Healthworks Back Bay

Fantastic experience: Best of the best - safe space to work on yourself with other women!! No judgement, amazing classes and instructors. Expensive, but worth it. Message me on IG if you want a referral!!! @oliviannelder

Negative experience: Bad service

Fantastic experience: Healthworks is a beautiful and very clean with the best training staff! I have taken both their team training classes and one on one training. The trainers are positive and make sure everyone gets a good workout in.

Positive experience: New updates aren’t great. The lights in the sauna and showers are blinding- for whatever reason they made the lights in the sauna brighter than the rest of the gym lol. Hoping they will improve them and close off the sauna a little bit more. It’s soooo bright. Okay, giving 3 stars because the classes have made it/ruined it for me. I go to backbay and the location is great- never crowded. But, and a huge BUT, is a few of the classes are truly awful. I don’t think some of their instructors (like Claudia) are certified. It’s absolutely no hate on them whatsoever, but the way they teach their classes are really bad, not targeted, lack direction, and you can tell they aren’t certified. It’s really frustrating to be in a class that I have taken time out of my day for and paid for, and not get a good workout in because the instructor isn’t equipped to teach. The classes are like for toddlers- Claudia’s barre and Pilates class are the worst I have ever taken, I avoid them now. I started to take a few classes at equinox and it’s embarrassing how much better the classes are at Equinox (for basic classes, this shouldn’t be a thing). On the flip side, other instructors are absolutely amazing! Second, signing up for classes is a joke. I finally got into a cycle class and drove 30 minutes to get there only to be turned away because they didn’t have enough bikes. They’re letting girls into the class who aren’t registering and aren’t checking. It’s so hard to get into classes so this frustrated me. I decided to sign up for every class every day now so this doesn’t happen and I drop 1 hour before. Lastly, the back bay gym heater is broken. And the steam room is moldy and smells horrid. I’m hoping they credit everyone’s accounts because simply put, what we are paying for is absolutely not what we are getting. At minimum, check certifications on instructors and fire/replace them. Overall, based on a small handful of instructors and some amenities, it’s a great gym and I enjoy going! But it’s definitely not worth what they charge.

Positive experience: I’ve been a member at this facility for several years and appreciate the overall environment and amenities. However, the quality of personal training services here is deeply concerning from a professional and biomechanical standpoint. During multiple visits, I’ve observed trainers exhibiting a passive approach to client engagement—often leaning against walls or sitting down while clients perform complex, load-bearing movements with poor form. For example, I watched a client perform partial range-of-motion squats with clear medial knee displacement and insufficient core stability…yet received no correction, cueing, or form adjustments from the trainer. This kind of unchecked movement pattern, particularly under spinal loading, presents a significant injury risk and suggests a lack of attention to even basic movement screening or corrective strategy. Another example is trainers utilizing kettlebells for overhead movements but NOT teaching clients how to hold them properly. A women under instruction from a trainer held the kettlebell on the wrong side of her hand making it impossible for her to ever progressively overload without the risk of DROPPING it on her head. Horrible. Another trainer allowed their client to perform walking lunges while paying no attention to lunge depth, which varied with each repetition, along with having her carry a 15 lb dumbbell in one hand and a 17.5 pound dumbbell in another. Another trainer sat down on the floor while their client deadlifted with extreme lower back rounding- when the client complained their back was hurting the trainer replied “yeah that’s why I hate deadlifts”. The broader issue appears systemic. Trainers seem to act more as rep counters than as coaches. Effective training requires active observation, real-time feedback, and technical guidance, especially when clients are paying $100+ per session. It’s not simply about presence it’s about providing expertise, accountability, and coaching that helps clients move safely and progress effectively. I strongly encourage facility leadership to audit training practices and raise expectations for coaching quality. A high-end facility deserves trainers who embody professional standards in movement science, client engagement, and program execution.

Fantastic experience: Two thumbs up for Healthworks! It's a great place to break a sweat. Healthworks has a supportive community of staff and members. Healthworks celebrates its members and has fun themed weeks/classes, outdoor fitness and self-defense sessions. The gym itself is top-notch with a luxe locker room to boot. There's all the workout and recovery equipment anyone could ask for, as well as extras like team training, personal training, spa services, and more. Definitely worth it! 10/10

Fantastic experience: great space, loads of equipment. my trainer Kaitlin B is the best! highly recommend her!

