Finding A Gym In Yangon City - Tiny Girl's Guide To Fitness

You'd want to find a gym that fits you and offers an environment that motivates you. So, I'm going to help those in Yangon who are new to gym, and those who are new to Yangon but want to find a good gym.

Here's one major setback with Yangon fitness clubs in general - THERE IS NO FREE TRIAL. Bummer, I know. So, those of you who are accustomed to internationally acclaimed fitness clubs in other parts of the world that give you free trials, you've been warned. This review is based on the 'daily rate' that I was charged, not membership fees or promotions. Either way, my best bet is to go for a trial run by paying a daily rate first before you can commit. 

In today's post, I'm going to break down the difference between three contenders and let you know which will give you the most bang for your buck. The results, which certainly aren't unanimous, will surprise you!

Meet today's contestants:

1. Traders Fitness Centre - Opens 6 AM - 11 PM; located at 223 Sule Pagoda Road (within Traders Hotel)
2. Real Fitness - Opens 7.30 AM - 9 PM; located at 20, Pearl Street, Golden Valley Ward, Bahan Township (Right across Mya Yeik Nyo)
3. Balance Fitness - Opens 6 AM - 11 PM; located at  64(G) Kyitewine Pagoda Road, 8mile. (within Hotel Avenue 64)

Traders Fitness Centre

Daily rate for non-member: US$20 | US$17(accompanied by a member)

Why is it not worth your buck?

Photo courtesy of Traders Hotel

Location - The downtown traffic jam will literally turn you off before you even get to the place.  

Staff - They don't have personal trainers or trained staff who could assist you during your workout.

Class - There are no fitness classes, which I think is a bummer for the price you pay. 

Equipment - They use older model equipments from 'Hammer Strength'. A major set back I find is the odd placement of training equipments, not to mention limited selections to begin with.

What is good about this club?

Members - You'll see a mature crowd who work around the area, and hotel guests. I find it less intimidating, and rather more relaxing.

Cleanliness - 8/10 

Space - A more compact, boutique-sized gym space. I particularly find the designated warm up area better than the other two, you'll see why later on.

Swimming pool - To make up for its lack of group activities or trainers, it has a decent size swimming pool (the other two gyms don't have a pool).

............

Real Fitness

Daily rate for non-member: US$20 | US$15(accompanied by a member)

Why is it not worth your buck?

Equipment - New equipments from 'Hammer Strength' but a limited selection to work with. 

Photo courtesy of Real Fitness

Space - It is a nightmare during peak hours. Did I mention, there is no space for mat works or warm up? If there's no activities going on in the aerobics studio, they let you use the room.

What is good about this club?

Location - Fantastic location if you live in the central. You can expect lesser traffic than most other places.

Classes - They have aerobics classes and TRX training classes daily.

Staff - I found the personal trainers n staff the least intimidating of all; they are very friendly and helpful if you're new. 
Members - You can get star struck by local actors/actresses who come in even for a quick shower. If you don't know who the f**k they are (like yours truly), then you're in for a good workout. 
Cleanliness - 7/10

............

Balance Fitness

Daily rate for non-member: Flat rate US$10 

Why is it not worth your buck?

Photo courtesy of Balance Fitness

Location - It's a bit far fetched if you live in the central area, it's located in a new hotel right across Junction 8. Traffic traffic!

Cleanliness - 6/10 

Members - Expect a younger, enthusiastic crowd (I mean 16 - 18 yr olds) who will go out of their way to hustle the equipments with/against you. They'd do anything from misplacing your towels off the squat rack in the middle of your sets; questioning if you're done, again, in the middle of your sets; you'll get what I mean.

What is good about this club?

Classes - Group fitness classes here are a must try, with a slight spacier studio than the other.

Staff - They have a group of highly motivated, and well-informed trainers and fitness class instructors.
Equipments - I like their 'Technogym' equipments, relatively new and more options to select for a better workout - cardio, free weights, machines, etc. I did not fancy the treadmills, however, as they're quite flimsy.
Space - I like their lounge area, it's almost half of the entire floor, which may come in handy if you feel like just chilling out there. The gym area is slightly spacier than the rest with a better lighting and enough mirrors to obsess over yourself.

............ 

My Verdict: I honestly did not expect to find a decent gym in Yangon, as these establishments happened in less than a year since I came back for a visit. That aside, I find all 3 gyms great, depending on my need and preference of the day. In terms of size, they're packed but you work with pretty decent equipments. 

Go for Traders Fitness Centre if:

• You like a peaceful, less intimidating environment with great hygiene
• You like low intensity exercises and pamper yourself silly - swimming, running, spa
• You can pay more and located in the downtown area

Go for Real Fitness if:

• You prefer to rub shoulders with the 'it' crowd
• You like interval and weight training, and can squeeze into a small fitness class in between
• You can pay slightly more than what you're used to and located in the centralised areas like Inya Road, Golden Valley, Shwe Gone Daing or Kabar Aye Pagoda Road

Go for Balance Fitness if:

• You prefer to keep your cost to a minimum
• You like to get fit within a highly-motivated community of trainers and gym-goers
• You like interval and weight training and located nearer to 8-mile.

What say you? Which one are you a fan of? Where do you get your grind on?