Beauty

Thai martial art makes this class at The Principal both exciting and exhausting

A Muay Thai fitness class at The Principal, Edinburgh

The treatment

A 45 minute Muay Thai Fitness session at the newly refurbished gym at The Principal hotel, Edinburgh.

Why go?

Try this if your usual exercise class is a bit too wishy washy, and you want something slightly grittier (though in the swanky surrounds of this spruced up gym). As the title suggests, it’s a fitness class that draws on elements of the martial art, Muay Thai.

Our spy says

I don’t quite know what to expect when it comes to this class.

While the instructor, Sham, and I chat in the cool air-conditioned fitness room, I worry that I’m going to be the only one to turn up.

Thankfully, at the stroke of 12:15, four other heads pop round the door. Phew.

We start with circuits. Running, then doing the same but kicking the feet back, galloping sideways, then reverse. There’s a minute long break, we do the same again, then get started on another set of exercises.

This time there are squats, two types of press ups (one of which involves dropping the hips to the floor, instead of the whole body), star jumps and extreme sit ups (which Sham calls knee grabs). And repeat, then stretch.

Next we’re told to set up five of their spin bikes, and I start to wonder if I’m in the right class, until Sham starts pulling out some boxing gloves and pads. Gulp, here we go.

As there are five in the class, he pairs up with me, holding the pads while instructing me to cross jab with the left fist, then the right, then hook with the left before kneeing his right pad. He corrects my technique, telling me to keep lifting my gloves to protect my face, and to point my foot down when kneeing (there doesn’t seem to be a more technical term than that).

After a few rounds of this, we drop to the floor to hold a plank for about 30 seconds, then it’s back up for some more, before getting onto the exercise bikes for a blast of pedalling.

The next routine involves a left cross jab, then right, a weave to the right, then a long cross jab to the right, before kneeing the right pad of my new partner (a guy in the class). This is a bit more to remember, and it takes a bit longer to get the hang of.

Then there are more planks, and another shot on the bike, before we stretch it out, with loads of focus on our wrists (Sham says it’s a good idea to invest in supportive wraps, if we want to do this class again).

The results

When I leave the class, I try to sign out at reception, but my 1pm looks like a hieroglyphic snake. I’m all wobbly after working so hard, and totally high on adrenaline. When can I go back? n The Principal Edinburgh Charlotte Square (38 Charlotte Square, 0131-341 1610, www.phcompany.com)