Negative experience: I reached out about a promotion I received about a week ago and have not heard back, which was a little disappointing. Social media is such a great tool for connecting with their community, so it would be wonderful to see more engagement and timely responses there. If managing messages is a lot for the managing team, maybe the front-of-house staff could support that effort to help create a more responsive and welcoming online presence. Update Apr 16 2025: No one has responded via social media or email.

Negative experience: Really great gym but Back bay front desk staff is rude. Shocked by the poor customer service at this location when the staff at other locations are AMAZING. Please be kind!

Fantastic experience: It’s the best gym in Boston hands-down! Women-only gyms should exist everywhere. It is reasonably priced considering all the amenities and class options they offer. I’ve been going here for three years now and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. Very inclusive and non-judgmental environment. Highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: I loved this place

Fantastic experience: Classes are really fun, conveniently timed for those working a 9-5, and the amenities are super clean and nice! Staff is also very friendly. Located right off the green line (Copley) and Back Bay Station.

Fantastic experience: love the girlies gym

Fantastic experience: This gym and my trainer Kristen B. are one of the better choices I have ever made.

Negative experience: I just got off the phone with management about my deleted comment and that yet again confirmed it is REQUIRED TO PROVIDE PROOF OF PREGNANCY TO CANCEL MEMBERSHIP.

Positive experience: Healthworks is a good women’s only gym, has the potential to be great. Just lacking strong AC and quality classes. The stepper machines are not in locations for taller females, can hit your head on the ceiling if not properly leaning over. Have been coming here on and off for 3 years. Currently doing construction downstairs, very loud and less space. Hopefully the construction will be done soon and AC will be added! Overall if ok classes and low AC do not bother you, I would recommend Healthworks!

Fantastic experience: Great place to work out, best place if you’re looking for a spa like experience and up to date machines and classes

Positive experience: Joined a few months ago and really appreciate how clean and nice the gym is. However there are some issues with the classes. There is extreme variation between instructors with some of them being awesome and some seeming like they are either inexperienced or underprepared. There is also a lot of variability is how challenging the class is based on the instructor, especially with some barre classes being super hard and some being almost no work at all. Most of the classes with the good instructors fill up immediately also which is frustrating. I joined mainly because I like doing a variety of classes vs working out on my own, so not sure how long I’ll stick around if I keep being unable to get into certain classes or have to take a gamble on whether the class will be worth my time.

Fantastic experience: Love Healthworks! I go to Back Bay and it is so big! I never feel crowded. There are so many good group fitness classes. The steam room is where I end my day at least once a week, it is luxurious.

Fantastic experience: The ambiance, equipment and trainers are amazing. I love this place and I don’t typically like gyms. It’s a safe and clean space for women to exercise.

Fantastic experience: Honestly, this is the best gym ever!!! They have all the equipment you would want whether you are more into weightlifting with barbells or prefer cardio machines or group fitness classes. It's always so clean; I feel like it's spacious enough where you aren't waiting forever or even that long for a machine or equipment on a busy day. I started coming here because of the perk through work and coworkers of mine who were members who moved out of state said that one of the top 5 things they miss the most about Boston is this gym.... it's pretty great.

Positive experience: Healthworks has been my favorite gym for the past 4 years. The back bay location is clean, nice and very spa like. Would’ve been a 5 stars if it wasn’t for the parking

Fantastic experience: The BEST gym. So beautiful and clean. Love the little details such as hair straighteners and a clothes steamer. The hot tub and Theraguns are incredible. Overall an extremely positive, female- empowering vibe.

Fantastic experience: Really like the faculties and the variety of classes!

Fantastic experience: Great space to work out and beautiful amenties

Fantastic experience: Great facility - very clean, lots of amenities and not too crowded after 6pm.

