five London clubs are open every day except 25th and 26th December and the 1st January. Angel and Victoria are also closed on the 24th December. “We’re open every other day for strong moves and good moods,” co-founder Pip Black says. There’s also FRAME online, where they have hundreds of classes filmed. moveyourframe.com
FITNESS FIRST, across London
While all the Fitness First London clubs are closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, many of the clubs are open up until Christmas Eve and from the 27th, except a few including the Oxford circus, Fenchurch Street and Berkeley Square branches. fitnessfirst.co.uk
Barry’s Bootcamp, across London
Those looking for their Barry’s hit, there are classes right up until lunchtime on Christmas Eve across all seven London studios. All studios are closed for Christmas Day and Boxing Day, with a slightly reduced schedule operating from 27th – 31st December (classes available from 7.30am - 5.30pm and from 8.45am - 5.30pm on January 1st). Normal service resumes from January 2nd.
BASIC SPACE, Brockley, south London
Classes at the south London yoga studio are closed on Christmas Eve and re-open from the 27th. For those looking for their yoga fix on Christmas Day, the studio has online classes available. basicspacelondo.com
GYMBOX, across London
GYMBOX’s five London clubs are open until Christmas eve and reopen on the 27th from 6am; Ealing and Elephant and Castle are also open on New Year’s Day. gymbox.com
East of Eden, Walthamstow, east London
East of Eden is open for spinning, strength, reformer, calisthenics, reformer Pilates, yoga and Pilates classes every morning except Christmas day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. eastofeden.uk
STUDIO ANATOMY, Hackney, east London
Reformer Pilates and Functional Fitness classes (and sessions in the infrared sauna) are running until the 24th (albeit with a reduced timetable), back open from the 28th December, and closed on the 1st and 2nd. studioanatomy.co.uk
Third Space, across London
The luxury gym Third Space’s 13 London locations are all open up until 4pm on Christmas Eve, and back open on the 27th; they close again at 4pm on New Year’s Even until the 2nd. thirdspace.london
Hotpod Yoga, across London
The ten Hotpod Yoga studios are open throughout the festive period, excluding Christmas Day and Boxing Day (Putney, Tottenham Hale and South Wimbledon all offering a limited number of Boxing Day classes). All studios, excluding Putney, also open on New Year’s Day. The chain is offering a special ‘Festive Pass’ with unlimited yoga for 14 days from 18-31 December for prices ranging from £20-30, dependent on studio. hotpodyoga.com
PUREGYM, across London
PURE GYM has 80 clubs across London, all of which will close at 4pm on 24th December and will remain closed on Christmas Day. Most of the 24/7 gyms will reopen at 8am on 26th December, (except Aldgate, Moorgate, Tower Hill, Farringdon, Marylebone, Bayswater, Fulham which will remain closed on Boxing Day too) and selected other sites, including Acton and Kentish Town, Edgware, Borehamwood, Holloway Road, and Ealing Broadway will also re-open on the 26th December.
