Active4Less Hove

This gym is perfect for those who want to take up some exercise without going bankrupt!
I joined Active4Less many years ago when it was Fit For All. I decided to rejoin because I knew it had a friendly atmosphere and the current deal (£15.99 a month) was too hard to resist! Pretty much all the classes are included in this price perfect for someone like me who prefers classes to the actual gym. You can attend as many as you like 7 days a week, meaning you can really mix it up without getting bored.
There is no contract either. If you tell them you want to cancel, that’s it, hassle-​free. If you recommend a friend you also get £1 off your monthly bill per recommendation so it can work out even cheaper!
There is no pool, but this is fair enough considering the price is so cheap. The parking facilities seem to just about hold the capacity of people using the gym and I haven’t had problems parking as yet.
I think that the current price has encouraged a lot of people to join, and the gym itself can get quite busy in the evenings which may put some people off. The spacing of the equipment is also quite tight.
I think they could improve their staff availability by phone/​email too. I had a few troubles setting up my online account at the start of my membership and found it almost impossible to get hold of anyone by both telephone and email. However I must say the staff are very friendly and helpful when you are there.
Also, the induction was quite dissapointing yet something you have to pay for. It was essentially just a tour of the gym. I was told that if I wanted proper training on how to use the equipment and have a programme written for me this would be an extra session at an additional cost. Personally I think this is what an induction should be. When I was a member many years ago this was included in the induction. But to be fair, the monthly price was higher then too.
All in all though, I would say the positives do definitely outweigh the negatives. I don’t think there is a better deal anywhere else in the local area and if you’re on a budget and want a no-​frills, friendly gym, then this is the place to join!

This is a bit of a strange gym situated in an industrial estate on the outskirts of Hove (or more accurately, in Portslade!)
I came here as I had a Groupon voucher for 1 month’s worth of QuickFit classes for £9 — a blooming bargain in my eyes.
The QuickFit classes are aimed specifically at women and consist of a 30 minute circuits class. Each of the 13 exercises is done for 90 seconds, giving you 30 seconds for change over and time for stretches at the end. Each month they change the main area of focus, for example one month it was back and shoulders, the next it was arms and chest. The also change a couple of the exercise stations every week which gives good variety and prevents boredom setting in. The fact that there were a number of different instructors also prevented the classes from becoming repetitive.
Although the classes were only half an hour, I found that they worked me quite hard, but its definitely a ‘get out what you put in’ scenario. Some of the other clients were taking it easy but the instructors will push you if they think you are keen enough! There is a maximum of 13 to each class and you can register on-​line for the classes you want to attend. The number and times of the classes can vary and I did find there were a few ocassions when they didn’t have classes at suitable times for me which was a little annoying.
Because the classes are women only, it seemed to attract a number of ladies who perhaps wouldn’t have attended another gym. Its also very child friendly with people leaving their babies and small children at the end of the room while they exercised and kept an eye on them. I liked the fact that this was not only accepted by the staff, but actively encouraged.
The gym itself it quite old fashioned and a little tatty around the edges. It has a carpeted floor which I always find a little off putting in a gym — think of how much sweat is soaked into those fibres! They have since offered me a membership for £19 a month, originally this was just for the QuickFit classes but has since been widened to include use of the gym plus classes such as yoga and spin. I’m still undecided as to whether or not I will sign up full time, but its certainly a good option if you are looking for a cheap gym with a friendly and low pressure atmosphere.

This is a great gym if, like me, you don’t like the larger corporate gyms around. The gym is well stocked and there’s always help around if it’s needed, luckily the staff have great patience with dealing with people like me! I’m not an experienced gym-​goer but out of the few I’ve tried, this is where I choose to keep fit. Easy parking, good atmosphere, well equipped gym … excellent!