Westside Recreation Centre

This is my favourite gym to which I’ve ever had a membership.
— So much cardio and strength training equipment that you never need to wait
— Slightly «unique» equipment such as a treadmill climbing wall, X-​Box machines, and a kick boxing station
— Pool with at least one lane available for lap swimming at all times
— Tons of drop in classes
— No pressured sales pitches
I’d say there are really only two downsides. First, being a single-​location facility, this place is really only worthwhile if you live in the same area. Second, you need to commit and pay for a full year membership at a time. The price is decent, though, with the monthly breakdown for a regular membership being $ 60ish.

I love this gym! If you want more bang for your buck this is the place to go. There are several weight areas and a variety of different equipment to suit any fitness desire. It is open and roomy and so far I have never had a problem finding space or machines to use. It is very clean, bright, and the machines are well taken care of and updated regularly — sometimes they have new interesting ways to promote fitness like a treadmill climbing wall! The «children» are also separated from the main workout area as there is a youth fitness section with fun stuff for the younger fitness enthusiasts (so less dealing with teens in the free weights). The staff is mostly very friendly. I don’t use the pool or the courts much but they are there if I should ever fancy using them. They have a tonne of drop in classes as well as registered class options. But my absolute most favorite thing about this gym is that they are upfront with their pricing. The membership prices are not hidden and there are no pushy sales people. They also have other options, like to buy a 10 card pass if you have limited time or money to commit to a membership (good for me as a student!). Registered classes are also open to non-​members too. Amazing gym!

Westside’s aquatic facilities are a child’s dream. From the heated tot pool to the wave pool and its adjacent mini-​river, to the ceiling to ground water slide, and to the lap pool, what child wouldn’t fall in love with water, playing in this water fantasyland on a regular basis.
Daily use fees are reasonable at $ 27 per family. Towels are available for $ 1.

Perfect spot for sport during winter in Calgary.

This rec center has it all, the running track is huge. I personally do not run and use the wide assortment of Cardio and weight equiptment. The amount of free weights here is staggering. I’ve used the pool quite a few times and never felt crowded, The steam room here is the biggest I’ve been in yet, Over all for the standard fee of $ 714 a year. It;s a bargain for what’s there. I have a 6 month old daughter and look forward to enrolling her in all the youth programs here.

Honestly, one of the best gyms I’ve been too. A membership gives you access to a diverse gym, pool (lanes available), basketball court and an ice skating rink! It’s affordable too, especially for those on a budget. I had an unfortunate encounter with Richmond’s World Health and it made me realize how wonderful Westside Recreation Centre really is, the staff are helpful and understanding, you get a variety of options of activities while there and the environment is clean and positive.
Not to long ago they had a major update to the gym introducing a ‘youth’ area which was a great idea, it separates adults from the younger ages and caters towards what youths are likely using. I personally like the youth area because of the new equipment and that it is never really busy.
If I were to recommend a gym to family and friends this would be the one and I don’t think I could find a reason to change my mind no matter how hard I looked for one.

I joined Westside in December 2009 after the Talisman Centre was scaling back its services for a year for roof upgrades. It’s a bit out of my way but one of the benefits is that I was no longer fighting traffic towards downtown during rush hour to get there. So, overall, the commute was shorter for me anyway.
At Talisman, I could never get a cardio machine — ever. At Westside, I’ve never gone without. While I can’t always get the particular brand of machine I want, if I want an elliptical, I can generally find one. Apparently the busiest hours at 9−11am (moms?) so that works out perfectly for me.
Each of the cardio machines has its own TV with channel changer — so there’s no missing your shows while working out. And I love the automated system they have with the weight machines for those of us who would forget what we lifted for for how many reps, every single time.
The indoor running track is the longest one in the city, I believe, and it offers a variety of views as you run (skating rink, hockey rink, swimming pool, parking lots, etc.) Plus the classes are free (I’ve only attended a few but enjoyed those that I did) and how many gyms have a rock climbing wall?
The one drawback is that it is a family oriented facility, so the lap pool (4 lanes) is pretty busy on weekends and many lanes are closed off for activities, and there are always kids running around. However, it’s been a lot better since they opened the fitness change rooms (in addition to the aquatic ones) and I appreciate all the effort they’ve put into the youth fitness centre — exercise in kids is very important.
All in all, I didn’t hestitate at all when it came to pay again this past December. Easily the best gym I’ve ever belonged to.

This is perhaps the best fitness facility in calgary. The latest equipment and helpful staff. Worth every penny. Get a membership to really enjoy yourself. Something for everyone to do from kids to seniors. Wonderful staff are very friendly and ready to help.

Overall I am very happy with this gym:
The equipment is well-​maintained and immediately signed if it is in need of repair.
They have a lot of equipment so finding an alternate piece of equipment is easy, should the need arise when the club is busy.
The change-​rooms are very clean and well-​maintained.
There is a lack of space for people who want to work on their own with the equipment in the middle-​track area — especially when there is a group-​training session going on. It would be better for everyone if they held these types of activities in the room where the aerobics classes happen as this space seems empty a lot of the time.
On the negative side: several obese (30+ lbs overweight) trainers work here (I fail to understand this) and they sell total crap at the snack-​bar downstairs — I saw corn-​dogs (WTF) there the other day.