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Billings personal trainers aim to create gym to help veterans heal their minds through exercise

Billings Gazette - 7/16/2018

July 14--Karen Pearson and Mitch Crouse are constantly seeing the effects of a good workout.

They're both personal trainers and instructors at Yellowstone Fitness. Through that work, they believe they've seen customers get more than just a physical exercise.

"We are both very strong proponents that when you move your body, you heal your mind," said Pearson.

The pair also work with a local National Guard unit. Each month or so, Crouse and Pearson work with the Guard members on their physical training.

Lt. Andras Varhelyi, who's in that unit, had a knowing look on his face and described the trainers' work as "motivation." But he said it's been great for the unit.

"They've achieved some tremendous improvement," he said.

For Pearson and Crouse, the idea to join their work as gym trainers and service member "motivators" came about two years ago. Last fall, they got nonprofit status for their Adaptive Performance Center.

The center is their goal. They envision a fitness gym for service members -- not as an exclusive club, but more as a continuation of the camaraderie found in the armed forces.

The biggest benefit, Pearson said, would be to the service members and veterans who need the mental side of the workout.

"Our goal is to reduce the suicide rate," she said. "And it's been proven time and time again that physically moving your body will help deal with those issues."

Department of Veterans Affairs studies have found that veterans die by suicide at about twice the rate as non-veteran adults. Pearson said four members of the local Guard unit have taken their own lives.

That's the issue at the heart of their effort, she said. And a typical gym with loud music, banging sounds and high-energy people everywhere can trigger someone's post-traumatic stress disorder, she said.

"We had one gentleman who would go work out at 1:30 in the morning, but he would still work out with his back against the wall," said Pearson, who also has a background as a licensed clinical professional counselor.

That's one bullet point for the Adaptive Performance Center. PTSD is linked to increased rates of veteran suicide. The idea is that service members would be more aware of potential triggers and adjust the environment accordingly for themselves or others.

Another point is their belief that exercise leads to mental fitness as well. And there are studies to back up that claim.

Among them is a 2011 study by researchers at the Naval Health Research Center and the VA. It concluded that vigorous physical activity was directly linked to reducing PTSD symptoms.

Related to all this is the community aspect, which underpins the armed forces experience. A lot of them work out, too. In that Naval Health Research Center study, nearly 90 percent of the 33,000 participants worked out at least once per week.

Varhelyi, the Guard member, said that he saw the gym idea as a good way to have a support group without having a support group.

"At least you're physically and mentally supported by a group of friends," he said.

Raising funds

Pearson and Crouse launched their capital campaign on Friday among friends and supporters in a hot Billings parking lot off Grand Avenue.

They're looking at a couple places to set up shop in Billings. They need $150,000 to open the doors, Pearson said. Part of that money would go toward gym equipment tailored to paraplegic and quadriplegic service members. That equipment isn't readily available outside physical therapy clinics, Crouse said.

"Adaptive equipment that we'll need to get, and those pieces are quite pricey," he said. "Then we'll just go for gym weights and treadmills and stuff like that."

The timeline of their goal depends on the fundraising effort. After that, Pearson said, the sky's the limit.

"Our goal is to have Billings be the pilot project and then expand from there," she said. "Say Helena, Missoula and then start finding places in each state."

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(c)2018 Billings Gazette (Billings, Mont.)

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