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Raving about Rave Class in London

Raving about Rave Class in London

When I was looking to join a gym in London a few months ago, it was partially motivated by the UK weather. Gloomy and dark early in winter, it wasn’t the kind of weather that makes me lace up my shoes and think, “yay, let’s go for a run in the dark!” The two criteria I was looking for was proximity to either work or home, and classes that would spice up my usual running routine.

After touring a few different gyms, I settled on GymBox. The Old Street location is halfway between home and the office, so it breaks up my morning commute when I go. The location was good, but not ideal, so I was mostly sold on the equipment, free towel service, and most of all the fun sounding classes. I am not a morning-gym person, so a class has to sound somewhat interesting for me to drag myself out of bed for a 7am session (they also have lunch-time and evening classes, but they usually do not work with my schedule).

Usually I try to get my gym time in before work, but this week I went for a lunch-time Rave class. Because lunch is when the cool kids turn down the lights and paart-thay! To imagine this class, this darkness, trampolines, glow-sticks, and bouncing around like an Energizer bunny. Normally I feel a bit uncoordinated, even plump in a cardio/aerobics/step or dance class, but as the lights went off and the only source of light was coming from our glow sticks and the window looking into the main gym area, I noticed the main benefit of this class: in the dark everyone looks good. In addition I didn’t have my contacts in, so I was generally a little more visually impaired, but all I could see in the mirrors was me as a dark shadow bouncing up and down waving glow-sticks. I felt like giggling, because for what is probably the first time in my life, I felt confident in a group cardio class. Don’t get me wrong, I am good when I run, or box, or whatever. But put me in a class that requires me to stare at myself in the mirror and I suddenly have two left feet and a dose of self-consciousness.

Rave at GymBox fixed this as soon as the lights were turned down. With a focus on having fun, and dance routines interspersed with free style I bounced through the 45-min class like it was nothing. I left feeling energized, and with two glow-sticks in my purse. Was I sore the next day? No. But I sure worked up a sweat. Don’t be fooled, it looks like playing around but bouncing on those trampolines is no joke.

I just wish they have Rave in the mornings, it would be nice to start the day with a dance party. Instead I may need to free up a few more lunch hours in the near future. Getting motivated to go to the gym can be a challenge, but cardio classes like this one make it a lot easier.

The only downside of GymBox is that they do not offer day-passes. Too bad for business travellers in London who want to drop in on an ad-hoc basis.


Christine Buske is a former academic who left science at the bench, and now considers herself a woman in tech. She is a frequently invited speaker, and enjoys talking about career transformation (particularly leaving academia for the business world), tech, issues around women in tech, product management, agile, and outreach. She is a proud Canadian resident, and qualifies as a "serial expat".

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  1. marcie

    21 September

    haha, this is hilarous! in a really good way though. whatever gets people moving right!

  2. Caroline

    11 January

    Loving in!!!!!!!

  3. Jennifer

    21 January

    Sounds fun! I was considering Gymbox as well, I may have to take another look because classes are why I go to the gym too.

  4. Geoff

    21 February

    Fun!!

  5. pblondon07

    22 February

    I bet this class is 100% girls? 🙂 *just kidding*. Kind off…. Would love to see you write about some of their other classes too, perhaps some that appeal to both boys and girls?

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