Westenders have been swimming (and trapeezing) in the Western Baths since 1876 and for that reason…read morealone, it can be considered an institution. However, the magnificent building, situated near the University, is misleadingly-titled given that it is actually a fully-functioning leisure centre, with a gym, badminton courts, 5-a-side football pitches, Turkish suite, aerobics studio and a range of classes (some of which are also available to non-members). The pool remains the facility's main selling point and is situated in a truly grand hall lined with lovingly-restored balconies. Measuring 30ft, it is frequented by swimmers of all levels, as well as plenty of kids who love diving from the boards or swinging on the travelling rings and trapeze ropes. With the bar having recently had a lick of paint as well, the Western is an all-encompassing venue which many of the members consider to be a second home. For me, it'd probably turn into 600 quid a year for two games of 5s, but for the more dedicated among you, definitely worth checking out.

I have the pleasure of frequenting the Western Baths once a week (despite not being a member) as my…read moreclub has a 2hr slot booked for swim training. I've not been in any of the rest of the building so can only comment on the pool - I really like coaching here, the hall is beautiful, although it can get very warm standing at the side! Like other older baths, the Western baths has a trapeze and rings which I have never seen anyone use but you can watch on youtube if you want to see it done! Note the pool is 30 yards so a length will take you a bit longer than expected. To other coach type people, climbing the stairs up to the trapeze platform gives you an excellent alternative angle from which to watch people swim - best tip from last week!

I work as an Osteopath, and I reccomend Yoga to some of my patients…read more Anthea is a wonderful Yoga Teacher. The centre that she runs is lovely, it has al the kit that you need to do a Yoga Class - Mats, Blocks etc. The Yoga Teachers, who's classes I have attended, are all very kind people, observant to students needs/weaknesses and there for you. If you want to go to a first class Yoga studo, I'd go there.

I've never tried yoga before, so I have nothing to compare Yoga Healing Glasgow to, but as a first…read moretime experience, it was perfect! I decided, along with a couple of friends, to sign up for their 6 week beginners course, which came in at £48, which I thought was pretty darn reasonable! We turned up and were quickly shown where the mats and blocks were, got set up on the floor and got our payment and paperwork sorted. Anthea, the instructor, was friendly and made sure everyone was ready before moving on to the next posture or movement. We started with learning the basic yoga techniques, learning to open up our chests and really allow our bodies to relax. Once we'd got this down, we started moving into some of the more straightforward postures, helping us to stretch and open up our bodies. What we did in our first class was really easing us into it slowly, but that was great for a complete novice like myself, and Anthea talked us through every breathing technique, every movement and posture, as well as why we were doing it. My tummy muscles are a teensy bit sore this morning, but after the class I felt so calm and relaxed! I can't wait for next week and would definitely recommend the course for any novices looking to step into the world of yoga!

I use to do yoga many years ago and now, have restarted again, going for classes twice a week…read moreregularly, for hot yoga and Hatha vinyasa. Before yoga, I could feel my body weakening and becoming lazier by the day. I'm glad that I decided to sign up for classes again and have someone like Pol as my instructor! He's very attentive to all of his students, even if there are many of us in one session. He pushes us to try and go beyond our limits ("through pain and suffering, always smile!" as he says). I also like that the classes are quite intense so not only do you train your flexibility, but you also push your cardio and work the strength of muscles that you didn't know existed. My weaker parts of the body, the core (stomach and back) have improved so much in terms of strength, and my upper body (lungs, arms and shoulders) have also shown very positive changes! After 3 continuous months of practice, I can easily do the head stand and am in the process of getting the hand stand and the crow pose (which are not easy to do, I kid you not). I've also improved on my breathing (expansion of lung capacity) and overall focus technique (through meditation practices with Pol). If ever anyone wants to keep fit and try to challenge their body beyond its limits, I highly HIGHLY recommend yoga, and to be a student under an instructor like Pol would be a gift!

I was in town visiting, taking art classes at GSA. Wanted a classic yoga studio that would equal…read morewhat I am used to in NYC, where I have practiced for 18 plus years. I was very pleased with this yelp #1 top reviewed spot. And it was very close to where I was staying. I was fortunate to be taught by Russell. He studied in Mysore, India and had a very graceful and informative teaching style. Also his Scottish accent added a nice touch to taking class. I heard from other folks there that Pol is also amazing. And the fellow practitioners all seemed very dedicated and at various levels.! The studio had a very nice selection of classes throughout the week. For beginners and even hot yoga enthusiasts. They even have classes designed for pregnant women. Brilliant!

