Thrills that keep you fit

To many Londoners, getting fit equates to an expensive gym membership in return for a mind-numbingly dull hour pounding a treadmill. But what if you could tone up, lose weight, increase your fitness levels and get the kind of adrenaline rush that made exercise feel like a thrill — rather than a chore?

The new breed of City powerwomen are throwing off their weekday Louboutins for racing suits at weekends — in pursuit of fitness that's altogether more fun than your average aerobics class. "With adrenaline sports, women get a physical and psychological workout like no other," says Kris Meeke, driver with the Peugeot UK rally team (peugeot.co.uk), which has seen a surge in interest from women. "They bust stress, get fit and have the thrill of their lives."

THE RALLY GIRL RISK-TAKERS
Why do it? Spend just two minutes in a Peugeot 207 Super2000 with Meeke and you'll cancel your gym membership for life. Racing up and down narrow roads at an 80 per cent gradient and clipping the sides of 200ft cliff drops at 120mph is about as fun as fitness ever gets. "Female City high-flyers are realising that the technical elements of rallying, such as engineering, strategic planning and memorising road layouts — plus lightening-fast reactions — equip them with skills they can transfer to their working lives," says Meeke.

As both Michelle Mouton (the female rally driver who shot to fame in the Eighties) and the current all-female Peugeot Turkey team know, the sport is one of endurance rather than brute strength.

"Rally driving is a whole-body workout that's as good as running or cycling," says Peugeot team physiotherapist and nutritionist, Philippe Petit.

"It improves cardiovascular fitness and builds strength in the shoulders, back and leg muscles while testing core stability. It also requires co-ordination and intense focus — one mistake and you risk losing valuable time — or, at the highest level, your life."

Progress, and not only could you find yourself changing a tyre in record time (Meeke and co-driver Paul Nagle can do one in 56 seconds), but after blasting around a rally track the stresses of your working day will seem small beer. The fact that the sport is full of good-looking men comes as a bonus.
Where? Half-day introductory course, £149; silverstonerally.co.uk.

THE FEARLESS FREE RUNNERS
Why do it? If you're bored with doing gym-based free weights, Free Running's love of jumping and climbing through the urban landscape soon banishes the monotony of exercise.

"Vaulting off subways and over obstacles establishes cardiovascular fitness, builds the kind of raw power women rarely establish through gym classes and burns more calories than a regular run," says professional free runner Ez Corkery. "Spatial awareness and repeated practice also boosts concentration outside actual classes." For years we've been told yoga is the ultimate holistic workout. Yet "strong body, strong mind" is a free runner's mantra.
Where? across central London, £8 for 90-minute classes; urbanfreeflow.com

THE HIGH-FLYING POWER KITERS
Why do it? There's nothing like controlling a three-metre-kite in wind speeds of 30mph to make you feel empowered. As you stand on a wheeled landboard holding the kite in your hands, your shoulders and arms will be sculpted, while attempting to maintain your balance will test your stomach muscles and build strength in your legs and glute muscles.