As I have to stick to a budget, my decision to choose one of the cost driven gyms was mandatory, I…read morehave been a member of pure gym and namely have been attending the one on bury new road for quite sometime. However. Lifestyle fitness in Whitefield provided a breath of fresh air and has plunged me into a new health-kick. For the same monthly payment of £18.99 they have additional steam room/sauna/aromatherapy room facilities. Additionally they have more squat racks/smith machines and benches than that of my old pure gym, with the added bonus of their appearing to be less people who use the gym. (This is good for all the lifters out there) Unlike pure gym, Lifestylefitness has staff actually working in the gym! These members of staff are very friendly and polite and they help give the gym a sense of community.

As we staying at the adjoining Best Western Bolholt Country Park Hotel we had access to use the gym…read moreand spa. As I was supposed to be relaxing, I didn't use the gym but you could see from the reception that it looked well equipped and was quite busy with members. The spa/swimming pool area was accessible through separate men's and ladies' changing rooms. The changing rooms are pretty dated but does the job. Would've been better if they had regular checks by staff to mop up the wet floor instead of leaving a mop bucket with blackened water in the area! The pool side was separated into two area - one with a shallow pool for kids, here there was an adults only jacuzzi. Through to the deeper pool, which was in the nicer part of the club as it had Windows letting lots of natural light in. There was a steam room which was suppose to have eucalyptus essence but didn't, a sauna and another larger jacuzzi. The club also offers treatments but I don't think I'd recommend it for a spa weekend as it doesn't really offer a luxurious feeling.

A standard DW Gym , all resistant machines are new and free weights are in good nic…read more Treadmills, rowers and all cardio is new and again good quality equipment ! But has old Apple 30 pin dock no good for anything with iPhone 5 upwards !

Lancashire Health and Racquet club is located about a 5 minute drive off the Middleton exit of the…read moreM60. Open from 6.30am if you fancy an early morning swim or workout until 11.pm if a late evening badminton match is more your thing. A humongous gym with a plethora of cardio machines, weight machines and free weights is on offer, plus a cool stretch area too, god forbid you forget your cool down! Need some motivation, then there are personal training sessions available as well. The club says its offers the largest range of exercise classes in the North, I have no actual hard data on this, but I do know classes on offer include Body Pump, Body Attack, Body Balance, Body Combat, Group Cycle, Yoga, Pilates, Legs Bums and Tums . . just reading the list of classes tires me out. Once you have buffed and puffed it out in the gym, there are saunas and steam rooms to unwind and relax in, as well as a tranquillity spa offering such delights as a stress buster stone massage or a muscle relaxer body wrap. As hints in the name, this is also the place to visit for all kinds of racquet sports, offering lessons in tennis, squash, badminton, as well as casual matches with friends; you can get professional coaching and even join the league. There is a crèche for children and they also offer facilities for a range of themed birthday parties all with the expertise of an on-site children's co-ordinator. On Wednesdays there is a Wii night and Thursdays is children's film night, so any parents out there, may never find an excuse not to visit the gym again, as their children will practically be encouraging them to go! There is a fully licensed bar for adults and a restaurant which does Sunday roasts and every Thursday they offer a themed menu night, you may even find yourself visiting without even feeling the need to pop on your trainers. Its expensive of course and completely out of my price range as facilities and service like this doesn't come cheap. There is currently a 'free guest pass' offer available via their website should you fancy a taster, but the reason I visit weekly . . . Roller Derby practice 6.30-8.30 £6 a session every Monday night *insert smiley face*.

If you want a swimming session on the cheap, Castle Leisure Centre is a good bet. It is only a…read morecouple of pounds (although the last time I went I was a student) and a quick swim here in their standard 25m pool and there is easy enough to fit into your schedule whilst not requiring some direct debit out of the your account each month.. But if guilting yourself into exercise is more your thing they have a fitness suite too, membership to which starts at £18 a month. Then again those who like me are more into team and racket sports are served by badminton, netball, squash and basketball courts plus two football pitches. No frills leisure centre in a good central location and low prices.

This is the winner of the linked gyms, just because of the spin classes. Debbie makes everyone feel…read moremore than welcome and once you have been a couple of times she uses your name, although when you get to this stage you are prime target for ribbing! The pool opening hours are not great- but you can always use radcliffe which has better opening times. Staff are always friendly and helpful

After being a member here for a good while now I can certainly recommend it…read more Situated within The Printworks, this gym and fitness centre is a stones throw from both where I work AND where I live. Excellent. It is a very large gym with all the usual equipment you'd find and a great exercise space for free weights and routine gym work. When you join you get a complimentary health MOT - a 12 point health inspection that covers every aspect of your fitness you can think of. It definitely gives you the motivation to keep going, especially if the results deem you quite unfit, as they did for me :/ The pool and sauna / steam room / spa are excellent and usually quiet and the changing rooms and shower facilities are state of the art and very well maintained. There are personal trainers wandering around the gym most of the time, so it's really easy to grab them for advice or even book them for a PT session. Classes also run daily and are included in the membership. I can't fault this gym.

So this was Holmes Place health club. Then Virgin Active. And now it's Nuffield out with the red…read moreand in with the green. So some staff have hung on in there from both clubs before but nice to see some fresh faces. There has been quite a lot of cosmetic change. Much needed shower refurb. Some new equipment. And better use of the space. They have also developed a new health and fitness centre where you can get MOT done and check you're still alive lol. I also think they have listened to us old timers or loyal members as we like to be known. And they have introduced the coffee shop with juices and healthy snacks and for the city centre it's very reasonably priced. I like the vibe. And the atmosphere. No offence To Virgin but it's less electronic tag and more cooperate membership now!