In the famous words of R. Kelly's 'Ignition'... BOUNCE BOUNCE BOUNCE BOUNCE BOUNCE BOUNCE BOUNCE…read moreBOUNCE The boyf and I came here for a bit of an unconventional date night activity, and we were not disappointed! We showed up on a Monday evening (was also a bank holiday) without having booked, and although the place was quite busy we had no trouble getting a 'flight time' and were on the trampolines about 10 mins after arrival. We took the subway and it's about a 5 minute walk from Kinning Park station, so very accessible and easy to find (if you just follow googlemaps...not sure we would've found it on our own haha) They make you sign a wee disclaimer form which is SO easy and conveniently done on a set of computers specially for that task. This is much quicker and simpler than writing all the info down! It costs a tenner for an hour's 'flight time,' but honestly I think that's enough! You can get a 2 hour pass but we were knackered after about 20 mins and had to take regular water and sit-down breaks. Make no mistake, this is sweaty, sweaty exercise! A couple of wee negatives bring it down to 4 stars- the lockers they have are pretty tiny, and I had my uni bag with me. I ended up having to just put my valuables there and leave my laptop and all my books in my bag on top of the lockers. Bit annoying! They went through a quick safety briefing which I tried to catch all of but the woman spoke pretty quickly, and used some terms which I didn't understand at first like 'gainers' (which is when you run into a flip I think? still not sure haha). Naturally the boyf was way too excited about getting on the trampolines and listened to none of the safety briefing, but they have wee referee people blowing whistles at you all the time if you break the rules. The selection of activities is quite extensive- there are normal trampolines, dodgeball, basketball, a HUGE foam pit with various platforms to jump off from, and punching bags which are incredibly high up, but if you can jump high enough you can climb onto them! The crowd that night was a mixture of kids and the odd unlucky parent who looked like they were having the worst time ever, a group of 'lads', some real professionals who were flipping and bouncing all over the place, and us! This place really made me think about how many inhibitions adults have! There I was watching little kids do running backflips into the foam pit, and I had to really, really psych myself up about doing a frontflip! Finally did it, as did boyf, and we were all proud of ourselves for having done a literal fraction of what these 3ft tall energizer bunnies were achieving. Both of us ended up with sore backs, and both of us had done it the same way- by stiffening up on one of our first landings and feeling a jolt all the way up our backs. So if there's one good bit of advice I can give- it's loosen up and try not to let your grownup 'but this is dangerous' voice take over! The more relaxed you are the less you're likely to get injured. Would love to come here with a big group of pals, and will definitely be back!

Well that was fun…read more Absolutely done my back in almost immediately, so didn't give it my all. All the more reason to go back. They have trampolines. Lots of them. More importantly, they have dodgeball! The super friendly staff even acted as refs. There's also a few basketball hoops (don't forget this all involves bouncing) and a foam pit with different ramps to jump from. All of this adds up to mega fun for kids and there's a lot of special events marketed for the young and fearless. But, that shouldn't put off adults, with or without kids. There's an obvious exercise angle to all of this, but at a tenner a go I suspect it will appeal to most people as 'a fun thing to do'. Some proper changing areas and more food options would be a treat, especially given the exercise aspect. There's only vending machines with the usual at the moment. Hard work, but fun. Give it a try.

Looking for something different to do, try Escape Glasgow. OK, so it's being locked in a room but…read morewith friends this is fun. Search for the clues, figure out the codes and soon you will find the key to freedom. If you haven't tried I recommend you try and if you want more of a challenge try the contagion room. Guaranteed fun! I hope they develop more seasonal or special limited feature rooms. As once you've done the classic and contagion you know how to solve the clues or you can join another group of friends and look like a genius. "Been here before you say? Never, I'm just that smart." Hehe!

