Virgin Active Fitness Club, Derby

...a member of the new Virgin Active Club, which has been built upon the Derbyshire County Cricket site, just off the Pentagon island (A61).

A friend invited me along with her to the club a couple of weeks ago, and I must say I was really impressed. First impressions count, and Virgin certainly know how to do this. The entrance is light and airy, and is served by very efficient, and pleasant reception staff.

The club is ...
...to the centre is the Virgin Vie shop which sells the full range of cosmetics and smelly stuff that Virgin Vie provide. This is also the Living River therapy centre, where you can get facials, waxing, massage, and nail treatments, at a reasonable price. An express manicure is 12 pounds, nail extensions 35 pounds (2 hour session), a cleanse and make over 15 pounds. Now for the painful bit....A full leg wax is 20 pounds, and bikini wax 8 pounds. After ... more

Like so many other people, until recently I had never been, or thought about becoming a member of a health club. Last week however I became a member of the new Virgin Active Club, which has been built upon the Derbyshire County Cricket site, just off the Pentagon island (A61).

A friend invited me along with her to the club a couple of weeks ago, and I must say I was really impressed. First impressions count, and Virgin certainly know how to do this. The entrance is light and airy, and is served by very efficient, and pleasant reception staff.

The club is built on two levels. On the ground floor you will find the crunch bar, which serves non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, and a good range of very tasty food. You can choose from sandwiches, hot meals, and all healthy too. Incorporated into the cafe area is a space for reading in the library. This has got over 200 books on all sorts of subjects from sport and fitness, diet, and I even found 'The Good Beer Guide'! This area is also where you can use one of 2 terminals to gain free Internet access, which is handy if you need to check your e-mail quickly.

Also on the ground floor are the locker rooms, which are large, very clean, and full of huge lockers for your belongings (one pound coins needed to lock them). There are plenty of hot showers with free shampoo/shower gel. Hairdryers are provided with large mirrors so that everyone finds a space to admire their beauty! Another bright idea is the family changing area, and baby change station. This means that the place doesn't get too packed with little kids running around. Not that I don't like children, but it can be quite annoying. The best gadget in the locker rooms must be in my opinion the swimming costume drier. Just pop in your wet costume, and within 10 seconds it will be dry!

You have the chance to get that costume wet in a couple of ways. You can either do some lengths of the 25-metre pool, which is really clean, and always supervised, or you could take your kids into the kids’ pool. This has hug water jets and a slide, and lots of floats. They even do swimming lessons. The kids love the huge rubber duck that serves as the steps of the slide, and the water sprays in the shape of a huge tap and tube of toothpaste.

The more relaxing part of the poolside area is the Spa area. This has a hydro pool, sauna, steam room, sanarium, and loungers for you to relax in. It also has a shower area to cool down in after your sauna etc. I particularly hate the Ice Drench, but its so refreshing. Peaceful music is piped into the room, and relaxing aromatherapy oils make the atmosphere even more relaxing. Well worth a few minutes of your time.

Kidsville is the crèche area, and is also on the ground floor. It caters for kids from 3 months old, up to 16 years old. The facilities area great, with expert supervision for all of the kids. The little ones get to play with paints and a good range of toys, whilst being watched over by the lovely staff. The older ones can go into the soft play area, or into the TV room, where they can also play on Playstations. I suspect that many of the adults would love to have a go in here. There is a small charge fro the use of the facilities that Kidsville provide. 5 pounds activates your childs membership. A monthly junior membership is 12 pounds - this covers up to 2 hours per day, and is for kids aged 5-15 years old. Under 5's pay just 2.50 pounds per hour, whilst over 5's pay 2.50 per 2-hour session.

By the entrance to the centre is the Virgin Vie shop which sells the full range of cosmetics and smelly stuff that Virgin Vie provide. This is also the Living River therapy centre, where you can get facials, waxing, massage, and nail treatments, at a reasonable price. An express manicure is 12 pounds, nail extensions 35 pounds (2 hour session), a cleanse and make over 15 pounds. Now for the painful bit....A full leg wax is 20 pounds, and bikini wax 8 pounds. After that torture you may like a Swedish full body massage, and at 30 pounds, it sounds like a bargain to me. They also do treatments for men, self-tanning, and at times offer special packages to pamper.

You enter the gym area via one of two flights of stairs, or the lift. This is a large room with a central area which overlooks the pool. There are loads of pieces of equipment, and instructors on hand to help you. You will get two induction sessions on joining, which help you get the most out of your workout.

Your programme is stored in a yellow key that you are given to keep, which you stick into every machine you use. This tells you how to set up the machines, and records your performance. At the end of the session you then put the key into one of the terminals around the gym, and upload your data. Very nifty! All of the cardiovascular equipment is linked to the cardiotheatre output. So get some headphones and plug in to listen to your favourite tunes, or watch one of the 8 screens.

Off the main gym are 2 studios, which are used by the classes that the gym runs. These include Pilates, Yoga, and aerobics sessions, at no extra cost. Some of these classes get very busy, so it is advisable to prebook to assure your place.

Right the bottom-line...How much does the virgin treatment cost? Well I signed up on their unbelievable off-peak offer, at only 29 pounds a month (plus one off 25 pounds admin fee). This means that I have full use of the facilities from 6.30 am until 3 pm weekdays, and 12-9pm at weekends.
However a full membership costs only 44 pounds and with this you can also use other Virign gyms if you happen to be near them (great if you work away a lot I imagine). There is no huge yearly membership fee, and you have the chance to freeze your membership for a while for only 5 pound a month. If you decide to cancel then 2 weeks fees will be all that you forfeit.

So from being a bit of a couch potato, I am now able to be enthusiastic about getting fit. I would really recommend that you go along and have a look at your local Virgin Club, as I do not think that you will find the same facilities, or relaxed atmosphere anywhere else.
 

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