While the mere thought of a high-intensity boxing class has us seeing stars, this snazzy gym takes things outside the ring, with a 50-minute session that sees a combination of bag-work and hardcore HIIT. By that, we mean six-punch combinations and breathers that look like burpees and bicycle crunches - all made worth it by a whooping calorie burn (promise). The vibe? Industrial interiors embellished with neon LED lights, dancehall soundtracks and the sort of instructors that will push you beyond the limits of what you thought possible. Classes will set you back £22, and there are Kobox clubs in Chelsea and the City, too.

Exercise is boring - there, we said it. Thankfully, our good friends at 1Rebel agree, swapping trudging it out on the treadmill for soul-lifting spin classes. Victoria's three-tiered studio sees 85 high-tech bikes, a rising platform that spotlights a thrill-seeking instructor, strobe lights that wouldn't look out of place in a warehouse nightclub, and a supersonic sound system that debuted on Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage. Bring your sunnies, saddle up and prepare to ride, rumble and reshape with hill climbs, sprints and the odd hand-weight movement. Pilates enthusiasts, meanwhile, will love 1Rebel's Oxford Circus outpost, which has recently opened a reformer studio - we'll meet you there for a low-impact lunch-hour session.

A pioneer of the pay-as-you-go fitness model, Frame's hubs sprawl across London's finest neighbourhoods. We're heading to the firstborn studio, in Shoreditch, to join the 80s-inspired aerobics class - rumour has it, you burn extra calories if you wear your boldest leggings and legwarmers. The beauty of Frame's no-strings-attached memberships is that you can experiment: book into Bounce & Burn for a midweek pump, Mandala Flow for an energy boost and Box Fit to blitz (and burn) those glutes. To get the most out of the classes on offer, top up your Frame card with a minimum of £30 and you'll receive a decent discount on your top picks. There's also a handful of classes that can be streamed from the comfort of your own home.

Not every gym visit needs to look like a blood-pumping endurance test. Step forward, KXU (pronounced "kicks you"), the gym showcasing a roster of recovery treatments. Come rest day, you'll want to make a one-way trip to the spa, partly for the tailored HydraFacials, but largely for the heat experiences, which are proven to encourage blood flow and boost metabolism. And, on the occasion you do feel like sweating it out, Chelsea's HIIT & Run class is on standby, with a combination of treadmill and floor work. Refuel at the smoothie and salad bar for bowls of chopped-chicken goodness and muscle-feeding juices.

On stepping inside Covent Garden's Gymbox, a neon-yellow LED sign greets you with the words "walk in, crawl out", and if that's not enough motivation for you to smash a session, we're not sure what is. There's something to be said for Gymbox's talent in making the gym feel like an adventure playground. Be it the killer soundtracks from resident DJs, the ever-evolving class timetable led by the city's coolest visionaries or the smaller decorative details such as boxing gloves suspended from high ceilings, this gym's got it nailed. The dry January class is beating our blues - bar crawl-inspired circuits use actual kegs and hydration stations are reminiscent of beer-pong tables.

For those south of the river, Vauxhall's Manor is SE1's edgiest fitness hub - all concrete pillars, exposed pipework, metal fixtures and motivational "Made in the Manor" signs. Interiors aside, this is where the serious kids come to play, with timetables that swerve trends and utilise the science of sport. For those just kick-starting their fitness journey, a programmed strength-and-conditioning session is ideal in helping you become stronger, faster and more flexible, with compound and functional movements that stimulate muscle memory. Insider tip: Manor's sportswear merch is worthy of a space in your wardrobe.

Founded by mates Paul Trendell and Chris Djuric, this boutique group first opened its doors in Bethnal Green back in 2014. Today, Victus Soul is known as one of London's most ethical and sustainable gyms, a success we'd argue is down to its cardio-concentrated approach. Believing that multidisciplinary studios are impractical, Victus Soul chooses to embed active recovery during classes, in the belief that this allows the body to work hard but recover harder. Save your visit for a HIIT & Box class, where breath-busting inclines and benchwork take place across a 40-minute session. Regulars should make use of the refer-a-friend scheme to unlock some stellar rewards.