Piloxing: the latest fitness trend to hit London

Cue the latest fitness trend to land in London straight from LA: Piloxing.

A combination of Pilates and boxing, it's what would happen if Amir Khan and Elizabeth Hurley were to merge their respective fitness regimes.

Yet as implausible as it sounds, the science behind it stacks up, suggesting it's more than just another exercise fad.

"There's a surprising amount of symmetry between the two disciplines," says fitness trainer Tanya Camilleri, who will be teaching a Piloxing class at Gymbox in Holborn from today.

"Used in tandem, they complement each other - making for a more effective, results-driven workout."

Devised in LA by ballerina turned body-builder and boxing trainer Viveca Jensen, the workout already has lithe US starlets Hilary Duff, Kirsten Dunst and the cast of Gossip Girl singing its praises - as well as a sell-out DVD in America.

In a bid to decide whether the most macho of sports and the yummy mummy favourite really are a fitness match made in heaven, I donned my boxing gloves and headed to Gymbox for a trial.

During the warm-up, Tanya separates the Pilates from the boxing by taking me through a series of tummy-tightening exercises, followed by pulsing jabs and "air punches". Then comes the combination of the two.

To pumping, motivation-boosting music, sequences of jabs, crosses, hooks and uppercuts are combined with static poses, kicks and leg swings that require me to engage my core muscles - the rectus abdominus, transversus and pelvic floor - in order to maintain my balance.

Leg swings are merged with a simultaneous arm movement, earning the exercise the name "serve the platter".

And after "driving the car" - a deep leg squat held while the arms rotate in a circular, steering motion - my inner fighter is beginning to come to the fore.

Soon I'm interspersing Karate Kid-style side and forward kicks with punches made harder by the weighted, fingerless gloves that help tone up the lat and deltoid muscles of the upper back and shoulder.

By the end of the class, my heart rate has been raised, my muscles tested and I leave with the feeling of having done a cardio and strength workout in one.

Clearly it's no coincidence that Joseph Pilates was himself a boxer (he developed the Pilates method as a means of physical injury prevention and rehabilitation) - or that Olympic boxer Andre Ward incorporated Pilates into his training routine prior to winning gold at the 2004 games.

In both physical and psychological terms, the two go hand-in-hand.

Link the fast, power-driven kicks and punches of boxing to the controlled, tummy-flattening movements of Pilates and you get a workout that raises the heartbeat, pushes the body into the fat-burning zone and increases muscle tone.

Adding the stretching and back alignment work of Pilates into the mix encourages muscles to be long and lean, while your posture is improved and your silhouette more streamlined overall.

As it is a class that alternates between high and low intensity, it's also ideal for those who are fitness novices, have joint problems or are recovering from an injury,

Even the Pilates/boxing breathing patterns are similar.

Given that every exhale signals a movement, "Piloxers" learn breath control techniques that can be used to reduce everyday stress levels and improve concentration.

A longer, leaner body, improved dynamic co-ordination, strength and fitness - and a means to reduce stress.

Really, you'd be hard-pushed to find a workout that we Londoners need more.

Piloxing launches at Gymbox Holborn, WC1 (www.gymbox.co.uk) at 6pm from 26 August. Free for members, £8 for non-members.