I present: my attempt to remain in good health! I've been going to Otium for about 2 to 3 months…read morenow, and as gyms go, it is perfectly fine, but nothing to write home about. The only reason I chose this over any other was closeness to home and ease of access; beyond that, it is comparable to any other gym, if a little smaller. Otium is the in-house gym for the Thistle Hotel: as such, it is kept in excellent condition. Although it is generally quite small, with a lot of machines crammed in, they all work and are kept in good nick. That being said, I've stopped going at peak times (lunchtimes, after 5) because you often don't get to use the machines you want, or have to wait for a little while. Apart from all of the machinery, Otium has a good selection of weights, gym balls and other paraphenalia: anything the gym novice may need. Not being that knowledgeable about gym machinery, I don't know if they have anything for the true enthusiast; although judging by the general size of the gym, I'd doubt it. That being said, the pool and sauna section next door is excellent: well looked after, pleasantly designed, and more than large enough for the gym itself. It never seems that busy either... a nice alternative to the always busy pools around town. So, a generally nice gym, well-looked after and run, if a little small. It's about the same price as any other gym; it was slightly cheaper when I joined than the other Brighton gym behemoths, but I reckon that was probably a special offer. I'd recommend it for locals, but not worth going out of your way for.

Lovely Health Club. All you need is there just like they…read moresay.. Gym, Swin, Relax. This place is never too busy and very friendly, not to mention that they are always cleaning the place or should I say.. keeping the place clean.

The University of Sussex Sports Centre may be less flashy than the nearby Falmer Sports Complex,…read morebut I tend to choose it more often. The fitness centre's selection of cardio equipment includes several of these really awesome cross-trainers...They're elliptical machines with optional ramps and give a pretty intense workout. The weight machines are set up more like a circuit training room - all neatly spaced out around the edges, instead of crammed in to each other like in the Sports Complex. And although the cardio machines don't have televisions built in, they do overlook one of the sports halls for some live entertainment. The Sports Centre runs several fitness groups and drop-in classes throughout the year, which are a good way to mix up your workout and prevent boredom. Also available on site: A Therapy Room that releases the relaxing scents of aromatherapy each time the door opens. I've yet to take advantage, but the prices seem quite reasonable. Perhaps that will be a Christmas gift to myself.

I've only attended two gyms throughout my life - including this one -, so I don't really have many…read morepoints of comparison to rely upon. That said, this is certainly the best gym I've ever been a member of. The price is very affordable - you can get a year's membership for just £130 -, the service is friendly and efficient, and the amount of gym equipment available for use is very good. Even during busy times there's plenty of different machines to use, including a plethora of running machines, cycles, rowing machines, and weights. Definitely comes highly recommended.

Unless you intend to make use of the ladies only facilities Cheetahs Gym is not for the…read moreinexperienced. The anaerobic section is made almost entirely of free weights and heavy-duty single purpose machines so is very popular with local body builders, bouncers and dedicated athletes wishing to target specific muscle groups. For the "I just want to stay in shape" gym goer I'd suggest looking elsewhere as you'll probably feel quite intimidated by the testosterone-fuelled goliaths who dominate the territory. For those wishing for a no-frills aerobic work out, there is nothing wrong with the aerobic room apart from it's size. Being quite small I'd imagine the chances of there being free machines on every visit are smaller than at other gyms in town. The good thing is that you can get single day, week or month memberships to try the place out or just visit occasionally. With such high membership prices I'd only recommend splashing the cash if you really want a dedicated muscular work out. As they sell various supplements and nutritional products it's a great place to get helpful dietary tips from the experienced and friendly staff. Also, with an onsite sauna and juice bar it really is the perfect place for the committed trainer. Make use of it's great facilities but like I said, don't expect a fancy David Lloydesq experience.

A gem of a gym next door to King Alfreds. So after you have batted around some balls and had a…read morepaddle, go get ripped! Getting pumped and waking up in agony has never been so cheap, it's only £3.50 a day which in these times of super exploitive mega gyms is brilliant. For a whole year it's only £200 which is amazing, places like L.A Fitness would cost you over £400 for a similar service. If you can see past the downy signage and old school gym feel, you will find that this is a proper gym with proper prices, the old school gym feel helps too.

