Health Clubs in Maple Valley

A Handful of Health Clubs
By DeAnn Rossetti

Now that winter’s cool temps have arrived, rain is going to drive many a fitness fanatic indoors, to warm, dry environs for a daily workout.
Maple Valley has a variety of health and fitness clubs to choose from, each offering a unique program, specialty class or equipment that’s sure to meet the needs of local health-seekers.

In Maple Valley:

Work It Out Women’s Fitness
23745 225th Way S.E., suite 213

Janice Zander was an enthusiastic Pilates instructor at a small health Club called Slim and Tone. Her class inspired Carol Kaylor to become a Pilates instructor as well, and the two were part of a group of women who enjoyed working out together so much, they asked Zander to open a club when Slim and Tone went out of business. Zander’s husband encouraged her to ask these women to invest in a Limited Liability Corporation, and after securing funding from them and adding their own savings, Kaylor and Zander opened Work It Out 14 months ago. The duo renovated and expanded the Slim and Tone space to 3,300 square feet, added the latest strength training and cardio fitness machines, a massage room and two tanning booths, and were ready for business.
“I asked Carol if she would be my business partner in June, 2004, and by July 2004, we opened,” said Zander. “We worked really hard to pull this place together in 4 weeks.”
The duo beefed up the class schedule with 27 different workouts, from endurance and strength training to yoga, Pilates, salsa, kickboxing and a jump-rope class called “pump and jump.”
There’s also a fitness “Boot Camp” for men and a “Boot Camp” for women that meets for four weeks in various outdoor locations, and provides fitness instruction, nutritional education, team motivation and before and after body fat assessments.
“I felt there was a need for a safe, clean place for women to work out that was non-judgmental,” said Zander. “When women walk in here, they know it’s a comfortable, warm and friendly atmosphere, where they can work out, have a cup of coffee and chat,” adds Kaylor. “It’s not just a gym, it’s a support group, a gathering place for women to come and get healthy.”
The club offers supervised childcare for members who are also busy moms.
Work It Out’s 300 plus members range in age from pre-teens to grandmothers, and Kaylor and Zander say they get the greatest satisfaction from watching women get healthy and fit and develop lasting friendships.
“Not a day goes by that someone doesn’t say ‘Thank you for opening this club, I’ve lost 100 pounds,’ or ‘It’s such a positive, clean and healthy place, I love coming here,’” said Kaylor. “This is our life now--it’s great to have a job that is so rewarding.”
Work It Out Fitness is open Monday through Thursday from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Memberships are $25 a month per person. Childcare is $2 per hour. Contact 425-432-9311 for more information.

Maple Valley Fitness, 23770 Witte Rd. S.E., suite 302
Maple Valley fitness opened in 1997.
“Our kids were going to school in the area, and we thought the area could really use a club with lots of nice equipment at a very inexpensive price,” said Robert Lineberger, Owner, Maple Valley Fitness “We have over 35 pieces of cardio including treadmills, elliptical machines, bikes and stair-steppers, and two full lines of life fitness strength training equipment.” The 5, 600 square feet facility also sports a free weight area with over 20 pieces of equipment, including Hammer Strength and a full set of dumbbells and barbells. The facility also has 3 tanning beds and a child care facility.
Though Maple Valley Fitness has no work out classes, they do offer personal training and individualized instruction.
“The club was just recently renovated with approximately $150,000 worth of new equipment, and within the next 30 days we will be adding personal LCD screens for our cardio equipment, said Lineberger. “The back to school season is one of the best times to get into a fitness routine, and what makes (us) unique is that you get the absolute best equipment in the industry for the best price probably anywhere in the United States.”
Maple Valley Fitness hours are Monday through Thursday 4:45 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 4:45 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Memberships cost anywhere from 5$ through 19$ per month and the club is always running discounts for new members. This month’s
special are dues as low as 9 dollars per month, including $50 worth of free babysitting. Contact 425-432-6110 for more information.


Tahoma Athletic Club
The Tahoma Athletic Club opened in late November of 2007 at 23836 222nd Place SE in the Maple Valley Town Center just adjacent to the Lake Wilderness QFC.
Owned by Jim Flynn, Jimmy Kossert and Becky Duty, the club was built by Flynn and managed by Duty, with funding from Kossert. “Jimmy is serious about his exercise routine and having a personal trainer, but he couldn’t find what he needed in Maple Valley,” said Flynn. “That was the spark that got us going.” Kossert talked to Flynn, a Maple Valley native and city councilman, whose family owned land in the Lake Wilderness shopping area, and Flynn, who knew Duty because their kids go to high school together, decided to create the 9,300 square foot facility last spring. The building will has 3 businesses on the ground floor, while the entire top floor houses the health and fitness club.
“A lot of residents give the excuse of having to drive too far for not going to the gym,” said Duty. “We’re taking that excuse away by offering a full service fitness club with state of the art cardio and weight equipment right here. The 34 cardio machines in the club have built-in television screens and aromatherapy fans to engage the club member’s other senses while they work out. There are over 50 pieces of weight equipment, three tanning rooms, men’s and women’s locker rooms and showers, child care and kids fitness area, classes and towel service. There is a slate entryway with a waterfall and the club used soothing earth tones as their color scheme.
“We are an upscale operation, but moderately priced,” said Duty. “Since all the owners are local and we all have kids here, we’re a homegrown operation, and we want to be there for the whole family, and be able to give back to the community.”
The owners of the TAC won’t release their fee structure, other than to say they have a month to month or yearly options.
Contact 206-909-0912 for more information.