Boxing has already shaken up boutique fitness in the US, and it’s now arrived in London with KOBOX, which offers a non-contact version of the sport where people learn to throw punches and fight in a ring. Why are women swapping a slog on the treadmill for something a lot more powerful?

Getting active isn’t always easy. How long should you exercise for and where? When do you know you’ve really pushed yourself? Signing on youths and yuppies alike, London-based Run Dem Crew wants to prove that running is for everyone – as long as they’re willing to ‘run hard, fast, and strong’.

To win over female customers, sports brands are presenting exercise as a way to get physically – and mentally – stronger. Women are bypassing gyms, and opting for wilderness adventures instead. What drives this shift in behaviour and how does it affect the way women perceive themselves?

Boutique fitness studio Orangetheory aims to help gym-goers lose weight, get toned, and reach their fitness goals in the least amount of time through the use of heart rate data. Why is high intensity interval training so hot right now? And can competition make working out more enjoyable?