Distinctly Montana Magazine

d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a • w i n t e r 2 0 1 5 58 • Niche fitness centers, like The Women's Club Health and Fitness Center in Missoula (TWC), offer personalized fitness communities. Aaron Cordeiro, Certified Personal Trainer at TWC, understands that fitness has to fit you first. "When a person has confidence in their self and feels good they want to continue that "good feeling.'" Jacque Lanier trains with Aaron, and she's experienced that comfort level first-hand. For her, getting fit was a matter of fitting in. "I'm not a member because The Women's Club excludes men," she states. "I'm a member because it's so inclusive of all women. Young, old, hipsters, retired teachers, tiny little marathon runners and overweight women with restricted activities — everyone is welcome." That comfort level has translated into big gains for Jacque. At age 57, she ran a half marathon. Plus, she had grown strong enough to continue training while undergoing Chemotherapy this year. "And it's because of Aaron that I was able to catch it at Stage I," Jacque adds. If facing a challenge invigorates you, then you may have a Competi- tive Fitness Personality. Achieve personal bests via friendly competi- tion with these options: • Montanans from Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, and Kalispell have all taken part in the Healthy Loser Challenge. HealthyLoser.com is an online weight loss challenge which promotes weight loss through worldwide through community partnerships, fundraising initiatives, co-branding, and cash prizes of over $12,000. "The cash reward seems to click with people, and partici- pants find the strategies that work for them," explains founder David Chatwin. • Montana is fast becoming a favorite among foot rac- ers. Runners' World Magazine voted the Missoula Marathon the best in the country in 2010. Since then, it's grown to 5,000 participants. In addition to big races, Montana hosts numerous running clubs. Go to www.runmt.com to find one near you. If you've tried all these options and don't think you have a no-fitness personality, you may be a prime candidate for medical treatment. Surgical intervention has come a long ways since the days of stomachs and staples. Benefis Health Systems, a provider of medical obesity interventions, believes, "Bariatric surgery is the most effective treat- ment of morbid obesity and its co-morbidities, including a 90 percent improvement or resolution of Diabetes." (Dr. David Roher) Benefis uses a comprehensive approach encompassing pre-surgery counseling and post-op support groups, focusing on lifestyle changes to make sure the results of the surgery stick. Most practitioners agree: lifestyle is the key to maintaining weight loss. That's where Montana has the edge. "Definitely, it's a more active person who's drawn to our outdoor recreation," says Jackie Corcoran, Holistic Health Coach at Ridge Athletic Club in Bozeman. "When I moved out here 20 years ago, I couldn't believe we had mountains like this in our country and that people weren't speaking Swedish or some- thing. Montanans take a different approach to exercise. When you go on a hike here, you're going to be out for four hours. When I go back east, there're things to do, but the mindset is different." Jackie Corcoran Jacque Lanier Aaron Cordeiro Anna Rose-McComb Dr. Rachel Day Dr. David Rohrer, Benefis Health Systems Stay motivated to lose weight. Go to: www.distinctlymontana.com/weight151 DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL

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