Inside Out Changes Hands & Changes its Name!
(posted 7-7-06)

On July 7, 2006, Ed Taafe and Sharon Smiley sold Inside Out to Lisa Gartland, a former member and instructor. This marks the fifth owner for this fitness center, which has been in business at 4444 Piedmont Avenue since 1985. To mark this change, Lisa has renamed the facility to Inside Outside Fitness. She'll be keeping all of the classes, instructors and staff from Inside Out, while slowly renovating the facility and adding more classes & services for its members.

Ed & Sharon owned Inside Out for ten years, and are ready to move on to a new phase of their lives. You'll still see them teaching and training at Inside Out, but Ed might finally get to sleep through Dawn Patrol.

Lisa Gartland was first an Inside Out member, avidly taking step classes right up to the end of her pregnancy with her son Flynn, now 4-1/2. After he was born, she took on the challenge of learning to teach aerobics, and taught step and hi/low aerobics at Inside Out for a year and a half. She has recently been a substitute instructor at the Berkeley Y, where she has pinch-hit on a variety of class formats, like step, kickboxing, cardio dance, and pre-natal classes.

Lisa has belonged to a variety of gyms all over the country over the past 25 years. Her perspective on gym ownership comes mainly from these years of membership - she knows which workouts are motivating & effective from personal experience as a class participant. She also understands the challenges facing instructors, and can appreciate the skill & experience of the best fitness professionals.

Her goals for Inside Outside Fitness are to renovate the facility and expand its classes & services. Lisa hopes to disrupt the schedule as little as possible while:

• installing a state-of-the-art, shock-absorbing wooden floor in the movement room,
• redesigning the lobby area and bringing back a childcare center,
• improving the locker rooms (men's room first...),
• adding new colors, window coverings & lighting.

She plans to add services like massage and dietary consulting, as well as more fitness classes. A variety of new classes can be expected, including some outdoor classes combining running and strength work.

Input from members is greatly appreciated - what do you want from your fitness center? Please contact Inside Outside Fitness' owner, Lisa Gartland, to share your opinions & ideas at (510) 655-8308, or email Lisa by clicking here

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