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 :/

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.

The class was well organised, started on time, parking close by, easy to find. The work was hard…read moreand I felt it a few days later, but I am a fan, loved it!

Barre Body is the best, so many different types of classes whether you prefer more of a…read moreyoga/pilates or more active HIIT. I love the teachers and the spaces are always so clean and relaxing. I've been going for over one year now and do not plan on stopping anytime soon :)

Immediately friendly and warm greeting when I walked through the door. This is not your standard…read moreworkout studio. They offer yoga, Pilates and Gyrotronics. Don't ask!!! My first visit was a 'Consultation' where I spoke one-on-one about my physical history and taught correct breathing, and shown the Gyrotronics machine. 1 hour. Possibly the best 1 hour of the past year! I will follow up after my next visit but suffice it to say that if you are interested in bettering your health, this is the place.

Elixr is a very nice health club. I was only brought here…read moreas a guest twice, so not sure how it is to be a member. The staff are very friendly and professional. I attended the Pilates class, the instructor was great. It was my first time taking the reformer Pilates class. I loved using the machine and the instructor was very helpful and patient with me. The class was fun and challenging. They have a nice area for stretching and doing ab workouts. They also offer a decent amount of workout equipment and cardio machines. The facility seemed clean and well kept. Easy to get to by taking the bus or train.

I really enjoyed my experience at Elixr Health Clubs! Not sure why people in the past have had a…read morebad experience - my past three months here have been nothing short of amazing. The staff were extremely welcoming and the instructors were all very helpful. They have multiple activations throughout each month with complementary prizes and they're a really great way to meet people around the area. I attended multiple pilates classes, yoga, stretch and fitness classes and thoroughly enjoyed the reformer pilates. The facilities are always really clean and I have never experienced a gym/health club similar to Elixr!