The good: Staff are friendly and helpful when approached. The facility is large, and equipment is abundant. The bad: -Students are forced to pay for the gym, as part of their tuition. There are very few exceptions to avoid fees, and it's been engrossed by the student governing body (UMSU) and the University, as a favor to students. Even though the gym cannot accommodate all students. The schools mandate assumes that an active lifestyle requires a gym membership. -During and post pandemic, students could not avoid gym fees, despite closures and limit-timed gym slots. -An authoritarian approach is pretty much required to reduce COVID transmission with masking, which I don't personally favor. The University takes an apathetic approach. Asking you to, but not enforcing the policy. Often, both students and staff can be found not wearing or partially wearing a mask; this includes times when students/staff are required to re-mask (e.g. after moving away from weights, getting water etc.) -Staff are motivated to keep the gym quiet but give exceptions to their weightlifting buddies. -When anything breaks at the gym, it takes months or years to repair. The gym has had non-functioning analogue clocks for years. -The mens bathrooms have no urinal cakes, so it always smells like piss. -Faucets often do not trigger properly and water flow is poor in the bathrooms. Many soap dispensers are broken. Hand sanitizer is often empty. -The area-mats dedicated to deadlifting are partially set-in-place and slide. Not ideal. -If staff see someone using equipment wrong. They do not intervene. Gym policy is also that no one else intervenes.

The Active Living Center is HUGE. Seriously, it’s probably one of the biggest gyms in Winnipeg. The equipment is in very good shape, the huge space allows you to work out without feeling like everyone is next to you watching, and there’s so many different ways you can get in a work out. You can lift weights (they have 2 dedicated spaces that have dumbbells that range from 5 pounds to 100+, squat racks, benches for chest presses, machines that isolate every muscle you can think of, and a deadlift area. I’m sure I’m missing some things, that’s how big and diversified this gym is.) You can swim, because they have a huge Olympic sized swimming pool. You can play basketball, volleyball, squash, badminton, etc in the courts they have in the facility. They have plenty of locker space, you can even rent lockers out for a certain period of time, and you can pay for towel service. They offer free classes, such as spin class, yoga class, strength training class, and many more. You don’t even have to sign up, you just show up to the class. The membership for non students/alumni/staff is on the expensive side, but honestly, it’s worth it. The way I see it, it’s an investment for your health and physical well-being. We easily purchase and invest in things that aren’t good for us on a daily basis without hesitation, so why do we hesitate with our health. I definitely think it’s worth the price. The only downside I can think of is that the gym does get a little busy in the peak hours and it may be difficult to find an empty squat rack, bench, or deadlift area. Usually people are nice and let you work in/ finish fast, but I know some people get annoyed by that. But this is the case for any gym during peak hours so take that with a grain of salt. Staff are helpful and generally nice. Could be a little more approachable in my opinion but this is just my personal experience. Overall, this place is a 9/10. It’s not a 10 because nothing is perfect…

**WARNING*** CAUTION TAKING MUAY THAI By description of the class and word of instructor, the class is supposed to be safe and no one's supposed to use more than 10% power. But reality is a good third of the class will not hold back and people and many end up with bleeding noses and serious injuries. Dont take the class unless you're prepared to really get beat

Best gym in the city in my opinion — not that I’ve been to many. Super modern facility that is very spacious and has a large variety of workout equipment, including a track on the top floor that is always relatively empty. Highly recommend.

Best gym in Winnipeg. it has sledge, rope, Olympic lifting, wall climbing, tire flipper and tons of free weights and machines. The court is a bit small and often crowded.

Definitely the best and largest gym in Winnipeg. It has everything (workout area, swimming pool, courts, etc.). They also abide by COVID protocols and more, and not just go with the minimum set by the Government. This made me appreciate the gym that I am at.

Great facility. Great selection of free weights and machines. Shame that the men's sauna is always broken. Hopefully they resolve that issue. Can be quite busy especially at the start of the school year but then quiet summer more than makes up for that.

Great gym. Well equipped

Good gym, just wish they would be more accommodating to the powerlifting community by letting them use the platform to its full potential and not having to slow the deadlift movement to reduce sound. If it’s really that much of a big deal just let the powerlifting club members use the Bison gym, it’s mostly empty every-time I go to the ALC.

