Sturgeon Valley Athletic Club

This is review is for the PlayCare/​Birthday Party option.
Wow! The PlayCare area here is freaking awesome! From a rock climbing wall to zip line to slides that were fast enough yet safe enough to keep both my 3 & 6 year old happy, this place has it all! There is a crafting room as well as pretend area (think kid kitchens, etc.) and a toddler area. The variety of play options here was incredibly diverse and the best I’ve ever seen in a gym.
Washrooms located right inside the play area and the coffee/​snack area has a viewing area to watch the kiddos if you like.
While I don’t plan on joining the gym here anytime soon (more than double the fee of GoodLife and the like) I can definitely see the appeal.
The entire area was completely pristine from top to bottom and the staff were friendly and the kids felt immediately comfortable with them.
Two Thumbs Up for the PlayCare (also does birthday parties) at Sturgeon Valley Athletic Club!

I recently moved to the area from California and wanted to join a local gym because I’m a runner and it’s obviously too cold for a recent transplant to run outside. I was debating between Sturgeon and Servus (because of their indoor track) for a membership. Took tours at both places and Sturgeon gave me a trial for 2 weeks where I wasn’t offered one at Servus.
My husband was a SVAC member back in time and highly recommended Sturgeon because of the amenities and his past experiences with the club. I signed up for one month and boy was he right! I’ve gone 11 out of 16 times since I’ve signed up. Here are my accolades for this facility:
Variety: Even though this club doesn’t have an indoor track they sure make up for it with their diverse selection of equipment, machines and classes. In the past I was a runner/​free weights/​weight machine/​balance ball person, but I feel comfortable enough to try workouts that I usually wouldn’t have touched (mostly to surprise my muscles with new workouts). Here are a few examples: row machine, various balance boards, kettle bells, TRX and then a TRX class and insanity class. Let’s say my muscles have limited time to recover because of all the things SVAC has to offer.
Atmosphere: First off, the staff here is great. The evening receptionists and duty supervisors are really helpful and friendly. Evelyn asked me post workout how my workout went and I told her I’ve been experimenting with TRX for the first time. She recommended a new TRX class they added for March and recommended I go to it for more guidance. Very thoughtful!
Lisa (TRX) and Keri (Insanity) were very energetic and passionate instructors. They keep the energy up and are very thorough with explaining the exercises. If you haven’t tried it, signup, they’re great but be prepared to work!
Cleanliness: In regards to the last review, this place is pristine. Maybe it’s because I go in the evening closer to closing time but I’ve seen the staff clean the windows on a Friday night, replace the rags to wipe down machines, constantly doing laundry, mop the studio floors, replace the hot thermals of coffee/​water for the next day and wipe down machines when they weren’t in use. Plus I see the staff routinely walk through the female locker room to make sure everything is in order.
Extra Amenities: I’ve been to various clubs in California that have great amenities but I have to say this is by far THE best one with all the bells and whistles. There’s a large lounge to relax pre/​post workout with many chairs and tables including free coffee/​tea. They offer bfast in the morning (never tried it but that’s always nice). They have 2 different towels for members to use: on the gym floor and another for shower use. Many many magazines. If you’re on a cardio machine, a staff member walks around and offers a rolled cold washcloth for your convenience. Pamphlets of each trainer with their photo, credentials and overall experience.
Women’s Lounge: There are various parts throughout the locker room where you can perch and fix your hair/​makeup. They include glasses cleaner, Qtips, mouthwash, lotion, hairdryers and curlers. A 4 person max sauna to detox in! A lounge area to watch TV, haha, there are 4 chairs and my favorite part… an electric massage chair! Full body massage = 7 mins.
I have one suggestion to management. There are more combo code lockers than bring your own lock lockers in the women’s lounge. Please consider replacing some of them for people like me that can only remember one set of numbers.
Other available amenities I didn’t mention because I haven’t tried or they were additional $$.
–pod machine
–Pilates reformer (will try the demo soon!)
–Connected to True Balance Spa … great prices for massages!
–Kid’s Play Area (don’t have kids)
Overall, I like to wind down and relax after an intense workout session so for me it’s worth the extra dollars for all the SVAC goodies.

My boyfriend and I decided to try the 30 day trial membership here after going to Servus Place for over a year. Staff is friendly and I really like the locker rooms, but this isn’t the gym for you if you basically only lift weights and do minimal cardio. It’s definitely a gym for people who spend an hour on the treadmill or bike and nothing else.
The weight area is super cramped, barely enough room to walk around. If there are 3 people in the area it’s way too crowded. I also noticed that a LOT of people aren’t wiping their equipment down after use which is irritating.
After some debate we decided to go back to Servus Place as we feel the facilities are cleaner, brighter, newer, air conditioned and there’s always music playing!

I had been going to this gym for years and year. around 8 in total. But the prices kept going up and up; and the classes slowly stopped being free. The cost was ridiculous in the end, way to much for a student. So I switched over to servus. pay way less a month, and get so many more services, Plus with Servus you get access to the pool there and Fountain Park Pool, I get so much more now and pay way less a month. and the «free» muffins, toast, and apples just don’t make up for the large price; it just doesn’t do it for me. And I know they offer RUSK shampoo and conditioner products, but there sooo watered down you end up having to bring your own… like I’m fairly certain they add water to the conditioner, its so odd! SVAC needs to realize that they are a small player in the market now and adjust the prices accordingly!