Five fitness trends to expect now gym classes are back

As of May 17, indoor gym classes are finally back in business as the next significant easing of lockdown restrictions comes into effect. Gyms and swimming pools opened first for solo, socially distanced exercise, but those who love the sweaty euphoria of a spin class or the zen of a yoga studio have had to wait for Step Three of the lockdown roadmap.

The wait is now over and, after months of virtual or solo classes, many gym-goers are eagerly anticipating the community feel of an indoor group workout at their local gym, fitness studio or leisure centre. Lockdown, however, has changed almost every aspect of how we work out, so could some of these changes be permanent?

Social distancing, thorough cleaning and one way systems, is still expected to apply at venues offering indoor exercise classes. But Covid-secure measures aren’t the only thing that may feel a bit different. Exercising at home has meant more people are opting for shorter exercise classes, so the standard one hour workout might be a thing of the past.

Outdoor fitness classes have been allowed since April 12 and it is likely some will stick around to cater to those who aren’t comfortable attending indoor classes just yet, or those who enjoy mood-boosting effects of working out in the fresh air. With few other places to find fun amid the pandemic, dance workouts and other fun fitness concepts are also on the rise. Here are the five trends to try.

1. Feel good fitness

Fitness shouldn’t feel like a chore. In lockdown, people leaned towards fun-fuelled workouts such as dance cardio, retro aerobics and rebounding (for the uninitiated, that’s bouncing on a mini trampoline).

London-based studio Frame leads the way in “fun” fitness; their classes, such as Cher-obics, Boyband Barre and 90s Dance Cardio, have been running online and experienced a 64 per cent rise in bookings since the pandemic started.

“People are over the idea that exercise is some kind of punishment and are focusing on moving in a way that feels good,” says Pip Black, Frame’s co-founder. “I think people found that it’s a lot easier to motivate yourself to turn up to a class you’re going to really enjoy.”

Try BLOKParty, an atmospheric, strobe-lit party-style dance workout at BLOK studios in London or Manchester. If you want to try a stress-busting rebounder class, head to Frame or some VirginActive locations.

2. Rowing classes

Sales of home gym equipment rose by 55 per cent in lockdown and demand soared for everything from dumbbells to big ticket treadmills but, of all the home gym kit, there were two clear winners: Peloton, the home exercise bike which has gained a cult-like following, and the humble rowing machine.

Rowing workouts have been steadily rising in popularity for a while, with footballer Gareth Bale opening a new branch of his boutique gym, ROWBOTS, expect to see more rowing studios popping up in the months to come.

“Rowing is a low impact movement that’s great for full body strength – it uses about 85 per cent of the main muscles in your body,” says Pele Zachariah, Head of Performance at Rowbots. “Any movement is good movement, but I think people are realising you can’t run every day of the week. Plus, if you have knee or hip issues, rowing is a great way to get strong while protecting your joints.” Try Rowbot’s signature 45-minute interval training class or head to boutique gym Core Collective and try their rowing and strength training combo class.

"I love the rowing machine," says Gareth Bale. "It works all major muscle groups [and] it’s the most efficient machine there is. During the off season I’m on it every day, doing a ROWBOTS session. The mental conditioning that’s incorporated into every workout ensures I’m in great shape mentally to deal with all the challenges that a season at the highest level brings, from recovering from injury to being ready to act during those split second moments that are the difference between winning and losing."

3. Yoga and meditation

More people than ever turned to yoga and meditation in lockdown, rolling out yoga mats and downloading the Headspace app in search of pandemic-related stress relief. One study from Nuffield Health found that more than half of Brits took up a new form of exercise in lockdown, with at-home yoga the third most popular choice behind walking and jogging. However, as restrictions ease and diaries fill up, people will continue to rely on the mind and body-strengthening benefits of a more holistic approach to exercise.

“People are still seeking a better work-life balance – we’ve also seen an increase in corporate enquiries for yoga classes, which suggests that companies are paying attention to the mental health benefits,” says Chatty Dobson, founder of boutique fitness studio FLEX Chelsea. FLEX offers a range of yoga, Pilates and mobility classes that focus on mental calm as well as physical exertion. If you're a beginner or would rather stick to online yoga classes until you’re a little more confident in your tree pose, try Yoga With Adriene for a free taster, or subscribe to FLY LDN’s immersive online flows.

4. Outdoor classes

They have been a necessity until this point, but even as indoor venues reopen their doors, it’s likely some outdoor exercise classes will stick around. One survey from RunRepeat suggests up to 50 per cent of current gym members think outdoor activities are the future of fitness. Cult-favourite spin studio SoulCycle is keeping their outdoor outpost at Selfridges open for the time being, and David Lloyd are continuing to run some of their most popular workouts outdoors at selected clubs. The original postnatal exercise class, Buggyfit, is a fun, friendly outdoor option for new mothers.

5. Dance classes

Another unexpected lockdown fitness hero is the dance class. Just ask fitness influencer Maddie Lymburner of the YouTube channel MadFit, whose popular Noughties dance party workout has racked up 16 million views since last April. Now restrictions have eased, expect in-person classes to follow. “There wasn’t much fun going on in lockdown so to spend 45 minutes dancing to a brilliant soundtrack and losing your inhibitions can make you feel great,” says Pip Black of Frame, whose Eighties Aerobics dance class has been popular during lockdown.

If you want to don your legwarmers and give it a go, visit AtYourBeat – there’s something for everyone, from jazz to latin to RnB. Alternatively, The Jungle Body offers beat-driven workouts that are a blend of dance, boxing and HIIT, while BLOK in London and Manchester offer a cardio dance class called BLOKBeat, which is a good workout for everyone from beginners to seasoned pros.

‘We hope May 17 will mark a boom time for the fitness industry’

By Fritz Lanman, CEO of ClassPass

A year ago, the fitness industry was flipped entirely on its head when almost overnight, fitness studios, gyms and salons were forced to close their physical locations. At ClassPass, a fitness and wellness membership that offers access to classes from 40,000 businesses, we paused billing for our members and scrambled to help over 5,000 studios to launch livestream and on-demand fitness classes waiving our commission as we worked to keep the fitness industry afloat.

When restrictions lift, thousands of UK studios will open their physical doors again, desperate to welcome people back to their community-based, in-person experiences. With the pandemic highlighting just how important health and human connection are, we believe classes focused on shared experiences will be more popular than ever before. No other workout compares to the experience of studio fitness; in fact, we’re seeing members who have returned to in-person classes in other cities booking at 110 per cent of their pre-Covid usage. We, along with our fitness partners, are hopeful that May 17 will mark a boom time for the fitness industry, and an improvement in our collective mental and physical health.

Exercising allows us to escape from other stresses and doing so in a gym or studio, being surrounded by people doing the same thing, increases motivation and accountability. Exercise can also be much easier – and certainly a lot more fun – when we have an instructor telling us what to do and holding us accountable.

I believe that’s why, as soon as it was allowed, we saw a new outdoor fitness trend emerge in Europe and then spread to other countries. Studios began converting any available outdoor space into outdoor studios, realising that people missed the sense of accountability that in-person classes offer. Since the start of the pandemic, we have seen a 400 per cent increase in the number of outdoor classes being offered by studios on the platform, and the main reason we believe they are so popular is because of people’s need for connection. After multiple national lockdowns, it’s more important than ever to feel a strong sense of community and gyms allow just that by offering a place for Covid-safe social interaction.

We have all come to recognise the value of exercising with others in a space that allows us to take a break from the outside world. As we’ve seen from our subscribers, once people go back to studios and gyms, they keep going back – and this can only be good news for our businesses and hopes for life to return to normal again.