Husband & Wife Team Up on Life Addicts Fitness Studio

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Life Addicts husband & wife team Travis Washington and Whitney Lavette
Life Addicts husband & wife team Travis Washington and Whitney Lavette

Husband and wife fitness team and owners of Life Addicts fitness studio, Travis Washington and Whitney Lavette, are celebrating their one-year business anniversary in Alger Heights.

“This past year has flown by and we’ve had the privilege of connecting with some amazing people in the Alger Heights community,” said Lavette. “We’ve gained new clients who are actively engaging in a variety of studio services as they strive to create sustainable habits for healthy life change.

“We’ve also met some great community leaders and influencers, business district and association members and have been able to collaborate with some small business owners in the neighborhood. It’s been quite the year and we can’t wait for what’s in store!”

Life Addicts was previously located on 28th Street and the East Beltline for three years, but the owners were looking for more visibility. In particular, they are happy with the walkability of their new location. “We have clients telling us all the time that they walked to class, and that’s wonderful,” said Lavette.

Washington explained that while he has always been athletic, he began seriously lifting weights to transform what he calls his previously “skinny” physique in 2007. He slowly taught himself lifting techniques and after building his weight from 175 to 222 pounds, he became a certified personal trainer, exercise consultant and fitness specialist through Blue Heron Academy in 2014.

Life Addicts likes to take clients outdoors and offers excursions to help people make lasting lifestyle changes.
Life Addicts likes to take clients outdoors and offers excursions to help people make lasting lifestyle changes.

After becoming interested in fitness several years ago, Lavette received her certification to teach group exercise classes, but soon became interested in the mental process people face when attempting to become more active. “What are the barriers? Why do people start and stop?” Lavette asked. From there, she decided to pursue a behavior change specialist certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

The couple’s interests and experiences blend together at Life Addicts, which they said, “is not your typical gym.”

“It is a boutique fitness studio focused on helping people create healthy habits for sustainable lifestyle change,” said Lavette. “While we offer services people are more familiar with such as personal training, boot camps and fitness classes, we also host regular social gatherings that encourage our members to explore fitness in ways new and exciting to them that challenges what they ‘think’ they may not be able to do.”

Their focus on mindset as a key to sustainable change has resulted in life changing results for many of their clients, including a member of their community who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and was in a wheelchair for some time.

“After regaining mobility, they started with us a little over a year ago,” said Washington. “While tough at first, they are now able to run, lift heavy and squat 185 pounds like the pros!”

Some examples of Life Addicts’ past social gatherings include a Bike Camp with nonprofit co-op Spoke Folks that included a 140-mile bike ride and camping, as well as attending fitness expos such as the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio, and beach outings that include swimming and playing volleyball.

Life Addicts moved to Alger Heights, which has been a good fit for the studio.
Life Addicts moved to Alger Heights, which has been a good fit for the studio.

This year, Life Addicts is also launching habit coaching services in one-on-one, group and online settings, which “walk members through education and empowerment tools to help make healthy change stick once and for all.”

Married since 2009, Washington and Lavette met 10 years ago at their mutual place of worship, Revolution Culture Movement. The couple just welcomed their first child into their family. When asked about the experience of owning a business with her spouse, Lavette laughs. “It’s definitely interesting,” she said. “We work to focus on not taking work home with us, and also focusing on our roles; Travis is studio manager and I am business manager. It can be challenging but is also very rewarding.”

With spring here, Washington and Lavette look forward to a shift in energy in the neighborhood. “One of the first things we noticed when we moved to the district was how active the community is,” said Lavette.

“Everyday we’d look out and see parents taking a walk with their children, people walking their dogs, others jogging, some biking and some simply getting fresh air. We’re excited to see that activity again because while we’d love everyone to come out and enjoy what we have to offer, we also love seeing people engage an active lifestyle because we know it’s a key to balance and fulfillment.”

Life Addicts plans to offer cross fit-style training in the Alger Heights neighborhood by taking groups from the studio to area parks to work out. They are also currently offering a new member special: a $30 for 30 special which includes 30-days of unlimited boot camps for $30. Details are available at Life Addicts.

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