Great club, top line equipment, friendly social interactions, recommend if you are local or passing…read morethrough.

Full disclosure: I'm approaching 40 years old and haven't been a member of a gym in my life…read more That's a lie. I was a member of a rival gym a couple of years ago. When I joined up I was given an introductory personal training session in which I was reminded how unfit I was and sent packing with a detailed report on my woeful state of health. Or that's how it felt. Totally demoralising and I never went back. That was the background to my contact with Virgin Active (Bourke St.), following a new determination to get fit. It loomed in the background as I perused their site and filled in the contact form. So much so that I shared it with them when they called me back the same day. And again when I had a tour. But my experience with Virgin was nothing like what I experienced elsewhere. It was positive, inclusive, accommodating. They looked to take their cues from me and support my goals rather than impose their own standards. I could talk about the equipment (loads of it), the space (masses of it), or the range of activities (pool/spa/sauna? Check. Indoor rock climbing? Check.) I could mention the cleanliness of the venue or friendliness of the staff. But what it comes down to here is care. Is this a warehouse full of keep fit stuff or does it house a culture of care? It's the latter. Virgin Active have my ongoing business because at each stage they have proven themselves to care about who I am, where I'm at and what I'm aiming for. And that's valuable.

The historic St Kilda Sea Baths are located directly on the esplanade in a beautiful, white…read morecomplex. Extensive work has been taken out on the building and the Sea Baths now contain two restaurants, day spa, pools, gym and health club. As far as pools and gyms go, I don't think there's any positioned better in the world. From both area's you get the most amazing panoramic views of Port Phillip Bay. I'm not much for working out, but I know from experience there is nothing better than lazing back in the massive, heated spa in the pool room, the spa being about two metres from the floor to ceiling windows that look straight out on to the ocean. We were in St Kilda for my husband's birthday and it rained all weekend constantly. Wanting to still enjoy the beach, there was no better way than to soak in that spa and watch as the storm clouds and rain swept in from the horizon. It was a seriously tranquil experience. Both the gym and day spa have won numerous industry awards and it's not just for the views, location or facilities. All of Melbourne's best beauty therapists and personal trainers vie for positions at the Sea Baths so you're bound to get the results you want. The only downside is if you want to live the life of a bay side suburbian, you'd better have the cash to go with it because the beauty, professionalism, tranquility, facilities and bubbles come at quite a cost. Not a place I can afford to go often but worth every bit of pampering when I've got the time and finances to go.

This place is too swank and has the multi-million $ slot of real estate.... this is a place of…read moreexercise and getting the fat off, and the fit on?! This... with restaurants and bars flanking it from all sides, the beach directly in front, and the most gorgeous views of the Bay? Just an amazing facility, with an indoor salted seawater full size lap pool, and a very elongated chill and relax spa for just 'being'. A few chairs for stretching out in that salty, humid environment to people watch the esplanade there. Showers at the pool level, in case one is coming in off the beach, to rid all sand. Upstairs are the gym facilities and proper equipment. I have an inside know of the fees for the monthly membership, and it's just hard to rationalize plonking that kind of coin down for something, that ultimately, is for sweating and working out. Still, it is a beauty, this health club bedecked with all finer things. Just look for the domed Santorini-like white building along front in Catani Gardens. Unless you've got a zoned parking permit, I also wish you well on the parking. That can definitely make you want to climb the walls and get your runners on!

Mr Pilates was recommended to me by my massage therapist. She sent me to him to correct problems…read morewith my hips. Working with Darren has been life changing. Not only has the problem been corrected that my whole sense and body awareness and my physical body has changed. His approach is thorough professional and heartfelt. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend him.

Darren has a beautiful gift in the body awareness and healing. It is not a conventional Pilates as…read moreI thought initially. He has the talent to hold space for people at all levels and personalises exercises to meet where you are at. His gentle and professional approach helps to harmonize the body and mind. I have experienced so much transformation from doing Darren's class and one on one session. The strength and confidence that I feel in my body is true magic. I am so grateful to find this amazing teacher. Thank you!

DIRTY GYM WITH MANAGEMENT WHO CANT BE TRUSTED WITH YOUR BANK DETAILS…read more Nobody reads long reviews so here are the headlines. Dead mice on the gym floor. Used syringes in the men's toilets. Dog sh*t and p*ss on the floor the classes are meant to roll around on. Management who will continue to charge you for a membership you cancelled within their terms and ignore you when they realise they got away with it. I actually liked this gym when I joined, the place was cool, nice atmosphere, a good change if your bored of the average chain gym. BUT the place is just dirty. I was there for less than 6 months and I seen so many dogs sh*t and p*ss on the floor in the middle of the gym, yeah the green strip where everyone is to roll about. Sure they spray it with some kind of cleaner but I still wouldn't be down there! I found a dead mouse on the gym floor and thought I would be nice enough to tell the management about it before anyone else seen it, she thought it was hilarious there was a dead animal in her gym.... I only every used the upstairs toilet twice and one of the times there was a used syringe in the cubical, its difficult to stop drug use in a gym but this wasn't even subtle, clearly the toilets don't get checked regularly. Now in a time that cleanliness is more important that ever due to coronavirus I would not be stepping foot in this gym! If they cant even keep dead animals and needles out how can you expect them to keep an invisible virus out. I let these things slide when I was training there but once I left (with 30 days' notice) they continued to charge both me and my girlfriend for our memberships. We emailed them with attachments of the payments and the notice of cancellation and got a response the same day, Wendy acknowledged this should not have happened and she would refund the money that day... that was over a month ago. One of the personal trainers actually warned us this would happen, when we mentioned to him that we were only there for 6 months he told us to make sure we cancel with 30 days' notice because management are good are good at forgetting to cancel the direct debit. We emailed again after 3 week and one of the staff Montana replied on the same day again acknowledging this was wrong and she would raise it with management that day, no response from Wendy again. Last email I sent was letting them know that if there was no response or plan to return the money by 30/04/2020 I would accept that they have no intention of returning the money. Here we are 07/05/2020 and my inbox is as empty as my bank account. Wendy you have our bank details, do the right thing.

My favourite gym full of such good energy and sense of community. I feel super comfortable being…read morehere as a woman and the classes are SO awesome everyone is at their own levels and that is respected and welcomed by trainees. Also dog friendly which is super cute. Def recommend.

Yoga real is an excellent yoga studio that ensures you are learning about the meaning of yoga not…read morejust stretching. There is a mixture of classes for all levels of yogis. If you're a beginner fear not one of the lovely helpers will make sure you know the routine and how to get into positions. The volunteers are all very friendly and welcoming and rob is an excellent teacher. I found that his style of teaching was very beneficial and it has had a big impact on finding inner peace. Having said that some of my friends have attended the class and not found this aspect useful preferring to stretch more and do less meditation and self reflection. I definitely think it's worth trying out especially if you find yourself stressed or anxious. Rob is very approachable and always happy to help you out with tips and techniques for what to do at home if you need extra work.

From the owner: "Real Yoga - Yogareal" The Dynamic Yoga With Understanding And Heartread more