Fitness Facility Insight Lifetime, Equinox, LAFitness, Xsport, Anytime Fitness, Blink Fitness

Lifetime, Equinox, LAFitness, Xsport, Anytime Fitness, Blink Fitness Fitness has been a crucial tool and coping resource in my life for many years. Recently, more specifically over the previous 5 years it has become an irreplaceable part of my existence. Detox, maintenance, stress relief, therapy, or sport attract customers to the fitness setting, but just like any other business, the facilities, the staff, various individual policies like hours of operation, and additional amenities keep the customer coming back or drives them away. When choosing a facility to make your “home gym” as I like to call it, it’s important to assess your needs and do your homework! Do you plan to use the facility for a quick workout before work each day or are you treating the health club as more of a relaxing wellness oasis? Will you be bringing family with to the club or coming alone? Where do you live, do you travel often, do you prefer big box locations accommodating the masses or a smaller more private setting? Previous to the pandemic I was a loyal veteran member of Xsport. The price point of $30-$50 a month for membership at any of there 38 clubs combined with the 24 hour 365 day a year accessibility made it my first choice for getting in a workout and/or detoxing my body. Xsport offers a wide variety of workout equipment and the majority of its locations were clean and the equipment well maintained. I did have some trouble with male maintenance staff entering the locker rooms on multiple occasions at multiple locations. The staff at xsport are 90% amazing, friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to help any way they can. Xsport also offers members access to its spa services including tanning, sauna, and fitness pods, for an additional cost. The spa is a no frill self service style setting and select locations even offer cryotherapy, pool, and hot tub! I enjoyed working out at xsport and have personally visited over 10 locations. Overall I would say Xsport is well worth the cost and is a great club offering all the essentials and then some. Anytime Fitness is a smaller, more private club. They have all the same equipment as the big box gyms and personal restrooms with showers as opposed to the traditional locker room style setting of open shower stalls. The cost is under $50 a month for membership and after the first 30 days you are granted access to any of the over 4700 locations worldwide! Like the big box fitness centers, Anytime offers group training, personal training, and fitness classes. The only draw back I noticed with Anytime was that there is only one of each machine, and because the showers are private I felt anxious and rushed to hurry and finish so that I wasn’t hogging the space if anyone else needed access to it. No one ever knocked or rushed me out, I just couldn’t stop thinking that I was monopolizing the shower space… lbs. Anytime is also open 24 hours a day 365 days a year and is a great option for late night training if your schedule permits, working out during off peak hours at Anytime pretty much provides you the opportunity to have the entire gym to yourself. I’m a big fan of Anytime Fitness especially when I need space from the rest of the world. It’s less crowded and very accessible. If you join with them expect a peaceful, well maintained, gym and an enjoyable experience. LA Fitness is pretty much the same as Xsport. They have all the same equipment minus the spa services. The price point is comparable to Xsport, but there are over 700 LA Fitness locations making it a very accessible and convenient option. Blink Fitness is an Equinox brand and has about 140 locations. LA Fitness, Blink, and Xsport are all comparable in price but Xsport is unique of the three in that it offers select spa services and has pool/hot tubs at most premium locations. Equinox is a pricier health club with over 300 locations in The US and Canada. The facilities are state of the art and new equipment is added to the gym as soon as it comes out. Equinox has paired with many of the top and most highly utilized athletic brands and services including but not limited to Soul Cycle, Pure Yoga, and Blink Fitness. They pride themselves on being a luxury brand but that label comes with a cost. Members must pay a $100 initiation fee plus $175-$195 each month for membership, which for most is a little pricey. Equinox was very clean and the vibe was very upscale. The air smells different at Equinox, they utilize aromatherapy in multiple capacities including by offering its customers chilled eucalyptus towels for enjoyment during or post workout. I never passed up the opportunity to relax and meditate with a eucalyptus towel in the spa style locker room following my workouts. Lifetime Fitness is comparable to Equinox but offers much more for less. The facilities are massive and multilevel hosting basketball courts, a fitness floor, a full service spa and salon, a lounge, and a restaurant. The cost for membership ranges between about $90-$160 each month depending on location, but is well worth the cost. When I entered the facilities I was immediately greeted by very professional and friendly staff. Unlike many other fitness centers, no one tried to upsell me on anything and I felt extremely welcomed and comfortable. If you work remotely, or have a lot of time to spend in the health club Lifetime is the place for you! I could easily spend an hour working out, an hour in the spa, grab a quick lunch, and get in an hour or two of work in the lounge area. Of all of the gyms I’ve toured or worked out in Lifetime has the best locker room setting! There is a co-ed pool and hot tub, additionally each locker room has its own hot tub, eucalyptus aromatherapy steam room, and a dry sauna. Also, like Equinox, the locks are built into each locker so you don’t have to worry about bringing your own. Lastly if you’ve forgotten your toiletries you have nothing to fear because Lifetime stocks each of its showers and sinks with all of the essentials including shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, mouthwash, makeup remover wipes, and cotton balls/QTips. Whatever you need can be found at Lifetime Fitness. Fitness is an integral part of my life and a crucial tool for maintaining balance and relieving stress. I am very grateful for the opportunity to experience each of the aforementioned facilities and eager to continue to explore the fitness community for new, unique, and exciting developments. If you or someone you know owns a private gym or training facility I would love to check it out! Look forward to a future post focusing on the benefits of smaller privately owned gyms and competitor facilities!