National Institute For Fitness & Sport

I have been a member of NIFS for over five (5) years and love this place. The venue is a wonderful workout facility. The instructors are incredible and knowledgeable. I have became great friends with many fellow members, including staff. Just be warned — the facility gets very busy during the weekday, after 3pm, so it may be quite a weight at the treadmill machines. No worries though — all of the aerobic and strength training classes are great. I especially enjoy the facility’s TRX and Zumba classes. If you decide to visit NIFS you won’t be disappointed.

This gym is awesome. Not spanking new like the downtown YMCA at Cityway, but they have every piece of equipment you could ever dream of. The group fitness classes and schedule are great. I especially love the cycle class on Tuesday with Amanda, and the Wednesday night yoga. Boot camp is also great and doesn’t charge an extra fee like some other gyms. Same with TRX.
NIFS has a decent amount of weights spread in multiple areas around the gym, in addition to the actual weight room, so there’s always plenty of room.
Only downside is that IUPUI’s pool isn’t included with the membership, although I think the fee isn’t too much extra if you want access to the pool as well. The gym has a dry sauna and a hot tub in the locker rooms though.

This is by far the best training facility in Indy! The classes and the equipment are top notch. I LOVE being a NIFS member! It’s definitely worth checking out if you like an awesome facility to work out at!

It’s honestly laughable that I was a member of LA Fitness before joining NIFS. And, that I gave LA a 3 star review. I want to smack myself in the face.
The National Institute for Fitness & Sport has EVERYTHING you could ever want in a gym, in my opinion. No contracts, you pay month to month. The joining fee is a little hefty, I couldn’t sweet talk my way into not paying it, maybe you’ll have better luck than me. Parking is included in the garage across the street for those who are not IUPUI students and finding parking or navigating the garage has never been an issue for me.
One of my biggest issues with other gyms is how difficult it is to find a treadmill or other cardio machine during peak times. I haven’t had that problem once at NIFS. Additionally, I love that each machine has its own TV with a headphone plug in — my runs fly by as I watch Southern Charm and Kardashians re-​runs. (Don’t judge.)
Other great aspects:
Indoor running track
Separate weight room (you can avoid the meatheads with ease!)
Lots of mats for stretching
Clean showers and free towels
Sauna, steam room and whirlpool
Daily locker access with a key you can pin onto your shorts — no more remembering locker combinations!
They also seem to have a great and professional staff along with member incentives. I’ve never taken advantage of any of the monthly programs yet, but I definitely want to, because hello, who says no to free stuff?!
To top it off, there are so. many. classes. You name it — they have it. BodyPump is amazing, as are the yoga and spinning classes. My only complaint — sometimes the times don’t work with my schedule, and the weekend classes are definitely limiited.
Overall, I’d recommend NIFS to anyone who lives or works downtown. There are a few drawbacks — hours on the weekend are a little bit more limited than I’d like and the monthly membership is pricey, but its worth it to know I am a member of such a reputable, clean and great facility.

Just wanted to update, since my original review mentioned what I thought they could improve. They have installed all new spin bikes, and they are AWESOME! That’s not all, though. They also installed a new sound system in the spin area, with two large speakers on either side of the class, instead of one speaker on the instructor platform. This has greatly improved the experience. Instead of being kind of blown away by the volume if you’re in a middle seat, or sometimes unable to hear from the side areas, the sound is evenly distributed to the entire class. The music and microphone levels are more manageable for the instructor, since the adjustment dials are on the side nearest their bike instead of the back of the unit. Now, it’s more balanced, and the mic is never too loud or too quiet. I am not a sound quality expert, so I can’t speak to that with any real insight, but I will say the music sounds great coming from the new speakers. Thank you, NIFS, for making these improvements!

I had been a member of NIFS all through college, but I quit a little after graduating because I was no longer on IUPUI’s campus all day AND the parking situation became a hot mess when they switched from a flat lot to sharing spaces with a campus parking garage. It became too much of a hassle after that.
I’ll probably rejoin later because the facility is amazing. My favorite thing is the indoor track. It is so nice to be able to run inside in the winter and not have it be on a treadmill.
They have a huge weight room, tons of machines, great personal trainers, tons of classes, plenty of stationary bikes, and really great locker rooms with saunas, steam rooms, and hot tubs. It’s amazing.
Oh and for all you bike nerds, you can bring your dancing shoes, a few of the stationary bikes have pedals you can clip into.

I was not disappointed with the facilities. Very nice. The schedule wasn’t very convenient though. I signed up for a student pass for $ 25 per month. I was told it included a parking pass. I had already been given a guest pass for one month. When it came time to get next month’s pass I was told it wasn’t included in my membership and that my only option was to upgrade my membership. I was told that under no circumstances would the membership specialist’s terms of the agreement be honored and that he was mistaken in telling me I would have a pass in my membership. It was only when I told them that I would sue to get my initiation fee and next month’s fees back because of either mutual mistake at the time I signed the agreement or because of fraud in the inducement that they decided to cooperate. As a result, my fiancé decided to leave too, who had been a two year member. The people running NIFS don’t understand the value of their members and how their customer service and inconvenient hours will impact them in the long run. Now that LA Fitness is opening a downtown location, NIFS will finally have competition. Hopefully they will make changes to their membership services and hours.

