THE January fitness drive is at its most frantic right now with every gym in Manchester jostling for your attention and membership fees.
In our view, the best gym is the one you keep going back to, month after month, without getting bored. Gorgeous facilities and high-tech equipment aren’t worth much if you have to drag yourself through the doors every time.
So decide what’ll keep you engaged once your January ‘new me’ energy has waned. Do you prefer to workout alone or would you rather share the pain with others at a class-based gym? Do you need to bribe yourself with the promise of a swim and sauna after your workout, or are you fine without, thanks.
Then think about how much you want to spend. There’s a huge gap between the cheapest gyms in Manchester and the most expensive, and a higher price doesn’t always mean a better experience. Our picks for the best Manchester gyms for 2023 range from boutique studios like Barry’s to budget brands like The Gym Group, which offer more than you might expect. (Update: The Gym Group Deansgate closed down in early 2023 so we’ve taken it out of this list).
And if you don’t see what you’re looking for below, we’ve got plenty more recommendations. Just go to Fitness and use the filters to find what you want.
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Manchester City CentreBLOK Manchester
More detailsBLOK is popular thanks to the variety of classes on offer at its Manchester studios (you can do strength, various forms of yoga, boxing, barre, calisthenics, HIIT, meditation, pilates and more).
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Book Now Manchester City CentreV1BE by Lifestyle Fitness Mosley Street
More detailsV1BE by Lifestyle Fitness Mosley Street is an edgier, and dare we say cooler, gym than what you might expect from this nationwide chain. Partly it’s in the industrial, neon-lit design, and partly it’s in the V1BE class concept.
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Book Now CastlefieldThe Y Club
More detailsIf you want a gym with a pool in the city centre, The Y Club is one of just a handful of options. And if you want it to also have a sports hall, indoor running track, and a whole range of associated sports clubs, it’s your only one.
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Book Now Northern QuarterHero Training Clubs
More detailsWith its stylish design and on-trend classes, boutique gym Hero Training Clubs is well suited to the NOMA neighbourhood’s young, apartment-dwelling residents.
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Oxford RoadSugden Sports Centre
More detailsThis huge sports facility just off Oxford Road is part of Better, the organisation that runs all the council’s leisure centres and swimming pools. The Sugden Sports Centre gets a lot of investment from Manchester Uni and Manchester Met so their students and staff get discounted rates (and make up the majority of the customers).
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Manchester City CentreKing Street Gym
More detailsJust the tip of this huge, iceberg-like gym is visible from street level. Head down the stairs and you’ll find it’s a much bigger beast than you might have imagined, with an 18m pool, an expansive gym floor, a sauna, a steam room, and two good-sized fitness studios.
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Manchester City CentreNuffield Health Manchester Printworks
More detailsThis gym on top of The Printworks is probably best known for its pool with views over Corporation Street. There’s much more to it though than a photogenic swimming spot. Especially since it became part of the Nuffield Health Group, which also runs hospitals and medical centres, including one here at Nuffield Health Manchester Printworks.
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PiccadillyF45 Training Manchester NQ
More detailsThe F45 franchise has gyms all over the world but we doubt there are any quite like F45 Training Manchester NQ. The team, led by studio manager Ruben, have created a really friendly, inclusive environment with their no-mirrors, no-egos policy and their high-fun approach to HIIT.
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Book Now Manchester City CentreBarry’s Manchester
More detailsLike all the gyms in this US-born franchise, Barry’s Manchester is known for challenging classes and workout studios that look and feel like a high-tempo club night.
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CastlefieldTrain CrossFit Manchester
More detailsIf you’re specifically looking for a CrossFit gym near to Manchester city centre, Train CrossFit Manchester on the edge of Castlefield is one of your best options.
