Despite the fact I swore my money would never pass through the hands of Fitness First again, here I…read moream starting my "new financial year resolutions" with a new fitness regime and with a gym that isn't that bad. In the five or so years since I was last a member it seems they've scrubbed up and pulled their socks up. You can have as much or as little guidance as you like and classes like boxing, body balance (a lot of Les Mills) and more should keep boredom at bay.

This is easily my favourite Fitness First in Brisbane - there is no better way to shed those kilos…read moreand feel fantastic than at Fitness First in Toowong. The reception staff always offer perky greetings and on Fridays, a bowl of fresh fruit for those post-workout munchies. Having never braved a personal training session of fear I may in fact hyperventilate, pass out, or worse, embarrass myself in front of the muscley trainers, there are plenty of them, and friends rave about how good their sessions are. Good for them. Personally, I'm a massive fan of gym classes - the RPM instructors are packed with ridiculous amounts of energy, and motivate you to the point where you think your lungs are actually going to explode out of your chest. They introduce themselves to each individual rider every session - and if you're a regular, watch out because they will shout out your name if you aren't keeping up! Despite being an Australia-wide chain, this particular Fitness First really adds a personal touch to their operations, and as a result, is always buzzing with fitness freaks and health-seekers. They also offer a child-minding service, complete with a large playroom which is supervised by the staff.

Sometimes in the quest for finding the right fitness venue, it's right under your nose, blocked by…read morethe lingering smell of linament. So, forget about finding something in the city - if that's where you work - because the best time to work-out and get in the zone is far earlier than when the bus calls, if you're a fan of public transport, or when you're trapped outside of the T2 lane. Dial up a work-out time of around 6 a.m. at The Gap Health & Racquet Club and you'll find yourself in a sensational sweat and near solo as you work through the static and free weight machines and get that metabolism up to Mach speed that will kill any kilojoules consumed during the day - and even into the night for that matter! The Gap Health & Racquet Club has been the site of other health and well-being venues over the years, but seems to have found its followers in this incarnation that offers the traditional gym work-out plus tennis and racquet ball as alternative cardio sports. The facilities - and I was just there yesterday - are clean and hygienic - with a robust and friendly feel that evokes and encourages a comfort level of camaraderie that's often lacking in traditional gyms. And you won't find any gaps standing in your way when it comes to that experience!

"Wake up in the morning feeling like Tense-Diddy..."…read more If you've ever woken up stiff as a board, do any regular cardio exercises, or spend your days chained to the cubicle farm's best friend the computer, then Stretch Yoga could be your get out of jail free card from the aches and pains your muscles give you. I've been going to their Deep Stretch lunch-time classes which at 45mins long are just enough time to untwist all those muscles of mine that are wound tight from an array of stress, attachment issues with my macbook and high intensity spin classes. The deep stretch class isn't your standard yoga class. It's more focused on holding positions longer to release the muscles and as such there's not as many poses per class. The relaxation and centering feeling from yoga remains. PJ, the owner, has taken pride in ensuring there are a variety of classes (including traditional yoga) suitable for the CBD office workers that make up the majority of their client base. The choice makes grabbing a class at multiple times across the week a breeze. And just don't go undoing all your hard work with a stop at the kebab shop underneath Stretch on your way out...

Don't worry - you might need to walk behind the kebab place, up the stairs, past the hairdresser…read moreand down the corridor but you will find the place and you won't be killed while doing so! Location aside (Centrally located in Brisbane CBD but hard to find if you don't know its there, despite the sign out the front), this place is great. I signed up for a beginners course on a Monday night and its been perfect. Our teacher is really great about talking us through the beginners steps and how we can adapt the standard poses to make it easier for us. I highly recommend the beginners course for anyone looking to start and since the teachers are so lovely, I think I would also recommend it for any other classes, too! It is also actually really lovely when you get inside the classroom as well, despite the misgivings I originally had with the kebab shop. Cheers,

loved the jetts gym , always clean and staff were always friendly and helpful , it felt safe which…read moreis a big factor for women exercising. I miss it me and mum went there a lot when Lewis and Markus were there. I have good memories of there when disability people came and all different age groups and how the staff taylor made comfortable exercises for variety of needs and very inclusive minded even when the rain came down hard you watch the tv screens and if anything I think they should have put in some tables and a toaster and jug, as I been to a lot of gyms and found the ones that fostered more social and healthy eating areas appeared to be working better as a place to meet friends. I think gyms should be subsidised by govt for pensioners, people who need rehab and depression and other illness and even unemployed to get Australia healthy again and less obesity because prevention is better then the cure. I think this would be great initiative as well as church dance hall nights and movie pick up buses like my dad and his sister had in 1950s here for a govt to consider over night clubs. Get people healthy again. I did do some night clubbing but once I found chelseys body bar at capalaba in 2002 I gave it up.

Just recently signed up. I usually go in the early morning and late evenings so it's not usually…read morethat busy at those times. 24 hour gym. The staff are friendly. The sign up was easy and they run classes which are free for members. The gyms is always tody and clean. All equipment is clean and in working order. They have plenty of machines despite the small location.

For those badminton lovers out there (I know who you are) who want to learn to play badminton, the…read morebadminton club at Inala are one of the few in Brisbane that still do coaching during their normal training sessions. Here are the sessions times: Tuesdays 7:30pm 10:00pm Fridays 7:00pm 10:00pm Sundays 7:00pm 10:00pm All people wishing to play have to pay the $30 membership to the PCYC and $7 for each session. Although these courts are older ones that probably need a makeover... the price is right, the people friendly and there are 8 courts which mean you don't have to wait much between your games. They play beginner to competitive level here so it's a good mix match of different people who beginners can learn a lot from. It's a great sport, a great club and everyone is always welcome.

I'm biased as I do train there but cannot rave enough about our MMA gym. I've been there for two…read moreyears and absolutely love it. Yes MMA is popular and there are many gyms taking advantage of that, but not here. We are one big family, socialise often and always help each other to reach whatever goals we have. That maybe to actually compete, self defence, weight loss, fitness or a combination of each. If you are on the Northside and are wanting to try one of our many training sessions, just pop in for a freebie (any session) and see what you think!

I'd been looking in the area for a gym for a while and this one in particular appealed to me…read morebecause of the location (less than 5 mins walk from Grovely train station = no excuses on the way home from work), the 24hr access, and the great price. I signed on because I discovered that it's a small business and the owner Bruce is passionate about creating a space where people feel comfortable working out and the service is personal and real. So far I can attest to that being our experience so he's living up to his mantra. The gym is new and as such so is all the equipment. Separate bathrooms exist for both females and males. This is a gym for independent exercisers with no group fitness, but they do have a couple of personal trainers if you're keen and their rates are really reasonable. Make sure you as Bruce about the starters specials. I'm yet to experience a lineup for machines even though I've been visiting peak hour 5pm-7pm Mon-Fri so a part of me doesn't want to tell you that this is a great little gym worth making the effort to support but that wouldn't be fair to the guys behind it working hard to create a great concept.