THE BASICS: Good Vibes offer a range of classes across two locations in central London (Covent Garden and Fitzrovia). Pilates, yoga, body conditioning and indoor cycling and power plates make up their core timetable. Their “Glow” classes are heated- yum! Good Vibes offer a £45 intro offer (30 days of any classes you like for that price), drop in classes are from £16, and memberships start from £99 a month.

THE HBs: Carly, Kafayat & Sheena

THE CLASS: Some early morning Glow Pilates was on the agenda on this particularly chilly wintery morning, thanks to Be:Fit‘s fabulous week of free classes around London in November 2015.

I visitied the Fitzrovia branch which was a short walk from the centre of town, and tucked snuggly away down some stairs and into a bright open reception area.

The decor and vibe were… were bright, welcoming and bustling even early in the morning. Sign in was painless although it does get busy first thing as people pile into the studios before work. Lockers are available outside the studios.

Reception itself won’t accept card payments for less than a fiver so just something to bear in mind when you’re thinking about water and towel hire- both very necessary when you’re going into a heated class! There was a water machine available so I rather brazenly strode into my class brandishing a disposable cup full of water, which I’ve decided is the legendary way I shall be waltzing into all classes from this day forward.

Mat Pilates in a warm room was on today’s menu, and our teacher was a lithe, chirpy and friendly woman who delivered instructions in an even-tempered and light way, despite the fact she was asking us to do torturous things with the core ball at times.

My two friends and fellow HBs Kafayat and Sheena were on the mats behind me, and I may or may not have disrupted the class by exploding into laughter when I peeked behind myself to see them rolling their bodies along a small squishy ball- they were having about as much luck as me (i.e. none).

The class was gentle, low impact, but relied a lot on core strength and stamina while concentrating muscles to repeat micro-pulses. We used two apparatus to aid our workout- the aforementioned core ball and the pilates ring (hello early thigh squeeze). I was expecting something more “glowing” I think, like the lighting maybe. The “glow” element of the pilates class simply meant that we’d be glowing from the inside by the end!

It wasn’t sweaty to the level of a bikram class, or even hot yoga actually. I was pink in the face and sweaty, but not pouring with sweat. I think that was down to the gentle, controlled movements more than anything. My cup of water sustained me, if that helps indicate what to expect!

THE VERDICT: Nice, clean, bright, friendly- this is everything you’d expect from a well run, central London gym. The studios were full but not overcrowded, class was lovely and the instructor welcoming. Good Vibes on tap- does exactly what it says on the tin!