I have been working with James at Imagine Fitness for about 13 years now. I have a number of…read moreorthopaedic challenges due to past injuries and osteoarthritis; James works in conjunction with my psyiotherapist to get me in the best shape that I can be, which is important as middle age rolls along. I am happy to recommend this studio to anyone looking for a friendly, knowledgeable and efficient exercise professional in the Auckland CBD.

This is my local gym. I love it here because unlike other gyms that I have been a member of, there…read moreare always machines available. It is a relatively small gym, approx 5 x treadmills, 3 x rowing machines, 4 x cross trainers and maybe 4 x bikes. They run classes but I have only attended the spinning class, which was quite good. A boot camp is starting soon too which seems to be getting a lot of interest. The staff are very friendly and seem to know if you want to have a chat or to just get on with your workout. My previous gym had an atmosphere like the movie Dodgeball about it - Globo Gym - cos we're better than you. This is definitely not the case with this gym

"Jordan" is a really weird name for a YMCA and confusing to understand until you see the "Sir…read moreWilliam Jordan" full name on the door. This place played home to my roller derby team in 2011 and I continued on as a member of the gym once we found a training space that could have us on anything other than a Friday night. That said, the Jordan facilities are awesome and I'm very grateful for the use of the basketball court area for my team. We shared the space with a number of community sports teams, and the staff members at YMCA Jordan were always very obliging when we needed assistance or needed to borrow gear from their storeroom. The arena is small (one basketball court) but has bleachers that can seat a couple of hundred people if need be. This place is also super cheap to rent!

This review is for Edit. She instructs yoga classes three times a week. She calls poses by their…read moreactual name, she describes how various poses will benefit various complaints (headaches, sciatica, etc), and she throws in new poses regularly. I've had various instructors over the years, and she is easily the best. As far as the rest of the gym, I've done spinning classes and pump. Both instructors were genuinely helpful and passionate about the classes. I buy 10 trip tickets rather than a membership. Tips: Look out for deals on GrabOne - I got 10 classes for ~$70. They also did a deal prior to Christmas last year which I imagine they'll repeat - 10 classes for $100 instead of the regular $150.

Although St Heliers and Glen Innes are completely oversaturated with expensive gyms and fitness…read morecentres, Contours Glen Innes is one of the few that are women-only. I'm not advocating that sex segmentation is the, erm, best way to work out or whatever, but I'm definitely sure that the environment at Contours was much more enjoyable than that of my previous gym 5 minutes away, which was crowded with pungent-smelling, slightly narcissistic young males who would frequently lift massive dumbells in front of their mirror with their friends (obsessive, much?). Contours is much smaller, and although I had to pay a little bit more than I did at my old gym, it was well worth every penny. All of the classes are well-organised and a lot of fun, and the gym itself is always really clean and tidy, so I always felt like I had motivation to pop down here at least a couple of times a week.

Very clean and professional gym. Really appreciate that the locker rooms have shampoo and soap…read moreprovided in the showers as well as hair dryers and electronic lockers. Really nice to not have to deal with providing your own lock. The real unique point of Bodytech is the well-staffed floor and the supervised circuit workout. This is part of membership and is like getting free mini-personal training sessions. When you factor in those features it is reasonably priced and good value for money. I have been a member for 6 years, I think that says it all, right?

I can't say I have experience in gyms seeing this is my first, but I'm definitely glad I picked…read morethis one after a recommendation from a friend. Firstly, the thing that sold me was they have a 2 lane private pool, and surprisingly it's hardly ever busy, usually I'm the only one in there, because I can't stand sharing a lane with 5 other people at a public pool. The gym also has a spa pool, steam room, sauna, and showers with shampoo and shower gel provided. The main feature of the gym is the supervised circuit, a set of 8 different weight machines to work out your whole body. It isn't full blown personal training but the trainers are there every step of the way to setup the next machine and push you till failure to get the most out of your workout. I've definitely seen a good improvement in strength and muscle gain from this. The trainers are also super friendly, and always offer advice and help with learning to use other machines in the gym. The only downfall is obviously all this comes at a price, which is a fair bit higher than a gym like Jett's, it's around 90-150 per month, depending on the term you select. But in my opinion, well worth it, especially for new gym-goers like myself, for the supervised circuit and the amenities. Only other thing is being a highly staffed gym, it's not open 24/7. I think currently it's about 5:30am to 9pm during the week. PS, keep an eye on their website if you're looking at joining, they usually have a decent joining offer.

If you're a student at Auckland Uni and you enjoy hitting the gym, then I would recommend checking…read moreout and signing up to the Auckland Uni gym! It's cheap as chips! Only $295 for a 12 month membership (upfront payment for enrolled UoA students), that works out to be roughly $5.70 a week!! Bargain! This gym is fully equipped with machines and free weights, a climbing wall, cardio machines, a stretching room, classes and a female only section. Just recently they have also renovated the bathrooms and showers, so youre able to get fresh and clean before hitting class. They have great locker facilities, however make sure you bring your own lock. However the downside is, after leg day you have four flights of stairs to walk up to get out of the building...... Feel the BURN!! If you're a Uni student wanting to go casually it costs $15. If you're a non-Uni student it costs $20 to go casually. Being a Uni student who likes to stay fit this is a great investment. Although forking out $295 is a lot of money for most Uni students, it will be a cheap investment long term.

