“What possessed me to wear full-length flares?,” I questioned myself midway through my second set of goblet squats in what felt like a furnace disguised as a fitness studio. The room was so hot, I half expected to see steam rising off my shoulders, and I couldn’t help but wonder if my activewear choices were conspiring against me. I was at "Infra Sculpt" at Psycle London - an infrared barre class promising a full-body burn under infrared light and, as it turned out, a surprisingly deep night’s sleep.
Heat-based workouts have been doing the rounds in the fitness space. From the heyday of Bikram yoga to contrast therapy and TikTok’s current infatuation with infrared Pilates, the fitness world is turning up the thermostat. In London, boutique studios are responding fast, rolling out sauna-style HIIT, infrared cycling, and now infrared-infused barre. The selling points go far beyond calorie burn: faster recovery, better circulation, glowing skin - and in my case, perhaps the best sleep I’d had in months.
