Life Time opened its newest athletic country club in Illinois in early 2025: Life Time Evanston.
“The city of Evanston features a diverse community,” says Rachel Vogeney, lead general at Life Time Evanston. “While it can feel like a bustling, urban college town — Northwestern University is located here — it also blends with the city of Chicago, sitting just 12 miles from downtown, and the suburbs. It is home to many working professionals and young families. The location is close to the waterfront of Lake Michigan, and we’re excited for the community to enjoy this healthy-way-of-life destination.”
Let’s explore the 60,000-square-foot Life Time Evanston space:
Discover your favorite studio class by trying a variety of different formats. There are five dedicated studios, including one each for cycle, barre, Pilates, and yoga, and one for the other unique-to-Life Time group fitness formats. The Pilates studio features 10 reformers.
On the expansive workout floor, exercisers can find free weights, state-of-the-art cardiovascular- and resistance-training machines, and designated stretching areas.
Members can engage in progressive training via four signature group training class formats: GTX, Alpha, Ultra Fit, and MB360. GTX is a 50/50 blend of cardio and strength work; Alpha is centered around Olympic weightlifting and metabolic conditioning; Ultra Fit combines sprint-interval training with balance and strength efforts; and MB360 is a mind-body program melding meditation and mobility work with functional strength and conditioning exercises.
The private, dedicated space for GTX and Ultra Fit classes houses 20 treadmills. “The GTX space is huge and unlike any GTX space the Chicago market has ever seen,” says Vogeney. “The Alpha space is also a weightlifter’s dream. There are seven dedicated Alpha squat racks and a separate section with three Alpha squat racks for use while class is in session.”
Members who want to ramp up their fitness efforts can enlist the support of a Dynamic Personal Trainer and get one-on-one guidance (at an additional cost). (Learn more: “Achieve Your Fitness Goals With Dynamic Personal Training.”)
For those looking to incorporate more stretching, recovery, or mobility work into their routines, a Dynamic Stretch session is worth scheduling: A stretch specialist will take them through a full-body assisted-stretch session (at an additional cost). (Read more: “What Is Dynamic Stretch?”)
There is an LT Recovery zone where members can use the hydromassage beds, cryotherapy beds, and Normatec devices.
Members can embrace relaxation and the benefits of heat therapy in the saunas located in the locker rooms. The locker rooms also feature fresh towels; showers with shampoo, conditioner, and body wash; daily complimentary lockers, and more.
Life Time Evanston is the second Life Time athletic country club in the country to offer MIORA Performance and Longevity, a scientifically advanced and science-backed healthy aging optimization platform that leverages Life Time’s 30 years of healthy-living expertise. (The first MIORA location opened at Life Time Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn., in late 2023).
“With the groundbreaking addition of MIORA, our ability to positively impact our members’ performance and longevity is limitless,” says Vogeney. “We can provide them with personalized data and tools to achieve their longevity, weight loss, or performance goals.”
MIORA is all about proactively addressing health concerns and supporting optimal long-term health. The team includes MDs, PAs, NPs, RNs, registered dietitians, and personal trainers who collaborate to create integrated, individualized programs that address what’s not working optimally and aim to get patients on a path toward optimal health.
Life Time Evanston has three dedicated indoor pickleball courts, where members can tap the expertise of pickleball pros during clinics and lessons. Members can also engage in leagues, tournaments, open play, court rentals, and private events.
Families can drop off their kids — ages three months to 11 years‚ at the Kids Academy, which features a movement studio, an art and language studio, a tot spot, and an infant room. Here, kids can learn, play, and grow with engaging and enriching age-specific programming and classes. Parents can use up to 2.5 hours of child care per day (included with a Junior Membership).
“Apart from our kids-specific classes that keep kids engaged while parents get well-deserved time for themselves, we are excited to also provide ample events and programming for the full family,” says Vogeney.
A LifeCafe smoothie and coffee bar connects to the main lobby and the Life Time Work Club Lounge space. “Grab some fuel and some caffeine, and use our Life Time Work area to collaborate or to get some heads-down time for studying or working,” suggests Vogeney.
“I am excited to get to know each of our new Life Time members,” she adds, “and to see how Life Time and the community we build can radically change the lives of our members, both inside and out.”