Fantastic experience: Healthworks is a great fitness club!! It has everything!! Cardio machines, weight machines, classes - cardio, strength training, yoga, personal and group training, and more!!! After a workout, you can schedule a massage. The massage is not included in the monthly membership fee, but you can buy massage packages. This fitness club is in a great location! It's a 1-2 min walk from the Back Bay station on the MBTA Orange Line. Get a tour of the club and you'll want to join too!

Fantastic experience: I can’t say enough positive things about this gym. staff are extremely friendly, amenities are clean, they have all the equipment I could ever want, and plenty of it! 5 Olympic lifting platforms, a turf, multiple different rooms to exercise in. Plus their classes are fun, motivational, and always positive. Highly highly recommend this place!

Fantastic experience: Healthworks is the first gym I’ve ever looked forward to going to! The facilities are amazing and the classes are even better. I religiously did their cycling, body pump, and Pilates classes. The real highlight for me was the personal training I did with Kati once a week for about 6 months. I can not emphasize enough how amazing she was! My workout each week was progressive and tailored to me and my fitness goals. Kati was super knowledgeable and friendly. She always made sure my form was correct and emphasized the mind muscle connection. I saw noticeable differences in the way my body felt and looked after only a month with Kati. I looked forward to my workouts with her each week and was heartbroken when I moved to NYC and could no longer train with her.

Fantastic experience: By far my favorite gym that I have ever joined. The staff are really welcoming and helpful. The locker rooms and amenities (steam room, jacuzzi, and sauna) are top notch and unmatched for the price of membership. They have woodway treadmills and top notch training equipment - more than any other gym I've been to. I only left because I moved to another state - but I put in a request to Healthworks to open a location to my new city because I love it so much. I worked with Personal Trainer Kati and she helped me develop confidence in the gym and reach my fitness goals. By the time I left healthworks I had a solid gym routine that I felt much more comfortable using equipment safely. One of Kati's biggest strengths is her organizational skills - she sent my routine to me virtually with everything broken down by week. One last comment: a few reviews mention difficulty canceling membership. I did not experience any issues with them not allowing me to cancel and they have not charged my card since. Just call and have them walk you through the process and try to call one month out from the date you want to cancel to give them good notice and prevent any extra charges.

Fantastic experience: I love this gym so much - I tell everyone I know! It’s impressively clean, welcoming, fun, and has group classes that are the best quality I’ve found in Boston. I used ClassPass to try out just about every studio I could and ended up joining HW because they had the best classes BY FAR. I am excited to go to the gym every day, which has never been the case for me. Love it so much, could not recommend more

Fantastic experience: Excellent facility, very inviting. Very informative and friendly receptionist.

Fantastic experience: It offers a good amount group classes. The facility is nice, clean & a lot equipments to work with out with. Overall it is a nice all female health club.

Negative experience: Canceled my membership without notification And I had to leave in the middle of a snow storm because I couldn’t work out. Very inconsiderate and rude.

Fantastic experience: I think the photos don’t do the gym justice, it’s so clean and sleek inside. The locker room is huge with a spa pool, steam room and sauna. Although I wish the weight room had more regular weight machines, it’s perfect for free weight exercise/lifting and it also has a bunch of theraguns for use! Since it’s a women only gym, would be great for beginner female bodybuilders! Haven’t taken the classes cuz I booked an open gym session. So sad I’m only visiting, otherwise would love to join

Fantastic experience: Is a good place

Fantastic experience: Joined this gym one month ago. I have already taken a variety of their fitness classes including Body Pump, Athletic Conditioning, and Flow Yoga in addition to utilizing their equipment and exercise spaces. Their fitness instructors are fantastic. They are very encouraging and provide good critique to keep your form in check. I love this gym so much already. It's clean and well-kept. The locker room is spacious with lockers you can rent bi-weekly or ones you can use for free (I just use the free one), vanity stations (hair dryers, flat irons, lotion), changing rooms, etc. I joined the plan where I only use one location and pay bi-weekly. It is double the price I used to pay at Boston Sports Club, but it's worth it as I've noticed it's less crowded, much more well kept, and it's an all female inclusive gym.

