OPEX is definitely the best personal trainer in Bristol…read more My goals often change based on whether I'm running, cycling, bodybuilding or trying to get stronger and Danny is always able to program accordingly, especially through injuries and niggles. The coaches are great at explaining exactly what's going on whether you're knowledgable about fitness or a complete novice. And most importantly it's all done in a really fun environment!

Opex Bristol is an awesome environment, the coaches are all so friendly and the gym is such a…read morelaugh. They make sure the programmes are written with your goals and lifestyle in mind they are the best personal trainers in Bristol!

The Adventurous Activity Company offers all sorts of adventurous activities!…read more It's a great idea for something a bit different to do with friends, though their half or full day adventures will leave you feeling exhausted! It's a fantastic way to see Bristol from a perspective you wouldn't have otherwise, from canoeing round Bristol docks, abseiling down the cliffs of Avon Gorge or taking a mountain bike course. Some of the things aren't for the faint hearted while some activities would be suitable for all. Prices are reasonable for the experience though not cheap.

A friendly club that is as good for beginners as it is for experienced runners. The main meeting is…read moreon thursday nights at 7pm from the castle school. The also meet on tuesday nights at filton college wise campus for a track session starting at 7pm and there is a long run on a sunday morning at 8.30am starting from castle school car park. The club members do well in the local races and also put on a couple of races the next one being the river bank rollick in january see the website for details. I really enjoyed visiting this club and they make you a nice cup of tea and a biscuit after your run!

There are numerous gym's in Bristol, one to which I am a member of, but not many of them have a…read moreswimming pool, including my gym. So I was on the look out for a leisure centre with a nice swimming pool, and I think I have found it in Keynsham. The pool is a good size, and as per most swimming pools they have different time slot for different activities, such as free swim (that means do what you like, not that it is actually free!) Lane swimming, and of course for the younger ones (and young at heart!) the activity hour(s) where lots of floats are bobbing aroung the swimming pool. There is also a gym in the Leisure centre. If you sign up for membership before the 31st May 2010 you get 2 months free membership.

This is a great leisure centre. Staff are always friendly and helpful. You can use all the…read moreequipment in the gym, they have all the usual equipment, there is space for indoor football etc. and the swimming pool is the best feature. You can book swimming lessons in advance, the teachers are very patient and always make you feel you are doing well, even if it doesn't feel like it. For the children they give certificates, they are called Duckling awards, it makes the children feel good when they have achieved a goal, and are given a certificate, They also raise the water temperature twice a week for certain groups.

Phenomenal gym that is always looking at ways to improve. The rooms were redesigned some time ago…read morealong with the implementation of a new 'High performance zone'. They have recently installed a new 'Functional zone' that now caters for every part of my training. The individual areas are spacious and make you feel like you are training in your own personal space. BS7 Gym is the best kept secret in Bristol.

This is a pretty average gym, it's basically made up of 4 rooms 2 with cardio machines and 2 for…read moreweights. There's also a class studio and squash court. They do offer a pretty good class timetable with all the usual classes such circuits, boxercise and yoga, which are all included in your membership. Squash is also included although you need to pay to hire rackets and balls. The gym is looking pretty tired and good do with a bit of TLC and a tidy up, maybe an upgrade of machines and certainly needs the air con sorted out. Membership is £34 a month for individual or £54 for joint. You are primarily a member of the county cricket ground which is home to Gloucestershire cricket club. Your membership gets you into the home games for free and although I'm not a cricket fan there is possibly nothing better than soaking up the rays and atmosphere whilst enjoying a glass of something fruity on a summers evening!

I never realised it but you could do a Cool Runnings scene of your own in Bath. Located at the…read moreUniversity of Bath there is a partial replica of the bobsleigh track at Salt Lake City. To my surprise all sorts of people turned up for the event - from the young to the old, from the slight of size to the big and brawny. We thought we'd be the only ones going for it but in the end I think there about 20 of us. There are two things that you need to know before you even consider going to the track - 1. You will get very hot because you will do a lot of sprinting (you'll do about eight runs) and 2. You will get very cosy with your fellow team members so either go as a group of four or be prepared to get up close and personal to a few strangers! My bro and I were very lucky to be grouped with a couple from Essex, Sandra and Aaron. They were really lovely and friendly and it was clear from the outset that we all worked very well as a team and the other teams actually had us pegged as the ones to beat! As it is only a partial replica of the Salt Lake City track you don't actually do a full proper bobsleigh run with the activity mainly based around the push start. To be honest once you're in the sled you don't even realise where you are on the track - all the hard work is in the start. Surprisingly it is a lot easier to get into the sled than you would think though some of the other teams, in particular where the team was all big burly guys, had a bit of a struggle to get in. I think our combination worked quite well - so well that we won the time trials! and we were the only ones to break the 9 second barrier (twice) so I was pretty happy.

I friend of mine, who is a member of the Bristol Council's gym group, gave me a free pass to go to…read morethe Horfield Leisure Centre. I fancied going for a swim and had been warned against the Bristol South Swimming Pool so thought I'd give the Horfield option a try. I was really impressed, a nice big pool, with good changing facilities (clean showers!). After my swim I visited the gym which was just lovely, well lovely in a gym kind of way. It had plenty of cardio options and a real good selection of weight training options. The classes on offer there are fantastic, if you can't find something you like, or at least don't hate the thought of, I'd be really surprised. The other good thing about these council run gyms is that you become a member of all of them, so you can mix it up a little bit and go to other pools or centres to keep you from getting bored with exercising!

For swimming, Horfield Leisure Centre is far better than most public pools I've been to…read more The main pool is big - 25-metres long, with eight lanes, and the only thing I am not keen on is the mixed sex changing rooms. Obviously there are private cubicles, but it still feels a bit weird legging it from the pool into a cubicle past blokes in Speedos. On the other hand, at least they're kept clean and they're quite spacious. I haven't tried any of the other leisure centre facilities myself, but the gym looks well-equipped with rows of new-looking cardio and weight machines, and there are several classes offering aerobics, yoga, spinning and other types of exercise. There are also squash courts and a big sports hall for team games such as 5-a-side. If you're not going to get to the gym regularly and get your money's worth, this looks like a good budget alternative to joining a private gym.

If ever there was a competition for catchy business names Westbury Trym and Tone would definitely…read morebe up there among the greats - so catchy in fact I think the name came before the business idea. This place is, as one would imagine, a gym. No ordinary gym however, full of buff lads sweating and straining - but a gym for the ladies. It is an enjoyable, light, airy place for ladies and their families. From what I can assume what with my journalistic powers of assumption the focus is on somewhere enjoyable and relaxing to retreat to. 'You don't need to be a Lycra clad fitness-freak to come here' sort of vibe. I have to assume these things for it is a ladies gym for ladies, and I am not a lady.

Can you spare 30 minutes?…read more That's the questrion on the promotion flyer from Westbury Trym and Tone, and offer a realistic way to reach your goals. Often people are put of going to the gym because it can be very time consuming, so I think Trym and Tone are onto a good thing! It's a small, and friendly gym, and the besr thing about it - it's just for ladies! You can go in for a free trial to work out whether it's for you or not. The workout they offer is a circut based resistance workout, so it keeps you on your toes - you won't be plugging away at the same machine for 30 mins! Prices are pretty standard as far as gyms are concerned.