Getting in shape and maintaining it tends to be one of life's biggest struggles. Personally, I've gone through a lot of ups and downs in my fitness career until I finally settled on a couple workouts and lifestyle choices that work for me.

One of the biggest assets I've come to appreciate about living in a place like Missoula, is how active everyone is and how well-equipped we are to maintain that active lifestyle. I mean we've got gyms (Ridge Fitness, Fuel Fitness, The Peak etc.), specialized workout classes (Orangetheory Fitness, Pure Barre, BoxCore etc.) and an endless amount of outdoor activities that change with the seasons!

So I guess it's really not that surprising that our friends at SmartAsset's ranked Missoula No. 1 on the Most Fitness-Friendly Places list for the third consecutive year. Here's a little of what the Missoula Current, who shared this info, said about Missoula and this year's ranking:

Missoula ranked No. 1 in SmartAsset’s most “fitness friendly” places for the third consecutive year – a nod to the city’s walkable design, its array of healthy eating choices and its abundance of workout options, be it the gym or a hike up Mount Sentinel.

“Missoula has 36 fitness professionals per 10,000 workers and 137 fitness centers per 10,000 businesses,” the study suggested last year. “In fact, Missoula has the highest concentration of fitness businesses in the country, so residents don’t need to go far to find a recreation or fitness center. All things considered, it’s not surprising that we’ve also highlighted Missoula as a top city for an active retirement.”

I think it's safe to say that we are pretty lucky to live in a place that knows and appreciates the value of living a healthy lifestyle. Now all YOU gotta do is find the workout that works best for you, and learn to love it. Keep it simple and consistent!

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