BE AUTY
GYM AWARDS[as you please; but the signature
class is the Lift & Row – a high-
intensity interval-based class that
mixes stints on the rowing machine
with weight-based circuits. It’s in-
tense, effective and surprisingly
fun, with a high- octane energy. If
trimmer, tighter-looking thighs
aren’t incentive enough, don’t
worry, the brilliantly motivational
instructors will be. Classes from £22.
core-collective.co.ukHighly commended:
Hotpod Yoga, Belgravia
If you ever wondered what it might
be like to have been Jonah in the
belly of the whale, look no further
than the newest outpost of Hotpod
Yoga. Conveniently located at the
warehouse-chic Eccleston Yards,
classes take place in an innovative
(and highly Instagrammable) in-
flatable pod. The pod – with its
purplish glow and wafts of incense- is heated to 37°C, which not
only makes the body work that bit
harder through Vinyasa-style se-
quences, but improves flexibility
and makes you sweat out toxins
(for those not keen on cardio, the
Nurturing Flow classes are wonder-
fully restorative). Stepping out of
the pod after the hour-long class is
to feel reborn: the cool blast of air
is revitalising, limbs feel looser, and
that warm post-yoga glow lasts
until the next day. Classes from £12.
hotpodyoga.com
BEST FOR...
THE REGIMEWinner: Louise Parker at
Harrods, Knightsbridge
London’s most exclusive personal
trainer (the woman reputedly be-
hind the Duchess of Cambridge’s
whippet-slim physique) is found at
Harrods, in the spaceship-like
Wellness Clinic. While that may
sound predictable, it is the unex-
pected add-ons by the luxury de-
partment store that give this 12-
week programme a holistic,
figure-sculpting edge. Along with
the standard personal nutritionist
and Parker’s prescribed pillars of
lifestyle, mindset, food and exercise,are extras such as an initial Inbody
assessment (which calculates water,
muscle and fat content with surgi-
cal precision). Specialist filming
facilities in the fitness studios are
also provided so they can make
postural tweaks to the resistance-
based workouts – a typical session
combines TRX, rounds of squats
and heart-firing circuits. Parker
might suggest a deep-tissue mas-
sage, a blast of cryotherapy, or even
Emsculpt (a muscle-toning device
that packs miraculous ab-sculpt-
ing, glute-tightening prowess). For
the best results, commit to 12 weeks,
and witness total transformation:
energy soars, your clothes are
looser – and suddenly exercise feels
fun again.
Six-week programme from £2,400.
louiseparker.comHighly commended: Define
London, Fitzrovia
Ex-Broadway dancer Ashley Verma
turns out the leanest limbs in Fitz-
rovia, thanks to a cocktail of barre-
inspired workouts (try Mat, a floor-
based class with hand-weights that
brings new definition to calves; or
Balance, where you jump and plié
on a Bosu Ball – excellent for core
stability). Her method works with
repetitive isometric moves, effec-
tively switching on lazy abs and
glutes – and new is her eight-week
Define Challenge, which promises
the most svelte silhouette yet. Un-
limited classes, online workouts
and weekly check-ins will inspire
even the most reluctant gym-goer.
So will your newly lifted bottom.
From £499 for eight weeks.
definelondon.co.ukBEST FOR ...
T HE R E COV ERYWinner: Bamford Haybarn, Chelsea
Walls lined with crystals and a
boutique devoted to bath salts and
cashmere – the Bamford Haybarn
is catnip to an elegant Brompton
Cross crowd. And its group classes- which take place upstairs in the
calm, skylit studio – are where
you’ll find some of London’s most
revered fitness practitioners. Like
Jo Manoukian, who gets you hip-
wiggling, power-posing and finger-
clicking to Seventies funk and pop
(her ‘Jo’s Dance’ classes have a cult
following with local mothers). Or
Georgie Spurling – affectionately
referred to by her clients as the
‘Silent Assassin’ – who chisels legs
and waists with tiny pulses and ]
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