Life Time’s origins in Chicago began in 2000 with the opening of Life Time Schaumburg, a 108,000-square-foot club that featured the fitness essentials of its time: weightlifting and cardio equipment.
Now, nearly 30 years later, Life Time has steadily grown with the community, both in its number of club locations and health and wellness offerings. By 2027, Life Time will bring its unique approach to healthy living to more people than ever before with 18 locations in the Chicagoland area, from the heart of downtown to the shores of Lake Michigan and throughout the western suburbs.
According to Sebastian Cender, area director of Chicago for Life Time, these athletic country clubs have become staples in the Chicago community. “It shows through the reputation we have as a destination that offers luxurious amenities, top team members, and high-level programming,” he says. “Life Time has become part of the community fabric for the market.”
As a Life Time team member for 25 years, Cender speaks from experience. “In 2001, at age 16, I got a part-time lifeguard job at Life Time Orland Park,” he says. “Life Time has been my first and only employer. In January 2020, I stepped into the area director position for the Chicago market. My parents are still Life Time members to this day. I met my wife at Life Time. I’ve personally witnessed the love and trust that our members have for the Life Time brand strengthen, as well as how the company has evolved to meet member needs.”
New Clubs, New Opportunities
This summer, Life Time will open Life Time North Shore in Northbrook, and in 2027, Life Time Naperville will follow. “We’ve held onto our reputation as a luxurious health club for nearly three decades, which has created a demand for more clubs in this area,” says Cender. “And we’re going to continue to meet that demand.”
One of the biggest boons for Life Time in Chicago is its loyal members. “With such an established market, we have members who are willing to drive 20 to 35 minutes to get to a club, but the opportunity is always knocking to bring clubs closer to our members,” Cender notes. “We have a lot of growing families in our community, and we want to make it more accessible for kids to grow up within Life Time spaces — just like I was able to.”
Life Time North Shore
Life Time is debuting a unique concept in Chicago: Life Time North Shore, a 115,000-square-foot suburban sport and racquet club with all the athletic country club amenities, set to soft open in June 2026.
Having a membership at Life Time North Shore also goes beyond a single location; you’ll also enjoy access to the nearby Life Time Northbrook (just four miles away) and four other additional locations across the North Chicago market: Life Time Old Orchard, Life Time Evanston, Life Time Vernon Hills, and Life Time Lake Zurich. (Learn more: “3 Ways to Be a Life Time Club Hopper.”)
The crown jewel of the North Shore club is its expansive pickleball offerings. With 28 total courts — the largest pickleball court offering across Life Time locations — Life Time North Shore is endeavoring to deliver a full spectrum of opportunities for all pickleball enthusiasts, from amateur players to professional athletes. “Whether you’re looking to get started in pickleball or if you’re looking for true competition, this is the place to be,” says Cender.
Life Time North Shore plans to host Intro to Pickleball courses nearly every day of the week to meet the anticipated demand, while also offering spaces for high-level competitive play. “This club will have stadium-style seating for some of its indoor pickleball courts, purposeful for spectating and livestreaming,” says Steven Pierce, senior lead general at Life Time North Shore.
Key features of Life Time North Shore include:
- A resort-style pool deck with a half-lap, half-leisure pool.
- A LifeCafe featuring a chef-curated menu that includes nutritious meals and protein shakes.
- A Life Time pro shop stocked with high-quality professional gear, including the LT Pro 48 pickleballs.
- A Life Time Work club lounge, an open-plan, community-style coworking space.
- A full hydrotherapy suite experience with a sauna, steam room, whirlpool, and cold plunge.
- An expansive workout floor with state-of-the-art equipment.
- Signature group training classes, including HYBRID XT, Ultra Fit, and MB360.
- Two designated studios for group fitness classes: one dedicated to barre and the other to CTR (Core Tone Reform), Life Time’s newest format that features a high-energy, low-impact athletic reformer workout.
- Recovery tools for use in the LT Recovery zone, and more.
(Learn more: “Step Inside: Life Time North Shore.”)
Life Time Naperville
Life Time Naperville, set to arrive early 2027, will be perfect for families with kids in the western suburbs.
“Naperville is a town with multiple high schools,” Cender says. “With that in mind, we’re going to be orienting our amenities and club spaces toward our junior members and families. We’re also prioritizing team member opportunities for teens and young adults, so they can be involved with Life Time, similar to the way I got my start with the company.”
This 102,000-square-foot club will have something for every age and healthy-living interest.
Key features of Life Time Naperville include:
- Four indoor and six outdoor pickleball courts, with open play, lessons, leagues, and tournaments for players of all levels.
- A sprawling Kids Academy space featuring a wide spectrum of healthy, enriching activities for kids.
- A Life Time Work club lounge.
- An expansive Beach Club on a resort-style pool deck, with features like water slides, cabanas, and an outdoor bistro.
- Indoor lap pool and lesson pool with six lanes each.
- Five designated studios for group fitness classes: one dedicated to barre and the other to CTR (Core Tone Reform), Life Time’s newest format that features a high-energy, low-impact athletic reformer workout.
Updates to Existing Clubs
In addition to the two new locations, Chicago’s seasoned Life Time locations are also stepping up their game.
“Because many of our clubs have been here for 20 to 25 years, a lot of our members have gone from ages 30 to 50 or 20 to 40,” says Cender. “That means they’re looking for amenities that can support their health and longevity in every phase of life.
“My parents are a great example,” he continues. “They joined Life Time as younger adult members, and now they’re part of the ARORA community. It’s our mission at Life Time to meet members where they’re at in their healthy-way-of-life journey.”
To do that, many of Chicago’s existing clubs are integrating the latest and greatest in health and wellness offerings. MIORA, a personalized, precision medicine clinic that uses advanced longevity approaches to help people live healthier, longer, is now located at Life Time Evanston. (Learn more: “What Is MIORA at Life Time?”)
Pickleball courts are now available at almost every Life Time in Chicago, except Life Time Northbrook. You can sign up for CTR at Life Time River North at One Chicago, Life Time Bloomingdale, Life Time Evanston, and Life Time Romeoville.
Life Time Work club lounges are being integrated into many of Chicago’s mature clubs, including Life Time Shaumburg, Life Time Warrenville, Life Time Burr Ridge, Life Time Old Orchard in Skokie, and Life Time Vernon Hills.
Life Time River North also has a standalone Life Time Work location for Life Time Work members who want flexibility in their workspaces while also having access to athletic country club amenities. (Learn more: “8 Surprising Benefits of Your Life Time Work Membership.”)
Here, you can check out more about all 18 Chicago Life Time locations.
Life Time clubs in the Chicago area, both existing and newly opened, will continue to innovate to meet member and community needs. “What has helped Life Time’s success in Chicago is that we’re not thinking on our own,” Cender says. “We get actual feedback from our members, find common themes, and then find ways to integrate that into our clubs. Our members have really positioned us for success in so many different ways.”
Note: As a Life Time member, you pay for access to a certain club, and you then automatically get access to other clubs with the same-priced dues and below, even across state and country lines. For pricing information for Chicago locations, refer to their location pages and join the waitlist for the new locations.
