The Month in Sweat:
January 2018

Month in Sweat JanuaryIt’s January, the month of broken resolutions, pretending you’re going to give up sugar or booze, and loads and loads of amazing fitness events, including two London fitness festivals, free yoga and HIIT classes, handstand workshops, guided runs along the length of tube lines… we could go on but you might as well just scroll through the events below.

FREE
Zakti Activewear HIIT Class
Zakti Activewear Vinyasa Yoga Class

Zakti Activewear free classes

HIIT every Thursday at 19:00
Yoga every Monday at 18:45
Zakti Activewear, Islington
eventbrite.co.uk

If Christmas has left a gaping hole in your finances, check out the Zakti Activewear shop in Islington for some free weekly classes. On Thursdays there’s a 30-minute HIIT session and Monday is an hour of Vinyasa Flow. Places are free but limited so make sure you register.

Juju’s presents Re:Solutions Health and Wellness Festival

Juju's re-solutions festival

4-31 January, various times and prices
Juju’s Bar and Stage, Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane
resolutionsatjujus.com

East London cafe and workspace Juju’s Bar and Stage is hosting a month-long festival of health and fitness called Re:Solutions. There ’s literally loads going on with a jam-packed timetable including classes such as Disco Barre, 90s DanceFIT, African flow yoga, Grime HIIT, Hip Hop circuits, bootcamps from the Soul Sisters (gawjus personal trainers and siblings who work over the road at the Adidas studio) and yoga galore (including a Chroma yoga pop-up, which is all done by red light – it’s good for you, apparently).

You can also book in for talks and classes including vegan beauty workshops where you make your own organic skincare. Check out the full timetable here for times and prices. 

Whole Earth Man V Horse Entries Open

Man v Horse

6 January, 10:00, £tbc
Llanwrytd Wells, Wales
green-events.co.uk

Ah, Man versus Horse, a truly nuts and beautifully tough race. Taking place in the stunning – and ridiculously hilly – trails of the Welsh countryside, the idea here is that you’re racing not only your fellow humans but also horses. Yep, really.

The race came about in 1980 after a pub conversation in Britain’s smallest town, Llanwrtyd Wells, about who would win in a race through the mountainous terrain, man or horse. While humans do get a head start, and horses are pretty crap at running down hill, the answer is almost always horse, with a human winning the race only twice in its 37-year history.

We ran this as a relay team a couple of years ago and it was awesome. We’re considering the full 24(ish) mile course this year. Places always sell out fast, so if you’re interested check it out when entries open on Saturday 6 Jan, the race itself will take place on 9 June.

Brewery Yoga + Tour

Downward Grog

7 January, 10:30, £15
People’s Park Tavern, Victoria Park
billetto.co.uk

This Brewery Yoga + Tour is run by possibly the best-named yoga company out there – Downward Grog. Genius. Held in the conservatory of an East London microbrewery, you’ll complete an hour of Vinyasa Flow yoga, followed by a tour of the Laine Brew Co onsite brewery. Then you get a free pint of lovely, lovely craft beer. For super keenos there’s an optional 5k warm up run round Victoria Park at 09:45 too.

FREE
Handstanding 101 with HandstandYogi

Handstand Yogi

7 January, 18:30
Lululemon Covent Garden
facebook.com

Last time I tried to handstand it was in my front room and I broke the TV aerial. Probably should have gone to a class like this instead. Taught by acrobat Gabby and yogi Ash, who together have written a book all about doing handstands safely, you’ll go through circus drills to improve your strength and mobility and then learn positions and balancing as you go upside down. Suitable for complete beginners as well as those who can already turn themselves upside down, this workshop is first come first served, so turn up early.

FREE
London Tube Run – Hammersmith & City Line

London Tube Run

7 January, 08:30
Bill’s Restaurant Hammersmith
eventbrite.co.uk

If you’re training for a marathon and fancy mixing up your long runs or just want to explore a bit more of London with a few miles on your feet, then join the London Tube Run guys as they follow the length of a tube line. This month it’s the Hammersmith & City, with an 18-mile run from Hammersmith to Barking. Runs are at a fairly social pace, around 10 minute miles, and there are a couple of stops on route.

February’s run is 23 miles along the Northern Line, while in March you can run 17 miles along the Bakerloo line or a 15 or 20-mile run along the Circle line, perfectly timed to coincide with a last long marathon training run before race day.