I'd never seen the Crystal Maze TV show so when I heard about Escape Glasgow I really didn't know…read morewhat to expect. I'm also fiercely competitive and was a little bit worried about Briony-Hulk paying Yelpers a visit when we did this a few months back - thankfully, I managed to keep my Hulk under control and work as a team member well enough to get a 33 minute escape time from one of the classic rooms. YAH. Last night we headed back for a UYE organised by the awesome Harry L to do Contagion. This is more of a themed room where you have to find the cure to the plague (or something) within 60 minutes of getting into the room, or you'll catch the plague and die. It's £66 and you can have up to 6 people. Liam talked us through how it all works even though there was just the one newbie, the briefing is fun and informative so you don't need to worry about getting bored. If you need to go to the loo you'll need to head up to the first floor of Baltic Chambers which is one of my few criticisms of this place, it'd be nice if they were closer by! You then get locked in the room (although if you really do freak out about being locked in, they can let you out). The guys from Escape Glasgow are watching you on CCTV so that if you get stuck on a puzzle, they'll put a hint on the TV in the room. This proves to be SUPER helpful as sometimes you will just get stuck and have no idea what to do. I won't give the puzzles away for the room as that would spoil the fun, but it is SUCH a laugh and so much fun. I love that when you're there with 5 other people, each person brings something useful to the team and you will all end up solving puzzles. I think it would be near impossible to do alone. Contagion is a really fun room and I think I preferred the puzzles in this room to the classic. You don't need to have any special knowledge to do them, you just need to be observant and think imaginatively. I love that when you escape the room, the guys seem properly chuffed for you and they'll talk to you about the bits you got stuck on. They are looking at re-doing one of the classic rooms so hopefully we'll head back when that gets changed!

For me, the Kelvin Walkway is the highlight of the West End and one of the main reasons I love…read moreliving here. It's just a wonderful corridor of greenery to wander through and transport yourself away from traffic noise and pollution. Mind you, it wasn't always like this - in Victorian times and before the Kelvin was very much a working river and was extremely polluted, and it's only really in the latter years of the 20th Century that it was properly cleaned up and transformed into a walking route. The Kelvin is Glasgow's 'other' river and I recommend the book of the same name by Alex Matheson if you want to know more about the history of the river. The walkway is great for accessing the Botanic Gardens or Kelvingrove Park, and a pleasant walk into town is to take the walkway round the back of the Museum & Art Gallery then cut through Kelvingrove Park and along Clairmont Gardens and Woodside Place, which brings you out nicely at Charing Cross without encountering much traffic. I live within a mile of its downstream efflux into the Clyde, and I just adore the fact that I could step out of my front door and end up in Fort William by following the Kelvin Walkway to Milngavie and then joining the West Highland Way. How does Bilbo's song go? The Road goes ever on and on Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can, Pursuing it with eager feet, Until it joins some larger way, Where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say. Definitely on my bucket list - I may not make it as far as Fort William but Milngavie station is a definite possibility!

A simply gorgeous part of Glasgow to explore - I only knew of a small part of this walkway until…read moreSara T took us on a west end wander further north from Inn Deep up to Queen Margaret Drive. What a delight the walkway is - leafy, lush and somewhat like a rainforest. You'd never knew you were in the middle of a city when you're wandering along. There's some delights to discover along the way, including the mills and at the right time of year, loads of wild garlic. If you've never been before, it's a must for any Glasgow resident for a lovely weekend wander.

Hidden in a lane off of Byres road, just across the street from the Hillhead subway station, Bikram…read moreYoga is a great place for yoga adepts. Bikram sessions consist of a sequence of set yoga poses and last 90 minutes, in a studio heated at about 40 degrees C° (please don't rely on me for precise measures :-)) I love going there anytime I need to be energised and revitalised. I get truly relaxed after a session, and at the same time full of energy. I should go more often than I do, but I find it hard to keep a routine. After taking their £20 for 20 session offer though, I could really see a difference. Spaced one-off sessions work as well! Make sure that you drink a lot before going and avoid eating for 3 hours prior (also avoid drinking the day before, or over-eating...unless you don't mind getting a bit sick). I've done both early morning and evening sessions. The advantage of the early morning (8.15 in particular) is that you have plenty of space because there is way fewer people attending. The advantage of the evening is that you don't need to go without having had breakfast :-) Staff if really nice too. Don't forget to bring a mat, towel and bottle of water, although you can rent them out as well. Enjoy!

