Fitness goes country — or at least it does this month, as multiplatinum country music recording artist Jo Dee Messina shows off her harder side in the January/February 2008 issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers magazine.

The M&F Hers team visited Messina, 37, at her estate outside of Nashville, Tennessee, where the proud fitness fanatic and active marathon runner (she most recently completed the 2007 Chicago Marathon) showed off her spectacular home gym in a converted barn on her property. In the article, Messina dishes about how she fits training into her busy touring schedule, her favorite (and least favorite) exercises, her squeaky-clean diet and more.

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Because of her dedication to a fit lifestyle, even in a difficult environment that comes with traveling 200 days a year for concerts and events, Muscle & Fitness Hers chose Messina as its January 2008 Fitness Role Model. The editors of Hers believe Messina embodies the determination of their ultra-fit readership — as she even preaches the gospel of training hard and eating right to her legions of fans at her concerts.

“She doesn’t just talk about exercising, she does it,” says editor at large Carey Rossi. “Talking with her is like talking to one of our readers, and I can’t say that about many celebrities.” Messina, who has nine Billboard No. 1 country hits to her credit, trains four to five days a week, and runs 5-6 days a week, whether at home or on the road.

The January/February 2008 issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers hits newsstands December 10.