SEO title: Life Time Opens West Cary Athletic Country Club in 2026
Life Time has kicked off its first New Facility of 2026 with the opening of Life Time Alston Town Center, a 92,000-square-foot destination built for Healthy Living in one of the Triangle’s fastest-growing corridors. Set at the intersection of West Cary and Morrisville, the new club expands the brand’s footprint in Raleigh-Cary, reflecting sustained Demand for premium Fitness and whole-person Wellness.
To make the shift tangible, imagine “Maya,” a busy professional commuting through the Triangle who wants training, recovery, and a social outlet in one place. Instead of piecing together a gym, a spa, a clinic, and a coworking spot, she’s looking for a single hub that supports consistency—because consistency is where health results actually happen.
Life Time strengthens Raleigh-Cary with a fourth Athletic Country Club
With this opening, Life Time now operates its second location in Cary, its fourth across the greater Raleigh-Cary region, and its fifth in North Carolina overall. The site choice is strategic: West Cary’s growth, workforce density, and commuter flows make it a natural fit for an Athletic Country Club model built around community and longevity-focused habits.
That strategy also mirrors a larger reality: the global wellness economy reached $6.8 trillion in 2025 (Global Wellness Institute). When the “wellness” category becomes an economic force, the practical question shifts from “Is it a trend?” to “How do people actually build routines that stick?”—and facilities like this are designed to remove friction.
Next comes the most concrete part: what’s inside, and how each feature supports daily behavior change rather than one-off motivation.
Why West Cary is a high-demand corridor for Healthy Living
West Cary sits near major employment hubs and the broader Triangle innovation ecosystem, which tends to correlate with high participation in structured Fitness and preventive health services. In practice, that means more people looking for coached programming, measurable progress, and recovery tools that help them train again tomorrow instead of taking unplanned breaks.
For someone like Maya, a club positioned on a commute route changes the calculus. If the healthiest choice is also the most convenient choice, adherence rises—an unglamorous truth that drives real outcomes.
Inside Life Time Alston Town Center: fitness, recovery, and community under one roof
Life Time Alston Town Center was designed as an all-in-one environment where training, regeneration, nutrition, and social connection reinforce each other. The goal is less about “trying harder” and more about creating a weekly rhythm that is realistic for different life stages.
That’s the real promise of an Athletic Country Club concept: it can feel like a resort, but it functions like an infrastructure for habits. The details below show how.
Amenities designed to convert Demand into consistent routines
The club blends high-capacity training spaces with recovery services and social sport—an intentional mix that helps people keep showing up. When a facility offers both intensity and restoration, members are less likely to “burn out” after a few ambitious weeks.
- Expansive workout floor with hundreds of strength and cardio options, free weights, functional zones, and access to highly certified trainers
- Boutique studios for barre, cycle, Pilates, yoga, strength, and circuit formats, including CTR, an athletic-based reformer class
- Integrated recovery featuring LifeClinic chiropractic care, stretching, water massage, cold-therapy chairs, compression tech, percussion tools, metabolic testing, and nutrition coaching
- Nine pickleball courts (three indoor climate-controlled, six outdoor) supporting open play, leagues, clinics, and social events
- Resort-style outdoor pools with leisure and lap options, waterslides, cabanas, lounge seating, plus an outdoor bar and dining area
- Luxury dressing rooms with wet suites: sauna, steam, warm spa, and cold plunge; plus family changing rooms
- LifeSpa with five treatment rooms for massage, skin care, and rejuvenation services
- LifeCafe for made-to-order smoothies, meals, drinks, and a full-service bar
- Kids Academy (3 months to 12 years) with daily movement, sports, arts, STEM, and enrichment programming
- Complimentary work lounge for flexible work before or after training
One practical example: pickleball leagues often become the “social glue” that keeps attendance high, even when motivation dips. Pair that with structured recovery tools, and the body can tolerate more consistent training—an underappreciated edge for long-term Wellness.
Key numbers: what this New Facility adds to the Triangle in 2026
Numbers help clarify scale, especially when comparing a standard gym to a full Athletic Country Club. The table below summarizes the facility’s footprint, regional positioning, and access details that matter for planning.
| Category | Detail | Why it matters for Healthy Living |
|---|---|---|
| Facility size | 92,000 square feet | More space enables training, recovery, and community without bottlenecks at peak times. |
| Regional count | 2nd in Cary, 4th in Raleigh-Cary, 5th in North Carolina | A larger network supports consistent habits across commutes and life changes. |
| Pickleball courts | 9 total (3 indoor, 6 outdoor) | Social sport improves adherence and adds low-barrier cardio for many ages. |
| Address | 1120 Healthy Way, Cary, NC | Clear location helps commuters integrate workouts into daily routes. |
| Hours | Mon–Fri 4 a.m.–Midnight; Sat–Sun 5 a.m.–10 p.m. | Long hours reduce the “no time” barrier, especially for early and late schedules. |
Zooming out, Life Time’s broader ecosystem includes 190 athletic country clubs across the U.S. and Canada, plus a complimentary app with an AI-powered health companion. That blend of physical space and digital guidance is increasingly relevant as people seek both coaching and accountability between visits.
What Life Time’s next Raleigh project signals about wellness real estate
Life Time is also developing a future all-in-one destination at The Exchange Raleigh, planned to include an athletic country club, a rooftop beach club, and Life Time Living with 250 luxury leased residences. Groundbreaking is planned for 2026, reinforcing how wellness is increasingly designed into where people live, not just where they work out.
This is part of a broader cultural shift that’s been building for years: gyms once competed on equipment; now they compete on lifestyle architecture. When recovery, nutrition, movement, and community are built into the same routine, the “default setting” becomes healthier.
Where is Life Time Alston Town Center located in West Cary?
The club is located at 1120 Healthy Way in Cary, North Carolina, positioned at the intersection of West Cary and Morrisville to serve local residents and commuters.
What makes this Life Time opening a notable New Facility for 2026?
It is Life Time’s first newly opened athletic country club of 2026, expanding the Raleigh-Cary footprint with a 92,000-square-foot destination designed around Fitness, recovery, and whole-person Wellness.
Which amenities stand out most for Healthy Living beyond the gym floor?
Highlights include integrated recovery services (chiropractic care, cold therapy, compression, metabolic testing, nutrition coaching), resort-style pools, a full LifeSpa, and a Kids Academy—features that support long-term routines rather than occasional workouts.
How many pickleball courts are available, and are any indoors?
There are nine courts in total: three climate-controlled indoor courts and six outdoor courts, supporting open play, lessons, clinics, leagues, and social events.
What are the operating hours for this Athletic Country Club?
Hours are Monday through Friday from 4 a.m. to Midnight, and Saturday and Sunday from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., making it easier to train around early work schedules and evening commitments.