The Month in Sweat: June 2019

June Fitness London

Ah June, the month of the longest day, torrential downpours, England securing a place in the football world cup final (fingers crossed) and more fabulous fitness happenings then you can shake a stick at. From silent disco yoga to the latest US import SoulCycle and free HIIT classes on the roof of John Lewis, these are the best June fitness events in London.

FREE

Sunrise HIIT sessions on John Lewis’ rooftop

Hex HIIT sessiona at john Lewis

Tuesday mornings until 2 July, 07:30
John Lewis Oxford Street
hexlife.co.uk

The rooftop on John Lewis’ flagship store has been all done up for summer with bars, garden dens, Filipino-inspired street food, live entertainment and – for the fitness fans – early morning HIIT sessions.

Led by Clapham-based fitness gurus HEX, you get to go up on the roof before the store opens (I did it the other year, went in the staff entrance, all very exciting) and work out with some sweaty intervals for an hour before work. Best of all, it’s free, you just have to enter your details here and someone from HEX will get back to you.

LIMITED FREE SESSIONS

SoulCycle

Soulcycle new London studio

FREE Community day on 13 June, classes open to book on 12 June
Great Marlborough Street, Soho
soul-cycle.com

Boutique group-cycling studio SoulCycle is bloomin’ massive in America, there are more than 90 studios over there and apparently the Beckhams and Beyonce are big fans. Now the first studio has hit these shores and we’re going to check it out pre-opening tmw. From what we can gather, it’s a candle-lit spin class where phones are banned, the changing rooms are super-swish, the beats are massive and the hand weights come out at the end. 

Bookings open online on 12 June but if you pop into the studio before then you can book onto a bike for the complimentary community day on 13 June where all classes are free. If you’re not lucky enough to get a place don’t worry, everyone gets a discounted first ride for £16 (yep, that’s the discounted rate. Usual price £24 – posh changing rooms don’t come cheap).

FREE

myRaceKit Tales From the Trails London with Lizzy Hawker and Ian Corless

Lizzy Hawker running

Tuesday June 11, 18:30
Landmark Office, Bishopsgate
eventbrite.com

If you’ve ever fancied trying your hand at an ultra marathon, have already done a few, or are just keen to hear about some epic adventures in wild places, get yourself along to this talk.

Ultrarunner extraordinaire Lizzy Hawker, who has won the ultra Trail du Mont Blanc five times, will be talking about how to prepare for a 100-mile race and discussing some of her own crazy runs in the mountains. She’s going to be joined by ultra-running photographer and podcaster Ian Corless who’ll talk about getting that shot.

FREE

Daybreak Lunar Trail

Friday 14 June, 19:00
Meet Loughton tube station
facebook.com

Our lovely mates over at free running community Daybreak are putting on a group adventure trail run through Epping Forest. I’m top north on Friday or I’d be all over this. It’s social paced so you can have a chat, it’ll be around 12-14km so make sure you can run the distance and if you’ve got a head torch take it along because it’ll be getting dark toward the end – spooky. 

Yoga in the Gherkin 

yoga in the gherkin

Saturday 15, 22, 29 June, 08:30, £30
St Mary’s Axe, City of London
yogasphere.eu

If there’s a high building, a quirky building or an iconic space in London it’s highly likely you can do yoga in it – well, as long as Royals or politicians don’t live there that is.

This class from Yogasphere is an absolute belter, it’s right in the very top of the Gherkin so you’re surrounded by a dome of windows. The views are awesome and the hour-long class led by Yogasphere founder Leo Lourdes is fun and friendly.

The session is followed by a 30-minute sound bath sending you out into your weekend feeling all virtuous and hangover free. Yes it’s a bit on the pricey side but as a one-off it’s a lovely way to spend a morning with a friend. And we’ll say it again, views are AWESOME!

FREE

Adidas Runners Run for the Oceans Trash Run

Adidas Run for the Oceans run

Saturday 15 June, 09:00
Primrose Hill
adidas.co.uk/adidasrunners

This Saturday Adidas Runners are launching a new series of long runs, gradually increasing in distance, designed to help you get ready for an autumn half or full marathon. This Saturday’s run coincides with Adidas’ annual Run for the Oceans week fighting against marine pollution. The 10-12km run from Primrose Hill to Brent Reservoir near Wembley will end with a group river clean up so you get your exercise in and get bonus eco points too.

Rooftop Yoga at Roof East with Flow East Yoga

Flow East Yoga

Thursdays 18:30, Saturdays 12:30, £13
Roof East, Stratford
roofeast.com

Every summer a flurry of rooftop food and drink venues pop up in London. Roof East is one of them. On the top of a multi-storey carpark with food, drinks, crazy golf, bowling and curling lanes and views over the Olympic Park, it’s also home to two vinyasa yoga sessions a week. Suitable for all levels.

Boom Cycle Riverside Ride and Ramen

BoomCycle

Sunday 16 June, 10:30, £30
Battersea Power Station
eventbrite.co.uk

Apparently there’s a London Seafood Festival this weekend, who knew? Boom Cycle are getting into the spirit by taking their bikes outdoors for a class held with Battersea Power station as your backdrop. The ride is followed by ramen, a side dish and a drink at neighbouring restaurant Tonkotsu. Don’t worry if you don’t like/eat seafood, you can choose veggie or chicken ramen and sides too.

