LA Fitness Opens in Spring Branch

By Christina Autry

The nationwide workout hub, LA Fitness, has opened its doors to the Spring Branch District community as of December 2018. Situated at N. Gessner and Kempwood, the opening of this new club marks the 23rd LA Fitness to open in the Houston area. This $10 million facility is the result of an exciting transformation of a former Walmart building into a 43,000 square foot opportunity for Houstonians to fulfil their New Year’s resolutions.

Converting the structure from its prior retail function means that this location does not follow the cookie-cutter model used in the other 820 locations around the country. The novelty of this LA Fitness does not stop with its unique building; it embodies the gym’s shifting model from a “country club” style to offerings that follow current fitness trends of 2019. Space once allocated for activities such as racquetball, squash, or tennis are being replaced with classrooms for Orange Theory, Les Mills workouts, hot yoga, and high intensity interval training.

On a tour of the new Spring Branch facility, you may first notice the spacious, modern layout. Grabbing your attention upon walking in the door is the 3-lane, 25-meter, heated lap pool and jacuzzi. A brand-new building means brand-new workout equipment as well. To the right of the welcome desk is a massive area full of cardio machines such as treadmills and step machines. Personal TVs are mounted on the cardio equipment, as well as charging ports for phones and devices.

Members can take advantage of the full-court basketball gym, (also used for volleyball), plate-loaded machines, or free weights for personal workouts. Instructor led classes provide options for spin, cycling, aerobics, and more. Aerobics classes include yoga, pilates, step, abs, with materials provided for you. Fitness enthusiasts can utilize the medicine balls, foam rollers, and other equipment in the ab stretching area, or find equipment available for specific muscle groups such as cable crossovers.

Improvements have been made to the design of the facility, such as the installation of rubber vinyl flooring rather than the more difficult to clean carpet used elsewhere. The cleanliness of the facility is diligently maintained by the staff, who all pitch in at 2-hour intervals to picks up any trash and re-organize equipment and materials.

After a satisfying workout, the dry saunas in the locker rooms awaits guests who haven’t sweat enough for one day. Handicap-accessible restrooms, and locker rooms, and showers are readily available. For a less heat-intensive cooldown, the lounge area, with sweat-proof furniture, Wi-Fi, and a big screen TV is the best option.

Parents wanting to get a workout in will be relieved to find that the gym offers babysitting in their Kids Klub Center from the age of 3 months to 12 years old. The area for infants is separate from the space for older kids, and multiple babysitters are always present. Kids Klub requires parents to pass through two checkpoints (front desk and Kids Club entrance) and provide an emergency contact in order to drop of children. Kids Klub is available from 8:00 AM to noon, and then from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM on weekdays. On Saturdays, Kids Klub is open from 8:00 AM to noon, and on Sundays it is closed.

Signing up for the monthly, non-contract membership gives clientele access to all that this neighborhood gym has to offer. In addition to membership, LA Fitness offers 1:1 personal training packages, starting with a complementary fitness assessment, where you discuss your goals with a trainer, and tailor a workout plan to meet your needs.

As the Spring Branch District continues to attract valuable businesses to the area, LA Fitness has quickly become a resource for residents looking for a neighborhood gym, and enough motivation to make their New Year’s resolutions a reality. All indications are that it will “fit” right in.

LA Fitness
2740 Gessner Road
Houston, TX 77080
Phone: 346.561.0360
Visit their website