Federal Way woman spreads passion for health and wellness

Published 4:56 pm Friday, February 5, 2016

On a Saturday morning in January, Kimberly DeMile is on stage doing what she loves.

Twenty-five women are taking her direction as part of a 60-minute Jazzercise class at DeMile’s new Federal Way Jazzercise.

“When I’m up there, I feel like I’m doing what I was meant to do,” DeMile said.

DeMile opened Federal Way Jazzercise on Jan. 1 at 2016 S. 320th St., Suite C. Inside is a spacious 1,900-square-foot dance space for members to spread out and move their body to a variety of Top 40 music. Jazzercise promises members the potential to burn up to 800 calories per hour.

“We remember (Jazzercise) from the 1980s,” DeMile said. “People think Richard Simmons and leg warmers. They don’t think it still exists. I want to make Jazzercise cool. We’re not just old ladies and leg warmers. The challenge is getting people to come and try it out.”

DeMile discovered Jazzercise in Scottsdale, Ariz., in the mid-1990s. After moving to Washington, she became a certified Jazzercise instructor and franchise owner in 1999. For the past 15 years, DeMile taught classes in public spaces, including the Federal Way Community Center. In 2015 she moved her classes to The Center at Norpoint and, when she was pushed out of her lease there, she decided to open a storefront.

DeMile said many of her clients stayed with her because of her longtime presence in Federal Way.

“Now that we’re visible and we’re here, I can’t help but be successful and share my passion for health and wellness with others,” DeMile said.

Part of sharing her passion for health and wellness extends beyond her Jazzercise instruction. DeMile is also a certified coach of The Healthy Edge, a program that offers eight-and 12-week intensives that serve to educate people about how to eat healthier and changes people’s mindset to set them on a path of success.

“Within The Healthy Edge, there are miniseries on emotional eating, secret eating and metabolism,” DeMile explained. “We don’t do weigh-ins. It’s education and mindset.”

The Healthy Edge is a separate business from DeMile’s Jazzercise. However, many of the women who are in Jazzercise classes also take courses in The Healthy Edge.

For DeMile, it was her personal journey that brought her to believe in the power of The Healthy Edge.

“I found The Healthy Edge five years ago,” DeMile said. “I found I wasn’t eating right. I wasn’t drinking enough water. I was binge eating.”

Despite being an experienced Jazzercise instructor, DeMile struggled with her weight, gaining 50 pounds following her pregnancies. DeMile said The Healthy Edge got her on a low-glycemic diet and gave her helpful education tools.

“The audios and videos were truly eye opening,” she said.

DeMile lost the 50 pounds and credits The Healthy Edge family for helping her to stay on track.

DeMile’s Federal Way center includes a classroom space where The Healthy Edge classes will be held. A new Healthy Edge accountability group started in late January and will go through mid-April.

“I’d like to see 50 people in here doing Healthy Edge,” she said.

DeMile would also like to open the center to children.

“We’re gearing up for kids’ classes,” DeMile said. “We want to have kids’ birthday parties. They can come and do a workout, have a dance party with disco lights. We have a stage and big open floor, and kids really love that.”

Also, starting in March, DeMile’s husband Ken, who has a martial arts and fitness background, will lead boot camp classes that incorporate martial arts defense moves.

To learn more about Federal Way Jazzercise, call 253-333-8886. Information on The Healthy Edge is available at kimberlydemile.com or by calling 253-217-3668.