The actual worst gym I've ever been to. The equipment was SO old. Yes, they were "updating it"…read moreslowly... but they still don't have mats, which I requested over two years ago. They're always "coming," apparently. One of their biggest "updates" was taking the main area where all the women did their sit-ups and stretches and turning it into a weight-lifting zone. Every time I went, there were maybe two people using it, compared to the ten or so women who used to stretch and do core/arm work there. Makes no sense. Another huge issue: the trainers hog the machines. They'll have two machines going at once, in a tiny gym, even when it's not peak time. So half the time you can't get on anything because trainers are camping on them or members are hogging them too. DO NOT JOIN. It sucks, and there are so many better gyms out there. I was miserable the entire time I went and only stuck with it out of convenience.

This gym has been given the fitness first face lift recently. Converted from the blue image to the…read morenew and trendier sexy and fit Red look. The gym now contains a lot of new stuff like plenty of squat racks and some new cool cardio equipment with new gym equipment friendly floors. The overall look of the gym has improved however I do feel as though this gym could do with replacing some of the machines as they are a lot older then the ones I have seen in other fitness firsts. Staff are friendly and the reception area looks great. The gym also offers a wide range of classes for people to attend. Changing facilities are very clean and include a steam room. The gym is a very good one and doesn't get overly crowded like some fitness firsts can be which is very good. Little more improvement with the equipment and would be 5 out of 5.

Pardon me for simply pasting my instagram post but short on time…read more.. Latest fave Inspirational Female: Mom of 2 wee girls & pregnant w her 3rd @CarlaSconce is obv living an Optimal Mind Body life. She teaches a killer* pilates reformer class @BodyMindLife - my NEW FAVE go to for Pilates & Yoga: 4 locations, excellent selection of classes & workshops* (including my fave - Yin Yoga) & EXCEPTIONAL instructors**. ALL of them have made me smile in the first 3 minutes of class and again while dripping sweat and hitting my edge physically and otherwise. I also LOVE @AzraMustafa (2nd photo). She had me when she opened class: "If you need to go into child's pose at any point in the class, please do. Or if you want to spend the 1st 1/2 of class in child's pose and then go into savasana for the 2nd 1/2, I'm okay with that too." In short, she expertly led a full range of students with the perfect balance of humor, compassion & cheerleading. NOT easy w a mixed level class. +RECO: Sign up for Body Mind Life's ridic monthly all inclusive unlimited (less than $100US), even if only in town for a couple wks. Try all locations (I use Potts Point mostly) and their AM & PM classes. GREAT motivator to get up very early and stay connected to your healthy living while in Sydney. Or if you're just getting back into your fitness groove or trying these modalities for the first time, awesome way to dive in. Do this in any town where you'll be working/staying more than a week. It will motivate you to take more classes, get to know different instructors and to do something daily - the key to establishing new, healthy living habits. *I found out it wasn't just me who felt so as all the women from class were whimpering but smiling together in the locker room post class;) **If in or near Sydney or you like to travel, check out their "Events" schedule: mucho yoga teacher trainings & more... former @ExhaleSpa colleague @SimonPark has a couple of April trainings I'm planning to jump into.

Visiting from the west coast of the US, and was keen to find a good spot to do yoga. Dropped in…read morehere after finding it online. I was absolutely not disappointed -- the space is phenomenal, raised up a level off the street and with a view of Sydney's CBD. The room is incredibly spacious, and well lit; wooden floors and high ceilings. The class itself, with Roxy, was wonderful -- though they do have a tendency to turn the heat up (whether you like that or not is a matter of preference, but I get hot enough doing yoga without needing them to turn it up to 30°C). Either way though, this is a fantastic spot for doing yoga and I'd highly recommend it!

I have been training at Evolution To Wellbeing (at Coogee Beach), for nearly five years. I love it!…read moreI spent years going to different gyms, but Evolution has been the only thing I have been able to maintain my commitment to. I think this is because you train with an amazing trainer (Jayne McPherson), and an incredible group of people, spanning all age groups / fitness levels. There is a fantastic sense of camaraderie and a real sense of community. It is outdoor group training. Each session is varied and works for all fitness levels. There are always alternative exercise options made available if dealing with niggling injuries. Equipment used on a regular rotating basis include barbells; dumbells; kettlebells; medicine ball; ropes and powerbags. There is also a twice weekly yoga option, long run options and boxing every Friday....it really is varied training! Whether you are super fit or just starting out with exercise, I highly recommend you come down to Coogee Beach to try out Evolution to Wellbeing. There are both 6am and 7.15am group classes, and a free trial is generally available.

