Our Favorite Places to Get Fit in 2016

It being a brand new year and all, one of the more common resolutions is getting physical and burning off that muffin top once and for all. Beijing has no shortage of gyms or fitness studios, but from our experience, it can be a daunting task figuring out which place is right for you. Whether it be charlatan personal trainers telling you that only old people use arms on the elliptical or toxic mold growing in the showers, you have to be pretty careful selecting the right gym. You will find all of the essentials like knowledgeable trainers, flexible schedule, clean facilities, and more at these recommended locations. 

Prime Fitness 

Get Paleolithic at this Shanghai chain's Beijing location. Here they put less focus on machines and more on natural movement patterns, such as pushing, pulling, throwing, jumping, and lifting to develop your functional fitness, leading to dramatic improvements in your physique. There are both private (RMB 350/half hour) and group classes (RMB 150) in the morning and evening every day except Sunday. Before you know it, you’ll be putting your hunter-gatherer physique to use hunting mastodons and scavenging the hills for nuts and berries. 

Capital Training Center 

Sometimes fight programs try to sell you the world but end up showing you a bunch of movements that don’t actually improve your physique or ability to defend yourself. What you'll get here is a high-intensity interval training program of aerobic/bodyweight exercises and fight training that will get you fit fast. Aside from being the home of Fight Camp China, Capital Training Center also features training in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiujitsu. Classes are held at Chaowai SOHO and cost RMB 120 per session or pay RMB 1,000 to take part in one of their monthly Fight Camps with unlimited morning and evening sessions five days per week. Be prepared for intense eruptions of lactic acid as you burn your way towards peak physical condition. 

CrossFit Slash 

It was only a matter of time before this fitness craze made its way to Beijing. It's known for attracting a type of person that obsesses over it and talks about it incessantly, then probably participates in it competitively until they become a bulging beast of a human. Some people have swept this fad aside as some kind of fitness cult, but the proof that this system is effective is in the results. After all, it’s the only cult we know of that makes you look good naked. There're plans here for all budgets ranging from RMB 160 per visit, RMB 1,600 for their monthly unlimited plan, or RMB 14,000 for the entire year. 

B Active 

While this is pretty much your standard gym, offering a variety of classes (bootcamp, Muay Thai, dance), personal trainers, and all of the necessary machines to pump iron on, it excels for its flexible pricing and by being open 24 hours. They offer discounted rates for off-peak hours, which is great if you keep a weird schedule and like saving money while shedding that unwanted extra weight. It’s RMB 4,000 for a flexible yearly membership, but only RMB 2,800 for the year-long, off-hours membership. That’s the cheapest we’ve encountered for a gym of this quality, and that’s also centrally located in the Sanlitun or CBD area. 

Kerry Sports 

Probably the Rolls Royce of Beijing gyms, with a celebrated 35m pool, tennis courts, Kerry Sports has a basketball court, badminton courts, a squash court, a recreation room, organized classes, and excellent equipment. This is perfect for the professional that wishes to seal a deal or two in the sauna. Yeah, it's that type of place, filled with palm greasing and Patrick Bateman-types getting their pump on, and need we say a price tag to match. The going rate is RMB 25,000 per year, but you certainly get what you pay for at this classy, sweat-inducing zone. 

Heyrobics 

If you are looking for a more casual approach to your fitness goals and honestly a little more fun, check out this ragtag crew of exercise enthusiasts. They have multiple pop-up classes at locations around the city (British School of Beijing, Canadian School) every day for RMB 50. If you’re into a little old-fashioned aerobic exercise set to fun dance music from yesterday and today, then put on those knee-high leggings because this is definitely for you. They just updated their calendar so check it out above to see if there are classes available at a spot near you.

Photos: http://cdn4.scmp.com, http://www.shangri-la.com, http://www.primefitness.cn, the beijinger