Fighting the festive flab? Grab a Slice of the action!

If you're anything like me, at this dreary time of year you'll be mid-way through a half-hearted January detox and an inch away from binning the 'green juice' and reaching for the nearest biscuit tin/wine bottle/fag packet (delete as appropriate).

And let’s face it; that’s totally understandable. The weather is miserable, we’re back at work, and the annual influx of not so fair weather fitness fans is making the average gym class studio feel more like a sardine tin.

Having narrowly avoided a black eye from an over-enthusiastic neighbour’s energetic ‘Superman’ leaping, it was after a packed out Body Attack class at my local gym that I set out to find a fun and fresh new way to exercise in SW6.

Like Sarah and Jess before me, I trundled off to discover the brilliant local business that is Slice: an innovative group-exercise concept housed in a beautiful, bespoke building in the heart of Parsons Green.

Tucked away round the corner from Waitrose, Slice offers an enormous range of exercise classes to suit every taste, whatever your fitness level.

Launched last year and growing all the time, Slice is a breath of fresh air when it comes to exercise classes. From your more traditional Yoga and Pilates, to Barre Conditioning (a Slice speciality) and Fighting Fit, there’s something for everyone.

Scanning the list, there was one particular option that I had to try: 80s Aerobics.

I don’t care what anybody says, I know it’s tacky and well renowned as ‘the decade that taste forgot’, but I LOVE the 80s. Leg warmers, Wham!, big hair. I love it all.

So it was with a spring in my step and my leopard print leggings in my gym bag that I headed in to meet the impossibly smiley Colby, our instructor for the evening.

The beauty of Slice is – as Colby explained to me - that, unlike other gyms, you get rewarded for going. Slice starts with the “Slice and Dice” card – which works as an Oyster card – giving you discounts as you do more classes.  You come because you want to! Plus, this month, you can sign up for 30 days unlimited classes for the bargain price of £40.

The studio that the class took place in was spacious and warehouse-y in feel. Obviously not alone in my 80s fandom, I was joined by about 15 other ladies all ready to strut their stuff to some of the decade’s cheesiest tunes and work up a sweat in the process.

Apart from a disappointing lack of leg warmers and not a Richard Simmons sweatband in sight, it was an excellent turnout.

A deceptively loud portable stereo in the corner blasted out a series of the 80s finest musical masterpieces. We jumped to Journey, lunged to Lionel and pranced to the Poynter Sisters in a fun, high energy cardio workout for half an hour, before it was time to hit the mats and channel our inner Jane Fonda with some good old fashioned floor work.

We leg lifted, squatted and there was hip thrusting that the girls in that Eric Prydz video would have been proud of; though in my case it was more Eric Pickles than Eric Prydz. (I blame the mince pies).

A frequent albeit reluctant attendee to Les Mills torture sessions like Body Combat and Body Attack, I was expecting 80s aerobics to be fairly tame in the difficulty stakes. What felt like several hundred sit-ups and crunches later, though, and I stood very much corrected. My stomach muscles ached good and proper the next day – always a sign of a proper workout.

So, if you’re on the hunt for something to freshen up your workout routine that’s fun, different and a great way to get fighting fit for 2014, head down to Parsons Green and grab a Slice of the action!

SLICE URBAN LIFESTYLE STUDIOS
11 Heathmans Road
London SW6 4TJ
PH: 020 7186 6007
Email: hello@slicefitness.co.uk

Happy New Year, SW6 residents!

Happy New Year, everybody!

It’s Stef here, the new writer for this blog page. I hope you all had a brilliant Christmas, ate far too much turkey and drank your body weight in champagne to celebrate in style. 

Sarah has very kindly handed me the reins of the SW6 blog on her departure for the hip and achingly edgy streets of N1.  She left us a fabulous Fulhamite, and I just hope that she doesn’t return with an undercut, nose ring and charity shop fur coat...

Choice of abode aside, Sarah has done a fabulous job with the blog up until now, so I’m very aware of the big boots I have to fill! Fingers crossed I can do her justice and keep it up to date with all the happenings and goings on in this brilliant borough.

First things first, I have a teeny tiny confession to make. I don’t actually live in Fulham. BUT before you all run for the hills, or at least go back to browsing Facebook instead of reading this bit of blurb, don’t panic. I’m only down the road in Putney.

Plus, unlike many stalwart Putney dwellers, I’m happy to travel (within the bounds of other SW postcodes. I’m not as adventurous as Sarah our new Angel inhabitant). I’ll do my very best to make sure that all areas of local life are covered on here, from Fulham to Parsons Green, and Putney to Barnes. 

Like Sarah, I too am a PR gal, and very happy for anybody and everybody to Tweet / Facebook / email me suggestions of things to cover on here. Do drop me a line with anything you think could be of interest in the coming year!

I’m currently planning a Battle of the Bulge post for later this month, where I’ll be reviewing local fitness classes in the area to combat Christmas calories. Any suggestions, do give me a shout!

That’s all from me for now, but I’m chuffed to bits to be handed this brilliant blog and hope I can carry the torch in suitably Sloaney style!

Stef x

Goodbye Fulham

I write this last blog post somewhat fuzzy headed following a fun filled festive Sunday evening at The Ship. Never disappointed by this South West London Sunday night institution, last night was no exception. A room packed with booze-fuelled 20 somethings dancing on tables, men proving their pull-up prowess on the ceiling beams and Jaeger bombs being sunk quicker than Nigella’s career, the atmosphere was nothing short of electric. Sadly during this debauched twilight hour, my best friend and I fell victims to a common crime in our neck of the woods, compulsive bull-shitting.

Like the mugs that we are, we fell hook, line and sinker for an elaborate rouse by three gentlemen who shall remain nameless. But why shouldn’t we question whether the tall dark handsome one was actually a professional masters winning golfer and his two friends the subsequent agent and manager. People our age don’t make things like this up right? Wrong. And now I can’t rush off and tell my dad he can give up work because his son-in-law to be is a pro-golfer, damn.  

Oh how we laughed this morning, and no doubt will do again when we regale our tale of Bridget and Daniel Cleaver fraudulence to our friends over a glass of the world’s most over-priced white wine at the Duke on the Green. Wonderfully, this is one incident of many that make up a patchwork of memories from my years living in Fulham, some fantastic, some better forgotten. It’s with sadness and excitement that come January I will be moving from the lovely leafy suburbs of SW6 to the grittier climes of N1.

With my imminent departure I must apologise for all the night club owners’ hospitality I abused (particularly Embargo), the relentless banging on about supporting our big society and shopping on Wandsworth Bridge Road, the ranting about red trousers and most importantly to the delightful local business owners I never got to meet in person but always promised I would.

Determined not to let mine and Jess’s committed championing of local businesses and community go to waste I will be handing over to a dear friend of mine, Miss Stefanie Morley. A much better writer than myself and a permanent resident in these parts she will keep you abreast of where to eat, drink, get fit, shop and enjoy this beautiful borough.

Goodbye Fulham, it’s been emotional.... Over to you Stef! 

Sarah xx