Why Train at Night?

After Hours Training in London

24 hour fitness in London has been steadily growing over the last decade. In July 2017 the Mayor’s Office revealed their plans for a 24 hour vision and this included plans for fitness and health:

“People want to be able to access services, whether that’s gyms, libraries or manicures, outside regular hours”

What the mayor’s office finally picked up on is the need for health and fitness to be more fully provided to those who live and work on the other side of midnight.

Cheap and affordable 24 hour gyms already make training in the early hours pretty accessible, although these are generally run like ghost ships, with no out of hours fitness staff available, with just a handful of exceptions.

PureGym, one of the UKs leading 24 hour gym chains, released data showing an increase of up to 39% of people who start training between midnight to 3am in 2017. PureGym’s Operations Director claimed that while they have “often seen shift-workers and bar staff utilise [their] 24-hour facilities, [they’ve] also seen people ending a night out early and opting for a quick midnight workout instead.”

Why train after midnight?

Night training is for great for those who like to focus on their workout – and avoid the crowds. In the early hours of the morning these gyms are mostly empty so attract those not wanting to have to wait to use the free weights, or for those wanting to use the deserted cardio machine area without feeling self-conscious for being very out of shape. Different types of people like the more private, quiet hours of the early morning. London also has a booming night economy with 1.6 million Londoners working at night according to January 2019's report by the London Night Time Commission. Some of these workers are going to want to get their early houred endorphin fix at a 24 hour gym and the dirt cheap prices can only make the option more attractive.

The downside of using the cheaper 24 hour gyms is that the late night crowd don’t get the same benefits that the daytime/evening users do: midnight toilets can be worse than a festival portaloo - no staff means no quality service. Often gym floors are covered in a sea of unreturned dumbells - or sometimes weights are left in a weird place on the other side of the building and you have to play treasure hunt, eating into your training time and patience. Health and safety take a backseat; and without a qualified fitness instructor in sight inexperienced customers lift weights not really sure what they’re doing and make no progression, or worse swing weights dangerously, potentially leading to serious injuries. Some contracts have significant disclaimers, requiring customers to take sole responsibility regarding injuries incurred on these unsafe premises, but often people don't bother to read in the rush to sign up online. Night gym spaces are available, but is this model really the safest, most effective way to improve your health and fitness?

Fitness by Night is a service dedicated to providing Personal Training and classes late at night and in the early hours of the morning, aimed at supporting those who want the benefits of qualified fitness professionals when they work out after hours. Quality training and services shouldn't just be limited to the daytime hours, especially given the particularly health risks that come with working at night. If you are serious about improving your health, reaching your fitness goals or just want a late night alternative activity that doesn't involve a hangover this may be the service for you. For more information, or to book a session email info@fitnessbynight.co.uk or click here.