PRACTISING SPORTS in London

GYMS

There are plenty of places to exercise in London - including some amazing outdoor spaces such as Hyde Park and Regent's Park. There is a good mix of privately owned and council run gyms, although the standard of the latter can some times be far from perfect. For gyms and sports centres local to you check this site.

When signing up for gym membership there will be a number of requirements of you that you should always be aware of before signing on the dotted line. It is more than likely you will have to sign up for a minimum period - most likely 12 months - after which your contract will be extended for a further 12 months. When cancelling your membership at least three months notice will be required unless you have extenuating circumstances (don't be fooled - these will be hard to find) and some gyms may insist you cannot break your agreement until the end of your first year with them. If you are not keen for such a commitment then consider a pay as you go membership where you will pay a small initial fee and then a further reduced payment each time you visit. If after a few months you are still attending and spending more than the monthly payment would be, sign up for the full membership comfortable in the knowledge that it will not go to waste.

Gym membership is not restricted to one type. You will find specific options for couples, families, students, the over 55s, full monthly memberships, off-peak memberships and juniors - the list could go on - so always consider your options carefully before joining.

Most gyms should allow you a free initial session to check out their facilities. Once you have decided on the gym for you, ensure you go armed with a proof of address (utility bill or rental agreement) and proof of identity (passport or driving licence). Also be aware of when gyms run sign-up deals where their initial joining fee is reduced due to quieter periods in their business. Such times are just before Christmas - when everyone is out having fun at Christmas parties and neglecting their gym resolve - and definitely not straight after Christmas when over a drunk fuelled New Years everyone has decided it is time to quit smoking, stop drinking and lose those extra 10lbs they are carrying due to the years supply of turkey and chocolate they have just eaten over the festive season.

One good option is Courtneys, as they offer memberships from just £22 a month, with no joining fee & long-term contract. Check here for your nearest Courtney's centre

Other big gym chains that offer you a free trial are Fitness First, LA Fitness, Cannons and the more expensive Virgin Active, Esporta and David Lloyd

GYMBOX - Another kind of gym

GYMBOX is very different to many other gyms…have you ever seen a gym inside a converted underground car park?? With over 24,000 square feet of gym floor, this really is a sight not to be missed!! We offer classes from Boxing to Yoga, Spinning to Circuit Training, Capoeira to Parkour and Mixed Martial Arts to Mamma Mia. We have nightly resident DJ's which definitely give the place more of a club atmosphere rather than a gym atmosphere Please feel free to send me an email at georgeg@gymbox.co.uk for more information or check out our website www.gymbox.co.uk to get a feel of what we are all about!

GYM SERVICES

Gone are the days when gyms housed only a few cardio-machines, endless rows of free weights and a bunch of muscle bound guys flexing in front of mirrors. The modern gym now has many other options to keep you fit - perfect if pounding away on a treadmill does not fill you with excitement.

Most gyms will offer a selection of gym classes to cater for all levels of fitness and experience. Such classes include:

• Spinning
  
• Circuit training
• Body pump/conditioning
  
• Yoga
• Pilates
• Step Aerobics
• Aerobics
• Street Dance
• Aqua Aerobics
• Boxercise

Further facilities can include swimming pools, steam and sauna rooms, climbing walls, badminton and squash courts, football pitches, personal trainers and in some cases (such as the Sobell Centre in Finsbury Park) even an ice rink. In addition, increasing numbers of gyms are providing extras to aid the experience such as crèche facilities, physiotherapy, osteopathy and hair and beauty salons.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

It is easy to forget that London has a lot of great outdoor spaces, and fitness professionals are increasingly harnessing its potential. If you like to exercise on your own, the Royal Parks are perfect for a walk or run. At Regent's Park you can add interval training and hill running to your day by cutting up into Primrose Hill; at Hyde Park you can run around the Serpentine and on Hampstead Heath you can run around the lakes.

There are some brilliant walking classes such as Walkactive, or Buggyfit where new mothers can get back into shape. If you need that extra push (and have the spare cash) a personal trainer will put you through your paces come rain or shine, but if pain is more your thing try the British Army who run boot camps in parks across the Capital.

SWIMMING POOLS

Sadly since the early 1980s the number of swimming pool closures across the UK has been steady and London is no exception. That said there are still 560 on offer in the city with a 50:50 mix of private:borough run facilities. For pools in your area check out London Swimming. It is never too late to learn to swim with many centres offering swimming lessons to adult and children beginners alike as well as refresher courses and triathlon training.

