Comparing Popular Lifetime Locations

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Sierre Lumpkin

The Lifetime Fitness building in Edina is a popular spot for BSM students to workout and do homework.

Many Benilde-St. Margaret’s students are familiar with the popular health club called Lifetime Fitness. It’s common for students to go there after school to work out with friends or play basketball. Lifetime has gyms located all over the country and many locations in Minnesota. Students have shared insight on some of the different locations.

Minnetonka Lifetime:
This is one of the smaller clubs, known to be less busy. The crowd here is mainly adults instead of a lot of teenagers. There is a small indoor/outdoor cafe near the entryway, where you can often find people working or doing homework. There is a large spa downstairs by the locker rooms where guests can get massages, get their hair done, and more. There is also spa music playing to make it more peaceful and relaxing. There’s also a fairly sized workout area with plenty of machines and space for workout classes. One thing this location doesn’t have is basketball courts, a popular thing at other locations. “I feel like the [Tonka] one is less busy because it’s a lot smaller. So there’s not like room for a lot of people to be there. It’s smaller and I like how when you do classes [they’re] smaller too,” senior Mallory Mathwig said.

St. Louis Park Lifetime:
This is a common location for many Benilde students because it’s so close to school. With the gym only about two minutes from school, it makes going for an after-school workout more attainable. This gym is fairly large, offering two basketball courts, a swimming pool, a large workout area, a cafe, a spa, and more. More teenagers belong to this gym compared to the Minnetonka location, so it’s common to run into someone familiar. This gym has been around for years, so it’s not as modern as other locations. “I don’t think it’s better than all the other ones [Lifetime locations], but I like it. It’s convenient for me because it’s super close to Benilde and all my friends go there,” senior Roan Ritzer said.

Edina Lifetime:
This club opened in December 2019, and it is the largest location in Minnesota. Everything on the inside is very modern and clean and the staff are very welcoming. This location offers a cafe, two basketball courts, a spa, a sushi restaurant, a rooftop and indoor pool, and more. The workout area is large, and there are a number of different workout classes guests can sign up for like cycling or barre class. The men’s locker room has a hot tub, cold tub, and sauna on the inside. The women’s locker room has a hot tub, sauna, and steam room on the inside. It’s really busy and crowded during the day, especially in the afternoon, but it dies down in the evening. Another special addition to this gym is their sports facility called Lifetime Sport next door. This building has an indoor soccer field, pickleball courts, and another workout area for guests to use. Edina Lifetime is popular for people of all ages, so you might run into a friend or acquaintance. The rooftop pool also gains a lot of attraction in the summertime because of the poolside service and bar. Guests can enjoy a nice drink or meal laying by the pool or under one of the cabanas. “I like the luxurious feel of it. And it feels like a second home because you can work out there, you can do homework, [and] do a lot of things outside of being in your actual house. I think it’s definitely a time escape. If something’s on your mind you can go there and be there for hours,” senior Carsen Brandt said.