The Gym

In an attempt to keep my overall physical performance and appearance I went out in search of fitness facilities and managed to find two of them. One is a brisk ten minutes walk to my house, the other is a bit farther away but still a distance that could be classified as reasonable in walking terms. Here are my experiences

Gym #1

The gentlemen behind the desk were very kind and polite. Upon finding out that the only way to communicate was English, the called one of their English speaking staff who greeted us very friendly, shook hands and took us on a round tour of the facilities. Once back at the registration counter we were shown a schedule and our guide explained to us the different services offered at the gym ranging from Pilates to Aikido classes. Up until this point prices were still not mentioned. There was a shuffling of feet and low voiced exchange of words between the three men before the final number was given. 300lira for three months per person provided we I paid in cash. The fees tend to be a bit higher if paid by credit. At the time of writing this 100lira was $79 Canadian. This is for a non-world class gym.

Gym #2

Closer to my apartment and a bit smaller than the one written about earlier. A man explained and a girl translated. Once again I was shown a schedule with a listing of various activities, Pilates, Aikido etc. and an explanation that if I signed up for 6 months I would get the next 6 months free as a bonus. Not until I actually asked for the pen and started to write down the prices was I able to get a more concise answer about the membership fees, which were

6 months ---- 785 lira, that would include the bonus 6 months of free membership

3 months ---- 330 lira by cash / 375 lira by credit

1 month ------ 120 lira by cash / 140 lira by credit

1 day pass ----20 lira which translates roughly to $15 Canadian

I’m pretty sure that unless the gym is located in front of a beach and has the next Arnold Schwarzenegger working out next to me, I will not be dropping $15 just to get into that gym for a day.

Yes, fitness clubs in Turkey are expencive.

If you have any questions regarding living in Istanbul or the city in general, just leave it in the comment section. I will try and do my best to answer your question.