VU Aquatic & Fitness Centre

VU Aquatic & Fitness Centre is a university-run gym and aquatic facility at Footscray Park Campus in Melbourne’s west. Its facilities include a 25-metre heated indoor swimming pool, sauna, gym, multi-purpose courts, studios and group exercise spaces. The centre offers memberships, casual passes and multi-passes, with options for the wider community as well as VU students and staff. Membership packages vary in access, from pool and sauna use through to fitness centres, classes, the Technogym app and Team Training.

The group exercise program covers a broad range of interests and fitness levels. Classes include Pilates, yoga, Spin, BoxFit, Dance Fusion and Total Body Workout, with sessions held in the group exercise or spin studios. Team Training is available to Focus and thrive members in small groups of up to eight, with sessions led by a personal trainer and different daily focuses such as lower-body strength, upper-body strength and cardio or core work. Personal training is also available, with trainers developing programs around individual needs.

Swimming is a significant part of the centre’s offering. The heated pool is available year-round, and casual passes can be used for pool and sauna access. The centre also runs a Swim School with qualified, experienced teachers and small classes for all ages. Swim School is separate from fitness centre memberships. Groups can hire pool lanes, the whole pool outside regular hours, courts, the dance studio, aerobics room or spinning studio for training and competitions, subject to the centre’s conditions and lifeguard requirements.

The centre suits solo members looking for structured gym or fitness access, people who prefer instructor-led classes, and VU students or staff seeking dedicated membership programs. Families can use the aquatic facilities within the centre’s age and supervision requirements, while clubs and sporting groups can enquire about facility hire. The gym is for people aged 16 and over. Footscray Park Aquatic and Fitness Centre is open Monday to Thursday from 6am to 9pm, Friday from 6am to 8pm, Saturday from 8am to 3pm and Sunday from 9am to 3pm; the pool closes 15 minutes before the centre.