This place is my sanctuary. A sanctuary where everyone is welcomed no matter who you are or what…read moreyou look like. In a world where judgement is a constant, it's nice to walk in the Bikram Yoga West End doors and know that not a single person is there to judge you, rather, are there to focus on taking care of themselves. It's a wonderful thing. Unassuming, down an alley off Byres road, this place is a gem. I have been practicing here for roughly 3 months (with a few weeks here and there taken off due to visitors to Glasgow and other things happening), but I'm back and I'm well and truly on my way back to the level of fitness I was prior to taking a break. I never practiced with Stephen and the gang before they opened this Byres Road location, but they have loads of regulars who have been with them from the beginning. I've practiced Bikram yoga in the states, so I get the idea of it, but for those of you who have never been, or who are new to start, it's basically a series of 26 postures done one right after each other in a hot and humid room. It's 90 minutes of a cardiovascular (no, not running about) yoga workout, all while centering yourself and clearing your head preparing you for your day/night. It really is the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I really start feeling the benefits after day 1. Don't be scared to come in and say hello (make sure to take your shoes off at the top of the stairs), the staff and all the teachers are warm and welcoming, as a Yoga studio should be. They have crackin' deals if you're a student, and if you're a student or non-student, it's totally worth trying out Bikram Yoga West End as they do a 30 days for £30 deal, with a huge discount on top of the membership prices if you join before the 30 days is over. Aside from all that loveliness, they have towel and mat rental, and locks for lockers to borrow on the day. They have bottles of plain water and coconut water for sale, and various other snacks and clothing to buy. What's best is there is a rest and relaxation area where you can gather your thoughts before and/or after class, have a cup of (free) tea (they usually have 2 flavours going at any moment) and chat with the friends you'll make. There are also changing areas and showers for those of you on the move and needing to be cleaned up after sweating like crazy! I'm almost certain I've practiced with every teacher here so far, and can assure you that each and every one of them are amazing and teach a little different than the next. All with the same script and postures, but some will correct you if you're not in the proper posture, and some will just let you on your way and figure it out with your class mates. Personally, I enjoy Sherands classes the best, but maybe that's just because we're both American. Hehe, I kid, but she's really great and is one of the teachers who help you correct your postures to get the maximum benefit from your practice. All in all, this place is great. Do yourself a favour and check it out. You'll thank yourself for it!!

So...I'm being a climbing spectator today! And yes the actual climbing part is awesome, but I'm…read moregoing to review the cafe as that is where I'm spending my time. For a small cafe in a sporting centre it's very good. The hot chocolate was nice, as was the latte, but nothing special. The paninis how ever were very yum! Hit the spot for sure. I couldn't decide between the Brie, Apple and cranberry or the salmi and cheese, so we got both and halved them :D yum yum! Not much fuss but tasty! We then shared a slice of paradise cake and my goodness! One of the best coconut cakes I've ever had :D nom nom! The staff are lovely, and the cafe space quite open plan and useful. Complete with a log burning fire *yay* toasty!

I've been hearing about bouldering a lot recently, and then a friend suggested a trip for her…read morebirthday. Yes please! I actually wasn't really sure what it was, and pictured that there would be more boulders and less walls. It is in fact just rock climbing without ropes and on shorter walls. The Climbing Academy seems like a cool place. It's a big space with a proper cafe serving sandwiches, cakes, lots of drinks etc and lots of seating as well for parents/observers. We were doing a 1 hour induction session which cost £10 including shoe hire. All you need to boulder is some kind of comfortable gym gear, and to hire the shoes. Super snug shoes with grippy soles to help you climb. I kept my socks on, apparently it's better to go without. Mmm, not when I'm hiring them it isn't. We were shown around the centre and the novelty of jumping on the squishy flooring never got old. I imagine if you fell from the top it would still hurt, but it was nice having padding to break your fall (seing as I'm used to falling while on skates onto a basketball court). Climbing was relatively straightforward. Apparently you're meant to start from a seated position on the floor, but due to my lack of upper body strength, that just wasn't going to happen. You follow the coloured grips on the wall and can challenge yourself by advancing through the colours. I think I just stayed on purple and black though because I was a bit rubbish. The instructor was really helpful and encouraging. As were the people I was with, so it was a good atmosphere. It was really fun climbing stuff, although my hands and arms were really sore really quickly. If you keep going you build up callouses, I'm not really sure about that. The hour went by pretty quickly. I would definitely go back, and the only reason this isn't 5 stars is because I feel like I wasn't really there long enough to experience properly. A fun way to spend a mate's birthday!

