If you’re anything like us, you may have noticed the sensation of being weighed down over the past few weeks. This is probably thanks to the mighty Christmas dinners, the handfuls of delicious chocolate, and all the extra pints that we eagerly devoured over the festive season. Alas, it happens to all of us. After all, at certain times of the year, happiness is measured in calories. But it’s no surprise that so many of us turn to our waistlines at the turn of the year and resolve that it’s time to do something about it.
So, plans are made. Floods of newcomers join the local gym, eager to work hard and slim down. But maintaining a demanding habit is hard graft, and by February the crowd of fairweather lifters has often thinned dramatically. Our mission right now is to introduce you to the gym that will end up being your first new love of 2020, so much so that you won’t want to stay away. Let’s find a Swindon solution to maintaining that New Year’s resolution!
Scrappers Boxing Gym
2 Langley Rd, Swindon SN5 5WB
If you’re looking to start the decade with a knock-out new routine, Scrappers Boxing Gym might give you the extra momentum you need to strike those extra pounds. This community-driven enterprise isn’t just dedicated to teaching you how to throw a mean left-hook whilst shredding the festive fat, it’s also driven by a philosophy that intensive sport should be accessible to all. The gym is notably low-cost, a massive advantage for younger members, and offers ‘Agility and Fitness For All’ classes where fully-qualified boxing trainers work closely with disabled athletes of all stripes and abilities to get fit, improve coordination, and raise levels of confidence. It’s a badass gym with a badass philosophy that you’re bound to appreciate.
www.scrappersgym.co.uk
Village Gym
Shaw Ridge Leisure Park, Swindon SN5 7DW
Learn to dodge the Pizza Hut at the Shaw Ridge Leisure Park and get yourself a pass at the Village Gym instead. Located inside West Swindon’s premier hotel, this gym packs a wallop of features for its size. Attracting an inclusive range of diverse clientele, Village Gym offers its members a state-of-the-art technogym, the full range of cardio and resistance machines, and holistic swimming pool and sauna facilities. The site offers regular classes and the option of personal training, plus the relieving benefits of a social relaxation area upstairs, complete with Starbucks. That’s exclusively for black americanos and fruit, mind you! Village Gym are offering January free, after the usual joining fee.
www.villagegym.co.uk
GroupFit
Unit 27, Flex Space, Cheney Manor, Swindon, SN2 2PQ
GroupFit claim they aren’t like your local leisure centre gym. They’re serious about results. They don’t even think of themselves as a ‘gym’. Based in Cheney Manor Industrial Estate, GroupFit works intensely with their clients throughout the process of their fitness journey. They aim to keep you focussed, motivated, and accountable (*gulp!*). They do this with one-to-one training options, semi-private training groups of up to six members, or with group fitness classes. But their core philosophy remains focussed on life-long transformation. This is a hardcore option for those who want to achieve specific goals, but it’s that very attitude that might take you from fitness-shy to fitness-champion. GroupFit has a standing offer of a 7-day free trial that includes three complimentary fitness sessions.
www.groupfitwiltshire.co.uk
Blunsdon Fitness+
Blunsdon House Hotel, The Ridge, Broad Blunsdon, Swindon SN26 7AS
Want to spin, swim and sprint your way to a leaner you? Not particularly good at sticking to a single thing? Crave variety and social sport alongside your lifting sessions? Blunsdon Fitness+ might be the gym for you. This family-run leisure club has a vast range of options for the athletic all-rounder, including a cycling suite, tennis courts, swimming pool, dance studio, steam rooms and saunas. The centre also boasts over a hundred unique classes a week which are included in all memberships; go hardcore in Bodycombat or go deep in Yoga or PIlates, the freedom is yours.
