New gym coming soon to The Belgrave

As well as high tech treadmills and exercise bikes with an interactive screen; there are also some free weights and a bench, an interactive smart mirror, a Yoga and Pilates area and a chilled water filter dispenser so you can keep cool and hydrated throughout your workout. 

With this in mind, we’re obsessed about exercise this month and want you to enjoy all the health benefits that a good gym routine can help with. We’ll look at how exercise is beneficial to you as well as provide some running routes and challenges for you to complete during your stay. With the London marathon in April around the corner, these are ideal runs for beginners right through to marathoners. 

Exercise and a healthy way of living

There’s no doubt that exercising regularly can help increase your fitness and make you feel better both physically and mentally. Finding out what works for you can be tough, which is why exercising just once or twice or a week to start with can already reduce the risk of having heart disease or a stroke. 

As you build up your strength, you can add extra workouts or mix it up and do different types of exercise. We love going for a run, especially around London’s parks, but you can add in all sorts of different activities involving strength and conditioning, yoga and pilates and remember to do your stretches to warm up and cool down! 

It is recommended that you do at least 30 minutes of exercise every day, or do at least 150 minutes of medium intensity activity or 75 minutes of high intensity activity each week.

Take in London sights with a running challenge

With that in mind, and with lots of races taking place in London over the next few months; we want to help you get some training in. Check out our running challenges that will have you running around some of the best parks in the area and taking in some great sights. We have three challenges available for all abilities so whether you’re going on a walk or hitting the streets for a longer training session; we’ve got you covered. After these runs, you can head back to The Belgrave and do your cool down session in the gym.

Beginner Route: St George’s Square with Bessborough Gardens 1 mile, but can do a few loops of each park to make it 3.1 miles (5k) 

During this shorter route, you’ll be able to take in two lovely little parks which are a delightful patch of green in one of London’s busier areas. St George’s Square also has a private dog park at the bottom so you can bring your pooch for a run if you wanted. Crossing over to Bessborough Park, which is where you can see some of the classic style Georgian houses where the great and good once lived. The houses stand tall next to the small gardens, and it won’t be long until you’re back onto the main road and running back to the Belgrave for a stretch and a well-earned bottle of water.
See the route here

Intermediate Challenge: Battersea Park Loop approx 6.2 miles (10k)

This run is a little bit further and you can go even longer if you want as you explore one of the best parks London has to offer.

Out of the hotel take a left onto Belgrave Road, before turning left again onto Gloucester Street. You’ll follow this down until you hit Grosvenor Road and cross Chelsea Bridge. The park is right in front of you. There are plenty of paths you can take to run around the park; be aware of other park users, the paths might be busy depending on the time of day you’re running. Once you’ve run around Battersea Park, you can head back out and across Chelsea Bridge again, running back up Grosvenor Road and Gloucester Street to The Belgrave. 

During this run, take in the sights as you cross the bridge, there might be a couple of boats going past you! In the park, you have the children’s zoo, the XXIV Division Memorial, the Thrive Garden and the London Peace Pagoda. For an extra challenge, head back over Albert’s Bridge and go past the Chelsea Embankment Gardens and run on the front of the Thames. 
See the route here

Extreme Challenge: The Three Parks Challenge (around 12 miles)

This is just an illustration, as there are so many different paths in all three parks, but we do highly recommend going down Rotten Row. 

Starting out at The Belgrave, head to St James’ Park via Rochester Row. On your run, take in the sights of Westminster Abbey, pass Big Ben and Elizabeth Tower before saying hello to Downing Street and Whitehall. Turn into St James’ Park where you can do a few laps, wave at King Charles and Queen Camilla at Buckingham Palace (if they’re in) and then head over to Green Park. You’ll run past St James’ Palace before you reach Hyde Park Corner. 

Once you get to Hyde Park, there are many different paths and routes you can take, but if you run down Rotten Row, first, you’ll be able to take any path you choose. You can follow in the footsteps of many a Georgian or Victorian novel heroine by walking over the Serpentine Bridge where you’ll see the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain.

If you’re feeling up to it, you can also run around Kensington Gardens, stopping off to see the Queen Victoria statue before you head back from Hyde Park down Grosvenor Place towards The Belgrave again.
See the route here