It is a really cool place to work out, engage in different sports and stay fit. There are state-of-the-art facilities. There are tons of activities you could do such as but not limited to climbing, swimming, tennis, dancing. The recreation service app is a great way to track all these programmes. Also, if you are a woman, transgender, or non-binary, there is a circuit room that us accessible if you want a more comfortable workout session. Although, It is only available during selected hours. Overall, great place!

Update: Swimming pool: decent in size. ~30% of Olympic size length. Design of the area is average. Clean! There need to be more enforcement of users take a quick shower before jumping in, since I saw someone just let himself wet and just enter the pool area. . In 2 years, they improved a lot and quite a few upgrades on the equipments and policy (I'm talking the fitness floor specifically). Very good architecture for a gym with natural lights, spacious, etc. Input: More CCTV cameras in certain spot for belongings security (with analysis ofc) One caviat: AVOID peak hours. Other than that, 👍

They will literally charge you even if you made it clear you do not want to be a membership there. And guess what they say after they charge you without notifying you? No apology and said there’s nothing we can do for you. Go find another place

A good gym with lots of equipment. They need more day-use lockers though because they are always full and I don't like leaving my things in a cubby without a lock and out of my sight. Gets very busy so you can't always use the machines that you want to. They also need another hip thrust station as it is very popular and they only have one.

One of the best gym ever I love to workout at u of m gym it’s nice and clean the environment inside is outstanding and no loud music you can workout the way you want and it’s safe.

I love coming here. I have a group of like minded and my same age to share hellos and activity conversations. The equipment is state of the art and is in good working order. The views are amazing from almost anywhere you workout.

Fantastic facility. The main gym has a plethora of free weights, machines, a track, and a rock climbing wall. Nested in the facility are also basketball courts, racket ball courts, a pool, and I'm sure I'm even missing something.

I'm thoroughly impressed with the UOFM ACTIVE LIVING CENTRE. The facilities are clean, well-maintained, and offer a wide range of fitness options. Whether you're into cardio, weightlifting, or swimming, this place has you covered!

Good sized gym with many different areas you can utilize, including a pool and saunas. Not a big fan of the atmosphere here but it's a good gym in general

Come to exercise most days after classes are over. Love it here. Would come everyday if possible

Variety of programs for kids and adults. Came for the climbing wall. The best in Winnipeg.

One of the best gyms. I still workout here being an alumni. CANNOT BE COMPARED TO ANY OTHER GYMS.

The Active Living Centre at the University of Manitoba is truly a state-of-the-art facility that promotes health, wellness, and physical activity. The centre is equipped with a vast cardio and resistance training area, a 200-metre running track, and an impressive 35-foot climbing wall. The staff are friendly and professional, always ready to assist and ensure a positive experience for all members. The centre also offers a variety of group fitness classes that cater to all fitness levels. The eco-friendly building design is an added bonus, making it not just a hub for fitness but also a testament to sustainable architecture. I highly recommend the Active Living Centre to anyone looking to lead a healthier lifestyle in a welcoming and inclusive environment.

University facilitated gym centre with lots of activities including gym, swimming pool, yoga and exercises, high performance training centre etc. Membership fee is required to participate in the activities, however membership fee is free for the students.

Clean and healthy

My very first gym in Winnipeg. Everything is great, clean, people are friendly, variety of machines!

Best gym in the city

Amazing facilities. The swimming pool is saltwater which was a pleasant surprise!

This gym is my favourite one. Always clean and so much is available in terms of facilities!

Good community facility, with lots of new equipment and constantly bringing more. Only complaint would be the layout, but overall a great facility for a reasonably price. Would recommend for both the gym and taking classes.

Our University gym is one of the best gym I have ever seen !🙂❤️

Only place in the city where you can walk for hours in winter without freezing yourself or being on a machine. I love the 4th floor, if I reach my goal of losing 35 more pounds of fat most of the credit will go to the walking strip.

Wonderful gym, you can find so much equipment here and a chill environment. Would highly recommend.

Don't recommend. Men's sauna has been broken 3 years already, and still is not fixed. Beyond ridiculous.

One of the best fitness centres in Winnipeg....every facility is best btw they have a lot of facilities ...swimming, table tennis, volleyball, squash they got it all

My favourite place in the world. State of the art gym! So much energy here as well!!

Great food, amazing atmosphere and very friendly service that cannot be beat. Love the old school diner feel.

Great place to swim and play basketball. The membership fees are very affordable as well.

