Great club, top line equipment, friendly social interactions, recommend if you are local or passing…read morethrough.

Full disclosure: I'm approaching 40 years old and haven't been a member of a gym in my life…read more That's a lie. I was a member of a rival gym a couple of years ago. When I joined up I was given an introductory personal training session in which I was reminded how unfit I was and sent packing with a detailed report on my woeful state of health. Or that's how it felt. Totally demoralising and I never went back. That was the background to my contact with Virgin Active (Bourke St.), following a new determination to get fit. It loomed in the background as I perused their site and filled in the contact form. So much so that I shared it with them when they called me back the same day. And again when I had a tour. But my experience with Virgin was nothing like what I experienced elsewhere. It was positive, inclusive, accommodating. They looked to take their cues from me and support my goals rather than impose their own standards. I could talk about the equipment (loads of it), the space (masses of it), or the range of activities (pool/spa/sauna? Check. Indoor rock climbing? Check.) I could mention the cleanliness of the venue or friendliness of the staff. But what it comes down to here is care. Is this a warehouse full of keep fit stuff or does it house a culture of care? It's the latter. Virgin Active have my ongoing business because at each stage they have proven themselves to care about who I am, where I'm at and what I'm aiming for. And that's valuable.

Having been a 'gym junkie' and instructor for more years than I'm prepared to admit; I have seen a…read morelot of gyms. Re-Creation is a fairly large facility with three studios, spin room, stretch room, cardio area, weights area and creche. The equipment and layout is updated regularly. It can get fairly busy at peak times but there seems to be plenty of equipment to go round. There are lots of steppers and treadmills - which have a view out the window. Staff are friendly and not 'meat heads' like some places. Recently converted to 24/7 operation with members able to access the facilities outside of staffed times using a keyfob (available at additional cost).

The South Melbourne branch of Re-Creation Health Clubs is a moderately sized gym catering to both…read moremen and woman of all ages. Complete with three separate studio rooms used mainly for classes as well as a dedicated weights area and cardio centre the health club has some good equipment and great group classes. The layout of he gym seems to be a poor use of the space. The weights area is right in the middle of the club and is quite large, with the cardio machines being up the stairs and off to the side making them all a little too squashed together. They do however offer a very large range of classes and with three studio rooms there is always something on from beginners pilates to advanced spin cycle classes. Re-Creation also have personal training available, both male and female trainers at varying packages depending on session length and frequency.

Serenity now serenity now. This studio is just beautiful…read more I tried Yoga Flow at Happy Melon using my Bodypass membership and really enjoyed my time here. Upon arrival you need to walk through the tiny alleyway and enter through the side door and reception is to the left. Reception is open and bright and I was warmly welcomed and asked to register my details as to head upstairs for the ladies lockeroom. So this lockeroom is so clean and well designed with gorgeous basins, clean toilets, showers and lockers that have USB ports and chargers. Did I also mention that you don't bring yoga mats to class as everything is supplied and cleaned for you? Yes thats right, manduka mats, cork blocks, straps and even towels. Let's move on to the instructor...she was friendly, clear and provided gentle adjustment. She was a sub but I'd be happy if all of their instructors were like this. After the class there is hot tea to try and many regulars stayed for a double. I had a Happy Melon tea and toured the studio and stood at the patio area and was purely happy. What a way to start my Sunday. Cause I use bodypass I can only go 3 times a month but they have several membership options (that seem on the dearer side) but hey they also offer Pilate's, meditation, heaps of workshops and lots of types of yoga! Can't wait to go back.

I started coming to Happy Melon because I was looking for a prenatal pilates class. There aren't…read moretoo many of them to be found, but Happy Melon has multiple sessions every week - and even a postnatal class for when you are transitioning back into regular practice. The instructors have all been great and are super knowledgable about pregnancy and the changes happening to your body throughout. They know just how much to push you so you remain strong but without doing anything to harm your body or your baby. Lucie is my favourite because she has very good taste in music and is so good at giving gentle corrections! I have not been to a yoga class, but they look varied and interesting. The space (for pilates it is a few blocks over on Wills Street), is calm and light and the pilates machines are fairly new and of a very high quality. Everything is clean, and they don't even ask you to wipe down the machines. I feel like a princess! It's a great studio if you want to keep up your pilates practice during your pregnancy, and really just seems like a great studio all around!

