Since my first 'trial-run' of Core Essentials, I'm happy to report that I've picked up my first…read moreten-pack and am fully addicted to their TRX Camps. I know, right? Me, the anti-gym bunny, actually looks forward to fitness classes now. What is this world even coming to? The TRX Camps take only 45 minutes out of my day and pass without making me ever feel like I can't keep up or that I'm failing which is key in keeping me motivated...I'm not the kind of guy who likes to get screamed at by overenthusiastic trainers while trying to get my fitness on. I like the kind of people who can look me in the eye, understand that what they're telling me to do isn't as fun as eating cookies, but convince me that I'll thank them later. And that's pretty much what happens. Even though I don't feel completely wrecked during the workout, by the time I make it out to my car afterward every muscle in my body is shaking. Helps me feel like my super focused workout is getting me more bang for my buck than trying to figure out my own free-weight program and routinely giving up halfway through. The classes are typically led by Laurissa, the owner, with about four or five other people which makes for a friendly, welcoming, and personalized experience. I can tell Laurissa where my weak points are and she can customize the workout to make sure I still get the benefits without putting my body at risk. I've completely drank the Kool-aid!

I have been going to Core Essentials for about a year and half and I am in love with this place…read more I've done personal training one-on-one with a trainer, with my partner, and have had the unlimited class pass for about year and it is totally worth it. The classes are small and you are able to workout at your own pace in a positive environment. The trainers are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. You definitely should try; There are often monthly deals so check the website for promotions to try out Core Essentials. Take a

Lots of equipment to choose from. Open 24 hours. Friendly staff always doing a fantastic job taking…read morecare of the facility

I don't know where all these negative reviews are coming from but this is one of the best gyms I've…read moreever been too. It is definitely busier during the evening hours then during the morning and afternoon but that's fine it wasn't a long wait to get in. The price is SUPER reasonable, it is being renovated from what I can see but definitely still plenty of space to workout. Definitely should check out this gym!

Beautiful space, friendly staffs, knowledgeable and caring teachers, lots of choices of great…read moreclasses!! They have special classes like backcare, weekly kirtan, also for cancer and chronically disease! The only studio offers such classes in Nova Scotia that I know!!

Erz... ma bad. Apparently Kim isn't the owner anymore and the space is now called "Ama la Vida"…read more(love life is the translation). I went to claim a Groupon I found for $50. TIP: judging by how many people have arrived using Groupon's... I'm thinking they frequently have promotions on there. What I don't like of the place is that the classes are 75% towards gentle or restorative yoga of sorts. Which is fine, but I only do these 1 or maximum 2 a week. I like the sweaty & strength classes! They used to have power yoga, hot yoga, summer body yoga!! Now the only workout classes are pilates (offered Mondays), Piyo (offered Mondays) or flow (offered 3 times a week). Furthermore, I think most of the classes are restorative because the place is geared towards an older demographic. Pilates usually only has a couple of us attend whereas the restorative classes are always full. The space is beautiful and they have free use of props... but once my month is up... i'll be looking for a new place. =(

Tucked away in the corner of an otherwise bland strip mall, Shanti Yoga has breathed a whole new…read morelife into the former Woodlawn Road Library space. With gorgeous hardwood floors and a distinctly zen decor from the moment you reach the front doors, Shanti let's you escape the stress and pressure of the daily grind in a clean, welcoming and friendly environment. My partner and I had never done yoga before but we were drawn in by the $40 introduction fee for a month of unlimited classes. While our first class during their opening week was insanely busy (clearly we weren't the only ones eager to take advantage of such an awesome deal), we found future visits to be much more calm with about 20 people per class (8-9pm slot) instead of the initial 60. If prefer a smaller group, try the 90 minute class on the weekends where you're usually one of 10-15. What makes this studio work for me is that you don't need to commit. You can buy pay-as-you-go passes or simply charge up your account for whenever you feel the urge to get centered. With most of their classes all catering to any skill or experience level, there's no signing up for 12-week courses, and no need to change your schedule to accommodate a certain class. There's no 'missing a class' and no fussing around if life just gets too hectic some weeks - although most would likely argue that's EXACTLY when you should be going! Without having a wide range of yoga experiences, I found each instructor to be extremely welcoming and insightful as they guide the full class while also ensuring one-on-one attention to make sure you handle the poses safely. Having trouble with a certain portion of the class? Chat with the instructor after to figure out what you can work on in the future! My biggest tip? Don't be afraid of the 90-minute class. While the 60-minutes are usually enough for me, the longer class actually goes at a very reasonable pace that feels even more rewarding without making you want to die three-quarters of the way through. Give it a try and be sure to drink TONS of water before and after.

