The Route 9 Gym Wars in Chestnut Hill: Sports Club/LA vs. Equinox vs. Healthworks

It’s official. We’re dubbing Chestnut Hill the Spandex District, now that it has not one but three health clubs packed into a single half-mile stretch of Boylston. These shiny, sprawling gyms all offer covered parking, childcare, and eucalyptus-infused steam rooms, but that’s where the similarities end.
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Sports Club/LA’s spin room. (Photograph by Chelsea Kyle)

SPORTS CLUB/LA

Price: Starting at $130 per month.
Size: 33,000 square feet.
Freshness: One year old.
Classes per Week: 90.
Locker-Room Luxuries: Malin + Goetz products, lavender-scented towels, and rain showers.
Heated Yoga? The room is warmish but not advertised as such.
Crowd: Singles who dress up to work out, power brokers in custom suits, and gymgoers impressed with high-tech toys.
Wow Factor: Wanna bike through Italy or watch the latest Katy Perry video? Done. A floor-to-ceiling screen in the spin studio shows music videos and travel clips while you pedal.

55 Boylston St., 617-975-2020, chestnuthill.sportsclubla.com.

EQUINOX

Price: $155 per month.
Size: 37,000 square feet.
Freshness: Brand-new.
Classes per Week: 85.
Locker-Room Luxuries: Kiehl’s products, eco-friendly towels (made from unbleached, natural cotton), and a full spa with 24-karat-gold facials on the menu.
Heated Yoga? Yes—a rare find at local big-box gyms.
Crowd: Toned moms and other already-fit types who like their juice green and food clean.
Wow Factor: There’s an indoor lap pool, and the barre studio is the first in the state to offer the high-energy Figure 4 program.

200 Boylston St., 617-531-7077, equinox.com/clubs/chestnuthill.

HEALTHWORKS

Price: Starting at $79 per month.
Size: 33,000 square feet.
Freshness: Recently renovated.
Classes per Week: 110.
Locker-Room Luxuries: Body Eclipse products, an on-site acupuncturist, and a whirlpool.
Heated Yoga? Nope, just regular yoga.
Crowd: Ladies of all ages…and a few male trainers. The vibe is more girl power than Real Housewives.
Wow Factor: A $500,000 facelift in August 2012 brought a juice bar, a WiFi-equipped lounge, and updated equipment like a boxing studio and curved treadmills to the 10-year-old women’s-only gym.

1300 Boylston St., 617-383-6100, healthworksfitness.com/clubs/chestnut-hill.

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