Where to Sweat in Oakdale

There are few things more pleasant than a walk, run, hike or bike ride on a perfect Minnesota day. However, even during the six or so months of the year when there’s not snow on the ground, those perfect days are few and far between. Fortunately, Oakdale is home to a variety of  climate-controlled, bug-free places to work out (a.k.a. gyms). In case you're trying to decide which gym in Oakdale might be best for you, here's the rundown:

LA Fitness is Oakdale’s full-service club, offering a wealth of choices for virtually any fitness regimen. A health assessment/orientation session comes with new memberships; additional personal training is also available. Do you like to exercise in a group? LA Fitness offers classes such as Zumba, Boot Camp, spinning and water aerobics, just name a few (there are about 75 in all, at many different times). Racquetball courts are available, as well as a basketball court that can also be set up for volleyball. Be sure to inquire about leagues, or join in a pick-up game. You can take a swim in the heated lap pool, which is only 4 feet deep to allow walking or jogging for a low-impact water workout. There is plenty to offer the independent exerciser as well: a wide variety of weight machines and free weights, treadmills, elliptical and stair climbing machines. Nobody available to watch your young kids? No problem—LA Fitness offers Kids Klub childcare while you work out; see the website for available times. When you are done with your workout, you can enjoy a sweat session in the sauna, relax in the whirlpool or use the showers in their clean, spacious locker room.

Tenacity Fitness and Endurance, located in Oakdale Marketplace near 10th Street and Helmo Avenue, is a new addition to Oakdale’s workout scene. Owner Chris Hesse-Withbroe and her staff of trainers offer personal training and a challenging variety of classes, including kettlebells and C2 Fusion—which includes kettlebells, TRX suspension trainers, plyometric boxes, heavy boxing bags and sledge hammers.  New fall class offerings include spinning, a variation of kick boxing, and an intense core program that focuses on whittling abs and butts. Additional studio classes include yoga/Pilates fusion, Pilates Reformers, TRX Fight Skool (which uses the TRX for core work and mixed martial arts), as well as Yamuna Ball Rolling, which is a unique program to improve flexibility, alleviate pain, promote circulation and improve athletic performance. Tenacity also offers outdoor exercise classes and coaching which include track workouts and run coaching for the beginning or advanced runner, and outdoor boot camp classes to prepare weekend warriors for their adventure races (or just to get in great shape). Hesse-Withbroe draws from her background as a nurse-midwife to offer Bellies and Babies, an exercise class for pregnant moms, and from her own life to offer adapted fitness classes for kids with special needs. Tenacity Fitness is a small, personalized studio designed to make people of all fitness levels feel welcome as they develop a comprehensive fitness program to meet your needs. And everyone WILL know your name.

Anytime Fitness, which recently relocated to a larger location in Bergen Plaza, is a 24-hour club with some full-service club amenities. They are home to the “Look Good Naked” Boot Camp, as shown on the signs that were . Not merely an exercise program, their intensive Boot Camp also offers personalized training and coaching, as well as dietary counseling. Anytime Fitness also has personal trainers available, with a neat twist: a small group (up to four members) are able to “share” a trainer using their buddy training system. Members also have access to their unique Fitness on Request system. Whenever the exercise studio isn’t in use for a class, members can pull up a video fitness workout, and follow along on a large screen; there is a wide variety to choose from. Manager Jon Elizondo notes that this system is very popular with members, many of whom meet in groups regularly for workouts. Additionally, members have access to their AnytimeHealth online system, which offers downloadable workouts, diet tracking and more. A small shower room is available as well.

Snap Fitness, a 24-hour club on the corner of Stillwater Boulevard and Century Avenue, can get you in and out and on your way in no time. This no-frills club, with treadmills, ellipticals, free weights and weight machines, is perfect for a quick, simple workout. Owner Stewart Almaer, with 30 years of health and wellness experience, also offers personal training. With a video security system and an emergency call feature, Snap Fitness is a clean, safe and efficient place to work out. Stewart also notes that many of his club’s members have come to know each other and exercise together.