UNC Wellness Center At Meadowmont

Loved it initially. These days there are times when there is just no parking, have to circle for minutes, then park in a forbidden space. Then you go in and your class is full (and doors locked) 10 – 15 minutes before start time. In other words – seriously overcrowded these days. Leaders would need to make changes!

This gym has a lot of great, benefits. Complimentary group fitness clinics, personal trainers, massages, nutritionists, education, physical therapy. There’s a reward program too if you log toe activities. You can win a free month, band sets, massages, new sneakers, but to have to rack up a lot of points for the great prizes.
There’s some really great instructors. Sarah’s classes are amazing and often fill up early for a reason. Do I love every instructor there? No, there’s a handful I avoid like the plague. But there are enough classes and instructors I do like they there’s something for me to go to every day. I’ve lost 60 lbs going to this gym and my goal weight is in sight. It feels good.
My one complaint is the bikes for the indoor cycling classes are getting pretty old. I’ve had to switch bikes in classes. Sometimes they squeak, sometimes the resistance won’t turn down all the way, sometimes the display doesn’t work or the RPMs don’t register. It might be time to get new bikes. I do like that there are displays. I’ve been to gyms and studios where you have to let your leg touch your hand and count for a minute to gauge your RPMs and it’s a lot easier with a display.
I also wish they had spinning classes a little later on the weekend. They start at 8 on Saturday and Sunday and that’s too darn early. I have to get up around 6 just to get ready and eat!

This is my favorite health center for many years. Clean facility with fresh towels, cleaning staff cleans regularly, many amenities, with pleasant functional layout.
I like the array of group classes. The instructors are accommodating, thorough, polite, and professional. If you have physical limitations, the instructors will make adjustments. Quiet facility and class noise levels are low as well, thus my ears aren’t ringing by the end of class.
Best to avoid peak times if your in a rush.

Along with diet and additional exercise, this gym has helped me lose 35 pounds (and counting) since June of 2014. Deciding to become healthier is definitely one of the better decisions I’ve recently made.
The variety of equipment in this gym is great. They have treadmills, several cardio machines, several weight machines, and a few weight benches. All of these machines are generally in perfect operating condition, and when they’re not, they are fixed almost immediately.
The staff is knowledgeable and courteous, gladly answering any questions you might have, and are supportive to the patrons. The facility is set to a comfortable and consistent temperature, which is both refreshing on hot days (like today) and welcoming during the winter months.
I only have 3 issues: 1 minor issue and 2 larger ones. The smallest being that the gym cards that are necessary for signing in are in a very small and awkward shape, making them easy to lose and misplace; I must’ve gone through like 5 of them in the past year. Another problem I have is with the number of people that come here. This place is almost always super crowded, meaning that I often have to wait for equipment. This also makes doing exercises that require more room difficult. The largest issue, however, is with the price. A single person membership has you looking at $ 150/​month, while a couple membership is $ 200/​month.
On an unrelated side note, the people that attend this establishment (mostly older retired folk) seem to lack any and all forms of locker room etiquette. The patrons that use the locker seem to love talking and doing aerobics while being completely nude. Today, for example, my eyes were infected with the image of an elderly gentleman doing naked lunges in the middle of the locker room. Yuck!
Despite these drawbacks, I’d recommend at least giving this place a look if you live in the Chapel Hill/​Durham area. UNC Wellness Center earns an official 4 stars out of 5.

Gorgeous looking gym — everything is clean and in pristine condition. Pool has multiple lanes, ample child care area free to members (just call to reserve a spot), indoor running track (strollers are OK), multiple multi-​purpose rooms, many cardio machines, many weight machines, and super courteous front desk staff. Tons of classes, as well. The population seems to be an interesting mix of students/​career individuals and older retired individuals.
Downsides: the price is STEEP. Looking at $ 150/​month as a standard member, but I believe it’s about $ 70/​month for a student. Personal training isn’t cheap, either. My husband and I were hoping for a bigger weights section, as we only saw one squat rack.
I personally am looking for a gym that holds me accountable and pushes me, which I think is more tailored to a bootcamp or CrossFit kind of thing. This is your standard gym with full amenities, but it’s not the personal motivation I think I’m looking for.

Stopped in looking for a gym to use while in town for work. This place was nice and very clean. Didn’t use this place though as really expensive. Doubt I would pay their prices even if I lived here. Other than that looked like a nice facility.

