Phil Castle, The Business Times

The large sign outside Grand Mesa Wellness in downtown Grand Junction serves as both a greeting and promise: “Walk in strong. Walk out stronger.”

Not just physically, although the varied equipment inside the studio promotes fitness and flexibility. But also mentally and even spiritually.

It’s part of a holistic approach Jim Ettenger and Nikki Wilke bring to the studio as well as their health coaching. The goal, they said, is to help clients realize their potential and become better versions of themselves.

While the couple makes the most of the 700-square-foot studio inside the former R-5 High School, they plan to soon expand the operation to what they contend is the great outdoors on property they own on the Grand Mesa east of Grand Junction.

There are benefits to getting back to nature, Ettenger said. “You just have a sense of peace, of calm.”

Wilke agreed. “It’s actually healing on so many levels.”

While it’s always a good time to pursue healthier lifestyles, the couple welcomes clients resolved at the beginning of a year to get fit, lose weight and make other changes.

Ettenger and Wilke launched Grand Mesa Wellness four years ago as a way to combine their experiences and training to promote health and wellness.

Ettenger has worked nearly 30 years as a personal trainer and coach and also brings to the venture his experiences as an athlete who’s competed in world triathlon championships. In addition, he’s managed outdoor recreation programs and worked as a wilderness survival instructor.

Wilke works as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner.

The couple completed additional training in health coaching.

They opened the studio in October 2020. The studio features equipment and machines to accommodate most workouts, Ettenger said. A NordicTrack treadmill and cycle offer a variety of workouts and come with monitors displaying videos of walks, runs and cycling routes from around the world. A versatile machine branded as a Total Gym takes the place of a dozen machines.

“You can get a lot done in a small space,” he said.

The studio also features a Power Plate, a platform that vibrates up to 50 times a second that’s been shown to increase strength, flexibility and bone density as well as relieve muscle pain. Ettenger holds certification as a Power Plate instructor.

Ettenger said he works with a variety of clients with different goals that range from fitness and weight loss to sport-specific performance. He said he’s worked with many of those clients for years.

In addition to the studio, Ettenger and Wilke also offer health coaching, most often by telephone.

They said they can’t take the place of health care providers or mental health counselors, but can offer assistance on issues related to fitness, health, nutrition and general well-being. That could include everything from workouts to grocery shopping to meditation.

Health coaching sessions are tailored to clients to address their concerns, answer their questions and help them set and achieve their goals. Ettenger and Wilke said they hold clients accountable, but also remind them of the progress they’ve made and celebrate their successes.

In raising two young sons, the couple said they’ve gained an appreciation for the challenges people, especially parents, face in caring for themselves given other demands for their time.

Ettenger and Wilke plan to offer additional training and other activities on property they own on the Grand Mesa. They expect to eventually open a second studio on the property.

But a lot of the activities will occur outdoors at 7,800 feet in elevation amidst the aspen trees, they said. That will include strength training, but also balance training with a slackline, meditation and perhaps some survival training. “There’s a lot of potential,” Ettenger said.

Regardless of the setting or activity, though, the goal at Grand Mesa Wellness remains the same, Ettenger and Wilke said. And that’s to help clients who walk in strong to walk out even stronger.

For more information about Grand Mesa Wellness, visit https://grandmesawellness.com, call (970) 985-1424 or email jim@grandmesawellness.com.