The Top 6 Edinburgh Gyms For Students

Staying physically fit is obviously good for your health, but it can also be a great boost to your mental health.

Keeping on top of your mental wellbeing is vital, especially if you are living away from home for the first time in luxury student accommodation. 

The stresses of university and life away can take its toll if you are not careful, luckily there are things that you can do to help. 

Going to the gym is one of those and for students in Edinburgh, there are plenty of gyms which are close by to our Straits Meadow student apartments.

Let’s take a look at 6 of the best Edinburgh gyms, offering a range of options to suit every type of exercise and gym-goer, whether you’re a novice or looking to up your time in the gym considerably.

1. University of Edinburgh Pleasance Gym and Sports Complex

The Pleasance Sports Complex & Gym is a great gym for students at the University with all memberships including spin cycling, boxing, barre, access to the swimming pool at St Leonard’s Land, bouldering, and climbing. 

Full student membership costs £115, lasting until August 31st, whilst non-student membership costs £78 for 90 days, or £132 to include a climbing membership. 

Alongside the gym, Pleasance is the home of many of the sports societies and teams that the University of Edinburgh has to offer. 

If you want to look into competitive sport for a bit of fun and to make new friends, as well as working out at the gym, this is the place to be as a student in Edinburgh.

The best part is, it’s only a 20 minute bus journey from Straits Meadow. 

Address: 46 Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9TJ

2. Pure Gym

PureGym has multiple locations across Edinburgh, with two fitness centres about half hour away on public transport from Straits Meadow.

All the Pure Gyms are open 24 hours a day, making them an attractive option for those with busy student and social lives, looking for gym access when they can fit it in. 

There are free weights areas, a cycle studio, and fitness studio, offering a range of gym activities to members. 

You can even make the most of student membership discounts for Pure Gym to save yourself some money. 

The price will depend on whether you want off-peak membership, core membership, or plus membership, each with different levels of access and perks.

Address: 1-7 Conference Square, Exchange Crescent, Edinburgh EH3 8RA

Quartermile One Lauriston Place, 15 Lauriston Pl, Edinburgh EH3 9EN

3. CaveFit

CaveFit is a functional fitness gym in Edinburgh, just 20 minutes from Straits Meadow on public transport.

This fitness centre is all about the seven basic human movements, helping you train to stimulate all the major muscle groups. 

It is a stylish gym set in the heart of the city, providing a variety of fitness programmes to suit all members, helping you to train like an athlete within an enjoyable setting. 

£95 a month for 12 months is the lowest price, so it isn’t a cheap option for students, but it certainly provides a stellar experience for fitness fanatics. 

Address: The Edinburgh Grand, CaveFit 42, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH5 1QT

4. The Gym Group Edinburgh

The Gym Group has multiple locations in Edinburgh, with the closest to Straits Meadow being just 10 minutes on public transport or a half hour walk away. 

Membership to The Gym Group provides you access to their gyms on different sites, unlimited gym training, workout plans, body composition tracking and more. 

There is a wide variety of gym classes to join, including mind and body classes and cardio sessions. 

Open 24 hours a day, you can go get your workout on day or night, whatever suits you best. Student membership starts at £129 for 6-months. 

Again, this might not be the cheapest option out there for student gym membership, but it does provide you with quality and access to skilled trainers and the best classes around to aid you in your personal development in the gym.

Address: Waverley Gate Building, 2-4 Waterloo Pl, Edinburgh EH1 3EG 

5. Nuffield Health

Nuffield Health is one of the most established and recognisable gym brands in the UK, and with good reason. 

It is a one-stop shop for all of your gym needs and all within a modern, forward-thinking, and welcoming environment. 

There are the best facilities for whatever gym work you want to undertake, experts in health, fitness, and well-being on site to set you on the right path and guide you with how to use equipment and how to join different classes. 

Those classes will definitely get you pumped, and an all-round fitness experience that will keep you excited and raring to go. 

Nuffield Health offers a few different gym membership options and there is a student discount for membership that is a generous 20% off the total price.

Lucky for you students at Straits Meadow, there is a Nuffield Health fitness centre a 25 minute walk away, or 15 minutes on the bus so you can get your fitness on! 

Address: 61/10 Leith Street, Edinburgh Omni Centre, Edinburgh EH1 3AU 

6. Meadowbank Sports Centre 

Closeby to your student apartment, the Meadowbank Sports Centre is always a good option to keep hold of when looking through the list of Edinburgh gyms that you could choose to workout at. 

It helps that it’s only a 5 minute walk away from Straits Meadow, so you don’t have to travel far at all, you can go and workout in the gym whenever you want. 

Even better is the fact that they have a Fitness Young Adult membership which costs £27.50 a month with access to gyms, pools, classes and climbing at all Edinburgh Leisure venues.

If you are new to working out at the gym, this might provide you with the best of both worlds, access to gym equipment and great facilities, as well as studios, games halls, pitches and tracks. 

Address: London Rd, Edinburgh EH7 6AE

There are plenty of Edinburgh gyms to choose from if you are looking to get fit, or to stay active, whether you are a seasoned gym-goer or you are looking for help as a newcomer and maybe want to sign up with a trainer or to some gym classes, you’ll definitely find a gym in the city that fits your needs. 

Let us know where you have found as an Edinburgh student and which gyms work best for your health and fitness.

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