Gymmboxx

With fitness and the gym lifestyle all a craze now, we are spoilt for choice with your True Fitness, California Fitness, Virgin Active, Fitness First brands dominating the market. But then, what about those of us who do not want to splash out thousands of dollars a year for gym memberships? There's GymmBoxx XL.

Setup in a few select neighbourhoods across the country, with more expansion to come for sure, this chain of gymnasiums is a blessing for your average heartlander, he who wants to work out and maintain a certain level of fitness while ensuring that it does not burn a hole in his pocket. As soon as I heard of one opening in Bishan at the newly renovated community club, I was all game to sign myself up.

Opened on National Day 2013, this gym is still relatively new and with an early bird opening sign up rate of $140 for 3 months, it was a steal. A 3 month membership at this gym is $165, and gives you unlimited access during their opening hours (8am - 11pm on weekdays and 8am - 8pm on weekends). They also have 6 months and year long options as well. Added to that, they also have personal trainers, whom, in my opinion, still cost a bomb, but would definitely be more affordable than the trainers available at the more established global gym brands.

The gym offers up everything you could ask for, from a range of cardio equipment like your stationary cycles, treadmills and elliptical machines, to a huge selection of free weights, and a wide range of assisted weight machines to target select muscle groups. There's never an extended waiting time for most of these, and if there is, you can simply move on to another machine first, or share with those using it (the people here are really friendly, I'd like to think is an attribute of living in Bishan, which I do!) Jokes aside, you really can get a great full body workout here. Did I mention the equipment here is really well maintained, and with it being less than a year old, you are still working out with machines that have hardly seen wear and tear?

The only drawback, it's miniscule bathroom and shower facility. With 4 to 5 people in the bathroom, it already feels a tad bit too crowded, with very few showers, and a cramped washbasin area. But then again I am assuming that most people visiting neighbourhood gyms do belong to and live in that neighbourhood, and that a quick walk home for a shower might actually be modus operandi for them, like it was for me since I was 5 minutes away.

A very affordable way to keep fit, stay healthy and not burn a hole in your pocket. One tip, try to come really early on weekdays, or at approximate 9pm on weeknights, those periods are the times when human traffic is at its minimum.