Health & Wellness Opportunties in Greater Grand Junction, CO
The Greater Grand Junction region makes it easy for residents to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.
Whether you are looking for outdoor recreation, inner peace or just a really tasty peach, the Greater Grand Junction region is the place to be.
Surrounded by natural beauty, residents find plenty of health and wellness opportunities in Greater Grand Junction, CO, to improve both mind and body.
“When it comes to the accessibility that we have to the outdoors and to health and wellness – caring for the mind and being in nature – this is a pretty incredible place to live,” says Chelsea Gasper, founder of the Zen Den Yoga Studio & Boutique in Fruita.
It’s easy to find outdoor recreation opportunities in the area. There are mountains and lakes and rivers in nearly every direction, offering options for things like hiking, biking, rafting and paddleboarding.
Get Up and Go in Greater Grand Junction, CO
“Part of the reason I love this area is because there are so many opportunities to get up, get out and get moving,” says Dr. Liz Rook, founder of Thrive Arena Life Coaching.
The action begins close to home, as the Colorado River snakes its way past Fruita, Grand Junction and Palisade. The popular Riverfront Trail follows the Colorado River for more than 20 miles.
Experienced hikers and mountain bikers can enjoy the elevated views along the 13-mile Palisade Rim Trail, which rises 1,000 feet from the valley floor, while water lovers can easily access the Colorado River from Riverbend Park in downtown Palisade.
For a quick adventure, the Fruita Paleo Area Trail is a half-mile hike with interpretative signs providing the geologic history of the landscape. Meanwhile, for a daylong outing, the nearby Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway runs for 63 miles from Cedaredge to Mesa.
“This is an outdoor mecca,” Gasper says. “You can find almost any outdoor activity that you’d like to do in and around Grand Junction.”
Feeding Body and Soul in Greater Grand Junction, CO
Fresh food choices are plentiful throughout the Greater Grand Junction region, thanks in large part to regular farmers markets in the downtowns of Grand Junction, Fruita and Palisade. For example, Grand Junction’s summerlong Market on Main attracts some 5,000 visitors each Thursday evening.
“It’s both a great community event and a great way to connect to our local food producers,” says Kyra Seppie, Downtown Grand Junction event coordinator. “We’re really fortunate to have a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables and be that close to the food source. Market on Main is a place where people can access all that fresh produce and goods directly from the producers.”
There are also numerous ways to prioritize your mental health. The region is home to several yoga studios, including Orange Door Community Wellness in Grand Junction and the Community Yoga Collective in Palisade. In addition, the annual Grand Valley Yoga Fest is a two-day event that raises funds for local mental health and suicide groups.
“We have such a wide variety of people here, with both college students and a large retirement community,” says Gasper, whose Zen Den Yoga Studio offers 25 classes a week through 13 instructors. “We’re striving to make the benefits of yoga widely known and accessible for the whole Grand Valley.”
Sometimes, simply talking can be the best thing for mental health. Thrive Arena has that covered with one-on-one life coaching that, according to Rook, helps “build good habits with the mind.”
“We talk about health and wellness and mindset-based strategies for habit change to help with stress reduction, work-life balance, relationship mastery,” Rook says.
Get to Know Greater Grand Junction, CO
Want to learn more about living and working in Greater Grand Junction, CO? Check out the latest edition of Livability Grand Junction & Beyond, Fruita, Grand Junction & Palisade, Colorado.