London Recreational Activities

London has hundreds of fitness clubs. Search Yellow Pages under “Health Clubs and Fitness” or online.

Barbican YMCA, 2 Fann St. (☎7628 0697). Barbican. Weights, Nautilus machines, treadmills, and bikes. Non-members £5 per session. Membership £55 per year, £27 for 3 months, plus £3.50 per use. Open M-F 7am-9:30pm, Sa-Su 10am-6pm.
Central YMCA Club, 112 Great Russell St. (☎7343 1700). Tottenham Court Rd. This may be the world’s oldest YMCA, but you’ll never guess from this club’s modern interior and state-of-the-art exercise equipment. Facilities include 25m pool, cardio machines, weights, and badminton courts. Extensive schedule of exercise classes. Day pass £10, 1-week pass £45. 3-month short-term memberships available.
Chelsea Sports Centre, Chelsea Manor St. (☎7352 6985). Sloane Sq. or South Kensington. Pool, gym, tennis, ping pong, volleyball, basketball, football, and badminton. Numerous yoga, pilates, and body conditioning classes. £3 drop-in pool use; £4.20 aerobic classes; £5.30 yoga and pilates classes; 1hr. intro course (non-members £20) required for use of weights and cardio machines. Call for other prices. Open M-F 6:30am-10pm, Sa 8am-8pm, Su and holidays 8am-10pm.
Fitness First (☎01202 845 125; www.fitnessfirst.co.uk). The largest health club operator in the UK and Europe, with over 40 locations in London, including Bloomsbury (☎7833 1887), Liverpool St. (☎7247 5511), and Shepherd’s Bush (☎8743 4444). Offers NUS student and budget plans with 3-month min. membership.
Kensington Leisure Centre, Walmer Rd. (☎7727 9747). Ladbroke Grove. In Notting Hill, despite the name. Pool, sauna, weights, badminton, and squash, plus aerobics, self-defense, and scuba-diving classes. Open M-F 6:30am-10pm, Sa-Su 8am-8pm.
Paris Gym, 73 Goding St. (☎7735 8989; www.parisgym.com). Vauxhall. The only exclusively gay men’s gym in the city. 1 day £7, 1 week £22, 1 month £55. Open M-F 7am-11pm, Sa 10am-10pm, Su 10am-8pm.
Soho Gyms (☎7284 3433; www.sohogyms.com). Fitness center chain with locations in Bayswater, Camden Town, Clapham Common, Covent Garden, and Earl’s Court. 1-month membership from £55. No joining fees or contracts.

Dance

DanceWorks, 16 Balderton St. (☎7629 6183; www.danceworks.net), in Mayfair. Bond St. 168 dance, fitness, martial arts and yoga classes each week. £4-12 per class, plus day membership fee (£2-5). Open M-F 8:30am-10pm, Sa-Su 9am-6pm.
Laban Centre for Dance, Creekside (☎8691 8600; www.laban.org), in East London. DLR: Cutty Sark. Adult evening classes in African dance, ballet, contemporary, jazz, pilates, and yoga. Call or check website for availability and schedules. Open Tu-Th 6:30-8pm, Sa 9am-12:15pm.
Marylebone Dance Studio, 12 Lisson Grove (☎7258 0767; www.m-dancestudio.co.uk), in Marylebone. Marylebone. Classes in ballet, contemporary, Bollywood, capoeira, “Streetz,” and Pilates. £6-10 per class. Open M 6:30am-10pm, Tu 5am-9pm, W and F 6am-8:30pm, Th 6:30am-9pm, Sa 9am-5:15pm, Su 10:30am-4:30pm.
Pineapple Dance Studio, 7 Langley St. (☎7836 4004; www.pineapple.uk.com), in Covent Garden. Covent Garden or Leicester Sq. Classes in ballet, hip hop, jazz, martial arts, pilates, pole dancing, tap, yoga, and more. £5-8 per class, plus day membership fee (£2-4). Open M-F 9am-10pm, Sa 9am-6:30pm, Su 10am-6pm.
Triyoga, 6 Erskine Road (☎7483 3344; www.triyoga.co.uk), in North London. Chalk Farm. Smaller location at 2 Neal’s Yard, in Covent Garden (Covent Garden). One of the most well-known and well-respected yoga and pilates studios in Europe, with over 100 classes per week. Everything from “Saturday Night Yoga Fever” to prenatal yoga. Community yoga and pilates start at just £8.50 per visit. Regular classes £12. Students receive up to 20% off all off-peak classes. Daily community class at 50% off regular price. Mats available for use.

Swimming

Parliament Hill, Hampstead Heath , in North London.
Serpentine Lido, Hyde Park , in Kensington and Earl’s Court.

Tennis

Holland Park (sports reception ☎7361 3003; www.quadronservices.co.uk), in Kensington and Earl’s Court. Kensington High St. Courts toward the southern end of the park. Tennis classes, along with female-only and mixed leagues. Free.
Regent’s Park Tennis Centre (☎7262 3474), in Marylebone. Regent’s Park. On the southeast side of the park. Courts open year-round. 1hr. non-member court use £7-9; 1 day advance reservations recommended.

Other

Horseback Riding, Hyde Park Stables (☎7723 2813; www.hydeparkstables.com), in Kensington and Earl’s Court. Lancaster Gate. Group, semi-private, and private lessons for children and adults. Open M-F 7:15am-5pm, Sa-Su 9am-5pm. £42-70 per hr.
Ice Skating, Somerset House, Strand (www.somerset-house.org.uk/icerink), in Holborn. Charing Cross or Temple. Outdoors courtyard rink. Daytime (10am-5:15pm) £9.50, evening (from 6:30pm) £11, children under 13 £6. Open daily Dec.-Jan. 10am-10pm.