I have been a member for almost three years and I have never been disappointed. At the risk of being repetitive I’ll agree the staff are all so friendly, knowledgeable and motivating. I’m a group fitness kind of girl, and the classes they offer (for all levels) are challenging and fun! Steven’s boot camp, Michaels tabata, and the Les Mills body pump classes are my favorites. Yoga is offered free, and the instructors are great, every bit as good as a studio class. My daughter goes with me to this kids room and they are all so good to her. They keep her entertained with games and crafts. She loves them all! This is a no fuss gym, which may be the reason I love it. This is not a gym where people go to be seen… I have been to many gyms like that.

Many of us travelers have been in this situation; in a hotel for a few days, little or no hotel gym and it’s too cold outside.
That was my plight in Indianapolis.
So I use Unilocal and was shocked at what I found.
The institute has a 200 meter indoor track with all sorts of equipment in the middle. There are lots of staff to assist and classes to participate. And it was only $ 15 for the day.
It was almost worth it just for the sanuna.

Severely overpriced. Has a few luxury/​novelty items, but someone is always using them (ie rock climbing wall, someone in every lane of the track, a few people always on the basketball court). The locker room is ok, sometimes the showers are not very warm, but you’ll have that. The hours are terrible and the classes were all held at times where I could not possibly attend; from about an hour before work until about one hour after (family dinner time). I suppose I could have looked into weekend options, but I’m not the sort who wants to blow my weekends at the gym.

I signed up for NIFS two (2) years ago because it was located on my after-​work commute route, and I thought the guilt of seeing it every day would better my chances of sticking with a regular exercise routine. My guilt strategy has mostly paid off. NIFS is more expensive than most gyms (I pay $ 48/​month w. discount), but I think its atmosphere and perks make up for the expense. My favorites:
–No «dog & pony show» atmosphere;
–Dedicated, friendly, knowledgable fitness professionals;
–Killer Les Mills BodyCombat and BodyPump classes;
–Incentivizing programs & prizes (i.e. NIFS bucks, Slim It to Win It, Maintain Not Gain, etc);
–Free garage parking (hard to find near IUPUI);
–Clean facilities, free towels and day-​by-​day locker access.
I’m no gym maven and definitely could improve my workout frequency, but NIFS makes it easy to get back on the horse after a few days of negligence. Now if I could just develop some nachos willpower.

This is seriously the best gym ever! I joined back in October 2012 and still loving going. If your goal is to see and be seen at the gym please put your shirt back on and walk away from the door at NIFS because this is not the place for you to go. If you are serious about getting into shape and learning a few things come and join the rest of us.
There are a ton of classes available for every type of person or if you just want to do some cardio, lift weights or play basketball there is plenty of room to do it all. The trainers and staff are always willing to help teach you. They will set up multiple workout programs for you at no charge. Also included as part of your membership is a yearly bod pod, which is the most accurate way of telling body composition.
If you have kids, they have a supervised playroom area for them to hang out while you get your fitness on. They also have a whirlpool, sauna, nutritionist and massage therapist on site. Unlike some other of the downtown gyms, you don’t have to pay for parking. They give you a monthly garage pass to use while you are working out. You also have the option to freeze your account, if you are going to be out of town for a period of time or know that you won’t make it to the gym for a period of time.
My favorite parts about this gym is the friendliness of the trainers and staff. I don’t feel like I am being sold anything while I am there and they always are very helpful and encouraging. They also have multiple programs throughout the year depending on your interests such as: mini marathon training program; triathlon training program; maintain not gain (during the holiday season); slim it to win it (10 wk group competition to lose body fat percentage) and summer showdown (6 week competition).
I only have a few of items that are drawbacks in my boat. First, they open later and close earlier on Saturday and Sunday. I am typically a late evening kind of workout person, so I have to plan my day a little better to get there before they close. They also have limited classes on Saturday and Sunday, which is a bit disappointing. Finally, they don’t have a pool, but they do offer a discounted punch pass to the Nanatorium.
If you live or work downtown, I would really advise joining NIFS. You won’t regret it!

This gym is, hands down, the BEST gym I have ever been to. Ever. They have everything you could possibly want — weight machines galore, treadmills, ellipticals, free weights, a full and a half size basketball court, a full length track, cable TV on all treadmills and I believe row stations, and endless locker amenities. I literally spent over 2 hours here trying everything out.
There’s also ironing options in the locker room (no idea why this is included), hair dryers at each sink in the locker room, showers, several scales, lockers that do not require you to bring your own lock (thank goodness cause I hate that), and literally every. single. thing. you. could. possibly. need. I LOVE this gym and I wish I was a member, but I’m just in town visiting :(Take note, California fitness centers!