Shout out to all yogis out there! Yoga is definitely an expensive exercise option but it's become…read moresuch a popular hobby, and my personal favourite form of strength building, that more and more yoga studios are popping up everywhere. I've tried out a fair few yoga studios in the Halifax/Dartmouth area and so far, this is my favourite place. 1) Reasonably priced I've compared intro months, I've DONE the intro months, I've looked at Groupons, and monthly memberships... and Shanti is definitely easy on the wallet. The intro month is $30 was the cheapest I saw anywhere. The monthly membership's are $20 less than most places. 2) Beautiful Layout The spaces are spacious and almost luxurious. The woman's room is complete with lockers, showers (which are HUGE, included in the price, have soap and shelves to place your stuff), filtered water, bathrooms, towels, hair dryer... 3) Breathing space I don't know how best to explain this but if you've ever done hot yoga, you can probably relate to the stuffy feeling you get by breathing in the hot air. When I'm Shanti, I feel like I can breathe without loosing oxygen molecules. 4) Push yourself I can't stress this enough. What I absolutely love about this place is that the teachers WANT you to try new things, they give you alternatives to easier poses for more advanced yogis and if you're a beginner, they are welcoming to that to. When I went to other yoga places, I felt like the teachers don't want anyone to go out of the perfectly laid sequence they have even if it means creating to depths. I've been doing yoga for 2 years now, so I like to challenge myself and do harder poses. Shanti encourages this! 5) Eco-friendly This probably isn't a selling feature for most but shanti seems to pride itself on not creating environmental waste. There's no paper forms, everything is reusable and the bathrooms have towels (not paper napkins). Makes you feel a bit better about yourself =) This is going to be my yoga place for the next while! =)

So I recently rejoined at this Nubody's, and thus far have been very pleased with my membership…read more Around this time last year, Nubody's was doing some major renovations and construction which was quite disruptive at the time. Seeing the outcome of the renovations they were definitely worth it. The Club now has an upstairs level (which it never had before), which contains the Circuit and other pieces of exercise equipment. By adding this new section up top, there's a bit less equipment down below, making it less crowded and easier to enjoy your workout.

This is my home gym and I do really like it. Instructors take the time to ask if we are getting a…read moregood work out. My work is sending me around the city so I thought I'd start experiencing the other Goodlife facilities and writing reviews for those. As this is the only one I go to, I thought I should start here. Music can be loud, especially in the change room or fitness studio, or I would rate it higher. It is very clean. I also love to take advantage of their sauna. Try the variety of classes. There is something for every fitness level.

There are so many adjectives of adoration that I can use to describe Mandee, the woman who runs…read moreYogaHeart. She teaches with such love, presence and warmth, that it is impossible not to find her at once lovely and inspirational. Mandee often teaches out of a church hall in Dartmouth. The space is wonderful, with vaulted ceilings and natural light. The classes are open to anyone, of every physical fitness level. Her classes can be physically challenging, but for me, have been more about residing in a sense of peace and awareness, opposed to a rigorous workout - which is a challenge in itself! The vibe is one of gratitude and happiness, fostered by Mandee's ability to draw people together. Her genuine joy and palpable love for yoga makes taking her classes a treat and a privilege. The cost is very reasonable; far cheaper than standard studios throughout the HRM and there is a sliding scale if cost is an issue. YogaHeart is wonderful way to start out your yogic journey, or perhaps to add to your already advanced practice. Classes are peaceful and centered, all guided expertly care of a loving and patient yogini.

Two words meet and make the perfect marriage: Yogaheart. Its true that this little yogic journey is…read morea spot that thrives on heart and soul of good founding structure. With another location in Dartmouth, Yogaheart is a well spread outlet for Haligonians to try. The classes are gifted with high regard, expertise, and with the steady goodness for inner and outer experiences. Summertime means that the class schedule has relaxed a bit, but this is a great time to go and get comfortable with your practice. YogaHeart is the home of a few fantastic instructors-- the combination of passion, kindness and expertise transcends into high caliber classes. I'd recommend this venue to all interested in pursuing yoga times. Experts, beginners, or those just looking to add a new element of practice, YogaHeart is exactly what the yogi mentality stands for.

Great classes! So much fun and very challenging. Sonny is amazing instructor and will push you to…read moreyour limits. I love the kickboxing classes as it is both physical and mentally demanding in a good way. The staff and other members are supportive and friendly.