Negative experience: EDIT 2 // CONTEXT: i believe he has since deleted his comment, but the manager had responded saying that research shows blah blah blah EDIT: mark, no amount of data and research gives you the right to coerce women into making decisions about their bodies. get over yourself. hmmm, an all womens gym that doesn’t respect the whole “my body, my choice” thing by continuing to require vaccination after the mandate has been lifted. we should all have a right to bodily autonomy. will not be going here in the future!

Fantastic experience: Very nice gym for women. Clean, visually appealing, and never crowded.

Fantastic experience: I appreciate the flat irons, lotion, hot tub, sauna and steam room as a working woman it is my only relaxation time. The cleanest gym I have ever been to and no worrying about the stares of men. In addition the lockers come with an installed code to set so you don't need to bring a lock.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely love this gym - it is clean, spacious and I am excited to come here when I am in the city.

Fantastic experience: Super clean, fair pricing and overall great environment for meeting fitness goals!

Fantastic experience: Healthworks has always been an exemplary fitness gym, with great facilities, equipment, classes, trainers and teachers. I love the women-only culture, and admire the way HWX rose to the challenge of staying in business through the pandemic's early dark days. I've belonged to many gyms and worked with many personal trainers; no other facility comes close, and Carrie Cole is a superb trainer. An exceptional place offering an exceptional experience.

Positive experience: Pretty expensive for a gym but I guess that's to be expected due to location. I've been going to this gym for about a year and definitely had some interesting hiccups along the way. I work in an office setting and typically go to the Back Bay location in Boston during my lunch hour. One day they announced that the water was being turned off in 5 minutes, as I'm dripping sweat in the middle of a workout. After racing to get in the shower, the water does turn off halfway through. The staff brought us bottles of water to finish getting soap out of our hair.... During COVID, Healthworks allowed members to freeze their accounts during the closures. Great, they didn't pull a BSC and continue to charge when their doors were closed. However, they opened back up and immediately began re-charging my account, $45 bi-weekly. I called and asked to re-freeze my account, they were accommodating and said they could freeze until September but after that I would need a doctor's note confirming I'm high risk (?). However, even after getting the confirmation email that my account was frozen, I started getting WEEKLY charges of $45 onto my account. Called again, "oops our error, let us try again and refund you these payments". 2 weeks later and still no refund. I left a voicemail yesterday at 9 am and nobody called me back. I've called again today and went straight to voicemail. Healthworks if you're reading this, it would be great if someone can call me back!!!

Positive experience: Nice to have a gym with all women. Staff is friendly. Facilities are clean.

Fantastic experience: Best gym in the area!!! Great value great staff

Fantastic experience: I love the group fitness classes! The personal trainers are so amazing here and a great resource to get back into my workout routine.

Fantastic experience: Very clean and friendly atmosphere. When I had health issues and had to cancel my membership the staff were accommodating and understanding. Also, great trainers with enthusiasm for clients.

Negative experience: The facilities are beautiful, the environment is clean, and group fitness classes are good. However, this Boston and you can find that in a dozen gyms across the city. One star because of staff and administration. I attempted to cancel my membership over the phone because my work schedule has changed and it’s been very difficult for me to make use of the gym. I was informed that I need to make a trip in, in person to cancel. I attempted to discus with staff how this was an inconvenience and they continued to insist that the only way I can cancel is in person. Completely unacceptable. Would not recommend - there are easier gyms to work with in this town and if you’re looking for a new gym then I suggest skipping over this one.

Fantastic experience: Great location. Variety of equipment. Good classes! Steam and sauna. Love coming here!

