Club expands; adds physical therapist

The Montana Athletic Club has expanded, both in size and in its offerings.

The Bigfork club recently opened an additional 6,500 square feet, featuring River Bend Physical Therapy and additional exercise space.

“Everything came out pretty nice,” Atheltic Club director Doug Mahlum said.

The addition is two stories, with River Bend Physical Therpay on the ground floor and additional space for the club above.

The addition allowed for some shuffling around of equipment in the existing portion of the gym, opening up room in the weightlifting area and adding a functional training apparatus.

Functional training has been gaining in popularity, Mahlum said. It focuses on training exercises that prepare the body for activities performed in daily life.

The new functional training structure takes up much of a room on the first floor, and can look fairly intimidating at first, Mahlum said, though people have been enjoying it. 

“Once they get by the size, they look to see the different things they can do and they really like it,” Mahlum said. “With this type of system you’re really only enclosed by your imagination.” 

The apparatus came from Poland, Mahlum said, and was the first installation of one in the United States.

The upper level of the expansion features a spinning room with 15 bikes, a large aerobics room and a Pilates room. The Pilates equipment used to be stored across the street at Eagle Bend. The spinning classes used to take place in the aerobics room. Now, not only do the heavy bikes not have to be moved before each class, but have designated spaces allows to club to offer even more classes. There are now spinning classes offered seven days a week.

Besides adding equipment, space and more classes Mahlum said they have also added to their health options with River Bend Physical Therapy, as well as a nurse and a wellness coach.

“That’s kind of working hand in hand with physical therapy,” Mahlum said. “It gives another wellness option.”

Family Nurse Practitioner Carla Brook will be at the Athletic Club on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Holistic Health and Nutrition coach Janis Barton will also be joining the athletic club team, focusing with men and women over the age of 50 to improve their wellness.

“She has an attitude and heart about her that is just amazing,” Mahlum said of Barton.

They have also partnered with Bella Tan, a new airbrush tanning company to offer patrons a way to get a healthy glow, without laying in a tanning bed.

“I didn’t like the idea of a tanning booth, owner Barn Stein said. “It’s (airbrush tanning) good for you, there are no harmful ingredients at all.”

She also said it doesn’t turn your orange, like some people might think.

“What we wanted to do was be able to provide more options for more people in Bigfork,” Mahlum said.

River Bend Physical Therapy is a large portion of the new expansion, taking up the first floor, and having it’s own designated entrance from the parking lot. 

Bigfork native Kaci Monroe’s (formerly Kaci Calaway), desire to open up a physical therapy practice in Bigfork accelerated the athletic club’s expansion Mahlum said.

Monroe is a 2004 Bigfork High School graduate and was a standout distance runner, helping the Bigfork Girls claim three consecutive state cross country titles in class A from 2001 to 2003.

She knew when she graduated from the University of Montana that she wanted to come back to the Flathead, and ultimately help the people in her home town.

“I knew I wanted to be back in Bigfork and own a clinic someday,” she said. 

She worked at Professional Therapy Associates in Kalispell for a while before approaching Mahlum and the Club about opening up shop there.

“Doug’s been just great,” she said. “It’s a great team they’ve got going.”

Monroe started working out of the athletic club before the expansion, and her new physical therapy facility was done. The athletic club worked with her on including things in her clinic that will help her offer more to her clients.

“It really has come together so easily,” she said. “The community has just been great.”

The clinic features a heated therapy pool, which will be a huge benefit to patients Monroe said.

Her location in the gym will also help her patients transition from recovery, to a healthy lifestyle, she said. It also makes her more available to her clients, or anyone who could use the help of physical therapist.

Monroe considered pharmacy and physical therapy during her undergraduate studies, and found that physical therapy is her calling.

“I knew I loved the medical field,” she said. “I loved the body and loved learning about it. I really fell in love with the people in physical therapy. It’s a really hands on medical approach. You really get to be part of these people’s rehabilitation. It’s really rewarding.”

“I’m excited to be back in Bigfork and help people as much as I can,” Monroe said.