I am still a member and I LOVE this place! I must tell you about the student membership! It’s fantastic! I work out during off peak hours and I already have a parking pass for IUPUI, so it is a perfect match for my needs. If you are a student, you must check it out!

I love some of NIFS specialized programs they offer like the Mini-​marathon Training Program, but their facilities are pretty dated for the price of membership. Staff at NIFS are very nice and helpful, I just wish their facility reflected the level of professionalism and knowledge that the staff have.

Was a member of NIFS in 2004. Moved away for school and have tried several gyms. The label ‘gym’ may not encompass the awesomeness of NIFS. When I rejoined this year I received several bonus items (love swag, and goodies), and the tour was very informative updating me on new items such as the parking garage directly across from entrance. Nice. No trudging across a frozen tundra to scrape my car. The indoor track is great but if you are up for a quick run out the back door is the canal. This is especially convenient if you work on the canal for walking when weather permits. Take advantage of the new member fitness assessment. It includes the bod pod which is a unique opportunity apart from the other parts of the assessment. The classes are the usual yoga, cycle, etc but NIFS kicks it up a notch with some cutting edge classes, HIT, run-​da-​li-​ni, CxWorx TM, and BOSU. These are nice to try to mix up training or to kick up level of performance. Overall, I’ve never had one complete as a member. I say it is like working out in heaven and considering I consider most workouts hell that says a lot :)

Being a former gym rat at the tony Michigan Ave location of Equinox gyms in downtown Chicago, when I moved to downtown Indy I was slightly panicked that I would never find a place like this here in Indy. I began my search for a nearby gym and came across NIFS. While all the glitz and glam of my former gym is a bit lost here, that matters little when there is the quality and quantity of equipment, classes and staff here. I have never had to wait for cardio equipment, and there are a few cardio machines I haven’t seen before, (e.g. the Helix Lateral Trainer). There are A LOT of strength training machines as well as a separate weight room-​which I do not use. Several workout studios for everything from yoga and pilates to Hiit classes and spinning. The staff are friendly and the rest of the patrons are pretty serious and just there to workout. A very comfortable place for anyone just starting to workout as well as serious athletes, which I see often here, and local luminaries such as Mitch Daniels used to be spotted here on occasion, (until his exit to Purdue).Locker rooms are basic but always clean, with a steam room and whirlpool. THE ONLY minus for this former competitive swimmer is that there is no pool, but that is ok because there is always the IU Natatorium nearby.

YAY for NIFS!
NIFS is a well above average gym, with a ~200 meter track, plenty of cardio and weight equipment, large warm-​up area, and tons of wide-​open space for classes and other activity. I’ve never had to wait for equipment. They also usually rotate in some «trial» equipment that you can vote on; if it’s popular enough, they’ll try to work it onto the equipment floor.
NIFS will cost you ~$ 47/​month, which seemed a little steep at first, but you can really get your value out of NIFS… if you want to. They offer TONS of classes — cycling, Body Pump, yoga, Bosu, and more. You can also get an exercise prescription, meet 1:1 with a specialist, and more.
You can save about $ 30 total by paying for a year upfront; I think paying upfront should save you a little more.
My favorite thing about NIFS is that it’s all sorts of people who are there because they care about fitness. Not girls wearing make-​up, nor douchebag dudes staring at themselves in the mirror for hours.

I love NIFS!
When I moved to downtown Indy from Seattle, I needed a new gym ASAP. I was used to paying $ 20 for my 24 Hour Fitness membership, so the $ 47 (with my company’s employee discount) seemed really steep. NIFS is a great gym though. Lots of free classes, an indoor track and never a line for machines.
No matter when I come to NIFS I always get right on a machine. All the cardio machines have personal TVs that you can plug your headphones into. I love this feature, because it makes my workout fly by.
The staff is pretty friendly. The locker rooms are great too. They have free lockers, which I really like.
All in all, this place is worth the money.

I love my gym! I’ve been coming here since Jan 2009 and I love the indoor track for those cold (or super hot) days and how there are SO many cardio machines. I hardly ever have to wait for a machine and I know that I can always find the newest and latest exercise equipment!
I work with Kris Simpson for my personal trainer through NIFS and she’s amazing. She’s also a runner (and a triathlete) so she challenges me in the specific area that I’m training in — plus she’s an amazing resource for all things running! Through my work I get a reduced membership and also when I joined I also got a gym bag with all kinds of coupons to get me started on the right foot at NIFS!
I recommend this gym to anyone who is looking for a challenging workout without the stress and pressure of the meat market feeling that a lot of gyms have. I’ve never been approached and I don’t feel uncomfortable working out here.