Virgin Active boldly claim to “redefine the gym experience in Australia.” Skeptical of this, Shape editor Hannah spent a Saturday morning at the new Virgin Health Club in Sydney, and ended up not wanting
to leave.

I admit I can be pretty uninventive when it comes to my workouts. After a day at the office, I often make an uninspired beeline for the treadmill, followed by crunches and a few boring bicep curls. It took a trip to Sydney’s new Virgin Health Club to snap me out of this exercise coma.

My personal trainer for the morning arrives, bouncing down the stairs and flashing a megawatt smile that seems to grow just a little when she says, “I like to work people hard.” For the next 45 minutes, Shelly is in charge. I mention that I play touch football, so she gets me doing exercises that work my quads and glutes, mimicking how I would move on the field.

As we walk from one station to the next using state-of-the-art machinery, Shelly notices my slouch and sets me to work on strengthening my upper back. With my legs feeling like half-set jelly, I’m finally let loose to enjoy a dip in the cold plunge-pool and spa. I tidy up in the change rooms (which have hair straighteners and full-length mirrors, hallelujah!) and after over two hours at the gym, I realise I don’t want to leave and I like that feeling. I like it a lot. virginactive.com.au