So you came to Bondi Beach and want to do some yoga? No surprise there, this beachside town is a…read morehot spot for health, fitness and good looking flexible hotties from the young to the, well, less young (but still arguably fitter than a lot of people in the thirties elsewhere). Having mentioned my yoga tendencies to our air bnb host, we're staying in Bondi for a month during our twelve month working holiday, she keenly handed over two free class passes to BodyMindLife Yoga. Having walked past the studio a few times and enquired about their starter offer for $48 which to me is great value for unlimited 30days yoga, considering you've all the time in the world when on holiday here, I was keen to see what it was like inside. They have a range of classes to choose from and if you ask you can find out which teachers are suitable to your level of experience. We started with a essentials at 28degrees practice, there's also the open practice which is available at 28 or 30 degrees and yin yoga, meditation is also available. Being that in England I found practicing flow yoga in a church hall during winter too hot, I wasn't sure what to expect when you turned the temperature up to what is essentially a heatwave in England, I bought a towel and large bottle of water in anticipation. (I can tell you now, I sweat my arse off, so I'd advise you do the same.) The women were lovely, a quick tour of the place, a few guidelines on etiquette, which I always appreciate - there's nothing worse than someone distracting your meditation with a phone going off of whispering. Though two women didn't fully embody this attitude at the start of the lesson and I did feel distracted from settling into my space. Essentials class is there to introduce the key poses to those newer to yoga and fully emphasise the posture and alignment of poses to those who practice. For myself I found this really helpful, there was both an instructor and assistant who would come and adjust your pose to the correct alignment and my god do you feel it in certain positions. For others I think the basic process of movement into the pose was really beneficial. I am used to vinyasa or flow yoga, this class actually holds poses for a lot longer so the focus on core muscle strength is intense but really I found it helpful to come back to basics and recognise the muscles that need to be engaged and focus on my alignment. I would advise this for anyone at any level to refresh and refine your key poses. This class for me didn't hold much mental relief as I was holding so much concentration on extended poses and my alignments that I actually forgot to breathe at times and at other times my breath ran away from me, occasionally we were encouraged to bring it back with deep inhales and exhales in between, I would just say if your looking for a mental stretch and relax then a different choice of class would be more beneficial - I haven't tried the others as of yet so I can't advise on those, but as a company they seem friendly, capable and clean. I definitely feel like I've had a good work out and found myself a few new muscles to engage! Namaste.

I recently got an intro pass to check out their pilates reformer class. A few notes:…read more Pros: -they offer many reformer classes daily with varying levels (Align, Flow, Dynamic) -clean studio -variety of instructors -intro pass was a great deal ($48/4 reformer classes) Cons: -Difficult to reach via phone, I called several times and left a message but never got a return call. I had to actually go in person to have my questions answered -They do require you to take a basic reformer class (Align) prior to advancing to their more difficult classes. This is great if you are a newbie, however, if you have any basic understanding of the reformer, you will find this unnecessary and a waste of an hour as you may not get much of a workout -they are super strict about their late policy. I was only 3 minutes late and was told I could not join the reformer class. I understand 10-15 min late, but under 5 minutes...really? A bit unnecessary given it only takes 30 seconds to adjust the reformer bed to your height, meh :/

My inner thighs have never been so sore…read more And that's a good thing, I think. I'm probably a better twerker than I was before, too. Went to an intro session here - they're new - and it was my first Pilates experience, I'd never seen the spring-loaded bench contraption that you use for this kind of exercise, and I was pretty rubbish at it to start, like a dog trying to stand up in a moving car. I've played sport all my life so thought this would be a breeze, but it was surprisingly challenging, made even more so by the girls around me who glided through the movements smooth as you like and there I am in the corner going all beef jerky. And I'm sore, so it must work, right?

I tried out a 6.30am Power Barre Attack with Renee. It's the first time I've tried barre…read more Renee was very lovely, exactly what you'd want in a fitness instructor; very friendly and approachable, offering advice when you're doing something wrong in a warm manner. Power Barre Attack is somewhat challenging, and definitely a great work out. From ballet moves to a few burpees, planks and squats it's really cardio as well as strengthening and lengthening.

From the owner: Welcome to Balance Moves, a boutique Pilates and Barre studio in the heart of Sydney’s iconic Bondi…read moreBeach Come join us at our lovely, sun-filled studio where we have been teaching Bondi locals and Pilates & Barre enthusiasts since 2001. Whether you have years of experience, you are an instructor looking to improve your skillset or you are an absolute beginner, Balance Moves is the Pilates and Barre studio for you. We aim to educate, empower and inspire our students to reach their potential through the art of mindful movement, functional fitness, and core-based exercises. Allow our expert instructors to guide and nurture your body so you can improve your strength, body awareness and fitness with Pilates and Barre at Bondi’s longest-running studio. The studio director, Renee Scott, danced with the Hamburg Ballet before completing her initial Pilates training in New York under Joseph Pilates’ renowned disciple, Romana Kryzanowska. Balance Moves is also the home of Australia’s very own Barre method, Barre Attack which was created by Renee and is now taught in studios all over the world.

Flow Athletic have a great philosophy on fitness; a balanced routine through hybrid classes combing…read morecardio, strength and yoga. My favourite is BikeAsana which is 30 minutes of hectic bike work followed by 30 mins of stretchy, relaxy yoga. Perfectly balanced. The music (especially Shannon's iTunes) is actually stuff I enjoy working out to and the trainers are great. Also, I think these are the first spin bikes that haven't given me the post-spin bum bruise. They're actually comfortable! Like Ying says, there is a community vibe here. They throw Xmas parties, put on movies, have a progression sticker chart and also a lounge area where you can use Wi fi and sip coconuts. If you want to do your own training, you'll be disappointed because its classes only. This suits me fine 'cos that's all I do. The only drawbacks are that it's expensive and maybe not great if you get a bit bored of spin and yoga. All in all its 4 stars from me.

I came here for a BikeAsana class with Kate while staying in Paddo for a few days on holiday…read more Absolutely beautiful studio space overlooking Oxford Street in a charming area full of high end Australian shops. The class was just the challenge I was looking for and I hope to try another before leaving Sydney. Highly recommend!!