We joined UNC Wellness in January and so far I’m a big fan. The facility is huge – there’s plenty of cardio + weight equipment on the main level, along with more cardio upstairs as well as an indoor track and a pool. The hours are great and convenient for those who like to get in an early workout. Plenty of fitness classes – I haven’t tried any yet but friends have been fans.
They’ve got a wide variety of cardio machines + strength training machines. I’ve not had to wait to get onto a machine – but I usually just run on the track upstairs anyways. I do wish they had a more extensive free weight area. There’s only about 3 – 4 benches and one set of kettlebells which is located on the other end of the gym. It’d be nice if they had some weighted barbells as well. This area can get a bit crowded.
The clientele is a little different than typical gyms I’ve been in, in that it’s primarily an older group – but I don’t mind that. I appreciate the fact that there aren’t a lot of meatheads. Overall, definitely glad that we joined! It is pricey, but we joined during a special that waived the enrollment fee, so that helped with the cost.

Let me preface by saying I’ve gone through many a gym in Chapel Hill and am so happy that I am now a member of the Wellness Center.
This is hands down the best gym in Chapel Hill and is worth driving to from Carrboro. I was a member of a Carrboro gym that shall not be named, and my blood pressure is so much lower now that I don’t have to deal with the constant disappointment of that place.
1) It is clean!
2) Employees are nice AND knowledgeable!
3) The locker room is not hot and sweaty!
4) Classes are plentiful!
5) If equipment is broken… They fix it! Wow!
Especially if you are a UNC employee, there is no reason not to consider joining this gym. The one drawback is I wish they had a snackbar.

I’ll start this off by stating that I was given an 8 week membership to the Wellness Center for participating in the WCHL’s Healthiest You challenge, so I am writing this as a non-​paying member (for the next 4 weeks!) Now that that’s out of the way, I can share my feelings.
I LOVE this place. Seriously, it’s been too long since I’ve been to a fitness center/​gym where I can both feel relaxed and feel the burn AND feel welcome all at once. The facilities are incredible. The pool is the largest, and cleanest that I’ve seen in the area, and the sauna can’t be beat. I’ve yet to test out the whirlpool and warm water pool, but I’ve heard great things, and I’m chomping at the bit!
The fitness rooms for group exercise are a little on the smaller side, so it definitely gets pretty cozy in some of them (Zumba, especially) but people are respectful of boundaries and rarely do you physically Zumba into someone else’s body. Sometimes… but rarely.
The exercise machines are plentiful, though the TVs are a little distant for this near-​sighted lady to see much. They employ a system called FitLinxx which, when used properly, can keep track of which machines you exercise on, how much weight you’re lifting each session, and how long you’re working out. This is great if you’re trying to train or boost your stats in the weight room.
The faculty keeps the place sparkling, and the locker rooms (well, the women’s room… I haven’t yet made the mistake and walked through the wrong door) are clean and a lot less dingy than I’ve found many, despite the fact that there are a number of (very spacious) showers.
If I had a family of my own, I think this would be the gym for me. However, having looked at the cost, I think it might be a little out of my price range for my usual working out habits.

This is a fantastic fitness center. Notice, that I didn’t say «gym». It is nothing like the other options in the triangle. There are no muscle-​heads in cut-​off t-​shirts and baggy sweat pants. The people here are trying to do one thing — get healthier.
There is a great indoor track (12 laps to the mile), a multi-​laned 25 meter pool and a half-​court basketball court. This is in addition to the free weights, 3 different porfolios of weight machines and tons of cardio equipment.
There are also a LOT of classes here. There are group fitness classes, aerobics classes, salsa classes, spinning classes, etc. There is a great class called HEAT, taught by Greg at 11:00am on Mon/​Wed. It is a serious ass kicker.
They also have a lot of other classes on nutrition, weight loss, etc.
The only downside to the Wellness Center is the cost — it is definitely expensive. But, it is worth it.

This is by far the best gym in Chapel Hill. Does that make it the nicest gym anywhere? Hell no. But this is a solid gym. My issues with the place are minor: the weight room could use a little more space and a little more equipment, the lap pool can get a bit crowded, during peak hours, treadmills and cardio can be kind of limited, and most universally, the membership fees are steep by Chapel Hill standards.
All that being said, this is a GREAT gym: clean, friendly and genuinely helpful staff, plenty of equipment for the normal person looking to get in shape whether they look for cardio, weights, classes, a pool, indoor track, etc. The people working out here are a bit quirky: mostly middle aged with a fair amount of older folks as a result of the nearby old folks home/​rehab facilities. A really nice gym that if you can afford, you should join if you live in the area.

