Have you ever wondered what the difference is between the large, fancy and sometimes over priced fitness centers and the smaller less known ones? Well I set out to find out about the ones in the Minnetonka area; partially because I was curious and also because with Thanksgiving coming up I wanted to get a jump on working out, before I packed down all the delicious holiday food.

 First I checked out the Minnetonka lifetime fitness. As a former member of this gym I surprisingly knew very little about what it had to offer. They have strength training, group fitness classes led by trained instructors, Pilates and yoga classes as well as personal trainers. The only problem is I could never get them on the phone to ask questions about their programs or monthly fees; I waited to be helped for over an hour before finally giving up.

Then I checked out Snap Fitness in the area and found that they have 20 personal trainers on staff ready to help. Though they don’t have as much to offer as Lifetime Fitness they have much better customer service in my opinion. Any questions I had about Snap were answered in a quick 5minute phone call. Plus Snap Fitness works with your health insurance and if you come in at least 12 times a month they’ll take $20 of off your monthly bill, which is only $29.95 to begin with.

The Marsh, a fitness center in Minnetonka, had a lot to offer such as a spa, personal trainers, Pilates, and nutrition counseling. But for a student who doesn’t have any family members with a membership they charge $48 monthly as well as a $150 initiation fee and frankly that seems a bit steep. Finally I checked out The Williston Center. This was by far my favorite, the staff was incredibly nice and helpful plus a $29 monthly fee that covers their Pilates, yoga and spinning classes, as well as pool use, for students is a pretty good deal.

So maybe those big, fancy fitness centers aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, and just because you’re paying more it doesn’t always mean you’re getting more. As far as a friendlier environment and a better price I found that the less well-known places were a much better choice for my fitness needs.