Most pools in London are 25m in length although there are a couple of 30m pools in existence and two Olympic sized 50m pools in Ealing and Crystal Palace. Please note, the pool at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre is presently under refurbishment and not scheduled to re-open until April 2009

If the outdoors is more your thing, then consider a Lido (even in the winter months you will find the ardent swimmer) or outdoor pool, all of which can be found on Lidos in London. Opportunities for open water swimming within London are limited but London Swimming can point you in the right direction.

SUPERchick: Fitness for women, by women

SUPERchick is a new and exciting approach to a healthy lifestyle – A fitness brand created by women, for women only. SUPERchick offers a fun and affordable way to embrace a fitness regime that compliments today’s hectic work and social lifestyle – making time for both Cardio and Cocktails… SUPERchick provides free online fitness training through an interactive website with personalised programmes, and group training sessions in parks and nightclubs across London, these classes are taken in small groups with a SUPERchick trainer. Because SUPERchick is just for girls, it offers a serious workout but without the off-putting competitive edge often associated with sport – instead it is about making fitness an enjoyable and sociable outdoor experience.

MOTHER AND BABY SWIMMING LESSONS

For a child to gain comfort in water from an early age is a great way for mother/father (lets be politically correct) and baby to bond. Most classes are aimed at babies 12 weeks and older but these days this is not a government recommendation. For more information on classes in your area visit the Baby Centre


SCUBA DIVING

Despite being quite far from the sea, and far from tropical, scuba diving is still readily available and extremely popular in London. There are many scuba diving clubs in and around London. Scuba diving education in London, and the UK in general, is primarily organised through PADI (the Professional Association of Diving Instructors) and BSAC (the British Sub Aqua Club), and there is a very active social scene attached to whichever school you find. On any given day of the week there is more than likely a group of divers in a pub somewhere telling tall tales of adventure on the high seas!

The way you start to scuba dive in the UK is pretty simple. If you haven't been scuba diving before, you first find a shop/club that you get a good feeling from – don't be afraid to shop around, it is better to go out of your way to join a club you like than join a club just because it is the closest one to you. Like any club or group, some you will click with more than others.

If you haven't been scuba diving before, then you need to try it first – if it is a PADI centre, sign up for a Discover Scuba Diving session (DSD). These are fun for the whole family, are relatively inexpensive and can be done on a Saturday or Sunday, but put aside most of a day to get the most out of it. Once you have had a go, and you enjoy it,  you can ask your instructor when the next Open Water Course starts. This will give you the most basic certification, and normally takes two weekends to complete, not including a bit of home-study before hand.

Don't be put off by the thought of scuba diving trips in the UK! Scuba diving in the UK is great fun even if you only ever dive in tropical blue waters after you have finished your course!

LEARN TO DIVE IN LONDON

Try diving and learn to scuba dive at Diving Leisure London, London’s leading PADI Dive Centre. Diving Leisure is a friendly diving shop and school in South London. We offer courses from beginner all the way through to instructor and beyond. We also have an active social club and organise holidays and trips in the UK and abroad We believe primarily in customer service and we strive to deliver quality training and the structure to take you diving anywhere you want to. Come and visit us at the shop or alternatively come along for one of our regular social nights. Everyone is welcome and you can come along and chat to us about any questions you might have as well as enjoy a drink and meet new people!

CLIMBING

For indoor climbing walls and related shops and clubs visit UK Climbing. One of the most well known centres in London is the Castle Climbing Centre in Manor House with over 450 Routes or the Westway Centre in West London with 350 routes, ranging in grade from F3 to F8a.

TENNIS

Tennis fever grips the UK at least once a year when the Wimbledon Championships are held at the end of June. London has an assortment of public, free and club tennis courts - a list of which can be found on London Tennis. As well as tennis centres, many of the parks across the city have courts - some of which do not require pre-booking, allowing you to turn up and play as and when you feel like it.

ROLLERBLADING

Rollerblading has fast become a popular pastime in London, with many events - day and night - to keep you occupied. A popular location for bladers is Hyde Park due to its good surfacing and more importantly lack of vehicles. If you are a beginner and/or need skate hire there are many shops in the area and through the summer months LondonSkate run Wednesday night skates through the streets of London from their meeting point in Hyde Park.

For lessons on anything from the basics to backwards skating and tricks check out LondonSkaters or for an alternative night out try the Roller Disco at the Renaissance Rooms in Vauxhall.

ICE SKATING

Over the winter months many temporary ice rinks open to beautiful back drops - Somerset House, Hampton Court, Tower of London and Kew Gardens. For more information visit GoLondon. For the good old fashioned indoor ice rink with pop music and speeding teenagers check out LondonSkaters.