Health & Beauty Guide for Expats
Fitness Centers
Wherever you are in London, you will not be able to escape the proximity of a gym club. The initial membership fee usually starts at £45/month. Sometimes companies pay for part or all of the subscription, be sure to ask your human resources department. Here are a few big gyms with multiple locations:
David Lloyd: http://www.davidlloyd.co.uk
David Lloyd has 22 clubs around London. The Kensington branch offers swimming, personal training, classes, and spa facilities. It’s open from 6 am till 11 pm on weekdays and 8 am till 10 pm on weekends. Get onto the site and use the membership inquiry form to find out how much your membership will cost.
Gymbox: http://www.gymbox.co.uk
Gymbox has a few clubs in London. The gym offers some amusing fitness classes, including pole dancing and ‘Chav Fighting’. All the branches have cardio and resistance-training machines and Olympic-sized boxing rings.
YMCA: http://www.ymcaclub.co.uk; 112 Great Russell Street; WC1B 3NQ
The YMCA is a huge, modern facility offering a full gym, pool, table tennis, handball, yoga, pilates, dance, a climbing wall, juice bar and lots more. Membership is affordable (get onto the site for a quote) and the club is open weekdays till 10:30 pm.
Golf
Hampstead Golf Club: http://www.hampsteadgolfclub.co.uk
This golf club allows visitors. 18 holes on weekdays go for £30; weekends – expect to pay £35.
Muswell Hill Golf Club: http://www.muswellhillgolfclub.co.uk
Rates are affordable. The course has been around since 1893 and isn’t far from central London.
Tennis
Play tennis outside for really affordable fees at many local parks in London. Highbury Fields, for example, offers tennis and even tennis instruction in a community setting. Kids can also learn.
Swimming
Hampstead Heath Ponds; Hampstead Heath; NW5 1QR
‘Bathing’ in Hampstead Heath is a London tradition. The Heath area is probably London’s most beautiful location and the ponds only add to this. Since 1860, people have been frequenting these ponds. The water might be cold but it’s always refreshing. There are a few ponds in Hampstead – the men’s pond, ladies’ pond, and mixed pond. Grass surrounds these gorgeous freshwater pools. You won’t feel like you’re in a big city. The ponds are open year-round from 7am till dusk.
Park Road; N8 8JN; +44 (0) 208 3413567
Park Road in Haringey is a center with indoor and outdoor swimming. Swimming lessons are offered in the teaching pool. The pool is open weekdays 7am – 9:30pm and weekends 7:15am – 7:30pm.
Yoga
Triyoga: http://www.triyoga.co.uk; Primrose Hill with other locations
Triyoga is the biggest yoga center in London. Hatha and Ashtanga are the two main types of yoga on offer. There are also pregnancy classes, a huge pilates studio equipped with the latest machines and excellent instructors, and a cafe. Prices are high. Check the schedule online and drop-in to see if it’s the yoga center for you.
Yoga Junction: http://www.yogajunction.co.uk offers classes in a community setting in Finsbury Park. Check the site’s schedule for details.
Football/Soccer
Because football is the most popular sport in the UK you will see people playing at every major park. Check your neighborhood park and get a group together or join an existing group. The Amateur Football Combination has information on local clubs throughout London. For more information, visit: http://www.amateurfootballcombination.com.
Others
London is a “work hard, play hard” type of place. When it comes to sports, it has a venue for everything: http://www.go-sail.co.uk/clublist?county=London.
If you are interested in sports but not in the practice of, here is the link for you: http://www.sportsmuseums.co.uk/museums.htm, you will get details of all the sports museums.
Cycling
The traffic being so heavy, London is not a very good place for cyclists. though it is getting better. Speed merchants will be happy to get to Herne Hill velodrome to burn calories: http://www.hernehillvelodrome.com.
Polo
England is known for this sport, unfortunately, there is only one club left, the Ham Polo Club, eight miles from the center, http://www.hampoloclub.com. There are, however, international events at the Dome in Greenwich…
Yacht Clubs
You are never far from the water when in London, therefore, there are a lot of water-related clubs. Click here for the list of London’s yacht clubs.
