Finding a convenient, affordable gym that meets all your needs isn’t easy. And the increasing number of gyms in Nairobi has made the decision even harder. There are numerous gyms with a wide range of prices, and each offers unique perks and services. Some gyms are fitness oriented with a wide range of modern equipment, while others are wellness-oriented offering Spa treatments, Ayurveda therapy, massages, and saunas. My personal favorites are the Boxing and MMA Gyms which aim to build both your physical and metal strength. Unfortunately, a few gyms in the city are very expensive while not offering value for money. While other gyms are predatory and make it hard to cancel your membership. To help you sift through the chaff I have made a “Top 10 Gyms in Nairobi” list.
1. Ultra Fitness Gym
This modern gym, located on Kilimani Road near Adam’s Arcade, offers a wide range of services from Muay Thai training and boxing to weight lifting and weight loss exercises. This gym is well known for producing MMA and Body Building champions. But don’t let that intimidate you, the gym also offers gym services to people who simply want to exercise, do aerobics or lose weight. Their day pass is KSh500, while their monthly membership is KSh6000.
2. Colosseum Fitness Centre
This gym located in Adams Arcade prides itself as East Africa’s top Muay Thai, Boxing and Bodybuilding gym. Colosseum has produced many boxing champions, so if you want to horn your boxing skills or learn boxing this is a good place to start. The gym also offers pole dancing classes at KSh3000 for one session. The price progressively drops up to KSh25000 for 20 sessions which amounts to KSh1250 per session. Dancing classes are also available and sometimes they offer them for free. Their gym charges are quite affordable at KSh500 per session. This is why Colosseum Fitness has made it to my Top 10 Gyms in Nairobi list.
3. CrossFit Kwetu
Located in Gigiri, this is the first CrossFit Gym in my “Top 10 Gyms in Nairobi” list. This well-equipped gym is specifically geared towards CrossFit and it offers 2 membership tires: Unlimited CrossFit, and Kwetu Express. Unlimited CrossFit costs KSh15950 per month and Kwetu Express costs KSh 9950. The Unlimited tier includes access to all classes including Express classes plus Recovery which includes a massage. This is the perfect gym for people who want to compete in CrossFit competitively. If you’ve never competed there is a getting started package that costs KSh16500 for the 1st month. There are PT classes included in this package to get you in shape.
4. FirstPower CrossFit
CrossFit is one of the hardest workouts you can do both physically and mentally. This makes it one of the best workouts since its more wholistic. And First Power CrossFit, located in Galleria Mall, is one of the best gyms to start your journey in CrossFit. The sense of community built by the owners of these gym make working out feel easier and helps to push you to achieve even more. The gym also has open gym services at a price of KSh9500. Open Gym + CrossFit costs KSh14500, and Open Gym + CrossFit + All Specialty Classes cost KSh18000 per month. The sense of community which provides a positive training environment is why it ranks third in my “Top 10 Gyms in Nairobi” list.
5. Smart Gyms
If convenience and modern equipment is your main aim, then Smart Gyms is your best option. They have four locations across Nairobi. They are located in Junction Mall, The Hub – Karen, Southfield Mall and Diamond Plaza II, and they are planning on opening more locations across the country. All of them are accessible biometrically to all members who pay the 6 month or annual membership fees. Their monthly fee is KSh5000, 6-month fee is KSh23000 and annual fee is KSh46000. They also don’t lock down their clients with predatory contracts and you can cancel membership and return at any time unlike certain gyms in the city. This makes their modern, well-equipped, convenient gyms some of the most affordable gyms on my list. All these positives are why Smart Gyms ranks high on my “Top 10 Gyms in Nairobi” list. This is an easy gym to recommend to anyone.
6. Hyat Fitness
Located in Wood Avenue Plaza near Yaya Centre this well-equipped gym offers a wide variety of services at a price of KSh1000 per day or KSh6000 for the monthly membership. Its convenient location makes it the perfect gym for people living in Kilimani. The gym offers spinning, CrossFit, Body Building, Weight Loss and Aerobics/Zumba/Yoga services. Their friendly staff are always around to help you with your form and motivate you to push further. Although they claim to have CrossFit it wouldn’t be my first choice for CrossFit since there are gyms on this list that are licensed by CrossFit and specialize in CrossFit training.
7. Urban Fitness Gym
With a monthly membership fee of KSh2700 and a Day pass at KSh300 this is the most affordable gym on my list. But don’t let the low-price fool you, this gym has modern equipment and well-trained personnel to help you in your fitness journey. The gym also organizes a lot of outdoor activities for members who love working out in Nature
8. Alpha Fit
Providing a wide range of specialized training classes such as Z6, Bootcamp and HIIT, and normal exercises such as weight lifting, power lifting, and Kick boxing this gym located on Ngong Road next to Ligi Ndogo, is the perfect place to start your fitness journey. However, the gym is quite pricey with their day pass costing KSh1000, while their monthly membership cost KSh12000.
9. Fit 4 Life Gym
This gender-neutral gym with different workout spaces for men and women is located in AMCO Crystal Building, Parklands. The gym offers boxing, spinning, dance, weight lifting and body building services. This are offered at an affordable price of KSh6000 and KSh4500 for students per month.
10. Racing Sport Gym
Racing Sport Gym is located in Upperhill on the ground floor of UAP Towers. The gym offers two membership types PEAK and OFFPEAK. PEAK is KSh6650 per month and OFFPEAK is KSh5750 per month. OFFPEAK only grants you access to the gym between 9am to 3pm, when the gym is expecting less traffic. Other than the fact that the gym is affordable there is nothing much to write home about Racing Sport Gym. This wraps up my Top 10 Gyms in Nairobi list. Make sure you try one of them out.
I’m a 25-year-old adrenaline junkie from Nairobi. I love travelling, attending music festivals and hiking. You can always find me at K1 Klub House playing pool and enjoying a drink with my friends.