FREE
Hotpod Yoga Teacher Training Open Evening

Hotpod yoga BimHjortronsteen

9 January, 19:00
HPY Brixton
universe.com

If you’re thinking about taking your love of yoga a bit further and becoming a teacher, head over to Hotpod Yoga Brixton’s open evening to learn all about what it involves and get any burning questions answered. They’re lovely guys over at HPY and they’ll be telling you all about their newly launched teacher training course, hit the link above to reserve a spot.

Sweat and Sound

Sweat and Sound

11 January, 18:30, from £39.50
Secret London City venue
sweatandsound.com

We went to the last Sweat and Sound at the back end of last year and it was amazing so we can’t wait for this one. If you haven’t heard of them, Sweat and Sound are like the Secret Cinema of the fitness world, offering hush-hush immersive fitness events (you need to be on the email list to find out about them but don’t worry there are no ridiculous entry criteria, it’s just to keep the numbers at a sensible level).

The events may look expensive at first glance but they’re definitely worth it. There’s always fitness, there’s always live music, there’s always an incredible venue you probably never knew existed and usually light and sound installations and a few edible treats along the way. January’s event is going to include yoga and meditation accompanied by a live orchestra – yep, a live bloomin’ orchestra. It’s being held in a secret city location – you only find out where a couple of days before – and ‘galaxies of colour and sounds of pure magic’ are promised. Tickets sell out so sign up for an invite to this and all future events immediately! sweatandsound.com

FREE
HIIT x Run Series

Lululemon HIIT x Run

14, 21, 28 January, 10:00
Lululemon Covent Garden
eventbrite.co.uk

Lululemon have got loads of good freebies going on this month and this three-week series sounds like a good one to blow away the Christmas cobwebs. Led by PT Leo Savage, you’ll be taken through a HIIT workout before going for a short run around the streets of London. On the 28 Jan there’ll also be a talk about goal setting to ensure you carry on once January’s over. You can’t book, so turn up early as it’s first come, first served.

TRIBE x Whole Foods Run Club

TRIBE run club

17 January, 18:45, Whole Foods Piccadilly, £3
20 January, 09:00, Whole Foods Kensington, £3
28 January, 09:00, Whole Foods Richmond, £3 

Natural sports nutrition brand TRIBE (think really tasty sports bars) are launching in Whole Foods this month, and to celebrate they’re hosting run clubs at three Whole Foods stores. Each session covers a 7km guided run with a few strength and conditioning exercises thrown in for good measure. You’ll get some free TRIBE products to fuel your training and you’re doing good too as your £3 ticket fee goes towards the TRIBE Freedom Foundation, a charity working to end modern slavery. You can find out more and discover all the other workout sessions TRIBE host – usually for a nominal donation or free of charge – at wearetribe.eventcube.io

Frame £5 Weekenders

Frame

18-21 January Frame Fitzrovia, all classes £5
27-28 January Frame Hammersmith, all classes £5
moveyourframe.com (scroll down for the info)

Boutique fitness studio Frame is opening two new locations this month, Hammersmith and Fitzrovia. Want to check out the facilities and try some of their classes for a bargainous price? You’re in luck then.

The Fitzrovia studio – perfect if you work in Central London – is opening on 17 Jan (my birthday incidentally, buy me vegan cake) and on the first weekend classes are just a fiver. Cheap as chips. Hammersmith opens on 27 Jan with £5 classes that weekend. Sign up for updates on Frame Fitzrovia here and Frame Hammersmith here and you’ll get a free class too. Smashing.

Fat Buddha Yoga: Run, Yoga and Brunch

Fat Buddha Run, Yoga, Brunch

20 January, 10:45, £28
Hoxton Hotel, Shoreditch
instabook.io

One of our favourite ever yoga teachers, Jessica Skye, is bringing back her run, yoga and brunch sessions and they sound smashing. Join for a 5k guided run through the streets of Shoreditch led by the guys over at LDN Brunch Club, head back to the Hoxton Hotel for a blissful yoga session designed for runners (our hamstrings could do with some of that at the moment). Follow it up with a humongous brunch from Hoxton Grill including eggs Benedict, pancakes and of course some good old avo on toast. That’s Saturday morning sorted then.

The Magic of the London Marathon Guided Run

Secret London Runs

Sunday 21 and 28 Jan (Feb, March and April dates also available), £27.48
The Pavilion Cafe, Greenwich Park
secretlondonruns.com

Got a spot in London or just want to know more about it? These 11-mile group runs will take you past some of the highlights of the course including the Cutty Sark, Westminster and Tower Bridge with your guide – an experienced marathoner and trainer – giving you details about the history of the race along the way.

