Life Time Fitness

Compared to other gyms in the area, this place has the best customer service, doesn't push you, doesn't make you feel bad, doesn't give you bad compliments on your body . . . they are decent, non-scamming people. And you get a gift card that goes a long way for services in the club!

There are two ways to come into the gym: You can park outside and enter through the front doors or you can park in the East garage, I think, and follow the signs and park at 2C or 1C on the second level and enter through the double doors that lead to a window that has a wonderful view of the pool.

You always have to show your card here. However, the people that work in the morning can be really tired or something. So sometimes you can walk in without showing your ID. This one guy yelled at a sleeping worker before. You'll get little Easter eggs like that if you go a lot.

After you are checked in, you can check out the Life Cafe to the right of the desk. A general meal takes about 9 minutes to get together. Prices are reasonable. Anything that is fitness-food related, you can get. The people are nice and they come and ask you how your food is. You can also get it to go, but I recommend eating there. Pick up a menu your first time there.

If eating out isn't appealing, start going to the locker rooms! You have many choices if you plan to be in a state of undress or have urinary urges:
A) Men's room:
1) Go through the family room at the left of the desk; go out a door; the men's room is on the right.
2) Go past the desk, to the right, go down the office corridor, turn left and the men's room will be on the left, next to the equipment desk.
B) Family changing: Door left of the desk that isn't the salon.
C) Women's room:
1) Same as men's #1, except opposite gender.
2) Same as men's #2, except opposite gender; farther away.

And if you just need to put stuff away, there are lockers past the men/women's locker room when you exit it the opposite of the pool area. Nice for when someone of the opposite gender needs to be in there.

Sometimes the towels are heated. That's nice! There is hot water, constant custodial supervision, steam room, shampoo/body wash in the showers, maximum coverage for shower privacy, free deodorant, mouthwash, self-foaming soap, a handicapped bathroom, free reg/super tampons, free stacks of coupons, sometimes magazines, a big flat screen television (not THE greatest) in a lounge area, and long benches that take up entire locker corridors. The lockers require your card. There are instructions. Just pull the locker open and read the door :)

The basketball and massage therapies are superb. The babysitting is wonderful. They make sure you know when they are closing. The salon is wonderful. But don't go if you're poor. You'll feel bad.

The gym can lend itself to self-consciousness. But don't; you'll miss out on great opportunities! There are sometimes people in red vests that you can ask on how to operate equipment. You can ask any person in black LifeTime garb. You can inquire on services they can offer you. When you join, you get a free fitness assessment. There are wipes to clean off equipment on various pillars. There are extra treadmills in the weight area. They just got new machines.

There are windows that lead to the wonderful Easton view. Here you can stretch.

Look at the tables for offers and information. And look at the ads by the drinking fountain by the stairs to the gym--they are interesting!

The pool has specific hours. Learn them if you're a parent. Read the rules. Don't read books in the hot tub. And good luck getting a personal lane! Kickboards and stuff are to the right of the pool by a pillar. Don't swim by the slide water in the rec pool! And during rest periods in the rec pool, if you are over 12, you can stay in the water; no worries!

I've never attended a swim class, but I've overheard them. They are awesome; the teachers rock and are tons of fun and you learn. And you make friends. Permanent friends? I have no idea. Some people take two towels during the winter. If you need an extra towel, there may be some opposite the water slide, between the two pools.

When you leave, the staff will probably wish you a good day. That's awesome!

This is pretty much the best club a middle-class person could ask for!

Lifetime fitness has decent equipment and a nice atmosphere. However, the staff won't go out of their way to make you feel welcome, as you might expect from a club in this price range. Despite posting schedules for different areas, don't be surprised if you're unapologetically asked to leave the gym because of an unscheduled event, or if you find the pool closed for no apparent reason. I'm sure there are more affordable fitness centers in the Columbus area that place more of an emphasis on customer service.

If my contract was up at my existing gym, I would definitely join Lifetime Fitness. As an avid athlete and bodybuilder, I try out varying gyms whenever I have the chance. Lifetime Fitness is very clean and modern, and has a variety of equipement and facilities to choose from. They're open 24 hours to fit anyones schedule. And their prices are very comparable to others.

We've been members at Lifetime for 6 months now and we really like it. The best benefit that they have for us is their "free" childcare. Not only is the childcare included with the cost of the membership, but there's so much in the childcare for the kids to do that the kids LOVE it. Also, unlike other fitness centers, the childcare is open from 8 am to 9 pm 6 days a week and 8 am to 5 pm on Sundays, so if you're an afternoon worker-outer, the childcare is actually open then.

They are fairly expensive compared to the other fitness centers but if you've got a couple kids, and elsewhere you'd have to pay extra for the childcare, it evens itself out. THey also have a hair salon, massages, cafe, raquetball courts, climbing wall (pay extra), fitness classes, cardio area, weightlifting and you can use the childcare to go to any of those places.

Their facilities are really great, in fact, they are just doing a renovation and our response was "why??". Their trainers are helpful even if you're not a client of theirs. They also have a deal with the Gahanna swim club that Lifetime fitness members can go there with their Lifetime membership.

PROS: See the review!
CONS: Pool is extra-chlorinated, parking is at a premium