By Charlotte Hope Lifestyle Editor @TLE_Lifestyle
I get really blubbery in the Winter. I hate it. It’s cold and I want to stay indoors and drink tea and eat chocolate/anything in the house. Everything in the house. In addition, the second the clock strikes midnight on December 1st it is a struggle not to eat my entire advent calendar and drink gallons of mulled wine. A friend of mine has a theory that in December ‘a cold wind blows’ and in turn it’s acceptable to drink every night. Ordinarily I roll with this idea, imbibing everything possible and enjoying the layer of Winter blubber that settles on my body.
THIS YEAR, however, spurred on by my own mortality, I decided I wanted to enter ‘party dress season’ like a debutante at a cotillion, i.e. sixteen and a size four. Having come to terms with the fact that I will never be 16 again and when I was I was in fact considerably larger than I am now, I decided it was time to try out what fitness classes the Capital City has to offer and see what I can achieve in the six week run up to a day dedicated to eating.
My first foray into fitness came in the form of Edge Cycle, a studio in Holborn which specialises in indoor cycling and bootcamp combination classes. I was a little intimidated as I ascended the stairs and could hear aggressive dance music and an instructor shouting at his class. My intimidation quickly abated when I got in and signed in to the class. The gentleman (Stuart, as I recall) on the desk was incredibly friendly and showed me around. The studio was huge and lovely clean towels were free of charge – an indicator of how hard I was about to work.
I got into the studio with plenty of time to set up my bike. It was explained that as this was an Edge Bootcamp class, we would be doing 15 minutes of indoor cycling, 15 minutes of full body circuits, and 15 more minutes of indoor cycling to finish off the class. I’m not a huge fan indoor cycling so this appealed – breaking up the routine and trying something a bit different. After the first 15 minutes of cycling I was suitably sweaty and feeling energised. I was spurred on by the LED ‘X’s on the studio walls. They made me feel like I was on an episode of Britain’s Got Talent. Determined not to illuminate those ‘X’s of doom I pushed really hard through the bootcamp 15 minutes, which included burpees, sit ups and weights, ensuring a full body work out.
By the time I got back on the bike, my fringe had come out of my ponytail and was flopping around on my head. Perhaps partly as a result of delirium induced by this intensive class, I started imagining I was John Connor in Terminator 2. John Connor and Sarah Connor – definitely not in the first film though. Imagining being chased by machines helped me power through the last bit, and through to stretching.
I left Edge cycle knowing I’d be back. Nothing pumps me up more than a sweaty workout, and the sense of accomplishment is unparalleled. This is far and away better and more effective than an ordinary indoor cycling class and is setting itself apart with its unique take on fitness. Located in Holborn, Edge is perfect for those working in Farringdon/Holborn areas and is easily accessed by public transport. Give it a go if you’re looking to slim down into that perfect Christmas party dress – you won’t regret it.
For more information visit www.edgecycle.co.uk