You’ll learn about women and the marathon, how Mo Farah won the mini version as a child, tales of celebrities, world records and tips for the course, nutrition and tackling the wall. Different dates cater for different running paces – from the sub-4 crowd to those who just want to get round however long it takes – so check before you book.

Deliciously Ella Yoga and Breakfast

Deliciously Ella Oat Bars

21 January, 09:30, £16.70
Whole Foods Market High Street Kensington
eventbrite.com

If you’re a fan of Deliciously Ella (Going to call her DE as it’s too long to type) you can go along and hear her chat this month. She’s got some new oat bars out in Whole Foods so they’re celebrating with a yoga class followed by a DE breakfast bowl, an oat bar, a cup of tea and a Q&A with Ella herself. Just try not to spend your monthly salary in Whole Foods afterwards, that place is so tempting!

Hearst magazines REBOOT live events

Reboot with Cosmopolitan

From 22 January, 6th@Soho, prices vary
hearstlive.co.uk

Hearst magazines, publishers of Women’s Health, Red, Cosmo, Elle and more have a series of live ‘wellness’ events (I really dislike the word wellness, hence the quotes, what’s wrong with the old fashioned wellbeing?) taking place in Jan and Feb. All 10 events are listed on the link above but highlights include the below. There’s also a workout with Alice Liveing but that one’s sold out already!

  • REBOOT with Women’s Health: Wellness from the Inside Out
    24 January, 18.30, £21.91

Join the Women’s Health team and Wella Haircare for an evening of everything health. Following a 30-min yoga class with Jessica Skye, experts including Jasmine Helmsley, the Women’s Health ed Claire Sanderson and others will talk nutrition, sleep, health and self care. Wondering what Wella are doing there? Every attendee gets a one-on-one hair consultation at the end.

  • REBOOT with Red magazine: How to Start Your Wellness Business
    25 January, 18:30, £32.14

Deliciously Ella, Business Coach and founder of WelltoDo Lauren Armes, and Tania Boler, CEO of Elvie (a small and stylish pelvic floor trainer), will talk about carving a career or sideline in the health and wellbeing business.

  • REBOOT with Cosmopolitan: How to Make a Mint in Wellness
    29 January, 18:30, £21.91

After a 55-minute Psycle Barre class, you’ll get to hear from three women who’ve built their health businesses from scratch, including Rhian Simpson, CEO of Psycle, Dr Hazel Wallace better known as The Food Medic and Lily Simpson, founder of Detox Kitchen. We’re not sure if they’ve made a mint out of wellness themselves but they’re certainly making a living.

Fit + Fresh Fest 2018

Fresh and fit fest

27 January, all day, free to enter, booking talks and classes from £5
The Hoxton Shoreditch, Holborn and Amsterdam
thehoxton.com

A day-long festival of everything fitness, Fit + Fresh Fest is back for the fourth year and taking place across three of the Hoxton’s hotels (two in London). It’s free of charge to pop along to any of the venues and see what’s going down – kitchen demos, talks, beauty treatments, health food market, fitness classes and activewear sample sales for starters – although you will need to pay for most classes and talks. Prices start at a fiver, though, so it’s certainly not bad.

Highlights include: talks on body confidence from Zanna van Dijk and the Girl Gains crew; Gymbox: Breakletics (a fitness and break dancing hybrid); Pilates with Lottie Murphy; 1Rebel and Another Space fitness classes; yoga; chats with Charlie Dark from Run dem Crew; a fitness class with MCs and music from Radio 1Xtra DJ Melody Kane; Holistic belly dancing; and a bazillion other things. Bookings for most sessions open on 9 January, now you just need to decide how much you can fit in.

Brutal Run – Women Only

Brutal women only

27 January, 10:00, 5 and 10km options, from £18, 15% discount when you buy three entries
Near Woking, Surrey
brutalrun.co.uk

Fancy getting out of London and covered in mud? Us too. Mud run organisers Brutal have a women’s only run this week in the mysteriously named Congo Woods (somewhere in deepest, darkest Surrey) and it sounds like pure filth. Hilly, boggy, and with plenty of water to wade through, it’s our idea of heaven. There’s a men’s race in the afternoon, by which time we’ll be comfortably ensconced in a warm country pub.

What’s going down in Feb? Send us all your health and fitness events for inclusion charlotte@lungesandlycra.co.uk

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