It was years since i stepped into a gym, in addition to recovering from knee surgery - i could…read morehardly get down to the floor and getting up was worse. After area research i contacted Joe at Iron House to talk through membership, costs, equipment and using their in-house trainers. I will simply say this gym is a throwback in every positive way to what a gym should be - nothing fancy but everything you need; it was exactly like all my favorite gyms rolled into one - enough wieghts, cardio, machines (including some not found in other gyms) and fitness accessories (bands, steps, mats, sticks, heavy balls, etc). Most important i never felt uncomfortable. or judged - especially given my limitations - every staff-person and member was focused on their workouts and staff duties, and all were respectful and always helpful. This gym "vibe" is best captured with me struggling to stand up while at the same time the morning group classes - intense, difficult, and demanding - were going on in the designated area and I never once felt "less" or judged - always smiles (not sure how they managed to smile!!) and hello. Enter Anna or better known as "Coach" to many in the gym who use her personal trainer services. Anna was the perfect blend of understanding (adjusted equipment and moves to my level), motivating, encouraging and yes tough as she needed to be - i went from day-one needing help laying down and then getting up, to 3 sets of 3 different exercises, to workingout on my own. At home I could once again climb stairs (from one stair at a time) and had more energy at work. Joe has built a community (both in and out of the gym) and regardless of whether a member took part in other activities, everyone is also welcomed. Lastly a shoutout to Bruce who faithfully opened the gym every morning, even while recovering from his own surgery...

This gym is the best! Joe, Kati and the entire staff are knowledgeable about fitness and they are…read morededicated to the community. October has been quite a month for the Iron House Fitness. They sponsored "IHF Moves 4 Autism", where members and local athletes participated in different events (run/bike/run duathlon, lift-off, fun run, thruster/run). All proceeds were donated to the Mayer Center at Middlesex Hospital and The Nest in Deep River. Both support or employ children and adults with autism. Then there was a motivational competition for all members. You just needed to show up for classes to participate - easy!! I love my gym community! I have made great friends while maintaining my physical health. If you're looking for a great gym, this is the place!

Nice gym. Clean, has all the equipment and classes I enjoy. Front desk staff are helpful and not ce.read more

You can't go wrong with a 24-hour gym that offers clean, impressive selection of high-quality…read moreweight and cardio machines, turf, free weights, amazing group exercise options, and friendly helpful staff. Locker rooms stay clean, showers have hot water and soap/shampoo, and the saunas are a big bonus! Air conditioned for comfort in the summer too. Love this place!

I like the Valley-Shore Y but wish they could invest in upgrading the locker room.....the…read moreinvestment they made in the cardio space a few years ago was transformative....if only they could do the same for the men's locker room. Everyone at the front desk, particularly Tony, never fail to greet you with a smile to welcome you.

If you crossed a Valley Girl with a Jersey Shore Girl, you'd have a Valley Shore Girl, and she…read moremight well work out here, at the gym named after her. That sounds hot. In some regards, this is not a bad YMCA, and I left some important stuff here (cellphone, Anker charger), and they saved it for me which was great, and saved me a lot of money and stress. I was able to go back and get it late at night, even when they were supposed to be closed. They didn't have any problem letting me in at closing time, and were pretty friendly about that. And pretty friendly in general. On the other hand some of the equipment is really old and several of us got kicked out when the section that we were using was needed for a class - and this kind of thing is a big No-No when you're paying members - so I'll give it a 4 but it could have easily gotten at 3 if they weren't so great about the stuff I left behind.

I'm a new member and new to OS. Love this gym everything you need. Never too busy. Kept clean…read more I left my phone here by accident. They found it, tried to contact me and returned it to me. Today my son is home for a few weeks from the USAF academy as and is active duty, they let him work out for free and made him feel welcomed and honored. Well done and thank you

This gym was a great find! Extremely clean, all new equipment friendly knowledgeable staff. Onsite…read moreowner is very hands on and helpful. Great class selection and plenty of space and stations on the floor. Definitely the best place in the area.