Located in Meadowmont off 54, the Wellness Center is probably the nicest gym in Chapel Hill. It has an indoor pool, a small inside track on the second level, a decent free weights section, tons of cardio equipment, and a friendly, informed staff. They have nutritionists, personal trainers, massage therapists, and physical therapists on staff. Since they are part of UNC, there is actually a lot of physical therapy going on, and during the day, the room to the right is sometimes curtained off for use by cardiac recovery patients. They have two nice classrooms upstairs that accomodate their varied class schedule. They also have audio things on most cardio machines that let you listen to the TV stations on the TVs, or I think some music as well. The locker rooms are spacious and pretty clean. The two-​story huge windows let in a lot of natural light, which is nice. Oh, they also have (I think free) childcare on site, which looks pretty trustworthy. I don’t have kids so I can’t attest to the quality, but it seems like it’d be a nice feature.
All that being said, the Wellness Center is the most expensive gym in Chapel Hill, at over $ 60 per month plus a $ 150ish joining fee, so I think they could improve in a bit. First off, it’s too crowded. If you go at any popular time, which is pretty much all day until 7:30 pm, especially early in the week, it’s a good bet you’ll have to wait for a favorite cardio machine, even with the large number they have there. The popular classes can also get so crowded that they have to give out tickets ahead of time. I know this is a problem in most gyms, but considering this is the most expensive gym in the area, it would be nice if they limited membership a bit more so this wasn’t an issue. If you’re the type of person that likes to workout at weird hours in a mostly deserted gym, that pretty much doesn’t exist here except Friday nights or possibly 9 — 10 pm weeknights. They close at 10 most nights.
As far as clientele, I’m a bit younger than the average. It’s mostly wealthy Meadowmont homeowner types, along with a lot of elderly clients of UNC who have been sent there for physical therapy or exercise. The weight machine area does get utilized frequently, but you won’t find many meatheads, fortunately. If you’re a woman wanting to use free weights, I think you’ll feel pretty comfortable.

The Wellness Center at Meadowmont is really an ideal place to work out. It’s spacious, bright, impeccably clean, and full of up-​to-​date exercise equipment. The staff is friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable, and most importantly, for me, you don’t have to stand around waiting for machines. I admit, I sometimes wait for one particular favorite elliptical machine, but I’m odd.
The exercise floor is enormous — plenty of free weights and weight machines, treadmills, stationery bikes, and ellipticals. There are 7 or 8 TVs that you can watch and listen to on headphones, and plenty of magazine holders that you can borrow.
If you don’t feel like hitting the machines or the weights, there’s a very nice indoor track up on the second level where you can walk or run laps. There’s also an indoor pool, whirlpool, and sauna.
They have between 5 and 20 group exercise classes each day, depending on the day of the week. I’ve found the instructors to be fun and pleasant to work out with. My only criticism is that I wish they’d be a bit more innovative in their choice of classes, but you’ll find all the popular ones — mat pilates, cycle, yoga, and an array of stretching and toning classes.
The also host a number of wellness-​related classes, where you can learn about healthy cooking, learn CPR, or train for a marathon. There’s also child care available on-​site, if your kid isn’t old enough to pump iron alongside you yet.
My only real hesitation in recommending this place is the price — I joined up as a UNC employee, so I think I got a deal on the joining price, but I do pay $ 53 per month. Now, I realize that the facilities and amenities are probably worth it, but if you’re an average non-​exercise-​junkie like me, someone who can’t always make it to the gym every day, the cost may seem a bit high. I haven’t switched my membership, however, because I know most other facilities would feel like a step down. If you really enjoy working out, and you like to change up your routine and do different things — I think you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.

This is by far the best fitness club in the area. First and foremost, it is super-clean…everywhere. They have tons of eqipment and I NEVER have to wait for a cardio machine… never ever. The classes are wonderful, the staff is helpful and there is everything you need for a great workout.
Also, the massages are wonderful. You need to call a couple days in advance, but it is well worth it.

I spent 3 miserable years at AC Fitness in Carrboro enduring the rain soaked carpet, pitiful shower stalls and mildew odor because I had an outstanding personal trainer who contributed to a clear change in both my physique and health. We (the trainer, my wife and I) moved to the UNC Wellness center the day it opened.
The Wellness center is affiliated with the UNC Health complex so all the personnel have their qualifications verified during their initial interview. I have used 3 of the personal trainers employed here and they have all been highly professional and well trained.
The UNC affiliation also lends to the overall positive feeling of the Center — this is not your typical workout gym. It is bright, airy, well maintained and I always look forward to going.
One unusual aspect of the UNC affiliation is the post op heart patients that participate in the UNC wellness program. They tend to be hidden in a section of the gym that is curtained off during their sessions but you can stretch in the area if you are discrete. I have encountered 2 of my friends here after their heart operations and I must say the encounter is highly motivating. I continues my 3x a week workouts so I can stay on the right side of the curtain.
The reason I dropped 1 point is finding the Gym in Meadowmont can be tricky — you have to know where you are going to find it. Once you are there it will be worth the trip.