Dena Stodola, founder of About Time Fitness, discovered the benefits of exercise at a young age while working on her family’s Wisconsin dairy farm. By the time she was in her teens, it was obvious that years of lifting feed pails and throwing hay bales had enhanced her physical strength and stamina, which came in handy on the basketball court in middle school and provided a solid foundation for her pursuits in theatre, dance and music in high school.

Later, as a freshman at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Dena amped up her exercise routine to avoid gaining the infamous “freshman 15.” She purchased a recreation center punch card, vowed to work out at least four times a week and discovered group fitness as a way to merge her passions for movement, music and exercise. By the end of her freshman year, her discipline and dedication had caught the attention of rec center staff and resulted in an invitation to join them as a group fitness instructor. During Dena’s junior year, she was promoted to Group Fitness Coordinator, a position she held until graduating from college.

Dena recalls what it was that initially drew her to group fitness in college: “It provided me with the support of others who also had fitness challenges and goals, and it made working out fun by combining creative movement with challenging athletic exercise. My metabolism increased and my weight decreased. I was feeling better about myself, and as my self confidence increased, so did my happiness.”

In 2004, Dena graduated from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a degree in business education. However, her passion for health and fitness led her to a job opportunity with Titletown Fitness in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where, in January 2005, she helped introduce Body Training Systems (BTS), a series of group fitness programs designed to deliver a simple, fun and effective social exercise experience independent of barriers like gender, age or fitness level. Within months, participation increased from 15 to 50 people per class.

In August 2006, Dena relocated to Denver with her now husband, Todd Porter, and took a position with Colorado Athletic Club, where she helped launch their Group Power (by BTS) program. Within four months, she was promoted to Group Fitness and Pilates Coordinator at Colorado Athletic Club-Monaco.

As a longtime BTS practitioner, instructor and believer, Dena now has a strong desire to introduce the BTS System to members of her own community—Englewood and Littleton, CO—so that they, too, can experience the support and transformation available through BTS. To that end, in January 2012 Dena launched About Time Fitness, a unique facility entirely dedicated to group training, located on “The South Broadway Mile” in Englewood, CO.

When asked about her inspiration for About Time Fitness, Dena remarked, “There are more and more fad diets and exercises hitting the market each year. Gym equipment gets boring, extreme training programs are too difficult for most people and personal training is expensive. At About Time Fitness, our goal is to create and environment where everyone – regardless of age, gender or fitness level -- can train like athletes while benefitting from a motivating group environment. Through tried-and-true programs that have been around for more than 20 years, we’re confident we can deliver on this goal.”

“I aspire every day to change the life of the participants in class—to help them progress on their fitness journey, to enable them look forward to an entertaining and motivating class, and most importantly, to inspire them to come back and push themselves through another workout. I enjoy helping people looking for options outside of their normal fitness routine or ways to make their routine more enjoyable. I want to motivate someone to make a lifestyle change, because they have found their own individual way of getting fit and feeling better about themselves.” -Dena Stodola, Founder of About Time Fitness