My daughter and I took Mikayla's all levels vinyasa class on 6/25/26. It was our first time to…read moreSweatfluence and I was impressed with how beautiful the studio is. It is a welcoming and serene environment. The heated room will wring you out and leave you feeling ultra relaxed at the end of class. You would never know Mikayla is a newer instructor; she did an outstanding job guiding the class and providing clear cues. Very impressed with Mikayla and the studio, and we will be back!

I'm typically not a hot yoga class girl but they offered a free first responders class while I was…read morein town and I've been checking out various gyms and studios so I took it as a sign. Everyone was so lovely. The studio is a good size and the teacher was great! They even did a raffle after the class. Love that they wanted to show some love to their community. Will definitely be back when im home in CT :)

Does this look like a torture chamber to you? Well, it is, but in a good way. Welcome to the latest…read moreworkout craze. After a lovely holiday week skiing at 12,000 feet in Colorado, I thought a Cross Fit class would be no biggie. Ha! But here's the thing: even though I was the oldest, fattest and slowest of the group (four men, four women), everyone was so encouraging that I managed the pull-ups (aided by a giant rubber band), the sit-ups (some new and interesting versions), and the interminable running (ok, jogging) loops around the building. This place has a cult following, there are even special Cross Fit shoes and a tee shirt! Everybody in the class is a happy convert and I know why. This workout will shed the pounds and have you ripped in no time. Lucky for me, you can go at your own pace. I figure I can bear anything for an hour, and I did. Panting, exhausted, but inexplicably exhilarated, I came home and looked up the schedule for the week. Buy me the tee shirt, I'm going back.

I showed up at MidCoast CrossFit seven months pregnant, and out of a box, given a cross-country…read moremove. With all my special needs for scaling WODs and modifying movements, the coaches and members accepted me with open arms. With the Elayne and Wendell's (co-owners) help, it's been possible for me to CrossFit at least three times a week right into my eight month of pregnancy; I'm at 38 weeks today, and planning to hit a class later this afternoon. It's become a habit to show up five min early to talk with the coach about scaling the WOD or substituting movements. I love that their community has been so positive, since being able to CrossFit has allowed me retain some semblance of normalcy amidst my first pregnancy, and the upheaval of a very big move! While I haven't encountered any naysayers at MidCoast, there are some who may comment "is it really safe?" If you're pregnant and wish to continue CrossFit, use common sense: talk with your doctor first (I did, and got a resounding, "yes, go for it!"), scale back your weight by 20-30% (pregnancy is no time to try for a PR), don't get your heart rate too high (breathe, breathe, breathe), and listen to your body - if a movement hurts or doesn't feel right, then substitute! Also, some movements are just "no-no's," so talk with your coaches and do the research on which movements to skip. Any day may be my last class before my big day, and I will miss all the support and sound coaching that I've received at MidCoast! I'm looking forward to returning a month or two down the line with baby in tow.

Joint Effort is one of the things that give a reason for getting out of bed. The staff is great and…read moreso helpful. They help over come any problems you have with movement. They will customize your program to your needs. I started going to Joint Effort Old Saybrook shortly after they open and I sill there. So in my eyes they must be doing something right. I'm Still at it and I'll be 80 in January.

I've been a member at JE in Old Saybrook after getting recommendations from 2friends 3 yrs ago…read more I'm so glad I joined. I always disliked exercise and half-heartedly joined gym classes over the years only to get bored and drop out, or get injured (over-exuberant at Yoga!). At 64 I realized how much strength I had lost over the years and decided to take a chance at this gym where I had truly individualized instruction, modifications if something wasn't working for me and I saw progress which gave me confidence to continue. A bonus is the camaraderie of the members and instructors. It's more expensive than other gyms but those never worked for me. And getting older, preventing injury is much more important to me than spending a little more money. Plus I like it and I'm sticking with it, a first for me.