A mammoth gym, spa and coworking space in Arlington is approaching completion, expected to open mid-summer.
Life Time Clarendon—a 113,000-square-foot “athletic country club”—will be home to fitness classes, a cedarwood sauna, a eucalyptus steam room, a kid’s academy, a cafe and lounge, a salon and more. One of its most notable features, Life Time Work, is a spacious and multifaceted work space offering its members tech support, fresh coffee and snacks, a terrace and sponsored happy hours. A preview center for the four-story complex at The Crossing Clarendon opened Monday.
“This is an area we’ve been looking at for many years given the location, surrounding area and businesses, and the great demographic,” says Life Time spokesperson Natalie Bushaw.
The club is part of a larger trend of fitness complexes that go well beyond mere gyms. The St. James in Springfield (a Best of Arlington winner with spinoffs in Reston and Bethesda) offers an Olympic-size pool, golf simulators, a gymnastics center, a waterpark, virtual-reality gaming, a medspa and a restaurant helmed by a Top Chef alum. The 110,000-square-foot Worldgate Athletic Club & Spa in Herndon offers group fitness, tennis, private swim lessons, “wedding wellness” services, youth programming and a spa.
Perhaps the flashiest component of Life Time Clarendon’s highlight reel is its 28,000-square-foot co-working space, the first such location in the D.C. area. Life Time Work features both private and open-plan work areas, conference rooms, greenery and adjustable standing desks, and offers monthly social events as well as health and wellness panels. It joins several other co-working spaces in the region with on-site fitness, such as The Link in Old Town and Carr Workplaces in Clarendon. And as membership to Life Time Work includes club membership (which starts in the mid-$200s per month for individuals), patrons can take advantage of the full slate of Life Time Clarendon’s fitness and wellness services, from group fitness to spa visits.
“While many do enjoy the opportunity to work from home, we’re seeing more and more that not being at home all the time is highly desirable,” Bushaw says. “More community, a break from home and work, additional collaborations and relationships, and the ability to have a place for meetings that you’re proud to bring someone to—these are all pieces of feedback we hear from members.”
The club features an array of options for calorie-burning. Seven on-site studios offer fitness classes such as barre, spinning and yoga. Personal trainers are available to customize fitness routines for members on the “workout floor” of the complex. Personalized health assessments and recovery treatments are also offered.
Beyond work and fitness space, Life Time Clarendon will offer several other amenities to its clientele. The LifeSpa provides salon services and massage, while the LifeCafe serves a menu of health-conscious salads, sandwiches, smoothies and kid’s meals. Seniors can participate in classes and activities geared for older adults, such as low-impact water workouts, nutrition workshops and a weekly coffee club.
An on-site lounge soon may be pouring adult beverages, as we’re told the company has applied for a liquor license.
Need to occupy the kids while you workout, log into a Zoom meeting or relax? Bring them by the kid’s academy, featuring play spaces for the youngest of gymnasts as well as a kid’s gym and other activities for children up to age 11. Supervision is offered for up to 2.5 hours per day.
Life Time, founded in the early 1990s, operates more than 160 fitness clubs across the country, including six in Virginia. Nearly a dozen Life Time Work properties are open, with several more in the works.
The Life Time Clarendon preview center is located at 1440 N. Edgewood St., Suite 110 in Arlington. Its hours are 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Fridays, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.