FREE

Lululemon Sunday Morning Yoga at Duke of York Square

lululemon outdoor yoga class

Ever Sunday until 1 September excluding 23 June
Duke of York Square, Chelsea
facebook.com

We do love outdoor yoga season so let’s hope the rain holds off for luluemon’s free outdoor seasons in Chelsea as they’re always good fun. The teacher and session changes most weeks, it’s dance flow yoga on 16 June, stretch yoga the following week and a couple of weeks ago they had blindfolded yoga, oh err missus.

TRIBE Force of Nature: Bouldering

Monday 17 June, 18:30, £7.65
Hackney Wick Boulder Project
wearetribe.eventcube.io

Natural performance nutrition brand TRIBE (that basically means they make really nice, natural energy bars) put on loads of fitness events for ridiculously affordable prices and this summer they’re hosting events that help you escape the city without actually leaving it.

There are canoeing and trail running sessions in July – totally up for those – and this month there’s discounted bouldering. Entry fee includes bouldering and shoe hire, you get to climb with the group, tips and assistance from staff, free TRIBE bars and they’re going to the pub after if you fancy.

FREE

Columbia Carnaby Summer Runs

Wednesday 19 June, 18:30
Columbia Sportswear, Carnaby Street
eventbrite.co.uk

Outdoor-fitness-wear store Columbia is getting on the free run club bandwagon and hosting a 5km run to Regent’s Park and back from their Carnaby Street flagship. They’re going to be joined by trail and adventure racing athlete Nick Gracie and fitness blogger Food Fitness Flora.

You get 30% discount in store afterwards so if you’ve got your eye on some new outdoorsy kit, get yourself along. We’re hoping the plural ‘runs’ in their marketing material means there are more of these in the pipeline.

FREE

TENZING Trailblazer Clean Air Run Club

Tenzing Trailblazer run club

Every Thursday, 18:30
Great Suffolk Street, Southwark
facebook.com

Natural energy drink TENZING are working with Kings College London on pollution-mapping tools to plot clean-air runs in the big city – and they’re hosting a free weekly run club to put it all to good use. Led by James Poole of Advent Running fame, you’ll run to a low-pollution area, put in the hard work with some intervals and run back for a couple of TENZINGs. There’s also some free swag up for grabs. See you there.

The Sports Edit Presents: Summer Solstice Yoga

The sports edit yoga with Michael James Wong

Friday 21 June, 18:30, £6.83
Gasholder Park, King’s Cross
eventbrite.co.uk

Friday 21 June is summer solstice, the longest day of the year. It’s also International Yoga Day so there’s loads of bending and stretching going on.

This class from boutique fitness-wear shop The Sports Edit looks pretty good. It’s taking place alfresco in Gasholder Park near King’s Cross – that cool, round, mirrored space in an old iron gas holder frame by the edge of the canal. There are refreshments back in the store after and proceeds are going to mental health charity Mind.

108 Sun Salutations Workshop with Neom

Yoga Workshop Frame

Friday 21 June, 06:45, £25
Frame Kings Cross
moveyourframe.com

Jeez, 108 sun salutations! If you’re serious about International Yoga day welcome in the first day of summer and the longest day of the year with this two-hour class celebrating the sun. The timetable says it’s a practice of mental and physical endurance, luckily Neom will be providing energy boosting body oils to get you through.

Glastonbury Warm Up Miley Cyrus Dance Workshop

Miley Cyrus

Saturday 22 June, 13:30, £20
Frame Shoreditch
moveyourframe.com

Hang on, what? Miley Cyrus is playing Glastonbury?! While we find this fact weird and disturbing, this 90-minute workshop at Frame should be fun. You go along, learn the moves to some of Miley’s best known songs and get all glittered up with sparkly makeovers from In Your Dreams. Let’s just hope you don’t have to sit naked on a wrecking ball eh.

PS. If you’re not a fan of Miley there’s a Glasto Warm Up Stormzy Workshop on Tuesday 18th as well. Maybe you’ll learn to Vossi Bop?

Lululemon Sweatlife Festival

Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 June, from £35
Tobacco Dock, Wapping
info.lululemon.co.uk

Cannot believe we’ve never actually made it to this festival of sweat but we always seem to be away. Anyway, expect loads of fitness classes from London’s top studios including Psycle, Crossfit, FRAME and Flykick, loads of yoga and meditation sessions and talks on goal setting, mental health and overcoming adversity.

TRIBE Ride: London to Cambridge (with Sportive breaks)

River Cam, Cambridge

Saturday 22 June, 09:00, £8
Meet at e5 Bakehouse, London Fields
wearetribe.eventcube.io

Another one from our friends at TRIBE, this time they’re getting out of London on a group ride to Cambridge around 60 miles away. There are three pace groups from 12-9mph, a mechanic before you leave, a few free TRIBE bars and they’ll be stopping for a pub lunch at the end. It’s self supported though so make sure you take your own water, bike tools, train fare etc. Your £8 fee is donated to the TRIBE Freedom Foundation helping fight modern slavery and human trafficking.


Silent Yoga in Battersea Park

Saturday 29 June, £10
Battersea Park
eventbrite.co.uk

We’re not sure whether this will be fun or just a bit weird but there are two silent yoga sessions happening in Battersea Park at the end of the month.

Session one is at 10:30 and involves 45 minutes of Silent Vinyasa Yoga listening to playlists and the yoga teachers instructions through comfy headphones. This is supposed to help you switch off and avoid outside distractions (plus you’re prob not allowed to play music in the park). There’s then a 15 minute meditation, we can see how the headphones help there.

Session two is a Silent Yoga Disco at 15:30 which involves dancing around to playlists and a bit of partner yoga. Worth a try.

Know of any fabulous fitness events happening in July? Send us the deets –charlotte@lungesandlycra.co.uk

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