The gym which is responsible for the Greek God like body you see before you, well I guess I have…read morekind of let myself go, but let me tell you, back in the day I was looking ripped. Also the cheapest gym around, ends up costing you about $60 per month, and half that if you are a student. Patrons range from casual gym goers to super serious gym buffs, and they have an impressive range of machinery and free weights to comfortably cater to the diverse crowd. It can be a little crowded at times, especially the month leading up to summer, everyone trying to drop those winter pounds. It is a student gym, no plush extras like a sauna, but for $60 a month it's a great deal.

If you are a group fitness junkie, there's a good chance you've taken BodyPump, Body Combat, Body…read moreAttack, RPM, Sprint, GRIT, and CX Worx. Well, this is where it all started back in 1968 by the Mills family. If you are a Les Mills instructor like me, this is Mecca and it's a big deal to come here. Jamie D'Angelo is one of the managers at this gym who moved to NZ from the US. She gave us a tour of the facility. They have 2 floors and several buildings or towers connected by a bridge. They have a CrossFit area, free weights and machine area, cardio area, boxing area with a ring, and group fitness studios. They film masterclasses in the group fitness studios. The studios are huge and can fit up to 200 people. While in NZ, I took BodyPump, CX, and Body Attack from Dan Cohen, Georgina, Glen Ostergaard, and Susan Renata. I wanted to classes from Ben Main and Lisa Osborne but they were off. I would've loved to take Dan and Rach's Body Combat class but my flight was only 2 hours before their class started and I would have missed my flight. I know most people are like "who are those people and why are they a big deal?!" I'm not usually a big fan girl of actors and actresses but I love athletes, and people who promote Health and Fitness around the world - and that's what these people do and they are good and passionate about it. I'm a bit partial to BodyPump instructors because that's the class I teach (more certifications to come). I absolutely love taking Glen's class - he's the program director after all. He's the man behind the song selections and choreography for BodyPump. I loved Susan's class too - she's very chatty while she teaches and she connects with her participants. Jamie had told her that we were going to her class. Right before class started, we introduced ourselves to Susan and she knew we were "the girls from Vegas" and got a special mention in class. We noticed that the gym members keep to themselves. They go in, they go out. They're not the type that stick around after class to chat with the Instructor or other members like we do at our gym but that might be a cultural thing. The group fitness studios have ear plugs (for people who find the music too loud), drinking fountains and fans with misters. The gym has a small cafe where you can get a snack or a smoothie. There's a vending machine for bottled water and energy drinks. They also have a clothing store that carries mostly Reebok (the official outfitter of Les Mills) and a lady named Mary works there and she is an absolute sweetheart. She's very helpful and friendly. I think you have to pay for parking - not sure how that bit works since we stayed at a hotel nearby and got a multi-day pass.

Massive gym, great group exercise options. there were plenty of studios and lots of space. Looking…read moreforward to getting another solid workout in next time. bring your own lock, these aren't combo lockers, got a great month deal as I was here in NZ for a month. Suggestion box: Wish there were more mirrors in the group areas and I can't recall which les mills had carpet, Britomart I think, it would be nice if it was...the opposite of carpet. Not sure where all my sweat went or how long it will be there... Also, it's hard to feel like your in an elite fitness club when the walls are trying to convince you you're in a kids club day care. I mean cmon- purple and chartreuse? Hopefully in the near future it'll be replaced with maybe some modern desaturated wall tile or something...well anything accept those two colors together I think would be an improvement. Great gym tho.

I've just returned to yoga after a year-long hiatus and Yoga By The Sea was my first stop. It was…read morean evening class at their main venue at the Sea Scout's Hall on Devonport's waterfront and the tide was high so you could zone out to the sound of water lapping away at your feet while sunset sky-light filtered through the windows. Sound picturesque? It was! Seriously, I can't wait till next week. Yoga By The Sea is based in Devonport and has a core team of instructors that teach a range of different classes from restorative practices to more core-strength focused ones. There's even a 'stretch and stride' class which combines cardio fitness with yoga through walking and circuit training and core yoga work en route. If this all sounds a little specific there's actually a general class that takes place most days and anyone can go. The great thing about yoga is that you go at your own pace and one class can cater to beginners and advanced alike, so any of these classes are great and I've been to most of them over the years. Make sure to check the schedules regularly though as they seem to change frequently around school holiday time.

Really great, supervisors are very friendly, open 24 hours, sign up fee is cheap, good variety of…read moremachines and environment not intimidating