Pilates on Bourke is currently my favourite place for reformer classes. They are fairly small with…read moreonly 8 machines. This means lots of individual attention. And the instructors are super-helpful, not afraid to get hands on and complement you when you are getting better. The jumpboard classes are especially good, but I have not had a bad class here. I have also tried their barre class which was one of the better ones in the city. Natalya is really fun and her play list veers more into the pop territory, which is great for keeping the energy up during class.

I'll start by saying that I really like the concept of barre body & it's a great workout. The…read morereason for the lackluster score is twofold- 1. I think the price is utterly ridiculous & 2. There's no good 'beginner class' options which means people are more prone to injuring themselves due to lack of knowledge or technique. I did about 3 weeks of classes (and intro 2 week deal and a week afterwards) and went probably 9 times so I got a great overall view of the classes. The teachers were really lovely but a few moved far too quickly through the yoga components of the classes & I could see people struggling to keep up & rushing their poses to do so (which will lead to injury eventually). There was no explanation to newbies about the poses and no real extra attention paid to them. For those in the know the workout is excellent - it's quite lower limb heavy but different classes are varied and it is hard work- my butt & legs were killing me for days after each class!! The price. Woah. It's so expensive. Over $200 a month for unlimited classes! That's too much by anyone's standards. Their overheads are not that excessive. So what's my summary - eh, if you can afford it, do some yoga classes somewhere else first so you get to know the poses and then go nuts. You'll get a great workout with lovely teachers in a truly gorgeous space.

I admit I was pretty intimidated about the idea of doing a Barre class. I always thought it would…read morebe some kind of ballet show-off session with super toned chicks in impossibly skimpy outfits making me feel fat and frumpy. After some friends and my Pilates teacher filled me in on what REALLY goes on here, I thought I'd bite the bullet and give it a try with the two week $50 pass as a way to shake up my exercise regime. I'm really glad I did and can confirm a few things for anyone else wondering if they should take the plunge. 1) There's women of all shapes and sizes here. I once also saw a guy, but usually it's a women only affair. 2) Apart from the Barre that you use for some exercises and a couple of ballet terms, it's not very ballet/dancy at all. 3) The teachers are very kind and super lovely. There's none of that "look at me I'm so great" attitude you might get elsewhere. 4) The Barre Tone classes will make you sweat and work muscles in small but excruciating ways. 5) Your arms, legs and bum will look and feel better in just a month! I'm now attending two or three classes a week (mostly Barre Tone and Barre Body ones) and really love how it has improved my fitness, flexibility and strength in just a couple of months. The online booking system is very easy to use, though I wish you could book more than a week in advance as I like having my schedule organised a fortnight at a time. I also really like that I can use class credits in any of the Barre Body studios around Melbourne and Sydney as this gives me more flexibility when travelling.

Located upstairs of the Chapel Street Bazaar, Breathing Space is a calm enticing studio for you to…read morerelax and breathe deep. The renovated office space is great as a yoga studio, and is also available to rent for other well-being events. Deepa, the owner, is an amazing Hatha yoga teacher who acts like a mother/grandmother to all in her classes, making sure everyone gets the right amount of attention. There are plenty of blocks, straps, blankets, and eye pillows (my favorite) ... and enough for everyone to go around. I haven't been to the other teachers yet, but Deepa's 9:30-11:00 class on Wednesday mornings has made me a convert. Love the cinnamon and citrus spice Essential oil mix by the fan.

This is a great small pilates studio, small but beautifully laid out with great equipment. Both…read moreregular teachers Donna and Sarah are very friendly and adapt classes to suit each person, making sure that it remains challenging. Lots of variety too and very good working with any limitations/injuries. Very easy to book and change classes.

So Josh has opened his 3rd studio and this place is decked out to the max…read more Brand new everything. Barre PILATES HIIT room Toilets Showers You name it! Check it out, certainly will be looked after by a great crew!