It happened so quickly, but hoorah it's yoga-brunch season again. This Saturday brings one Stretchy Brekky and a chance to join the Little Big Smasherz Badminton Club. Also dodgeball is in swing at Cages and a break dance studio wants you to gain some street cred. We also tested a ballet class, the whole random round up ahead. Read on

Dr. Nicolas Romanov has worked with seven Olympic teams and published over a dozen books on one thing we all wish we were a little better at: running. He’s kept a watchful eye on the running boom in Shanghai and for the second year his organization Pose Method will be running the official training camp for the Shanghai Marathon November 11. More details on the camp and the "pose method" of running after the jump. Read on

Spring is in the air! Registration for More Than Aware's Family Run has opened and Runnerhai's Thursday Series kicks off next week. Also, a handful of free workouts this weekend and a free two week trial still running at the new F45. Plus, news of Anytime Fitness' 4,000 gym opening and more. Read on

March is the month of women and fighting for sport. Free boxing and kickboxing at Aboro Academy tomorrow for International Women's Day, and Fight Night at Golden Gloves Friday. Community Yoga offers inner-peace on the cheap, a dance studio grows in Jing'an, and we test a self-defense class from a former Shanghai Famous celeb. Read on

This one's for the yogis. Here are two new places you can practice after CNY. I guess we'll also have a toast for the fighters, cause there's a free Absolute MMA class on Valentine's Day, for those who don't already have dinner plans. Also, I spent the snow day at the new SF transplant Pilates Proworks. Thoughts, feelings and discounts available after the jump. Read on

Here are some ways to diversify your workout from an all day sweat-a-thon to a few teams that can use more players. There's pick up soccer night at Cages that'll be free to join till Chinese New Year as well as recruitment for women's and men's rugby. Also free stuff from new and new(ish) gyms Pilates ProWorks and MTHD Fitness. More details and sporty stuff after the jump. Read on

As resolution guilt takes over, you might as well check out some new spots and benefit from the new specials that gyms and fitness centers are rolling out to entice you through the door. There's a new American franchise in town that does pilates-boxing mash-ups, and Camel Group's F45 now has a second location open for business in Jing'an. Also some dance options for those determined to "be more adventurous in 2018" and new packages at Z&B and Spinback. Details 'n' deals after the jump. Read on

Before you get all riled up about your New Year’s resolutions let’s take some time to reflect on the shiny new gym openings of 2017 (including F45, TriFit, and more!) as well as the trends: the good, the bad, and the pricey. We also asked trainers of Shanghai's fav new gyms their thoughts and feelings on a year in fitness and what they predict will be the big trends of 2018. Read on

Tis the season for charitable sweat sessions and Santacons. It's also just about that time to switch your routine to a nice warm studio, there are some choices here from a consistent but pricey barre class at a new gym to a deal on small class pilates sessions. Also updates on the self-defense class at Golden Gloves and other fitness happenings before the holiday including an all day fitness festival. Read on

Mindfulness, mindfulness, mindfulness. The thing where you try to think about nothing in order to be a happier, less anxious, well adjusted person. It's Brandon Mehrgut’s hope that this practice will become as routine as a morning shower — the physical exercise of the twenty-teens. Brandon’s been practicing and spreading mindfulness in Shanghai since his arrival about two and a half years ago, he works as a trainer with the Potential Project and has cultivated a community of like minded mind watchers in Shanghai Mindfulness. Always on the cutting edge, SmSh caught up with him to talk about the practice, its benefits, and some stuff you can try at home. Read on

Turkey Day may be clogging your arteries but don't let it put a stop to your fitness routine! On for this week a Thanksgiving’s night ride with Spinback, a manly-man bike tour with Culture Shock, three new to new-ish gyms offering free stuff, updates on FitCoins and Orange Theory and some locker room talk. Also stuff to mark in your calendar like the next Sweaty Brunch, Brawl on The Bund, and The Shanghai Tower Climb. Read on

Another week of fitness, got some upcoming events including free workouts with The Modern Women of Wellness, a not-free-but-charitable spinathon with Spinback, soccer club tryouts for kids, and Fight Night at Golden Gloves. Plus lots of 11/11 discounts, GuavaPass tries to pull the wool over our eyes, a new gym offers a free trial via “FitCoins” and you can now work out in a shipping container for 10rmb an hour. The times they are a changin’. Read on

Hey ya’ll Halloween is approaching and gyms are taking note with monster mash-ups from FitFam, Spinback Fitness, and Feel Good Fitness. More un-themed workouts for those who don’t like to have fun and deals for those who like to save that green. A new gym opens on Hongqiao Lu and we've got updates from Dragon Space Yoga, Park Climbing Gym, and more. Get ready, get set, go. Read on

Hello and welcome to our new column on the happenings of health and fitness in our fair city. We’re calling it "Active Shanghai." It's your one-stop shop for fitness events, new gyms, deals, events, and hot goss. Sweaty goss. This week we’ve got a few sporty events including The Peninsula's Mega Yoga and a 15k with Runnershai. In terms of real estate rumblings: Z&B Fitness expands, Afit's grand opening, a yoga studio is born, and a freshly opened rock climbing gym. Grab your fitbit and Nikes, it's time to get physical. Read on

This one right here goes out to all the baby's mamas, mamas mamas mamas, baby mamas mamas...Redleaf Women's Hospital one of most sought after hospitals for Maternity and Children’s PD closed yesterday. Yes, the uber nice maternity clinic shuttered its doors, apparently the army is taking back the space, like the rest of Huaihai lu. It'll be reopening in a new location in Hongqiao in a just a few days. Read on

...and that's the first time we've ever typed that! Free Brazilians, Shanghai! Free Brazilians! (We mean the style of waxing not the actual people. Free Brazilian waxing, is what we mean.) This Sunday, the aptly named Strip salon on Xinle Lu is dishing out free bush prunings to the first 30 women (And men? We'll say men too. UPDATE: No, not men. Sad.) who turn up to their shop. Breaks down like this: "First 10 customers get: 1. Free Brazilian Wax; 2. 1000rmb Waxing PKG 3; 35% off on ice cream / Mineral Body Polish; 4. Friend Referral Voucher. The next 11 to 30 customers get: 1. Free Brazilian Wax; 2. ¥ 100 Waxing PKG; 3. 35% off on ice cream / Mineral Body Polish; 4. Friend Referral Voucher. The next 30 to 100 customers get 1. ¥ 150 Brazilian Voucher; 2. 100rmb Waxing PKG; 3. Friend Referral Voucher." Starts at noon. Sounds amazing. Think we'll send out a party photographer. They want your hair! Huzzah!

F&B is down, but gyms and coworking spaces are exploding in the city right now. So why not combine those together into one mega multiplex? That was Fitspace's idea -- or actually, the coworking space is just an addon for the Golden Gloves boxing gym which moved here from Xinqiao Lu. They took over the whole space and figured they'd fill the rest of it a shared office area to improve foot traffic. So far it's working out well. Details inside. Read on