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It’s Blue Monday, officially the most depressing day of the year. Falling on the third Monday of January, the day of gloom was calculated taking into account things like the bleak weather, debt levels following the Christmas period, failed new years resolutions and low motivation levels. Oh joy.
In need of something to perk you up? Probably. Exercise is one of easiest ways to boost your mood and release some much-needed endorphins.
The key to maintaining long-term fitness goals is to mix up your fitness regime, according to new research from membership-based class booking site MoveGB.
Gathering data from its 250,000 users in the UK, it found members were twice as likely to stick to fitness habits after a year if their exercise was varied. On average users who switched up their routine with different activities continued exercising for eight months longer than single activity members. Popular combinations of fitness activities included yoga and climbing, yoga and swimming and gym sessions and climbing.
So why not use the start of a new decade as an excuse to try a new totally new, fun and uplifting workout to keep the spark alive in your exercise regime.
Here are a few we’ll be trying in 2020.
Learn to twerk it
Let 2020 be the year you learn how to twerk, because, frankly, name a better party trick.
Channel your inner Nicki Minaj at Bami Kuteyi’s “Twerk After Work” dance class which promises to boost your confidence while helping you burn up to 600 calories in a 60-minute class.
The 360-degree workout combines HIIT and cardio to Afrobeats, Soca and Dancehall tunes, and with classes held in Aldgate, Brixton and King’s Cross, she’s got most bases covered for Londoners.
From £15 per class check out the schedule here.
Climbing is cool
If you hadn’t already heard, climbing is having a revival and we fully intend to jump on this bandwagon as it’s such a great full-body workout. According to the British Mountaineering Council, the action of climbing works muscles in your back, abs, legs, shoulders, arms and fingers and doing so regularly can improve your stamina and endurance as well as strength, while also sharpening your brain and leaving you with a sense of achievement.
If you’re a beginner, one of London’s indoor climbing centres is a good place to start. The Arch has locations in Acton, Bermondsey and North London and offers intro classes for £20, while single entrance starts from just £8.50 off-peak. Third Space Canary Wharf meanwhile has a 13m high climbing wall for members use.
Bounce around
Trampoline-based fitness has been steadily growing in popularity in London over the last year, with Rebounding classes available at studios like Frame and Body by Simone (BBS) and ((Bounce)), which has 300 franchise studios in the UK and 33 in the capital alone, just launched a Saturday bounce and brunch series at the Covent Garden-based hotel St Martins Lane.
You can burn up to 700 calories per 45-minute class, it says, and the high-intensity, low-impact workout is easy on joints as the trampoline absorbs over 87 per cent of the shock. Classes start at £6.95, depending on location.
Get your bungee on
Fun fact: “bungee workout near me” was the sixth most Googled fitness query in the UK in 2019.
Intrigued? Sign up for a bungee dance session with Upswing at the WAC Arts College in Belsize Park. While attached to harnesses, you’ll learn how to defy gravity with grace, while simultaneously building some serious core strength and coordination.
One and a half hour taster sessions cost from £40, check out the schedule here.
