Minneapolis/St. Paul Nesties
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Recommend Your Gym
I really need to get back to running and working out again... and soon! Since moving to the metro area I've primarily worked out outdoors without having a gym membership, however I am now considering one since it's starting to turn to winter.
Which gyms do you recommend? I want to weed some out before visiting them. Just don't want to have to sit through those gross sales pitches every time I am checking out a new gym. Looking for something with great cardio equipment and group classes (primarily yoga and cardio). And if you don't mind, please share your membership fee. I know they vary widely!
TIA! 
Edit: Oh, and I live in Plymouth...
Re: Recommend Your Gym
DH and I love our membership to LifeTime. I've been training there for the past several months and am there on almost a daily basis. There's always tons of different equipment, I've never had to wait to get on anything. I feel the resources are great. DH has had a wonderful experience with a personal trainer there; I hope to as well soon.
I like the atmosphere, the equipment is good, etc. etc.
There's TONS of group and team classes to choose from as well and the schedules really vary so there's ones super early and some that are later at night. So there's definitely room for classes to fit into most people's schedule.
It's open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. There is a child care center provided as well.
They do have a salon/spa, a cafe, indoor/outdoor pool (at our Maple Grove location), sauna, whirlpool, really nice locker rooms, massage therapists and a chiropractor.
With that being said, the member fees are higher than most other clubs. I believe my membership is $50/month, but with insurance, if I go 12 times (which I always do) it's $30/month.
I believe they have a location in Plymouth as well. And your membership allows you to go to most of the other Lifetime locations in the Twin Cities too.
:::Our Adoption Journey:::
Evan James was born 1/24/13 and matched with us 2/20/13. The LOVE OF MY LIFE!!!
I'll second Lifetime. It's probably in the upper tier of membership prices but you do get a LOT, especially if you take advantage of all the classes.
Not every location is open 24 hours. It looks like the Plymouth location is though.
Here is the Plymouth Lifetime club page: http://clubs.lifetimefitness.com/Plymouth/11252/
I go to LA Fitness - which probably isn't super convenient to where you live, but I believe they are looking at opening one out there soon. I really like the price ($24/month/person as we have 4 of us on a 'family' membership - but the family includes my BF, my best friend and her mom...lol.)
I never, ever have to wait for equipment and I am loving all of their classes. It's definitely not as nice (fancy, extra amenities) as Lifetime, but for the price you really can't go wrong (IMO.)
I go to Gold's. I don't know if there is one out your way or not. If you have the reimbursement through your health insurance, it ends up being 10 dollars a month.
They have a lot of classes (I've never done one though), and the daycare is included and they have a pool, sauna and hot tub. I can even take Kennedy swimming during open swim times.
I recommend picking a place close to home or work. I have learned that if it's too far away I won't go.
I go to LA Fitness - either Hopkins or SLP. They work for what I do - which is mostly lifting and using the treadmill occasionally. I have heard their classes are good especially spinning and the body pump style class, but I haven't taken them personally.The yoga classes are always packed, so that must be a good sign.
The monthly rate I pay is $37, but I get a $20 discount from my health insurance for going 12x a month (which is hard in the summer when I am doing more running btw!)
I didn't go for Lifetime because of the cost and even if money was no object, I would probably still go to LA because of their proximity to home.
Boy/girl twins born at 37w1d and 37w2d
Um... my living room?
When I was in law school and always stressed out, I belonged to Lifetime and really liked it; specifically, I went to the downtown St. Paul location most of the time (occasionally Bloomington). If I were to join a gym again, that's where I'd join. I've thought about looking into it again because my insurance gives a big discount on gym memberships.