The best fitness classes around Roman Road

They may be tucked away in unexpected places, but Roman Road offers a range and quality of fitness classes that would rival Third Place or Barry’s Bootcamp.

With your recommendations, we’ve rounded up reader’s favourites from outdoor boxing classes in Vicky Park, to bouldering in Mile End. Weird, wacky and wonderful, Roman Road seems to have it all.

So, a little less conversation and a little more action, or climbing, jumping, stretching, squatting or dancing.

9Rounds, Roman Road

9Round, the kickboxing fitness club with studios around the world, has a branch on Roman Road. The studio offers Bow locals a high-intensity workout that fits in with busy lifestyles through the short 30-minute length and circuit style with no class times.

Originally an American venture, 9Round has made waves in New Zealand, Japan, and the Middle East, and is growing fast in the UK too. By throwing its hat into Bow’s ring, 9Round brings its flexible brand of fitness to the East End. The club offers locals the chance to box and kick for exercise, self-improvement, and fun, rather than competition.

9Round’s Bow, 530 Roman Road, Bow, London E3 5ES.

Mile End Climbing Wall

This climbing wall has been around since the 80s and has long been one of London’s top climbing spots. As a registered charity, by paying to climb at the wall, customers help offer opportunities to youth groups, vulnerable young people and groups with special educational needs.

The wall is open to all abilities and offers bouldering walls (low level climbing without ropes), as well as top-roped and lead climbing.

Mile End climbing wall at mileendwall.org.uk, Haverfield Road, Mile End, E3 5BE

Hackney Wick Bouldering

Just over the footbridge into Hackney Wick is this new clambering kid on the climbing block. Book a taster session, and after an hour with an instructor, you will know enough to go by yourself. And if you’re new to climbing, or just don’t want to climb alone, they also run Boulder Socials, informal, friendly drop-in sessions where you can meet new people.

Hackney Wick Bouldering, 117 Wallis Road, E9 5LN

Bee Fit Pilates

Teacher Bee Hurst aims to help people who sit at a desk all day, who have aches and pains, or who just want to strengthen their cores. Pilates is the perfect way to get strong and fit without adding bulk, no matter how tall, small, young or old you are.

Bunsen started practising pilates in 2003 after suffering from a back injury, and loved it so much she left her career as an executive producer on TV to become a teacher. Her classes are dynamic and incorporate barre moves. They are aimed at all levels and abilities.

Beefitpilates.com, Victoria Park Baptist Church, Bunsen Street, E3 5GT

F45, Here East

Also at Here East is F45 – group training centred around different workouts each day. They combine strength training and cardio so there’s always something for everyone.

And on Saturdays, why not make your way down to the live DJ class and grab some brunch nearby afterwards. These classes might not be for the faint-hearted, but they’re guaranteed to squat you into shape.

F45training.co.uk, Unit 2 Canalside, Here East, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, E20 3BS

Dance fitness with Maxine Jones

Every Wednesday at 7.30pm and Saturdays at 10am, Maxine is in Bow to help us all dance ourselves fit. Having worked in investment banking for 23 years, she discovered zumba and the rest is history. Her zumba/dance fitness classes are famous for letting you ‘release your inner diva’. Watch out for this high energy workout.

Maxine Jones fitness at maxicise.tv, Victoria Park Baptist Church, 186 Grove Road, E3 5TG

Victoria Park Fit Club

The Victoria Park Fit Club provides you a holistic way to stay healthy, offering HIIT outdoor classes (high intensity interval training) three times a week alongside nutrition and health advice. Receive a free wellness check when you sign up, local to Vicky Park. Their aim isn’t to eliminate food groups or count calories, but to help you achieve your goal with a balanced diet and fun exercise.

Victoriaparkfitclub.com, Approach Road, E2 9LY

AdMac Fitness

Join Adam on Saturdays for his weekend bootcamp, with lots of games, squats, sweat and a well deserved post-workout coffee. He uses powerlifting, olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, yoga, high intensity interval training and boxing in order to feel stronger and lose body fat.

There are also one-on-one sessions, as well as semi private classes available.

Admacfitness.com, Grove Hill Park, Fairfield Road, E3 2TD

Fighting Fit Studio, Grove Road

If you’re after one-on-one fitness, then personal trainer Michelle Crawford comes highly recommended – ‘awesome’ in fact. Her regime aims to realign the body by focussing on martial arts. She also trains you in body weight training, flexibility, self-defence, and nutrition.

Fighting Fit, 221 Grove Road, E3 5SN

Move Studio, Roman Road

Owners Sam Abbott and Jessica Francis are grounding Move with an ethos of flexibility and close attention to class members’ differing sports needs. The two have combined their fitness interests, to accommodate a variety of movement styles

Their studio is equipped with high-end mats and various yoga props, TRX suspension straps, free weights and other resistance training kit.

They also offer classes specifically suited for pregnancy, as well as postnatal sessions that parents can attend with their babies. 

Move, Dane Place, E3 5EJ

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Stratford Padel Club

Padel has taken the UK by storm over the last few years. We feel very lucky to have the UK’s largest club on our doorstep in Stratford, which includes an outdoor court. A cross between squash and tennis, the game is now bigger than football in Spain, and it seems as though every tennis club in the UK is now building a padel court. It’s always doubles, and always followed by a beer at the bar. So get your trainers on and jump on a court.

More info at Stratfordpadelclub.org/If you enjoyed this, you might like The best running groups, clubs and routes near Roman Road.

Strong + Bendy

London’s only outdoor and indoor gym, Strong + Bendy is the place to be if you feel calmer outdoors. Offering a range of classes from beginners to advanced, they focus on your own confidence and comfort. From Desk Therapy Yoga, outdoor cardio, and even twerk classes, if you feel like spicing things up, this is definitely somewhere to try. 

The Trowbridge Centre, 1 Trowbridge Rd, E9 5LD