Jim and Carol Duval and their son and daughter-in-law, Justin and Shawna, are co-owners of the Iron Fitness gym in the Falls Station complex on US Hwy 2 in Columbia Falls. They bought the gym from Jason Herman in June 2005 after Justin and Shawna had started a small gym in Lakeside from scratch and their parents took notice. Carol grew up in Townsend and Jim, who has worked at the Stoltze Land & L
umber Co. Their four sons Justin, Aaron, Jason and Brent, were wrestlers and graduated from Columbia Falls High School. The health club has really grown since the Duvals took over. It started with the one room now filled with weight-lifting equipment. They acquired the adjacent unit and filled it with cardio equipment, and a few years ago acquired a third room for various exercise classes. The class area keeps busy with yoga, muscle fusion, Zumba, and Aikido sword-fighting classes. The instructors work for the Duvals, but several fitness trainers and their clients (all members) use the rest of the facility without a contract with Iron Fitness. Iron Fitness is open to clients 24 hours a day through a magnetic key card system but is unique in that it’s not staffed 24 hours a day. They have about 300 clients now from all walks of life, including many seniors. From the Duval’s observations, there are all types of people who want to exercise – for work, outdoor recreation, health, good looks, to feel better or to heal – and some also like to socialize. Everyone has different reasons for working out.
“We try to make it so it feels like their gym, and that they’re at home here,” says Carol. That homey attitude translates into their fee plans. Iron Fitness gave up initiation fees back in 2009, and they offer a wide variety of sigh-up plans – one day passes, $5 per week, 2,3, and 4 week plans, monthly plans, even yearly and two year plans. For more information contact Iron Fitness, call 892-4566. Visit and “like” us on Facebook. Thank you and happy lifting! Excerpts from:
The Hungry Horse News