From the owner: We are the perfect combination of group fitness classes and personal training, as well as small…read moregroups, sports teams and corporate team building! With group classes such as Kickboxing, Kettlebell, TRX Suspension Trainer, Bootcamp Circuits, Strength Circuits, Mobility, Barre, Yoga and more, you'll have plenty of different style classes to choose from! Variety is good for the body!

Get more bang for your buck ! Workout in your own private gym,one on one with Mathew Benvie (BA…read moreHK,CPTN) and you get exactly what you pay for...results ! Instead of wasting time and money on an expensive personal training package at a big box gym go see this guy ! He will design a routine for you, keep you on task,work you as hard as you can and get you the results all in his private gym with no super fit people around to stare you down ! He doesn't push supplements etc. and he's an all around great guy and fabulous coach.I LOVE my workouts with Mathew and look forward to going every time... : )

Well, it's only been two week thus far exercising with the Benvie brothers and Alan at Evolve…read moreFitness. And I must say, they have honestly been the best workouts of my life. I am not new to exercising and have been loyal for the last 5 years to one particular gym here in HRM. But by far they have exceeded my expectations and are hands down the BEST gym in Halifax. They are extremely attentive to their members and give them the best knowledge to live a healthy and fit lifestyle every day. I will continue to highly recommend people I meet to reach out Matt and Mitch and give their gym a try, you won't be disappointed and you'll achieve some serious results!

I have to give an update to the Sportsplex. We went over there for the Pirates-Cove Swim on Friday…read morenight. This review is for a particular staff member who was in need of some serious coaching for customer service. Now, before we went , the site says go at least 45 min before hand to line up and they start to sell tickets half an hour before the swim which was at 7:30 pm. The reason for this insanity of earliness was because of March Break. So we went there for 6:30. We went up to the desk to ask for the tickets and she said they would start selling them at 7:00. No problem, she told us to stand in the line, which is what we did. There was another lady there with her children who was there since 5:30 pm, she thought she could buy hers ahead of time. Policy is No! I understand why this policy is, so I do not have an issue with that. The issue was with the lady , who we believe was management. She proceeded to tell us to leave and come back, that we were interrupting the line of the people who were going in for the 6:30 swim. Please take note, there was no one in a line for the 6:30 swim, they simply walked right up to the counter and we are talking a span of 2 minutes. Now, being the person I am, I simply said , no. I was not going to walk around for 1/2 hour to come back and stand at the end of a line when I am standing at the beginning right now, where is the logic there, I will tell you, There Is None! The other lady, however was not quite so diplomatic, she and the manger started to exchange words. The Manger was telling us to leave and come back, the lady was very unhappy that we were being told to go and do something else and come back. Let's just say, after we all had words with Miss Congeniality, we stayed exactly where we were and within 15 minutes the line was down the hall. Hind-site, we would have left and been at the end of the line. I would hate to hear the conversation at that point. It is unfortunate that she was on duty that evening, as she did not win anyone over, just annoyed everyone. And we all thought she was poor with the customer service. Now, the swim, that was good. Lots of life guards. Great Fun!

Growing up I spent a lot of time at the Dartmouth Sportsplex, mainly watching my brother's hockey…read moregames. The Sportsplex is home to a number of health and fitness programs and services. An ice surface, cardio gym, weight room, 2 swimming pools, fitness classes and a new indoor running track are all housed int his building with a number of community rooms available for Bingo and meetings. My "Safe Prom" party was hosted at the Dartmouth Sportsplex and we were given basically full reign over the building overnight. The pools were open for swimming, and the lifeguards that were on duty were very nice, despite the fact that they had to stay awake overnight with a few hundred high school graduates. Hot Hint: If you are looking for a fitness pass that give you a great variety of workouts this is the place to go. A membership gives access to all the facilities, and a discounted rate on exercise classes.

CrossFit Basinview is simply great! I had recently moved to the area, and was looking for a new…read moregym. CrossFit Basinview showed up in my google search - I emailed to get more info. The owner, Dave, responded quickly and next thing I knew- I was attending my first class there. That was 3 months ago. The coaches are all fantastic, the facility is great, and there is a good mix of ages, athletic ability, etc. I am so happy I found this amazing community.

I have over 100lbs to lose and while I can't keep up with many people at CrossFit I modify what I…read morecan and get in a great workout. Other people training are very encouraging and I would highly recommend CrossFit Basinview.