Coral Health & Fitness is probably the best value gym outside of Brighton centre. It has a large…read moregymnasium featuring an aerobic and floor exercise room with a separate machine and free-weight room so you don't feel intimidated by those whose main goal is to pose. For students membership is a mere £20 a month and for that you get on and off-peak access to the gym, beauty salon and bar. Other good deals can be had if you're a couple in which case monthly membership will cost you £23.75 each. Unfortunately neither membership includes access to squash courts (£4.50 off-peak/ £6 peak). You'll also have to pay a little extra to take part in any of the extra classes, which include boxercise, circuit training and spin classes. Both rooms of the gym are well stocked with every piece of apparatus you could ever need. The bonus for me is the small free-weights section that allows more space for machines, thus decreasing the amount of steroid-fuelled nutters you find in other gyms. Avoid evenings between 7-9pm, as these are the busiest times (I'd suggest visiting around midday during the week). If you need a few minutes to recuperate after your workout you can always chill out upstairs where the bar and kitchen will serve you everything from protein shakes to chilli con carne. All the staff are incredibly friendly and are often willing to give you free tips about how to improve your work out. It's no David Lloyd but for the money you can't complain.

With extra classes such as circuit training, boxercize, spin classes and salsa there's much more to…read moreCoral Fitness than a gymnasium and squash courts. With its own licensed bar you can stay and socialise for a while or indulge in a range of drinks and hot and cold food. For me it's the best value gym in Hove as it's impeccably maintained and well staffed. You'll never be far from a friendly trainer who'd be happy to give you some free exercise tips. The aerobic room is fully stocked with every machine you'd expect including treadmills, cross-trainers, bikes, spin machines and steppers, along with a matted area that comes with various exercise balls and crunch machines. Every wall is plastered with helpful diagrams and information so that you're never at a loss. The resistance room is separate to this and due to its bias toward machines as opposed to free-weights it isn't the kind of place frequented by many over-inflated steroid types. That said, the free-weight section is decent if a bit small and many of the machines are adaptable to varying needs. It's great for students as it's only £20 per month and if you're a couple you could get a joint membership for as little as £23.75. The squash courts cost £4.50 or £6 for off-peak and peak times respectively, however, the price isn't included in any membership package. Despite this I think it's the best value gym in the vicinity.

This truly is the greatest gym I have ever been tied into a 13 year contract with…read more The staff are unhelpful, rude, indifferent, untrained and change every time you go in. I was sold one monthly price and charged a lower one. It took me 4 minutes, 5 phone calls, 3 emails and countless assurances that they would call me back to sort the problem... which they did, I always had to chase them! The only saving grace. There is no space, however the extortionate monthly price and fact you have to give 3 decades notice if you wish to leave, coupled with the fact you always feel welcome make this an unpleasant place to be. If you could leave 0 stars I wouldn't. Avoid, Avoid, Avoid, a void is engulfing me... but its a nice one. Reg, Monty

Great club to join if you have a family and you can afford it, it's got a really nice soft play…read morearea for little kids and a big area outside for larger kids to run around and it's all enclosed so they can't get out and you can relax and watch them play...the facilities are also good, there is a decent gym with lots of machines, 3 pools and lost of classes for all levels as well. cafe is good as long as you don't expect gourmet stuff, it's probably the one area that lets them down, they could do a lot better with the food but hey it's a gym not a restaurant.

A great family day out…read more The Leisure centre offers several swimming pools; a family pool ( with wave machine), an olympic size pool and one with high diving boards. The centre also has a childrens activity area away from the pools and offer crafts and play time while parents wait. The Leisure centre is within Mote park which has a variety of playground equipment to keep the little ones entertained.

Maidstone Leisure Centre is just located outside the town centre in Mote Park, which is about 5…read moreminutes away. The Centre offers several swimming pools, a great family pool with a wave machine and log flume, a brilliant olympic size swimming pool and another with driving boards. If you don't fancy swimming, and have small children, then polar adventure is a great place to take the kids to play, with a large soft play area and ice hill slides. Its also a great place for kiddies birthday parties. The leisure centre also has a large multipupose sports hall a great gym facilities, and a health suite with sauna and spa. Great place for a family day out!

This was my regular gym for a while. The facilities are first class, it's a clean and peaceful…read morelocation and the personal trainers are all very nice.

I've been a member of Max Strength for the past five months. I'm a long time gym goer but always…read moreseems to get bored and de-motivated when I didn't get the results that I wanted. Max Strength offer group training sessions, so you get the benefit and knowledge of personal trainer without the crazy cost! Groups are still pretty small, and you get quite a good team spirit going after a few sessions together. They offer both outdoor and indoor boot camp sessions, along with strength training. The guys know what they are doing, so after a mere 40 minutes I get a much better workout than pounding the machines at the gym for hours and not really knowing what to do! I feel stronger, I have lots more energy and I'm leaner to the tune of almost two dress sizes. The sun always seems to shine on our Saturday morning boot camps, and working out in the open air is lovely!