I was looking for a personal trainer in Edinburgh and after a friend recommended Iain Sinclair of…read moreSinclair's Body Shop I met up with him to discuss my fitness goals and needs. Having used personal trainers at various corporate gyms over the years I was very impressed with his deep and wide ranging knowledge and his open, non-judgmental manner. After a few sessions I now look forward to exercising and learning how to work out for my own bodies needs with supportive encouragement that somehow manages to drive me on without feeling self conscious or too forced. Working in a mostly desk bound job and being a BIG foodie the sessions with Iain have improved my general mobility (weight loss!), strength, fitness and most importantly inspired a desire to exercise that was previously lacking! I can't recommend his services enough and want to pass on my endorsement to the lovely Yelp community. A seriously good guy. Five stars all the way.

My relationship with yoga is strictly casual; it's a challenge, something I enjoy, something I know…read moreis good for me, but even though I've been seeing it for a while, I'm not quite ready to commit, financially or emotionally. Hell, I don't even own a yoga mat. Given this attitude, the Bristo Yoga School suits me fine. Classes are cheap, drop-in, and may be as small as four or as big as twenty depending on who turns up. Here, you can do fun stretching followed by even more fun relaxing without feeling obliged to immerse yourself in the nuances of Indian philosophy, or the difference between Iyengar, Hatha and Ashtanga (which I have never understood). Nor, in the classes I went to with Lisa, was I ever expected to perform any extreme poses, such as standing on my head, balancing on one little finger and such, which came as a great relief. I suspect (in fact I know) that more serious practitioners would be less impressed by the casual set-up of the Bristo Yoga School, but it's perfect for people me, the Sunday drivers of yoga.

I don't currently go to regular classes at Meadowlark but I do attend some drop in classes,…read moreworkshops and special events. Meadowlark has an excellent range of classes for everyone from beginners to daily Mysore classes. The studios are light, warm and clean. The changing rooms are a little small if the class is full and everyone is using them but most of the time it's fine. I have found all the teachers and reception staff to be friendly and welcoming. For me the studio is just a little too far out the way for both home and work for me to do more classes here but it's certainly one of the places I'd recommend for trying yoga. They are opening another studio in March and I'm looking forward to trying aerial yoga in it.

Completely recommend this gym/martial arts studio tucked away in the Dominion Cinema! I started…read morelearning Filipino Martial Arts when I was in Asia and I'm so glad I found somewhere to continue studying it here at top quality level, Paul definitely knows his stuff. I decided I better start getting myself in shape too and tried the kick-boxing fitness class, it nearly killed me but I'm told that's the first step to getting fitter :) Will definitely be heading back and suggest to anyone who wants to get fit or learn a martial art (Wing Chun is on offer too) get yourself down there!

British Military Fitness is a great way to get fit and be social at the same time. I've attended…read moremany gyms over the years and always get bored of the same old thing. When I was hanging out in the meadows one day with some friends we spotted people running around in different colour bibs being shouted at by what looked like army guys. My friends laughed and I thought to myself this looks like something I'd like to do. I love that you're doing it in a big group and it feels like you're all in it together which pushes you further, or me anyway! BMF caters for all levels of fitness and you'll always feel really pushed in a session. There's always changes in instructors which keeps it exciting and I revel in the fact that it's outside and done in all kinds of weather. Yes some of them do shout at you but I think that helps push you onwards. They only want you to get the best out of the time you're there. You come home after the session covered in mud (or you hope it's mud anyway depending on how good the dog owners are) feeling great. On Saturday mornings people bring cakes and tea and there's good banter to be had. They have social nights out so you feel like you really belong to something fun and not just any old exercise class that you attend and then go home again. They have sessions pretty much every day apart from Fridays if you include all the various locations; Meadows, Inverleith Park, Holyrood and Edinburgh Business Park so you can mix it up. They also hold a running club on a Wednesday night which is really good as they do city runs and runs around Arthurs Seat. They also hold special events throughout the year like night hunts, where you run around arthurs seat and find clues, and Black Ops where you have weighted bags and run around doing exercises (that one hurt a lot by the way). One of the best decisions I ever made was joining British Military Fitness.

YES! Finally a 24…read morehour gym opens in Edinburgh. Pure Gym is situated on the new up-and-coming quartermile in Edinburgh, just a stones throw away from the Meadows and a short walk from the University - ideal for everyone. It only costs £17 a month to be a member of the gym, with a £20 initiation fee which is such a bargain. The gym is a really decent size and is filled with lots of workout machines and weights without being overcrowded. Every member is given a pin code which is used to enter and leave the gym, as well as enter the changing rooms. Classes are available at the gym, such as spinning, and there are plenty of personal trainers on hand to help you with your work out. Pure Gym is purely a gym - there is no swimming pool, sauna or jacuzzi, but there is a sun bed! The gym is never too overcrowded and there are always plenty of machines meaning that no one has to wait in line to use one - amazing.

So I gave Pure Gym a go…read more I've never been a member of a gym, nor have I ever been on any of those mad machines. I tried it for three days to learn the ropes and (since I'm not sure I'll have time for gyming for a bit) to try out a gym while I have a bit of free time. Applying for membership took about 5 minutes, all online and I was good to go immediately. The next day I showed up for my induction which was given by a lovely, relaxed - and most importantly completely not intimidating - lady who was patient in showing the machines, how to use them and explaining the ins and outs. After induction I was left to my own devices, so I tried out some machines. I was there at rush hour (but maybe some days are busier than others) and it was fine. There was no waiting for anything and everyone was friendly. I made the most of my brief membership and had fun. The gym itself, though I can't compare to other gyms, seems well equipped and there seems to be a relaxed atmosphere. The classes look like fun and apparently rarely fill up (even when the online thingy says they have, apparently they recommend you try showing up because there's so many no shows). There's a few rules such as: your stuff needs to be locked up (padlocks are available for £4), you need to carry a sweat towel when you're using equipment (again, available in vending machines) and there's no opportunity to bring friends (you're paying very little so I guess that makes sense!) Overall it was a good introduction to gyming. I had fun. The facilities are adequate, the staff are friendly and the atmosphere is fine.