Area guide: Central London
The Centre of London is said to be Haymarket near Piccadilly, some would even say Tiger Tiger nightclub, but others might beg to differ. However Central London is an iconic place for any tourist and residents marked by the likes of Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament, St James Park and Buckingham Palace. Given that space is at a huge premium in Central London, naturally finding large sports facilities is also going to be a challenge, but surprisingly enough are quite a few sports facilities in Central London. Furthermore OpenPlay has an activity finder to help you Get Active in London.
Latest articles
London’s Best Parks for Running
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 4, 2016
According to recent studies, the urban air of Central London is so polluted that running in the city could be bad for your health. So if you were planning on taking a jog down Oxford S...
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London’s Best Indoor Tennis Courts
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 4, 2016
Being the home to Wimbledon and currently the ATP World Tour Finals, it’s no wonder that tennis is such a popular sport amongst Londoners. But London’s weather does not always&n...
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A Survival Guide: Alternative Sports in London
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 4, 2016
If searching for your pelvic floor on a pilates mat doesn’t set your soul alight, the front crawl no longer tickles your fancy and downward dog doesn’t turn your world upside down, then th...
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Top 7 Affordable Swimming Pools in London
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 4, 2016
Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise as it is low-impact, improves cardiovascular fitness, respiratory control and the water provides resistance to strengthen and tone the muscles.  ...
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The Best five-a-side pitches for Hire in Central London
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 4, 2016
Five-a-side football is a fantastic way to combine high energy exercise and social play. Compared with larger eleven-a-side games, the ball is in play roughly 25% more of the time, meaning that...
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The 10 Best Playgrounds in London Parks
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 4, 2016
So it’s an early morning on the weekend. Perhaps you’re a little precious after the drinking antics of the night before and you’re hoping to remain, slug like, in the comfort o...
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Best Soccer Schools in London
- Nikhil Obhrai
- Mar 10, 2016
Is your child on course to be the next Cristiano Ronaldo? Or do you just want to get them out of the house and use up some of the never ending energy they seem to have? Either way taking your son or d...
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No Strings Badminton in London
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 10, 2016
No Strings Badminton is a fantastic way for racquet retirees to return to the sport, for people to get fit and healthy via a sociable and fun activity and is ideal for anyone looking to add a new stri...
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Badminton Courts in Central London
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 10, 2016
Perhaps overlooked by many as the polite, quiet cousin, badminton is often overshadowed by its more ballsy and visually impressive racquet relative. Don’t underestimate its power though. &...
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Best Pay and Play Squash Courts in Central London
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 10, 2016
Hailed as the “healthiest sport” by Forbes magazine, squash is intensely high energy challenging the cardiovascular system, muscle strength and endurance and activating the fast twitch mus...
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Top Netball Leagues in London
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 10, 2016
When many women think of netball, they are hearkened back to their school PE days of pleated skirts and dark gym halls. Whether you were intimately involved on the school’s A Team or faked...
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Free Running Clubs in London
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 10, 2016
For some people a good spotify playlist and the joy of the jog is enough to get them out the door and into run mode, rain, hail or shine. For others running a bath is a much more tempting prospe...
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Life's a Beach: Beach Volleyball Courts in London
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 18, 2016
London might miss out on the golden California sun, the crystal clear oceans of Hawaii and the sunset beaches of Miami, but that didn’t stop GB’s Olympic Beach Volleyball Team giving it th...
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Triathlons Near London
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 30, 2016
The triple threat of the sporting races, the Triathlon is a relatively new phenomenon, only appearing for the first time in the 1970s. Yes, the decade that brought us Abba, lava lamps and flower...
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The Different Styles of Yoga and Where to Find Them
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 30, 2016
Yoga is a fantastic way to gain strength, whilst simultaneously elongating the joints and muscles and cleansing the mind. However, yoga is the root of so many offsprings and it can take time to...
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The 10 Best Playgrounds in London Parks
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 30, 2016
So it’s an early morning on the weekend. Perhaps you’re a little precious after the drinking antics of the night before and you’re hoping to remain, slug like, in the comfort o...
Read More
Fast Track Guide to Central London's Athletic Facilities
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 30, 2016
Despite London’s severe overcrowding problem, with flats the size of walk-in wardrobes, the city’s skyline receiving a new scrape each day and Birmingham now being classed as Greater Londo...
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London’s Best Parks for Running
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 30, 2016
According to recent studies, the urban air of Central London is so polluted that running in the city could be bad for your health. So if you were planning on taking a jog down Oxford Street I&rs...
Read More
Top 5 five-a-side pitches in London
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 30, 2016
Five-a-side football is a fantastic way to combine high energy exercise and social play. Compared with larger eleven-a-side games, the ball is in play roughly 25% more of the time, meaning that...
Read More
Pitch Perfect: The best 3G pitches in London
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 30, 2016
With Central London rapidly becoming more and more densely overpopulated, open green spaces are limited and even more lacking are those comprised of 3G artificial grass. This means that find...
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London's Best Outdoor Tennis Courts
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Mar 30, 2016
Tennis is a hugely sociable sport and can be a great way to meet up with friends or increase your social circle. Whether you’re wanting to have a friendly knock around the court with s...
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Back to Netball in London
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Apr 11, 2016
The sound of the bell after PE class was either music to your ears or the doomed caw of the crow. Classes were a nightmarish clash of the teens; between the aggressively sporty and the moaning h...
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Badminton Coaching in London
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Apr 21, 2016
Badminton is one of the speediest sports in the world, with the shuttlecock hurtling around the room at up to 200 miles per hour. With such speeds to contend with, it’s probably a good ide...
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Bargain Biceps: Affordable Gyms in London
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Apr 21, 2016
When it comes to gyms, you get what you pay for. Ultra expensive studios may well have you greeted by a beaming vegan receptionist and freshly laundered towels that have been handwoven in t...
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Parks and Rehydration: Best Park Cafes in London
- Ellen O'Riordan
- Apr 21, 2016
There’s nothing like a revitalising trip to the park; connecting with nature, inhaling the fresh air and escaping the concrete jungle of the busy city. But with the cold air nipping at you...
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Urban Golf Review
- Ellen O'Riordan
- May 20, 2016
Played on grass surfaces, golf is probably one of the most weather dependent sports. Requiring a mammoth expanse of open space, it is also not the most readily available in this concrete city. T...
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OPENPLAY POWERS DUBAI FITNESS CHALLENGE
- Nikhil Obhrai
- Nov 1, 2019
OpenPlay has been appointed as a partner of the 2019 Dubai Fitness Challenge, the world’s only citywide fitness movement.
Launched in 2017 by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashi...
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