Getting fit doesn’t have to be boring. These brilliant classes will have you spinning on poles, trampolining and more.
These are some of the most interesting fitness classes in Leeds. They’ll help you burn the calories and tone up, but with a difference. Spinning, kickboxing and hot room yoga are just the start – you can dance yourself fit, get in the boxing ring and prove that you’re poles apart. So why not kick start your fitness regime by trying one of these classes on for size?
Ready for mid-air yoga?
Credit: Leeds Aerial Arts
If you’re looking for a full-body workout, try aerial yoga. At Leeds Aerial Arts Studio, you’ll work your way through all the classic and traditional yoga positions, except you’ll do them while suspended from the ceiling in a specialist hammock. Why? The hammock’s structure is supportive while letting you work on your flexibility in creative ways. It’ll help you to condition your body and build up your strength, without overdoing it.
Leeds Aerial Arts Studio, Unit 5, Cardigan Industrial Estate, Lennox Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS4 2BL. Classes are available on Thursday and Friday. Each class is £15 or you can get four classes for £50.
Feel the vibe at this spin class
You can join a regular spinning class at JD Gyms, but the Vibe Cycle class is a lot more fun. It does the same thing as the normal class – burns calories, increases and decreases resistance, gives you a thorough cardio workout – but it does it with a twist. It incorporates rhythmic movements, lighting and pumping music to add a whole other element to your class, making it both more fun and more effective. It’s the closest you’ll get to cycling inside a nightclub.
JD Gyms, Industrial Estate, 1 Kirkstall Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS4 2AZ. Spin classes are held daily. Membership starts at £21.99 per month.
Reach peak condition with pole dancing
Pole dancing might seem like an intimidating thing to do, but the instructors at Aerial Empire are brilliant at showing absolute beginners the ropes, or indeed, the poles. It provides a great way to work out your core and they’ll help you find your own style of dancing. Static pole classes will teach you inversions, seats and stands, and while your heart and muscles will get the exercise they need, this is also one of the best fitness classes in Leeds for building confidence.
Aerial Empire, Unit 16, Curtis House Business Centre, Berking Ave, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS9 9LF. Beginners classes are available on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Each class is £11.50 or you can get four classes for £40.
Unleash your inner warrior at Leeds Cage
You don’t have to be a fighter to attend the Mixed Martial Arts centre Leeds Cage. In addition to their other classes, they run spartan workouts that are inspired by ancient training sessions from the past. These lessons might be fun, but they’re definitely not easy – you’ll be doing squats and lunges holding kegs, using ropes, flipping tyres, scaling overheard bars and swinging sledgehammers as you use every single muscle in your body. Go hard or go home!
Leeds Cage, Washington Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS3 1JL. Classes are available from Monday to Saturday. Monthly membership starts at £20.
Feel the benefits of high intensity training
Credit: Amy Heycock
Right in the heart of Leeds, the exercise classes at TRIB3 conjure up the atmosphere of a club, all dimmed lighting and loud music. But rather than cocktails and dancing, it’s all about high-intensity interval training that maximises your time – stick at it and you can have dramatic results. It combines work on the treadmill, resistance exercises and intensity on the air bike for a sweat-inducing workout that can burn through 1,000 calories in a session.
TRIB3, 68a Wellington Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 2EE. Classes are available every day of the week. Each class is £15 or you can get five for £60.
Pirouette your way to fitness
Credit: Brian Slater
Love to dance like no-one is watching? You’ll have company at The Dance Studio, but don’t worry, there’s safety in numbers. If you take on one of their ballet fitness classes, their skilled instructors will help you and your fellow newbies get up to speed on exercises that will help with movement, balance, core strength, general fitness and co-ordination. They have classes for all levels, so you can find yours and get Bolshoi-level fit.
The Dance Studio Leeds, Mill 6, Mabgate Mills, Macaulay Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS9 7SW. Classes take place on Tuesdays. Each class is £4.50 or you can get four classes for £15.
