I did something in January I never thought I would do.... I joined a gym. I did a lot of research…read morefirst, as I wanted a place which I wasn't locked into a 12 month contract, had a pool, had classes I would do (and enjoy) and would be the cheapest option; Bannatynes won hands down. Located just off Corporation Street, it's got several bus stops around it and is a 3 - 5 minutes walk from either Snow Hill or New Street train station. I will warn you, the exterior (as you can see from the photo) isn't glamourous. If you want a place for posing and taking "gym selfies", you may want to look elsewhere. Once you are a member, rather than carrying around another pesky card - you get a pin number to enter. This is just put into the turnstile by the reception desk and Voila! You're in. As a side note, once I had decided to join - I was a member in 10 minutes and had full access immediately. Something to note if you're feeling determined! There are separate male and female changing and shower facilities downstairs and then stairs to the pool/steam/sauna area or you can grab lift to get up to the gym. The lockers are padlock operated and you have to take your own (or buy one from them). I am yet to try the actual gym equipment or classes, but all of the classes seem to be done over a range of days and times to suit even the most busy schedule. I am loving the hydrotherapy pool (perfect for post swim achey limbs) and the Sauna. The gym also has a "Bannatynes Spa". Not recommended for a "spa day" (the actual area is very nice), but you wouldn't want to head to the pool for a relaxing time as it's full of people swimming for fitness. I had my first ever massage today by a lovely lady called Steph. As a new member of the gym, I had 50% off - making a 45 minute Swedish massage experience £18. They do offers regularly, so if you are a spa person, wotrth giving it a go. All in all - there are things that could be improved. But for £29 a month - it pretty much does everything I would want a gym to do!

This place is the reason I can eat out as much as I do.....so obviously, I am a big fan…read more High-end gym equipment, a good range of classes and a fantastic swimming pool, sauna and jacuzzi, make this, in my opinion, one of the best fitness centres in Birmingham. At £40 per month it is slightly more expensive than a lot of gym memberships in the city, but I think its good value given the amount you get for that. My biggest recommendation are the spin classes, they are tough but you definitely feel like you have had a good workout after one of those! A few sessions here a week....and another guilt-free weekend.....perfect.

We bought a buyagift voucher for bannatyne spa which was for a Treatment which we chose as a back &…read moreneck massage and a scalp massage. Got to reception and had to wait for someone to let us though as we were not gym members so couldn't access the turnstile gates. Reception took the forms I had to fill in and offered spa bags with a dressing gown, towel and slippers for £3 (you have to return the gown & towel otherwise they charge you £25.) but they didn't have any ready yet so we told to sit & wait. After 5 mins I kept looking at reception as I noticed other people were given spa bags, so receptionist noticed me looking and asked if I was okay. I told her I was waiting for 2 spa bags, which she then got, as she forgot bout it!! I note that my gown was 'dirty' as it had foundation or something similar on the collar!! It was a big patch!! We got changed and went up to the spa, we had already filled in their forms (printed at home). Then went into a twin treatment room as we had requested. The massage was good, though my boyfriend said he preferred the belfry one!!! Then we went to use the pool and sauna etc which was good. They have a big changing area, showers are more roomy than pure gym! It was good but I think they have different offers, some good ones on offer without need to buy groupon etc. The online booking scheme was hard to work out, so I ended up emailing for confirmation. Plus reception was short staffed so we were kept waiting n forgotten for 5 mins!!

Excellent facilities. Lots of equipment - free weights, muscle machines and treadmills/excercycles…read moregalore. Wasn't too busy when I went on a Saturday afternoon. The swimming pool is large and heated. The locker room is quite clean. You need your own padlock. Lots of free parking too.

I have actually been SO surprised by this place! Dont judge a book by its cover has never been more…read moreapparent....im sorry if you're reading this Sports Direct but it looks terrible from the outside.....but inside the facilities are actually pretty good. There are some nice changing rooms....with hairdryers for boys.....this makes me very happy.....a mixed gym + a female only space and also studios for classes and spin. Although I havent used the gym here yet I have been doing bootcamp, spin and bodypump. For the price the classes are well put together and the instructors are great. This is a pretty budget gym financially so I was surprised to see that they have so much to offer. its like £20 a month for classes, swimming and use of the gyms. Just a heads up there is a three month cancellation so bare that in mind when signing up but for me this is the best in the area for the $$

As a gym that doesn't cost the earth (current offer is 16.99 a month) this place does all the…read morethings I need it to. It can get busy during week nights between 5 and 6 but not so much so that you can't get on any of the equipment. The equipment available is a little dated, but unlike chains of gyms, it's always working and you never see the dreaded "out of order" sign. There are plenty of classes available but I can't comment as I've never been to any. The only thing that really annoys me about this place are the opening hours but I think that's the millennial part of me that wants everything 24/7, and closing at 8pm on weeknights and and 4pm on a Saturday just isn't convenient enough for me unfortunately...

