Eric Smith, NBC5Chicago Street Team
On location at TEAMiFIT Lifestyle Center-676 N. LaSalle Street-with Founder, President and Wellness Coach-Amy Leffel.
Speak a little bit about your background-life before TEAMiFIT and how all this happened?
I received my undergraduate degree at Indiana University in Exercise Physiology and Public Health. I worked as a personal trainer and exercise specialist-teaching fitness classes at gyms across the city. Then I went back to school to get my masters degree in Education, where I worked with kids from 1st grade all the way up to 8th. While as a school teacher, I was also teaching fitness classes and working as a personal trainer on the side. So I have about seven years working in fitness. This has been my passion, so doing this doesn’t feel like work.

Amy Got Soul
The initial concept was exercise on location at different outdoor venues across the city. What gave you the idea to get started that way?
I’ve had this vision a long time. April through September every year we hold outside classes. So you’ll have classes happening all around the city…Lincoln Park, West Loop, West Town, River North, Gold Coast, Lake View and South Loop. We also take these classes to the beach. And as the weather cools we bring this more of this action to our space here.
So what makes TEAMiFIT different?

TurboKick
TEAMiFit is a one-stop shop promoting health and wellness! You can come here and get fitness classes for adults and kids. We have Strictly CORE, TurboKick, Zumba, Strength Boxing classes and more…we’ve got all kinds of flava flava-including Power Yoga and Power Pilates. We’ve got specialized workshops like plyometric training focusing on high-intensity movements for high impact. We also have small group personal training called ‘Armed and Dangerous’ for only six people, to work with a personal trainer at a discounted price. And beginning in November we are going to have educational classes ‘Doing Life Together’, where our lifestyle coaches will educate based on personal experience using their expertise to focus on what our members want. Topics will include like how to eat right when working out, how to balance life, how to spend smart over the holidays, educational self-massage, couples massage, etc. The lifestyle coaches will be here to educate and build relationships with our clientele. We’re basically doing life together.

TEAMiFIT
Amy is definitely on the move in Chicago and wants to get your body moving. For additional information and register for classes visit TEAMiFIT online and Facebook. To hear the entire interview, download the audio casts below.
Part 1 Interview w/Amy ‘Body’
Part 2 Interview w/Amy ‘What You Waiting For?’
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