Gainesville Health & Fitness — Local services in Gainesville

I was a long-time member of Alter Ego Fitness downtown and really loved it there. I never thought I would join GHF simply because I thought it was too expensive, and I had heard people call it "Gainesville Health and Fashion" and assumed everyone was snobby. (Terrible, I know.) However, I recently moved to the west side of town and decided to give GHF a try. I have been a member for a month, and so far I LOVE it. I love that I can walk from my house to the main center, and yet the Tioga location is close enough that I can swing over there for a yoga class now and then.

I love how many options there are; from classes to free weights to cardio, there is so much to do and so much equipment. They also have a really neat machine line called X Force, which adds 40% negative weight to your reps. Sure, it does get crowded from 5pm to 7pm on weeknights, and it can be very annoying to try to work around those social exercisers who hog up free weights for an hour while they use the item for 5 minutes, chat for 10, and repeat. But I have NEVER had a problem finding a cardio machine, and if you go after 7pm, you can usually get a turn on any free weight device you want.

I also love the pool area. The main center has a huge lap pool, a freezing pool, a warm pool, a hot tub, a steam room, and a sauna. It's the best way to relax after a workout. I love having a tough workout and then relaxing my muscles in the various pools.

The group exercise rooms are some of the largest I've seen in Gainesville, and they have a dedicated spin room with 50 or so stationary bikes.

Ok, so price. Yes, it is expensive---double what I was paying at Alter Ego. But you get so much more for your money. In fact, I have found that knowing how much more I'm paying motivates me even more to go to the gym; I want to make sure I'm getting my money's worth! Also, they have a fantastic Face to Face program, and it's free! It's a month-long program that helps new members or people new to working out learn proper nutrition and how to work out. They take your measurements before you begin and also at the conclusion of the program. They also discuss your goals and how you can achieve them. It's a really great program, and it's incredible that they offer it for free.

My only complaint is that I wish they offered more evening yoga classes, and I wish they would allow Emilie Joseph to teach more yoga classes (she is awesome but only has one class on Friday nights at 6...a terrible time!!). There are SO many Zumba and dance-y classes every single night, but there are very few evening yoga classes, especially at the main center. The women's center offers a few evening yoga classes, but my fiance and I like to go to yoga together (men aren't allowed even at the classes at the women's center), and we can only go in the evening.

Overall, this a great set of gyms with friendly, helpful staff and tons of options. No matter what your age or fitness level, there is something for you here. If you can afford to go, you...

Edit: I have updated my review after the response from management. I was made aware of these changes by several instructors. I have been strongly opposed to it since I have been made aware of it. Some of my other friends have spoken with management, per my original review, and were given dismissive responses. "We started live streaming in March, but those videos were only available to the staff involved in testing" is simply inaccurate. If that is true, why can I view these videos with myself in them? They are on the website for anyone to see. I added screenshots of myself from classes in March, prior to the disclosed date of April 12. There is not adequate signage in regards to being filmed. To be clear, not only are we being live streamed but we are also being filmed to be viewed later. There are ways for you, GHF, with ample resources, to create content for people who wish to stream that doesn't involve streaming classes and creating an uncomfortable environment for those who wish to attend your live classes.

I love this gym. The classes are great, instructors are wonderful. I love the friends I have made here and the community we have created from coming here. But I am disappointed, frustrated, and disturbed by GHF's choice to live stream classes against members consent. GHF decided beginning April 12 they would live stream classes. I do not consent to being filmed or on live stream. We have reached out to management and the advice we were given was to "go off to the sides or the back." This prioritizes the camera filming over the members who show up and make the gym a community and make it a place people want to come back to. However, I have learned today that they have been streaming classes since March 25... Excuse me? First off, we have been voicing our concerns to management about how uncomfortable we feel about it starting but then to learn it started before the communicated date without our knowledge? I am looking at these recorded videos that I am in, I had no idea that I was in, and that I DO NOT consent to being in. Members pay to be at the gym in an environment that is comfortable. Being live streamed and recorded does not make me comfortable and scooting to the side or the back is 1) ineffective in a room full of mirrors and 2) discourages community and the natural flow of a class that I previously enjoyed here. Really really...

Listen to the other reviews that say they have horrible customer service after you become a member. The gym and workers in the gym are nice, but I’ve only gone a couple times since I signed up in November because in early December I received a letter in the mail saying my payments weren’t going through. It said that even if I resolve the issue I still have to contact the business office.

The letter was dated December 5th, but I did not receive it until the 20th (not their fault here) but I then reached out to both the business office and the person that signed me up for the gym (Joyce) by the 23rd. My call to the business office went to voicemail and I still have not heard back, it is now January 27th. Joyce has responded twice over the course of the month with the last time being January 10th telling me my balance and that I need to update my payment info. I asked how I do that to no response, and regardless once I do I have to still get in contact with the business office according to their letter.

When I initially signed up one of the numbers for my card number was put in wrong and they called instantly to fix it so they could charge the sign up dues, for whatever reason I guess they didn’t update that payment method in the system for future payments and now this is the result. I’m assuming at some point they’ll reach out to me to resolve this, but in the meantime my balance is going up and I haven’t even been using the facilities due to this issue. I can’t wait to receive a large bill for a gym I haven’t even been to in over a month. I can just hope that this is not impacting my credit score due to their negligence. I would not recommend you sign up or if you do just hope that you don’t have any issues during your time there.

Update as of February 1st: It’s now been almost two months that I’ve been trying to resolve this. I just received a letter in the mail about my “delinquent membership” and how I signed a contract to make timely payments. I still not have heard anything back from the business office or from Joyce. I have a full time job and am extremely busy, as someone who is trying to use their service I shouldn’t have to be the one on top of their office hounding them to help me. This is definitely the worst customer service I have ever...