Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Fit Farm
The new Fit Farm location features a stretching area in the former bank vault.
The Fit Farm is back in Oakesdale. After closing Oct. 1 last fall after 12 years in business at the white, former International dealership at the north edge of town, the center re-opened Jan. 26 in the INB Bank building on Steptoe Avenue.
The bank closed its inside operations Dec. 1 – after operating one day per week for four hours – and continues its ATM function outside the door of what is now Fit Farm.
Owned by Karen Lindgren, the spot features all of the original location’s equipment and a code-entry for expanded hours.
“We saw an opportunity for the Fit Farm. I reached out to Karen, we thought that we could give back to the community,” said Dave Hockett, Chief Risk Officer for INB Bank in Spokane who lives in Oakesdale.
Lindgren rents the space from the bank on a monthly basis.
“It all worked out,” said Lindgren. “I just had been looking for a building.”
Because the new location has less space, room is not available for the dance studio to conduct aerobics classes. In turn, Lindgren moved the classes to the school cafeteria and the gym for four sessions per week.
“It’s just up the hill,” she said.
In the bank, the vault is now a stretching area. Fit Farm runs on monthly memberships with some corporate memberships from the school.
Lindgren, who grew up in Oakesdale and is married to Ken Lindgren, athletic director, teacher and longtime coach at Oakesdale school, has taught aerobics since its start in the early 1980s as a student at EWU. She holds a group exercise certification and personal trainer certification – which includes continuing education every two years. Before the Fit Farm opened she led senior fitness classes in the Oakesdale fire station.
The new hours are 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday―Saturday.
“Seven hours a day to about 17 hours a day,” Lindgren said. “I’m getting very positive feedback on that.”
Patrons often use the equipment on a 16-station fast fitness circuit, which runs 12 minutes, at 45 seconds per station. A timer system on CD moves them along.
INB acquired the building through its purchase of Bank of Fairfield in 2015.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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