Underground Sessions: The Workout

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you must have noticed the rise and rise of the health and fitness industry. While a few years ago gyms and workout classes only attracted dedicated sports community, recently health and wellness have become some of the hottest industries to be in. There has been an explosion of boutique gyms and specialised workout sessions. With both high street and high fashion brands embracing the athleisure trend, activewear has become de rigueur and we’ve ditched our high heels for comfy trainers. With the proliferation of smartphones and fitness wearables, healthy eating has moved to the mainstream, we’ve become obsessed with tracking our steps, calories and sleep and personalised workout plans are now at our fingertips.

As someone who grew up spending their weekends in the dance studio, spinning to everything from hip hop, contemporary and burlesque routines, being active was never a thing I had to make time for. It was just part of something I loved doing. But fast forward to my life in London and finding the time, the place and the right workouts to keep a healthy body and mind proved harder than expected. So, to keep up-to-date with the latest trends in the booming wellness industry I headed to Appear Here’s Underground Session: The Workout.

Hosted in the lovely Pollen + Grace pop-up shop in Old Street, Appear Here brought together some of the pioneers in the industry. The panel included Russell Bateman (founder, Skinny Bitch Collective), Pip Black (co-founder, Frame), Rob Martineau (co-founder, Tribe) and Ashleigh Stirling (community connector, Lululemon). The speakers shared advice for young brands who want to stand out, tips on how to build a loyal community as well as their own learnings and personal stories.

Having followed the Skinny Bitch Collective since they started (and still itching to get in), I was most excited to hear from Russell Bateman. The invitation-only classes count models and celebs like Suki Waterhouse, Daisy Lowe and Ellie Goulding as fans. The SBC programmes, which include crawling, climbing, tai chi, martial artistry and even sword combat, aim to get women out of their comfort zone and “like a badass when they leave”. “When you put a girl and a sword together the smile is ridiculous”, said Bateman. Yes, sir! Can I come & try? Ok, thanks!

While the SBC adopts hard-to-get strategy to build its hugely loyal following and cult status, companies like Lululemon and Tribe are embracing another route. “We want to make everyone feel welcome and find the right thing for them”, said Pip Black of Frame. Indeed, Frame’s offering include pretty much every type od workout you might want – from dancing, yoga, pilates through to cardio, high intensity energy shots and meditation. No matter which activity you choose, it’s all about doing something you enjoy and not escaping from the core of what health and fitness is all about.  

And how do these brands build a loyal following outside their studios? “Instagram is huge”, agreed all speakers. And no, you don’t need a social media team to manage that. “Whenever I find something funny, I post it on our Instagram account”, said Bateman. Besides workout motivation posts, brands can use the video feature of the platform to their advantage too. I find SBC’s videos particularly useful (my favourite so far is here).

Brands are also looking at ways to stick with people even outside their workout sessions. “We want to create a lifestyle around it. It’s not only about workout clothes that we do. It’s about our classes, sessions, education”, explained Lululemon’s Ashleigh Stirling.

The evening ended with chat over healthy snacks from Pollen + Grace alongside slightly less healthy (but equally delicious) espresso martinis from Pact Coffee. The best part? Appear Here donated all ticket sales The Good Gym, a running club that gets fit by doing good deeds to help local communities and vulnerable people.