Negative experience: Not a bad gym, but not worth the price vs other, better options in Boston. The reason you would go is if you felt strongly you'd rather not share a gym with men. Their amenities and machines don't stack up to other gyms. The massages and spa are not great.  Loads of treadmills though. The reason I'm writing this review is for my experiences at the Kid's Club and their poor handling of it. I dropped my daughter off for the first time and they didn't tell me to sign in (you make a reservation in advance so I was unaware you needed to), they didn't tell me they didn't change diapers. One person told me in advance of coming I could bring my frozen bottle, but when I picked her up they told me they had no idea how to heat it- even though I had told them again I had it when I dropped her off. She wasn't fed and had needed to be. There is no locked door or key card to get in and a huge column that obstructs the caretaker's view of the door. I literally could walk in and pick up a child without them seeing me. Anyway at the end of our first time my daughter was a complete wreck. They didn't call me when she started crying even though I had asked them to. One of the caretakers then asked me, "Is this Charlotte??" They had no idea who she was. How then did they even know I was her mother, especially after a complete staff change since I had dropped her off? I tried the kid's club about 7 times and had probably 3 good (eg normal) experiences. Once they told me they called the number I gave them 3 times and didn't get me. They said I gave them the wrong number, but when I checked with them they had the correct one and had apparently misdialed it 3 times. I'm just not sure how you trust someone to take care of your child if you can't trust them to place a call correctly. I contacted the manager both after my first experience and after my last few, before I ended my membership. Both times I was offered kid's club credits. After months of not feeling comfortable using the gym (because I could only use it if I had the club to watch my daughter), the best she would offer was about a $30 credit. Interestingly, her records showed that in 10 months I had only used the kid's club 4 times even though I had used it double that. Not good! Did this mean again if something had happened they wouldn't have a record of whose child it was? After my first experience I had suggested ways to make the club more secure that are standard in most daycares- an access card only moms have, at the very least a log where you can write the child's outfit down so they know which kid is which. Realize some kids may only come one time- or once a month, etc so there's no way the caretakers know the child or parent well enough to spot. There are also complete shift changes midday where mistakes can be made in recognizing the person who dropped them off may not be the same as the person picking them up. I suggested at least putting a bell on the door. Once I came in to get my daughter while the caretaker was in the bathroom with a child. If I hadn't made noise, I can't imagine she would have known I was ever there. Anyway, use it at your own risk. The price of $7 per visit is fantastic but it's cheap for a reason- you get what you pay for and honestly from my experiences, I'm not sure you even get that.

Fantastic experience: Great gym for women and they offer really nice classes. They also have some really good deals for those considering to join.

Fantastic experience: Healthworks is such a peaceful place to visit. The decor, staff and amenities of this female-only gym scream serenity, a-la George Costanza. Come for the zumba, tabata, and other ending-in-a classes; stay for the steam room, showers and smoothie bar.

Fantastic experience: Joined the gym about a month ago and fell in love very classy and upscale, My favorite classes are body pump, straight up strength. Jen at the front desk is always greeting you with a nice smile an a little small talk. Say no to planet fitness, and yes to health works if you wish to accomplish your fitness goals.

Positive experience: I've been a healthworks member for years and am continuously impressed with their operation. Excellent club and the whole staff really cares about health & fitness and their members. Amazing classes too!

Fantastic experience: Healthworks is worth the price! I wouldn't go to the gym if I did not belong to this gym. Instead I come to this piece of paradise daily. I love the set-up of this Healthworks location in particular. I like that its not in a basement and love the set-up. The locker room is open, airy and very CLEAN You always are greeted by a friendly person with a nice big towel. I have found the front desk people very helpful as well. The free wifi and lounge area is great if you are waiting for a class or eating a meal on the go. Machines are always widely available. I do wish they had closed capitioning on the cross ramp machines but the ellipiticals and treadmills are more modernly equipped. This gym smells nice unlike some other sweaty gyms. Its always clean and makes working out a more pleasant experience. I love the all women aspect. It makes the classes fun and accessible. I like the selection of classes but wished they had more yoga classes that worked for 9--5 people. Although they have more yoga classes than some of the other locations. On to the best part of this Healthworks, the locker room. I love doing the steam after every work out and makes getting ready post work out a pleasure rather than a chore. Only downside, the whirlpool is constantly out of service and I found that same problem at other Healthworks too. The price is a killer and I almost dropped to four stars for this reason. However, I feel I get my moneys worth through classes I actually attend. They do have student membership options which is great. Their cheapest student rate is kind of limiting but the prime time one gives a decent discount as well. All in All, you will spend more here but isn't worth it if you actually go everyday and enjoy it? I say signing up for Healthworks is more like signing up for a spa experience with your workout. If you are looking for that type of workout refuge, sign up for this gym and say goodbye to smelly BSCs for good.