Feel the burn with hot yoga
If you can stand the heat, get into the studio at The Hot Room. It’s heated to 40 degrees, so while the yoga positions you do are the same low-intensity ones as a normal yoga class, the effect is amplified by the temperature. It does that by increasing blood flow and relaxing your ligaments and muscles, so the 26 postures give you a full-body workout. As fitness classes in Leeds go, it’s completely unique. The Hot Room is open to people of all ages and ability.
The Hot Room, Level 2, The Core, The Headrow, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6JD. Classes run every day of the week. Each class is £25 or you can get an all-access pass for £80 a month.
Get Madonna’s body at Barrecore
Okay, you may not exactly want a body like Madonna – especially if you’re a guy – but barre is her exercise secret. The only dedicated studio in Leeds is Barrecore. Here, you can learn the mysteries of this unique exercise. It combines elements of ballet, yoga and pilates, focusing on stillness and stretching. It’s low impact but high intensity, meaning it’s ideal for beginners and experts alike, as well as mums-to-be and people with injuries.
Barrecore Leeds, Unit A, Spicemill, Wharf Approach, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 4EZ. Classes are £20 each or you can get four for £55.
Bounce the weight off at Gravity Fitness
Trampolines aren’t just for children. At Gravity, they’ve devised an exercise class – TrampoLEAN – that’s both effective and fun. It’s built around HIIT principles, so it will burn calories while improving overall fitness, muscle tone, cardio health, core strength, balance and energy levels. Because it’s fun, you’re more likely to stick at it, and the low impact nature of the trampolines will reduce injury. Even better, you don’t need to have been on a trampoline before to take part.
Gravity Active Entertainment, Cardigan Fields Leisure Park, Kirkstall Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS4 2DG. Classes take place on Mondays. Classes are £5 each or you can get six for £24 or 12 for £36.
Punch above your weight at Alliance Boxing Club
As anyone who’s done it will tell you, boxing training is hard. You wouldn’t believe just how tricky it is to keep your hands up for any length of time. That makes it a great workout – and Alliance Boxing Club run a fitness class in Leeds that will have you feeling like you’re Anthony Joshua in no time. Boxing fitness lasts 45 minutes and will teach you techniques in a non-competitive environment. If you can push yourself further, try the Boxfit Circuit Training.
Alliance Boxing Club, 1st Floor, Crossgates Working Mens Club, Orchard Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS15 7LP. Classes are £3.50 each or it’s £10 for a weekly pass.
Go intense at Insanity Live
Total Dance has been improving the health and fitness of the people of North Leeds since 2008, and its Insanity Live classes remain hugely popular. Insanity is a HIIT training method that focuses on intense intervals of activity to maximise impact and results. Sessions focus on cardio conditioning, abs, recovery and balance, but it’s always a full-body workout in short, sharp bursts with brief recovery times. It’s tough, but they welcome beginners here.
Total Dance UK classes take place in studios across North Leeds. Insanity Live takes place on Monday and Wednesday. Classes start at £6 with weekly passes for £17.50, including their Zumba classes.
Swap crunches for kickboxing
For a truly different exercise class in Leeds, head to Elemental Kickboxing. Under the tutelage of qualified martial arts instructors, you’ll get intense physical exercise with the added sports elements of kickboxing. The high energy approach helps raise your cardio levels while lifting your mood by releasing endorphins. Balance and coordination are key, and the experience of the instructors means they’ll devise a plan for you whether you’re new or a pro.
Elemental Kickboxing Leeds, 2 Bath Lane, Bramley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS13 3AT. Monthly membership passes start at £27 per person. You can book your first four sessions for £15.
Blaze a trail at a boot camp
Credit: Antony Newby
Bootcamps can often be hard work, but the ones hosted by Antony Newby’s Trailblazer Fitness are a little bit different. They’re incredibly family-friendly and super-welcoming, so it doesn’t matter if you’ve done it before or not. You’ll still get a thorough, sweaty workout, you’ll just get it in a supportive group that prioritises mental health as much as physical. Haven’t got a babysitter for the kids? Don’t worry, they can come along and get fit with you for free!
Trailblazer, Unit 10A, St Catherines Mill, Broad Lane, Bramley, West Yorkshire, LS13 2TD. Each session is £6.
Cover image credit: Credit: Amy Heycock
