Les Mills™ Virtual classes Mandarin at The Edge improve well being
Balancing Life Survey The University of Leeds has a large international student population, many of whom attend the Business School. However, its location on the outskirts of campus makes it more difficult for them to engage with facility-focused activities at the university’s on-campus gym – The Edge.
To identify the activity levels of staff and students, the Sport and Physical Activity department conducts an annual Balancing Life Survey, which looks at the areas of campus where there could be more opportunities for them to get involved.
Engaging international students, especially through activities that support their experience of British culture, was identified as a key area of focus. Similarly, the survey identified the need to build networks and increase the integration of students from different cultural backgrounds. The survey also revealed that there are thousands of students looking to learn new languages and seeking opportunities to incorporate language learning into real-life settings.
As a result of these findings, the Sport and Physical Activity department teamed up with the university’s International Office to undertake a pilot scheme aimed at leveraging group exercise classes at The Edge for international students.
Virtual Mandarin Classes In partnership with Les Mills, the University of Leeds launched a timetable of Les Mills™ Virtual classes in Mandarin over Christmas 2017 and Easter 2018. With marketing and promotional support led by the International Office, the team was hopeful that Mandarin content could become a permanent fixture on the timetable.
The results of the first Mandarin virtual classes over Christmas yielded impressive results, attracting 155 participants across the two-week holiday.
“Naturally, we see a dip in group exercise over the Christmas period, so to get the volume of people we did was very impressive,” said James Buckley, Physical Activity, Health and Wellbeing Manager at the University of Leeds.
This was replicated over Easter, and the results were even more positive with 244 participants. In fact, the numbers for virtual Mandarin content stood-up favourably against other content in English.
One of the most impressive parts of the programme was how well it highlighted the power of group exercise in reducing isolation and helping students to feel more integrated into The Edge community.
“It’s very common for international students to remain on campus out of term time. With this in mind, various departments work collaboratively to provide a programme of activity to reduce any feelings of isolation that they might have, and foster opportunities to integrate international students with UK students, during term time and holiday breaks.
“Implementation of these Les Mills group exercise classes was a perfect example of this working to full effect,” explains James.
“With more students taking part in Les Mills™ Virtual classes in Mandarin, we’ve seen the positive effect group exercise can have on integrating these classes into the language learning process, building new social groups and looking after well being.
“Feedback from participants clearly showed us what a great product the Les Mills classes are and the demand there is to showcase more of them. The student feedback was overwhelmingly positive.”
Language Rollout The university is now looking to add Les Mills™ Virtual programming in additional languages, expanding the classes to other on-campus venues. This year will also see a new Innovation Centre being opened at the university, offering a virtual exercise studio.
“With the success of the virtual Mandarin programming, the team is looking to expand the offering to other languages. Due to the nature of the product, one of its great strengths is that we can take the virtual offering into residences or into the International Office itself,” added Buckley.
Working as an extension of the team, Les Mills provided invaluable insight into how to incorporate the programming on campus.
Buckley explains: “We wanted to be confident in the quality of the product, and we got that with Les Mills. We could really lean on the team for access to information and this was absolutely critical in helping us make the case for the trial.
“Les Mills was hugely supportive in helping us achieve these results. Quality content coupled with a truly individual approach is what sets them apart. It’s not a pre-set package. It was bespoke.”
The University of Leeds now boasts over 85 per cent occupancy rate across 245 classes per week at The Edge.
Les Mills™ Virtual classes Mandarin at The Edge improve well being
Balancing Life Survey The University of Leeds has a large international student population, many of whom attend the Business School. However, its location on the outskirts of campus makes it more difficult for them to engage with facility-focused activities at the university’s on-campus gym – The Edge.
To identify the activity levels of staff and students, the Sport and Physical Activity department conducts an annual Balancing Life Survey, which looks at the areas of campus where there could be more opportunities for them to get involved.
Engaging international students, especially through activities that support their experience of British culture, was identified as a key area of focus. Similarly, the survey identified the need to build networks and increase the integration of students from different cultural backgrounds. The survey also revealed that there are thousands of students looking to learn new languages and seeking opportunities to incorporate language learning into real-life settings.
As a result of these findings, the Sport and Physical Activity department teamed up with the university’s International Office to undertake a pilot scheme aimed at leveraging group exercise classes at The Edge for international students.
Virtual Mandarin Classes In partnership with Les Mills, the University of Leeds launched a timetable of Les Mills™ Virtual classes in Mandarin over Christmas 2017 and Easter 2018. With marketing and promotional support led by the International Office, the team was hopeful that Mandarin content could become a permanent fixture on the timetable.
The results of the first Mandarin virtual classes over Christmas yielded impressive results, attracting 155 participants across the two-week holiday.
“Naturally, we see a dip in group exercise over the Christmas period, so to get the volume of people we did was very impressive,” said James Buckley, Physical Activity, Health and Wellbeing Manager at the University of Leeds.
This was replicated over Easter, and the results were even more positive with 244 participants. In fact, the numbers for virtual Mandarin content stood-up favourably against other content in English.
One of the most impressive parts of the programme was how well it highlighted the power of group exercise in reducing isolation and helping students to feel more integrated into The Edge community.
“It’s very common for international students to remain on campus out of term time. With this in mind, various departments work collaboratively to provide a programme of activity to reduce any feelings of isolation that they might have, and foster opportunities to integrate international students with UK students, during term time and holiday breaks.
“Implementation of these Les Mills group exercise classes was a perfect example of this working to full effect,” explains James.
“With more students taking part in Les Mills™ Virtual classes in Mandarin, we’ve seen the positive effect group exercise can have on integrating these classes into the language learning process, building new social groups and looking after well being.
“Feedback from participants clearly showed us what a great product the Les Mills classes are and the demand there is to showcase more of them. The student feedback was overwhelmingly positive.”
Language Rollout The university is now looking to add Les Mills™ Virtual programming in additional languages, expanding the classes to other on-campus venues. This year will also see a new Innovation Centre being opened at the university, offering a virtual exercise studio.
“With the success of the virtual Mandarin programming, the team is looking to expand the offering to other languages. Due to the nature of the product, one of its great strengths is that we can take the virtual offering into residences or into the International Office itself,” added Buckley.
Working as an extension of the team, Les Mills provided invaluable insight into how to incorporate the programming on campus.
Buckley explains: “We wanted to be confident in the quality of the product, and we got that with Les Mills. We could really lean on the team for access to information and this was absolutely critical in helping us make the case for the trial.
“Les Mills was hugely supportive in helping us achieve these results. Quality content coupled with a truly individual approach is what sets them apart. It’s not a pre-set package. It was bespoke.”
The University of Leeds now boasts over 85 per cent occupancy rate across 245 classes per week at The Edge.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
Longevitix, a clinical platform for preventive and longevity medicine, has launched its AI-
powered intelligence system to help physicians deliver continuous, personalised longevity-
focused care at scale.
Atmantan Wellness Centre, an integrative wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune in India, is
expanding its portfolio by adding a new centre in Hyderabad that will launch between 2028 and
2029.