Don't join the gym if you want to use the swimming pool, sauna and steam room…read more I signed up two weeks ago as the swimming pool is open every day till 10 o'clock " as the staff said" apart from Saturday and Sunday till 5 o'clock as I finish work at 6 o'clock so I have time to do some workout and Sauna after, however; since then every day I go to the sauna, they won't let us in as there is swimming club booking or some other activities which are unfair to shot the sauna as well!! swimming pool opening hours: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/sport/timetables/swimming-pool/

I cannot wait to see what this place is going to be like when it's fully open and fully installed…read more At the moment there are still big water cooler bottle things lying around everywhere, no TVs installed and I really wish that they would attach that one exercise contraption to the floor - I don't like the idea that I could fall over on top of you while you're exercising. However, that being said, it was about time that they extended the gym, and so far, it really has helped - unless you go at peak times and the sports teams are practicing and the changing rooms are stupidly full and all the weights are in use. My tiny little pet peeve, which you should know about, is that people will never put the weights back in their proper order, so be prepared to go on a hunt for matching weights. Also, the new floor exercise/stretching sections are always busy, and one of them is contained in milkglass - but with an opening which, if that's the mat you're training on, will make you feel incredibly on display! There is always a Trainer walking around, so if you have any questions about the exercises or if you want a new exercise to spice up your session, they will be able to help. Generally, the staff is very approachable and usually very friendly. I haven't attended any of the classes yet; they've introduced a new system of grabbing a little token which you then hand to the instructor. I have yet to find out how it works.

Recently re-joined the Glasgow Club (only my 3rd or 4th time of re-joining, yeah! Haha!) and I have…read moreto say I did not even know this place existed until a taxi took me past here one day & I spotted the Glasgow Club sign. This is SO handy for my work and until Kelvinhall gets its act together & finally re-opens this shall be my 'local' GC gym. Drumoyne GC is like Haghill in that it is also adjoined to the local primary school, this makes it a lot easier to find/ask directions as if you say 'Drumoyne GC' to most folk they probably wouldn't have a clue but if you asked whereabouts the local primary school is most peeps would know. Plus this time of year it is great as the school & GC are all lit up quite brightly which makes it a lot less spookier when approaching & leaving the place. I've only been twice so far; once to the gym & again for a class. The gym is an okay size - similar to Haghill or Springburn with about 4 or 5 of most cardio machines plus weight machines and also 2 seperate areas for free weights/mat work. They have the music channel on the main stereo system but some machines have wee tv's to which you can plug in headphones so you can climb a hill whilst watching Pointless if you so wish. S'nice. The room for the classes is also of reasonable size and I have to say they put on quite a few different classes and various times for a quite small GC venue. The room fits maybe about 20 people tops, depending on the class. I went for Body Pump and I presumed I was the only non-regular there as I was the only one she singled out & said 'Have you done Body Pump before?' too. Most others are hardcore regular pumpers (ooh-err!) and by the end of the class it showed (I was sweating like a beast & most of them were all staying on for another class! Crazy!) Really enjoyed the class and I ended having to be right at the front directly in front of the instructor (which I wouldn't normally choose to do) but it was fine - she kept me right with my posture/moves which considering I hadn't done BP for a while was helpful. She was a tad scary at first but then again a lot of these instructors can be...*sorry GC instructors!* The changing area was clean & had quite a few private showers, toilets & lockers are placed nearby and all are within the vicinity of the gym or class-hall so it means you can make a swift entrance & exit if in a hurry. Lockers here take a £1 so please don't be like me & forget to bring one...doh. Luckily the lady on reception handed me some change, phew. Mon-Thur Drumoyne GC opens from 9am-10pm, on a Friday it shuts a bit earlier at 9pm and at the weekends it's open 9am-5pm. They also have 7 & 11 a-side 2G & 3G (haven't a clue what that means?!) football pitches alongside grass rugby & footie pitches. Public transport-wise the nearest subway is Govan but it is quite a walk away so I usually get a bus from here to the subway station as there are bus stops directly outside and all the buses that stop here seem pretty regular. It is also about a 15 minute walk from the Southern General hospital.

My 3 years old daughter had the best experience at Glasgow Club Drumoyne playing Teddy Tennis. This…read moreis an activity designed for the kids and it shows. She enjoyed the music, the games and playing with other kids. She was so excited to come back that we had to leave 2 hours before the start of the lesson. The space was huge and quiet compared to other locations. Definitely we'll come back.