Balanced Fitness & Health — Local services in San Diego

I just moved to Downtown San Diego. I spent a couple months checking out all the different gyms. I found Balanced Fitness to be the best and here’s why:

First, Staff! What sets Balanced apart is the incredible staff and trainers. With the App you can view all the trainers available and schedule with a click of the button. Since there are three different locations - you have an incredible selection of trainers you can schedule and see who the best fit it. Front desk staff is always friendly and there to help with anything. The owner is awesome. I haven’t been to many gyms where the owner is actually there and will support however needed. I was there early morning on a weekend where there was no one else there - but he was there adding and building on new equipment. And then there’s another army of trainers for the classes. I also like how they have two membership options - the basic level but also another membership where you get three personal training sessions/month which is a bargain.

Second, Equipment! Excellent equipment. And some equipment I have never seen before like an Ab Machine and Cardio Machine that moves on its own like those mechanical bull/bucking machines. You will never have a boring plank again when the machine is trying to shake you off! You’ll find every essential piece of equipment including a boxing bag and double end bag. And the place is kept immaculate.

Third, Amenities! Sauna! Free Cold Brew Coffee! And the water station is the best - Flowater Refill Station. Small towels for your training, Large towels for the Shower, Wipes for all the equipment. Each location also has its own unique amenities. Heard one of those cold plunges may be coming too.

Fourth, Facility! The Little Italy facility is amazing. It is the newest branch and in the middle of a brand new huge indoor business/retail complex. This makes it one of the best gym facilities in San Diego - there is a huge indoor lounge the size of a city block with dozens of seats, tables, sofas, chairs. You can do your work from there, phone calls, meet up with friends, or just rest between gym sessions. There’s a full restaurant/cafe with more seating inside. There’s a Thai Sports Massage that just opened!!!!!!!! And the Donut Pub is opening soon as well! A block away is a huge Starbucks location as well. …. and if you get bored - there’s two other Balanced Fitness locations to go to as well!

Fifth, Pricing. Since It is a smaller, boutique gym you will be paying less than the mega gyms. Also, unlike other gym chains that charge you additional if you want to go to different locations - the price covers everything - all three locations, all the classes. Another problem with the mega gyms is that there are so many people it is tough to get your workout in and since it is so large - you are spending a lot of time finding the right equipment. You won’t have those problems at Balanced. They also have more specials and discounts than the other gyms I looked at. For example the Valentines Day special I just got an email about, you could get a free year membership for your significant other. Finally, for personal training they have a second membership option that includes three/month which is a bargain. I also liked how you could choose between 30 minute or 60 minute options.

Anyways, thanks Balanced Fitness for your incredible support on my fitness journey and all the incredible staff who...

Consistently for the past year, this location has failed to provide drinking water for its gym members! They don’t have an actual drinking fountain, just a flowater machine that is ALWAYS out of water or “refiltering” which apparently takes hours. No water available when I get there, and no water still when I leave. Even bringing my own water at the start, I have to cut my workouts short due to thirst since there is no working refill station. I’m not sure the legalities, but pretty sure there are certain expectations for gyms and available drinking water.

I don’t ever leave reviews like this, but have given the staff direct feedback and requests for working drinking water for many months without seeing a single thing change. Balanced, if you see this, happy to adjust rating once this is addressed. Otherwise a good little gym with nice staff, but the water issue makes coming here...

Impeccably clean, modern facility that’s high end without being snooty or “sceney.” You can be down to earth, no judgment. Also love that it isn’t overcrowded. Rod, the owner, is a born and bred San Diegan running a family business, which I was happy to support. Him and his team have been very gracious and generous whenever there were parking validation issues. They really impressed me with their customer service in that regard!

The trainers are so kind and friendly as well - they seem super positive (without being fake), and engaged with their clients. I like to come to the gym to put my headphones on and do my own thing - I appreciate that they weren’t overly salesy or pushy about purchasing training either.

If I wasn’t moving out of the country I’d be a...