Withington 'Baths' is a seriously old school swimming pool - and has played host to entire…read moregenerations of South Mancunian schoolchildren who have been dragged their by their teachers in the pursuit of being taught how to swim. I should know, I was one of them (as was my Dad). I still have incredibly fond memories of the place - this huge Victorian monument to the pursuit of health, which towered over Withington belching out steam and chlorine fumes. The changing rooms smelt of feet, and our swimming teachers ranged from the disinterested to the downright sadistic. I still have nightmares about having to dive into the pool in my pyjamas in order to locate a plastic brick from its slimy depths. I still go to the baths occasionally for a quick swim, as well as to sweat out various accumulated impurities in its sauna. Not much has changed since my primary school days. The main tiled pool still looks slightly dilapidated, the lockers still look as though someone's been going around headbutting them, and the building still looks like an old Victorian sanitorium for the mentally disturbed. Yet, it still provides a vital service to the local Withington community, and is great value for money. And, it's nice to know that whilst Withington may be changing all the time, the baths is still a small moment of the past suspended in time - always different yet always the same.

If you're looking for an affordable place to keep fit, or just want to go casually for a swim/gym…read moresession/fitness class this place is ideal. I'm not one for being tied down. In gym contracts I mean. So, this centre is great for me. You can pay monthly for under 30 (student and Manchester city council workers have discounts) or just pay as you go. There'a pool, gym with free weights as well as cardio equipment, and a dance studio for classes. Everything you need really minus the swanky changing rooms and posh jacuzzi. But then, you're not being charged the Earth either!

Absolutely loved the stay here. Two of us stayed here for 2 nights. The facilities here are…read morephenomenal, everything is clean and working. For the money we paid we were able to use the all the facilities. They offer a £1 burger me on Fridays where you pay a couple pounds for a whole meal. It's definitely worth the money. It's a very pretty place and the location is phenomenal. There is a 15 minute walk to some absolutely lovely shops and cafes. My personal favourite is the fresh cafe apposite the Istanbul grill. If you want a brilliant experience don't just run to the costa down the road. It's a lovely family-run business that's great in terms of service and quality. I loved the smoothies there. It really helped us enjoy our stay at the village. It's a lovely little place in a brilliant location. I really enjoyed my stay.

What a fab hotel, very reasonable deals for rooms, even at short notice and what you get for your…read moremoney is great. The rooms are clean and spacious with lovely brightly lit bathrooms for getting ready. The pool and spa area is all included in the price and is really well set up. Got little areas in the pool with loungers and trees as though you are on holiday, spacious sauna and steam room, two jacuzzi and very family friendly with a child's pool. Seating area in reception is inviting with a log fireplace and sofas. Provides a bar/restaurant and a starbucks to meet variety of needs. It is a £20 taxi into Manchester but worth a stay even if not visiting the town.

I'd been a traditional gym member for years after getting into the habit of going whilst at…read moreuniversity, but I became aware that I wasn't really pushing myself and had seriously plateaued fitness-wise. It was a trip to see some friends down in London which changed all this. Walking past Clapham Common I saw a large group of people wearing coloured bibs running and doing different exercises whilst under the instruction of three blokes in camouflage trousers. Making out that their t-shirts had 'BMF' on them I was intrigued so did an internet search (http://www.britmilfit.com/) when I got back home. Fast forward three-and-a-half years and I've not been in a gym since. The great outdoors has become my cross trainer, treadmill and step machine (cheesy yet true). The BMF philosophy is simple: outdoor fitness with like-minded folk by qualified and passionate former military instructors. Though some people might think this sounds intimidating it's not at all, everyone is welcoming and encouraging regardless of your fitness level. Personally, I love going to Heaton Park in particular. Not only because it's a huge park with different terrains and parts of it are stunning, but the people who attend every week are one of the main reasons you keep going back. Everyone motivates you and you can have a laugh during the sessions, all whilst getting the heart pumping and fat burned away. The aforementioned bib colours correspond to your fitness level with beginners (blue), intermediate (red) and advanced (green). Classes start with a warm up followed by at least 50 minutes of individual, paired and team exercises, ending with a cool down and stretches. The beauty of the classes is that no two are the same, each one differs in park location and exercise choices, that's what keeps it interesting compared to a standard gym session. Tip: Your first class is free and there is no obligation to join. Just fill out the online form to enroll before you go. Tip: A decent pair of outdoor running shoes is all you really need. Other than that, an old t-shirt on top and shorts, tracksuit bottoms or running leggings are ideal. In winter, base layer top and bottoms are recommended as well. Tip: Some parks also hold a dedicated 'Running Club' session which is at the same time as a normal class.

Excellent amount of free weights, Dumbbells, 100+++ resistance machines and a good selection of…read moredifferent cardio machines. There is also a large matted circuit area and a room with different types of heavy punch bags.

This is a top class bodybuilding and power lifting gym. The equipment and the atmosphere are both…read morefirst class. Thoroughly recommended for anybody who is serious about training. It also has free wifi and car parking. It's what you might call 'old school' with nothing fancy, just exactly what you want to get in, focus, and get your training done. Everybody is friendly and shares a hard training mentality. Check out the website cattsgym.co.uk for info.

This is a well known bodybuilding gym in Wigan. Everyone you meet in there will be more than your…read morecasual gym go-ers you may see in the Total Fitness and JJB gyms not too far away. This may be a plus or a negative for you going here it all depends on your viewpoint. As a bodybuilding gym it has everything you'd expect, heavy weights and good equipment all around. If your into serious training you wont feel out of place here. Good place to go if you dont like the more commercially orientated ones in the area

Probably the best personal trainer in Manchester. I started to train with Liam and he gave helpful…read moreadvice, motivation and a exercise plan which saw me lose weight and gain muscle definition within a month.

Extremely disappointed with the trainer Marco, it started off alright but he kept cancelling the…read moresessions and seemed struggled to manage his timings. At times I had to wait outside his private gym in cold as he was easily 5 to 10 minutes late and not very professional about it and showing little to no care attitude, once even he cancelled the session in the last minute when I was waiting out side his gym and waiting for him to let me in and only then I received a text that he is out of town and couldn't inform me before as his mobile battery was low, he told me this in a very unapologetic and as unprofessional way as possible. I had a plan for a holiday which i discussed with Marco from the very beginning and in the end he told me that lots of sessions has been missed because of my holiday plan. I still have two session left with him which I wanted to have a refund for as I was literally feeling not motivated because of Marco's work ethic and also there was no contract signed, and he told me that he wont refund any money, instead asked more money to book more sessions with him. Extremely unprofessional attitude overall and seemed unconcerned about the clients progress and motivation. If anyone wants to waste money and lose any motivation then definitely Marco is your guy.

The reason i like this gym so much is because they're is a womens only area so i don't feel…read moreuncomftable infront of men. I can hyre a personal trainer as well if i want. I even do classes such as keep fit, yoga

Excellent gym with fantastic quality equipment. Great atmosphere and family run business. Everyone…read moreis welcome regardless of you gym going etiquette.