Keeping fit with a baby in tow can be simple – and fun – with a great mum-friendly exercise class. These are the best fitness classes in London for mums and mums-to-be.
It’s not always easy to find the energy and motivation to pull on your leggings and hit the gym when you’re pregnant or have recently had a baby. But, with the right support from expert instructors in a family-friendly environment, mums and mums-to-be can enjoy moving, stretching and strengthening their bodies again.
From barre classes and relaxed Pilates where babies can join you on the mat, to physio-based workouts that target your pelvic floor, and fun outdoor exercise meet-ups, these are some of the best pre and postnatal fitness classes in London, including one you can do from the comfort of your own living room while your little one naps.
Buggyfit
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If what you really want is to get back to (or start) exercising in the great outdoors, then Buggyfit is ideal. The largest buggy workout network in the UK, they have plenty of classes to choose from, with several around London in areas such as Wandsworth and Chiswick. They’re also at different times of the day so you can work it around your little one’s routine. The 60-minute outdoor classes have been created by pre and postnatal fitness specialists, and the idea is that you get to exercise in the fresh air while your little one is safely tucked up in their buggy or pram beside you. From squats and lunges to press ups and burpees, classes are a mix of cardio and strength training with a qualified instructor. You can start as early as six weeks after you’ve given birth – or whenever you feel ready. Everything takes place outside (unless there is a Met Office weather warning!) so come rain or shine you can join in – just remember to bring the right clothing for you and your little one. Everyone is welcome and no experience is necessary.
Paola’s BodyBarre
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Mother-of-three Paola Di Lanzo has been teaching her renowned barre method (a combination of dynamic Pilates with yoga and barre) from her Fulham studio for years – and many of her clients return to the workouts after having a baby. Her PBB Baby Barre classes are a specifically-designed fusion of Pilates and yoga for pre and postnatal women that ensure pregnant women and new mums are both comfortable and safe while they build strength and suppleness. The sessions pay particular attention to the core, pelvic floor and lower back muscles – all of which are put under pressure during pregnancy and childbirth. Babies (pre-toddler) are welcome to come along and lie on a mat beside their mums, who can take a break at any time to attend to their needs. Gentle, fun and inspiring, these classes are perfect for those who want to get back to their favourite workout, or for complete beginners looking to help their bodies recover slowly under the watchful eye of instructors who are well versed in training women pre and post birth.
MumHood at Frame
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Frame has been offering some of the capital’s coolest fitness classes since 2009, but it was after founders Pip and Joan had their first babies that the company began to expand its offering for mums and mums-to-be. Celebrating how amazing women’s bodies are as they create and care for little humans, these classes aim to really support mums with safe, simple and effective workouts, both within the studios and at home. All sessions are specific to each stage of the physical and emotional motherhood journey and classes include mat and reformer Pilates, yoga and cardio. Taking place across five Frame studios, including Hammersmith, Shoreditch and Kings Cross, expect 60 minutes of fun and relaxed exercising with like-minded mums in a supportive environment. Whether you’re returning to exercise or a complete novice, you’re invited to join in – with or without your baby.
Jaego’s House
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There are so many reasons to join Jaego’s House, the members’ club for families in Notting Hill; from the excellent kids’ club and soft play area, to the stylish restaurant serving up healthy dishes, it’s a super hang out. But one of the biggest attractions for mums who want to exercise are the health and fitness facilities. Members can use a well-equipped gym, book in with a personal trainer, head to the cycle studio for a Boom Cycle work out, or join one of the yoga, Pilates and barre core classes. While some are adults-only, there are postnatal classes where you can bring your baby along too. Or if you’d rather grab some ‘me time’ check your little one into the kids’ club for an hour or two, where they’ll be looked after by the experienced childcare team. Afterwards take a shower in the lovely changing rooms and grab a coffee – the perfect morning for busy new mums in need of some self care.
Four Sides London
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Run by a team of experienced physiotherapists, Four Sides London specialise in building strength and pain-free movement to enable mothers to meet their personal health and fitness goals, while understanding that postnatal women need a healing aspect too. With a mix of musculoskeletal physiotherapy, Pilates and strength training, these classes are perfect for new mums tentatively heading into fitness again after giving birth. Held in their Clapham studio, sessions for mums, new mums and mums-to-be are led by a specialist women’s health physio team and incorporate safe and effective strengthening that targets pelvic floor, pelvis and core – with exercises involving free weights, TRX and other resistance equipment. Those with pelvic floor dysfunction (including prolapse), tummy muscle separation or pelvic pain can train and rehabilitate. This is a wonderfully nurturing environment and babies are welcome to join the class as long as they are in a buggy or a bouncer and – reassuringly – teachers are happy to swoop in and offer cuddling to any little ones to ensure mums get the most from their time at Four Sides. Before joining in you must have a one-to-one assessment for safety purposes.
Triyoga
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For truly child-friendly yoga classes check out Triyoga, a family-focused practice that is welcoming of very tiny babies right through to those who want to attend classes with their toddlers – or even their tweens. From carefully-created pregnancy and postnatal classes that meet the needs of women looking to work on their core strength and flexibility alongside their emotional health, to friendly and welcoming classes where little ones can lie next to their mums (or join in with the moves as they get bigger), this is expertly-taught yoga. There are four studios in London – in Chelsea, Camden, Ealing and Shoreditch – where they also offer Pilates and treatments such as pre and postnatal osteopathy, massage and acupuncture. There is a lovely café on site at each studio, making it a great place to hang out with your baby after the class too.
Bumps and Burpees
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It’s all very well booking into an exercise class but, as any new mum will tell you, trying to leave the house with a very young baby can feel like a mammoth undertaking. Sometimes the thought of being in a gym or class with your baby just seems too difficult and overwhelming, which is totally normal and to be expected. That’s where online workouts come in. There are thousands of YouTube videos you can search but, for a truly great postnatal fitness programme that you can do from the comfort of your living room while your baby naps, check out Bumps and Burpees. Founded by mum Charlie Launder in 2014, it offers an accessible platform for fitness that includes simple follow-along workouts and regular live classes from Launder and her fellow fitness specialists. This 12-week postnatal plan aims to help women ‘recover, build and boost’ their fitness with yoga and Pilates classes and weekly strength and conditioning. It also includes health physiotherapy sessions with Clare Bourne, who specialises in post-birth guidance, and weekly nutrition advice by registered postnatal dietician Amy Powderham. Plus you will have access to a library of 150 classes to do after your 12 week rehabilitation, structured into helpful weekly schedules.
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