Two bank holidays, dancing round poles and loads of cool fitness events to enjoy. Yay for May eh?
FREE
The Zeo Dry Bar, yoga and fitness classes
2 May-3 June, various times
Unit 2, Old Street Underground station
eventbrite.co.uk
You know that empty unit in Old Street station? Well the latest pop-up to fill the space is fruity sugar-free soft drink Zeo. They’re going to be hosting free yoga and fitness classes, workshops, makeover sessions and the like throughout the month. This week there’s VOGA (vogueing yoga), guided meditation, early morning, lunchtime and evening yoga sessions. Click here for full details of classes as they’re released.
FREE
Women’s Bike Maintenance Workshops
3-5 May, various times and locations
Cycle Republic stores across the country including central London, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Southampton and Nottingham
eventbrite.co.uk
If you’ve just started cycling and want to know the basics of keeping your wheels on the road, these interactive women-only workshops take place each month. You can book online or in store.
Yoga in the Walkways
6 and 17 May and twice monthly in June and July, 07:30 on Wednesdays and 08:00 on Saturdays, £25
Tower Bridge Exhibition, City of London
eventbrite.co.uk
Get in quick, these vinyasa flow yoga sessions in the glass walkways of Tower Bridge sell out FAST! Held 42 metres above the river, the views are amazing and you can see buses and boats pass under your feet.
FREE
Meditation May at lululemon Covent Garden
Every Sunday from 7 May, 18:30, lululemon Covent Garden
eventbrite.co.uk
Apparently just one month of yoga nidra – a relaxing, meditational form of yoga – is enough to see benefits including being better able to focus and deal with pressure and generally being more chill. Throughout May the free Sunday yoga classes at lululemon Covent Garden are candlelit yoga flow, meditation and yoga nidra classes. There’s a schedule here but places are first come first served so turn up early.
FREE
Zakti Vinyasa Yoga Class
8 May, 18:45-19:45
Zakti store, Islington
eventbrite.co.uk
The newest activewear label on the block has a free hour-long yoga class with runner and gym fan teacher Aletheia. Good chance to check out the kit too.
Balance Festival 2017
12-14 May, from £24
Old Truman Brewery, Shoreditch
balance-festival.com
A three-day festival of healthy food and fitness, you can book into more than 200 classes from the likes of Barry’s, Boom Cycle and Another_Space (some of these cost extra), listen to wellness talks and check out loads of food and fitness wear stalls.
Instagram and Youtube stars Clean Eating Alice, the Food Medic and Zanna van Dijk are among the personal trainers and chefs cooking in the live kitchen. Hope they’ve brushed up on their nutritional knowledge as so is the Angry Chef (gulp), whose brilliant website exposes the lies and pseudoscience being batted around about healthy eating by the media and celebrity chefs.
Breakfast Barre – Regents Canal Steps
Wednesdays from 10 May, 07.30-08:15, £15
Granary Wharf, Kings Cross
moveyourframe.com
Frame’s summer series is back so let’s hope the sun is too. This 45-minute low-impact classes works all those small supporting muscles it’s so easy to neglect and afterwards you get free granola. Don’t worry, there’s also a large covered area incase it rains.
FREE
Tribe Ride London to Oxford
13 May, 08:30-17:00
Kilburn Station
wearetribe.eventcube.io
If you fancy a long bike ride but don’t want to go on your own, then this looks ideal. The group ride from natural sports nutrition company Tribe will cover the 65 miles from London to Oxford and finish with a leisurely pub lunch by the river. Tribe also have a free workout with Perri-Shakes Drayton this month, it’s sold out but might be worth checking here incase any more spots come up.
Headstands on the Rooftop
13 May, 10:00-12:00, £25
Borough High Street
goodyogalife.com
Yes, it’s that rooftop yoga time of the year! This workshop from Good Yoga Life is suitable for all levels of yogis and will break down the headstand pose and help you gain confidence in going upside down. I once broke the TV aerial doing headstands in the living room so I should probably attend.
The Maverick Innov-8 Surrey
13 May. 10:00, from £17.50
Polesden Lacey, Surrey
maverick-race.com
If you’re looking to try out trail running or you already love it, we can’t recommend the Maverick Series enough. We ran the short 8k distance of this trail race last year, and this time we’re going back for more. Haven’t decided on the middle (16k) of long (25k) distance yet, it’s a great course though, suitable for all levels of trail runner, the countryside is stunning, there are some hills but you can walk those, and you get a free beer at the end. It’s pretty easy to get to from London as well, train to Dorking and a short taxi ride. Hopefully see you there.
Another_Space Cycle, Yoga and Brunch at The Club at The Ivy
13 May, 10:00-14:00, £50
Another_Space, Covent Garden
anotherspace.london
We didn’t even know The Ivy had a private members’ club, that’s how far away we are from becoming members. But it does, the entrance is hidden in a flower shop apparently. And it’s right round the corner from the Another_Space studio so they’ve teamed up to offer a 45-minute indoor cycling class, followed by 45 minutes of yoga and a very swanky two-course brunch at The Club at The Ivy – sample dishes include salmon sashimi with white ponzu and wasabi and
cauliflower tabbouleh, broad bean hummus, blistered tomatoes and lavash. To book call the studio on 020 7534 2999.
Running Workshop with Andy Vernon
16 May, 19:00-21:00, £20
St Mary’s University, Twickenham
eventbrite.co.uk
Team GB runner, Andy Vernon competed in Rio in the 10,000 and is a 5,000 and 10,000 metre European medallist. Want to know how he does it? Andy and other pro runners will lead you through a warm up, drills and training session followed by a Q&A. All proceeds go to dementia charity My Life Films.
Runthrough Wimbledon Common Half Marathon
21 May, 09:30, £26
Wimbledon Common
runthrough.co.uk
Run 13.1 miles around Wimbledon Common, high five a womble, get a womble-themed medal, a t-shirt and some flapjack. Come back again in three months (the event is held four times a year) and try and beat your time. Job done.
FREE
Third Space Fitstival Yoga
26 May (and various dates in June), 13:00
Crossrail Place Roof Garden, Canary Wharf
eventbrite.co.uk
Work in or around Canary Wharf? Third Space have free yoga sessions during lunchtimes throughout May and June. Get your al-fresco flow on for an hour and go back to the office feeling all zen.
Know of any good fitness stuff going down in June? Email us charlotte@lungesandlycra.co.uk