One of the best Gyms I have ever seen

Always full of students One will have to wait for his/her turn on the equipment Hygiene is good and all equipment are perfectly working

Very large, tons of equipment, well-kept and cheaper than some other gyms in the city, but it's very busy on weekdays.

Amazing fitness center. Great equipment for all levels of fitness.

Overall a great gym with swimming pools, sauna, basketball courts and more

Huge space

Very big gym lots of equipment nice place to work out but can be pretty full sometimes and when that happens it's hard to get on a machine

Extensive variety of physical exercise machines, an indoor track, a helpful information desk, changing rooms, and water fountains. And its free if you're a u of m student. What's not to like?

Clean and great gym with everything you need. I wish they would leave the bar pads for squats out, so that I could take one without bothering the desk. Sometimes the desk is empty and today the person in the desk was rude. She was busy in a conversation with her coworker on the other side, and I tried to get her attention by saying hi but was ignored. I spoke up a little louder and she looks at me angrily.

Best GYM

One of the best fitness centres. Expensive if you aren’t a student. But honestly they have all the équipement you would ever need and lots of space. Lots of variety with regards to work out options. They have rock climbing, pools, a track, cardio and weight rooms. It can get pretty busy in the evenings which is the only downfall and If you don’t go after hours and aren’t a student it costs for parking. And if there’s a bombers game we’ll forget about it. But I can honestly say once of the best centres I’ve checked out in Winnipeg, and the best university gym I’ve ever been to.

Great

Very big, very complete.

First class equipment with excellent service, the fact that I love about this place, there is always space for your workout.

Wide range of available activities including wall climbing, basketball court, swimming pool and gym equipments

One of the best gyms in the city. Great environment, great people. No one judges you here. People are friendly and staff is helpful. Highly recommend.

I went to MiniU programs for Advanced Rock Climbing, and my experience was great! Although one day was missed because of the championships. Overall, great place!

The Active Living Centre is amazing! Great facilities, with a lot of options to choose from. The trainers are encouraging and know what they do. It’s a lot of fun participating in one of the group fitness classes. I encourage all UofM students to seize this opportunity and make use of this wonderful Centre we have, since there are no additional costs (all included in the tuition)!

It does the job; has everything to get started with grinding for that "perfect body". It has more things than that too; such as courts, swimming pool, etc.. Would recommend this place as it looks well built and helps foster a great atmosphere for an effective workout

One of the nicest gyms in Winnipeg. Excellent for students of the UofM.

Great place to book a court and play Wallyball!

It's a big facility with lots of equipment and very spacious!!

It is the University of Manitoba recreation center. The services range from the gym, swimming pool, wall climbing, and more. The price for the student is quite affordable.

Ball is Life

Great facility! Clean, open, lots of equipment to social distance and still get a great workout.

Well equipped facility on U of M campus. Great indoor track with a great view. Easy to find on campus, with close parking facilities. I went there recently as part of a research study and everyone I met was courteous, knowledgeable and helpful. A great experience.

Amazing gym! Top of the line equipment.

Nice Workout Place

Just here for the rock climbing...it’s nice on days when it isn’t busy (when it’s really busy you might end up spending more time waiting than climbing), I just wish they had a bigger section for bouldering

Provides a great experience on a path to fitness.

This gym is one of the best gyms in the city. Parking is usually free after 4:30pm but watch out for events happening around the university as the parking is ticketed during these events.

Is in UofM and is best

One of the best gyms for university students who wants to stay active and healthy.

Too crowded, half the equipment is worn down and the people are rude

Nice clean environment Friendly staff

Lots of variety to choose from, staff are very helpful and informative.

huge gym

I go for workout here

A little less than a year ago I switch to another area gym and am loving it there. For the first couple of years I loved the ALC but felt it went downhill after that. I left because: • Membership fees expensive compared to other gyms. • Parking is expensive on weekdays before 4:30 pm. • Cellphone use in locker-room is getting out of hand. • Large garbage cans filled with non-recyclable wipes really tough to see. • On winter weekends parking lots and sidewalks are often not cleared. • Repairs to the facility often take a very long time and poor communication about outages. The new gym that I am going to is much cheaper with free parking. The policy for cellphone use is in the lobby only. I see very little use in the change rooms.

Best trainers and machines to work out on

every machine and weight you could ever want can be kinda busy though in the mid day