Benefits of Having a Physiotherapy Clinic in a Gym
With Dr Mark Merolli, Senior Physiotherapist and Owner of Technologic Physio - and our resident physio at Visions!
Visit Mark at https://www.technologicphysio.com.au.
Our gym isn’t just a place to work out; it’s a hub for us all to manage our overall fitness and wellbeing. I know for one, that the gym means so much more to me than just a place to workout. When I get to Visions, as soon as I walk through the door, I feel my mood instantly change. I know that simply by being there, I’m having a little personal win. Lifting weights, doing cardio, of course are the obvious reasons but being able to have a chat with the friendly faces we see at the gym, to spend time amongst a community of like-minded people and go into our little workout zone, is great for the body and the mind.
To enhance a gym’s value and how it can contribute to this wellness experience I just talked about, as well as provide comprehensive care, many fitness centres now include things like physiotherapy clinics within their premises. This is why I’ve teamed up with Pat and the crew at Visions to make this the spiritual home of my physio clinic. This integration of physio in a gym offers numerous benefits for people like us who are passionate about our fitness and health. In this post, we’ll explore the advantages of having a physiotherapy clinic in a gym environment.
Immediate Access to Treatment
One of the primary benefits of having a physiotherapy clinic in a gym is the immediate access to assessment and treatment if we sustain an injury; this could be when we’re off at sport or during a workout. Whether it’s a sprained ankle, muscle strain, sore back, or joint pain flaring up, having a physiotherapist on-site supports prompt assessment and treatment. This can help manage pain, settle inflammation, and promote faster recovery, letting people get back to their fitness routine sooner.
Rehabilitation and Recovery
For people that have sustained an injury, or have a condition that’s been grumbling away in the background, a physiotherapy clinic in the gym offers those rehabilitation services to help in this recovery. One of the big benefits I see is being able to rehab in the comfort of your own gym, in an environment and with equipment we’re comfortable and familiar with! Plus, I also think that being able to rehab in your own gym, is way more motivating. Physios can design personalised exercise programs and provide hands-on treatments to support healing, restore mobility, and improve strength, balance, and flexibility. This comprehensive approach to rehab, mixed in with our usual workout routines, ensures that people get the necessary care and support to regain fitness levels and prevent recurring injuries.
Injury Prevention and Education
Physiotherapists in the clinic play a big role in injury prevention and education. We can provide guidance on proper form, posture, and technique during exercises, helping people perform movements safely and effectively. By assessing movement patterns, a physio can identify any potential issues or contributing factors that might lead to injuries and try to address them early on. This proactive approach doesn’t need to be isolated to managing movement there and then, but a space we’re hoping to build up together with the team at Visions is education sessions and information across a range of conditions and scenarios. Watch this space!
Performance Optimisation
Within a ‘gym clinic’ we can also work closely together to optimise performance and enhance someone’s athletic abilities. This starts with assessing specific needs and goals. Then going deeper to closely look at movement patterns, control, and strength to determine root causes of an issue. A physio can then develop specialised strength and conditioning training programs, hopefully working in partnership with your trainers that target areas of improvement, such as: motor control, strength, endurance, power, and agility. This personalised approach to training can help people reach their fitness goals, excel in their chosen sports or activities, and generally perform at their best.
Convenience and Accessibility
Another benefit of having a physiotherapy clinic within the gym is that it offers convenience and accessibility for gym members seeking treatment and rehabilitation services. People don’t have to go to a separate location, which saves time and effort. This proximity encourages us to prioritise our health and wellbeing by making it easily accessible. We trust that it also fosters that sense of community within the gym that I’ve come to love about Visions and I’m sure you love to. Like I said at the start of this post, it means we can all interact and share our fitness goals.
In summing up, I’m looking forward to getting to know a whole lot more friendly faces than those I already do from my years as a Visions member myself. Pat and I putting our heads together to land on having a physiotherapy clinic within a gym will hopefully support us deriving those benefits I’ve talked about in this post. This integration supports our collective ‘vision’ of overall fitness, reducing injuries, and helping people achieve their wellbeing goals. So, the next time you see your gym with a physiotherapy clinic, take advantage of the services offered and elevate your fitness experience to new heights.
