There are quite a few Esporta Health and fitness clubs all over the country and now even some in Europe, but this opinion concentrates on the Leeds Esporta for one simple reason, it’s the club I use.
Getting there
The Esporta in Leeds is situated out of the town centre although they are building a new one in the town centre due to open sometime later on in the year. The one out of town is situated in the small village of Cookridge and the Esporta gym is inside the converted village hall. There is also a large golf course surrounding it with its own clubhouse and driving range. There is plenty of space to park once you have driven up the long drive and if your on foot its quite a long walk up the drive to get to the gym.
How much it costs and when to go
Once inside the main gym building you come across reception first where you can sort out your membership. Now although the membership is quite expensive it is worth it and there are lots of different categories of membership some are less expensive than others. The most expensive is £54 pounds a month and the cheapest is £13.50 per month. The membership all depends on what
age group your in and if you join as an individual or as a partner. These prices do include use of all the facilities and if you go on a regular basis then it only works out at a few pounds per visit. Another advantage is that the club is open from 7am till 11pm so there’s always time to go.
Changing rooms
The changing areas are one of the best I have ever seen and far from your average local swimmingpool. The lockers are big so you can fit everything in and there is plenty of space for everybody. The showers are great as the turn off when you want them to unlike the normal swimming pool ones, you can control the temperature and they provide shower gel, which is handy if you forget your own. There are plenty of facilities for mothers with young children such as baby holders and playpens and a big advantage to these changing facilities are that the have hair dryers which are free to use so no more leaving with wet hair.
The main gym area
The main gym area is divided into two floors the first floor being where all the cardio machines are. There is a selection of treadmills, bikes, cross trainers, rowing machines and step machines. I have never struggled to get on one of these machines as there are so many of them and its impossible to be bored whilst exercising as there are televisions at the front of the gym which you can tune into providing you have some headphones to plug in. On the ground floor of the gym are all the weight machines and free weights and to be completely honest there is a machine for every part of your body. There is also a large starching area that has ab flex machines on it. Again it is hard to struggle to get on the equipment, as there is so much of it.
Extra classes
Apart from working out in the gym there is a huge studio that has loads of different classes held in it every day. You can give anything a go from the simple step classes to yoga. In these classes there is something for everyone, young or old, male or female and the classes repeat themselves more than once in a week so you have a choice of when you go. All the classes are included in the cost of your membership. The only downside to theses classes is that you have to book them at least one day in advance and on the very rear occasion they have been cancelled.
Swimming time
Aside from the excellent gym facilities there is a swimming pool, which is big enough to have a good swim in. It is divided up for the faster swimmers into lanes. The pool is used for some classes such as aqua aerobics and swimming lessons but there is always space available for swimming. The pool is also kept at a nice temperature unlike some swimming pools, which seem to be kept at icy temperatures. There is also a small children’s swimming pool, which is nice and shallow and safe for the little ones. Not far from the swimming pool are a large steam room, sauna and Jacuzzi that are perfect for relaxing in after a good work out in the gym. My only criticism with this area is that the Jacuzzi is not that big and can sometimes get busy and that the pool is not constantly life guarded, although there are cameras on all the time. On the poll side there are also some sun beds, which you can sit and relax on and there are some ultra violet light sun beds available to use, but these are at an extra cost and personally I think they are very expensive to use compared to others I have seen.
Added extras
At Esporta there are lots of little extra things that are available to use. For example there is a kids club open where the children can go and play whilst you exercise. There is a hairdresser upstairs that offer a good range of services at quite a good price. A new thing that has been introduced recently is a scheme called Motivate. This is basically where you hire a personal trainer and they go through your exercise plan with you each week and keep you motivated, although at the moment this is at an extra cost, but worth it if you need that bit of an extra push. The club also publishes a Magazine, which is free to all members, which is worth a read and has some excellent articles inside to suit all members. Inside the hall there is also a large eating area and bar and sometimes-special evenings are arranged for members such as performances or parties. One night I recommend you go to is the curry evening, on a Monday night between 7pm and 9pm where you pay five pounds and eat as much as you like.
Travel around
All in all the Esporta Health and Fitness club in Leeds is excellent, the facilities are great, the staff are always friendly and willing to help, if there is a problem with anything you can be guaranteed it is sorted out as soon as it can be and there is more to do than just going to the gym. I am sure that all of the other Esporta clubs are of the same standard and I will certainly be visiting the new one in Leeds when it opens, this is another advantage of Esporta you can visit any other club as well as you home one at no extra cost which is ideal if your travelling around the country.
So there you have it. I recommend anybody to try out any Esporta club as I have felt so much better after going to a gym, and I can personally recommend the Esporta club in Cookridge, Leeds as being one of the best I have ever visited.
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