I have been using this gym for a couple of months now, and the staff are really friendly and…read moreaccommodating. I tried a number of places around the region before settling for this one. I coach athletes and introduced some of them to this gym. Both male and female of varying ages and abilities and none of them are intimidated by the body builders that go. The clients are mixed, those who want to get BIG and those who want to be slimmer. check it out. Coach

All in all this gym is a solid one. It doesn't have any of the frills you get at some places- no…read moretoiletries in the changing rooms, free teas/coffees etc but it does have: - a pool - a decent free weights section - a good selection of classes (particularly great yoga class) I've never had to wait for a cardio machine and the staff are always friendly. This isn't a grunting gym, you know, there are the odd few who make bizarre noises (Although I did once hear someone shout "I am spartan" whilst doing a dead lift), but mostly they seem to go elsewhere. It's not a lift the heaviest thing you can lift then slam it down it on the floor because you can't actually lift it properly kind of gym either. All in all I'm a fan. It went a bit downhill at the end of it's stint as a Virgin Active (I left it was looking so shabby) but a fresh lick of paint has done it some good and it's looking better again now under the new branding of Nuffield Health.

For the last few months I've been attending Nuffield Health in Birmingham City Centre, having moved…read morefrom the Rubery Great Park branch. As gyms in the city go this is one of the pricier ones, with membership costing £40-£50. However, I've found that it's a nice place to exercise, and it is conveniently located for the city centre. The gym has all of the facilities you'd expect. Upstairs there's a large cardio exercise area, with running machines, bikes and more, as well as a rock climbing wall and a large weights area with a good mix of free weights and machines.There's a separate weights area for women and there's an area dedicated to boxing (if that's your thing). I've found that the atmosphere is fairly relaxed and I don't have to waste time waiting to use the weights/machines that I want to. The pool area is a great place to swim or just to relax after a work out. It doesn't seem to get overly busy and it has two Jacuzzis, a steam room and a sauna.

I can't recommend this studio and it's teachers highly enough, and feel super healthy and relaxed…read moreafter completing a hot yoga session. Yes the heat can be challenging at first, (the room is set at 40 degrees) but you soon get used to it after going to a few sessions on a regular basis. The classes can get very busy at peak times, but I always arrive in plenty of time so I can bag a suitable space to set up my yoga mat. The teachers are super friendly and really encourage everyone throughout the yoga practice. They offer an introductory price on your first yoga class with a total of 10 classes included in your offer, as well as 15% off class cards before your introductory offer expires. A 90min class costs £12, with a 60min class costing £11. There are a variety of pricing options for unlimited yoga classes for a month, off peak and peak classes. There are seperate changing rooms available for men and women, a small shower room and a kitchen. They sell coconut water here as a natural energy drink, and yoga clothing. You can also go on a yoga retreat with other yoga practitioners which are organised by Yogahaven. Check out their website here: www.yogahaven.co.uk/birmingham Note if you do decide to go ensure you take two towels with you, one to cover your yoga mat (they have yoga mats here) and another to mop your brow because you sweat A LOT! A bottle of water is advised too :)

First thing, Yogahaven is not a yoga studio as such, it offers Bikram style yoga. To purists or…read morethose that have experienced disciplines of yoga such as Hatha, Ashtanga etc may be disappointed. It took me a while to put my finger on to what the classes were as they have no type attached to the class names, until I was told "based on Bikram". This is an objective as well as a subjective review, for some people Bikram is great, for me it is not. That out of the way. The venue is lovely - the staff are friendly, it is clean, good quality fixtures and fittings. The classes are extremely expensive, by far double the price of their competition. I did however do their £20 for 20 day offer, this gives you unlimited access to classes. Even as a purist, I took up this offer just for the experience. Jivamukti yoga is on the schedule for a couple of classes a week. It is a shame they do not offer other types of yoga such a Hatha, Ashtanga, Yin, Vinyasa, or Kundalini. If they did they may be able to have an offering to a wider customer base. So, this gets a three star "a-ok" rating.

Hometone Fitness is the best value for money personal training available in the West…read moreMidlands/Birmingham area. Jamie, the owner of Hometone Fitness, is a great guy, and I can't say enough good about him. Last year, for my wedding to my lovely DH, I needed to get in shape forthwith. I Googled around for personal trainers, and met with a few, and even got personally attacked and slandered by one (review forthcoming)! Then finally, I found Hometone, who charge just £20 per session - a solid £10-20 per hour less than most trainers in the region. I was with Jamie for 4 months, and gained so much stamina, athletic ability and muscle, I felt awesome and full of win. Jamie was polite, punctual and always fair. On two occasions, I had to cancel at short notice due to family crises, and though his cancellation policy was 24 hours, he let me go without charging me. Originally from Milton Keynes, Jamie has a charming, Estuary English manner and accent. Fit but not fitness obsessed, Jamie's approach is practical. Our sessions were weight and cardio-heavy on days I had more energy, and more toning and Pilates-focused if I was ill or lacklustre. He always pushed me, but never too much. He's been practicing personal training for 6 years, and has a solid customer base around the Birmingham region, with excellent testimonies from long-term, happy clients. When I had to end our personal training due to work committments, he was completely understanding, and even gave me a free body test session to end our training together. I looked great for my wedding, and was complimented on my toned arms and back (I wore a low-backed dress). I also had great fun doing it, and didn't have to stress about wearying gym sessions on my own.