www.blunsdonfitness.co.uk
Pure Gym
Mannington Retail Park, Unit 1B, Telford Park, Swindon SN5 8WA
The author admits to some bias, having been a member of a Pure Gym in the past...and loved it! Pure Gym is a pleasingly economical option with a welcoming environment for beginners. There is no bothersome contract to contend with, making the commitment less of a burden for those straining under a post-Christmas budget. Swindon has two Pure facilities, one opening soon in Stratton and the other in the Mannington Retail Park, meaning that this option is convenient no matter which side of town you find yourself. Parking is free and the gym is open seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. With all this convenience, it only comes as a bonus that Pure offers daily classes, personal training options and all the luxuries of a modern facility. Survive the busy atmosphere until Spring and you’ll have soon found a self-improvement haven that’s just right for you. Pure regularly advertise joining offers, so keep your eyes peeled!
www.puregym.com
The Gym
Greenbridge Retail Park, Swindon Rd, Swindon SN3 3SQ
The bluntly titled The Gym is another twenty four hour monster of a facility with slim joining fees and no daunting contracts. A vast warehouse consisting of row after row of machines, The Gym is a great option for those who want to get in, slam their workout in a precise and functional manner, and get out. You’re rarely going to risk queues for the cardio machines here as The Gym is designed to accommodate dozens of budding athletes at once. Though a less personal setting than other options, the spacious, brightly-lit environs are helpful to some who just need their privacy, and for those craving a bit more social interaction there are classes on offer every day. The Gym are offering a half priced first month at a cheap £7.50.
www.thegymgroup.com
David Lloyd
N Latham Rd, Blunsdon, Blunsdon St Andrew, Swindon SN25 4DL
Perhaps you need to consider not just yourself, but also the fitness and wellbeing of your kids and your partner. Perhaps you take a look at some of the other options on this list and think, there is no way that will work for the whole family. Well, perhaps David Lloyd are the answer. This health club offers more than just an opportunity to break a sweat; it bills itself as a friendly, multi-faceted experience, sporting spa facilities, tennis courts, swimming pools, restaurants, classes and creches. There are plentiful options for active kids, such as tennis and swimming coaching, plus a variety of other sporting activities over the school holidays and weekends. You can even book a kid’s birthday party at the club! This option will not be suitable for everyone; David Llyod are intentionally clandestine about their prices, intending to seduce clients with a tour of their first-class facilities first. But if you can afford it, and do have the time to get the whole family involved on a regular basis, David Llyod might become more than a gym, but an institution the whole family can bond over for years to come.
www.davidlloyd.co.uk
Buzz Gym
Brunel Shopping Centre, Swindon SN1 1LF
Convenience is king at Buzz, the principal twenty-four gym at the Brunel Centre, a sure favourite for those pouring out of their shops and offices in the heart of the town and seeking heart-pounding action and general fitness. Bisected into different ‘fitness zones’, Buzz Gym’s layout is helpful for those who need to focus on particular routines and functional movements. For example, you can switch between their challenge zone, where sleds, tyres and training rigs provide an authentic, effortful experience, to the relieving cardio zone, a spacious arena of cardiovascular equipment with integrated TVs, and even a DJ booth for blood-pumping Club Nights. Buzz Gym is friendly and a lot of fun, and most suitable for those who want to workout regularly, conveniently, and on a diverse range of challenging machinery. Buzz Gym are currently offering a free workout plan and no admin fee for new members, usually charged at £15 and £25.
www.buzzgym.co.uk
Simply Gym
Eldene Drive, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN3 3BF
Chelmsford Rd, Swindon SN5 7HX
A decent all-rounder, Simply Gym offers a solid package for a solid price, contract-free. With an option to become a member at one of their Swindon branches (one on Chelmsford Road in West and a twenty-four hour option on Eldene Drive in East), or at both, Simply Gym offers a comprehensive open plan gym experience, complete with state-of-the-art equipment in an elegant, air conditioned space. Personal training options are available and all memberships are entitled to unlimited free classes.
www.simplygym.co.uk
Whichever gym you choose, good luck for the new you, the new year, and the new decade, Swindonians! We’ll be raising glasses of chilled water and protein shakes in your honour.