Gyms shaping up Southeast Missouri

Americans are inundated with warnings about medical costs from diabetes and obesity, to news about diet trends and exercise tips, so it only makes sense that Southeast Missouri residents are driving a demand for expanded health and fitness centers.

After all, statistics compiled in 2000 by the government's Centers for Disease Control Prevention showed that 64 percent of Americans were overweight or obese. And medical costs for people with those diseases continue to rise.

Both St. Francis Medical Center and Southeast Missouri Hospital are hoping to curb some of the region's health problems by opening new fitness centers in the coming year. Both centers are billing themselves as medically based fitness centers, which means they will offer a variety of services simultaneously from rehabilitation to fitness training.

"We are not just talking about health care but the health of the individual, and we're going into prevention," said Frankie Erlacker, executive director of rehabilitation and fitness at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

The hospital will open its HealthPoint Plaza in August in the former Albertson's building at Independence and Kingshighway. There will be basketball courts, a warm water therapy pool, aerobic classrooms, a track concourse, free weights and other fitness machines.

St. Francis Medical Center will open its new Fitness Plus center in October as an extension of the existing medical center. The building also will house medical offices.

Medically based fitness centers are a growing trend in America as the population ages and requires more health care, all the while remaining interested in achieving better health.

Nearly 40 percent of the people who will likely use the new fitness and health center are people who wouldn't normally join a gym, Erlacker said. And if they can make lifestyle changes in their 40s, hopefully it will influence younger generations, she said.

Both centers will have medical staff, physical therapists and personal trainers on staff. The centers need to fit the needs of the community, Erlacker said.

A team of fitness experts, doctors and therapists discussed the fitness center and visited other facilities long before agreeing that Cape Girardeau needed such a place, said Doug Friese, current manager at Universal Health & Fitness Center, which is operated by St. Francis Medical Center.

Universal surveyed its members and the community to find out their top priority and what sort of programs could be supported, he said.

Swimming pools and therapy pools were two of the top selections. The new Fitness Plus center will have a four-lane, 25-yard lap pool, warm water therapy pool and a recreation pool.

The addition of group aquatic classes will be a major part of the new facility's offerings. Already there is a good variety of group fitness offerings, from cycling and aerobics to Pilates and yoga, but the pools will add a new dimension, Friese said.

Once a year the fitness center surveys its membership, "and the pool is always a factor." When you look at what's offered in the community, with the university's Parker Pool closed and the city's municipal pool at near capacity, it only makes sense that a new pool is needed, he said.

But what excites Friese most after 22 years in the fitness business in Cape Girardeau is the integration and planning that went into the new center. Steel beams are visible now, and people can begin to see the facility. "They will be surprised when they walk in the door the first time if they've not been in a world-class center before," he said.

Fitness Plus allows people to go from rehab to free weights and vice versa so they can feel comfortable as they make those transitions. "Within arm's length is a therapist who can give them an assessment," he said. And being connected to the hospital gives people an added comfort.

HealthPoint Plaza also will house medical services in its new fitness center. The hospital's Outpatient Rehabilitation Services will move from Doctor's Park to the new facility, but Main Street Fitness in Jackson will remain open.

"It's modeled for lifestyle changes for people with health problems," Erlacker said. There are areas for people recovering from injuries to exercise, a track accessible to cardiac rehab patients and marathon runners, and aerobic equipment.

Having all the therapists and trainers in one place gives clients "more access to medical attention," she said. "We have the ability to see a wide range of clients."

The goals of HealthPoint Plaza are somewhat different from a typical fitness center. More education and explanation will be offered to people who use the center. Having classroom space at the fitness center will help with coordinating programs, Erlacker said.

There also will be a cafe/juice bar and a fitness-oriented retail store.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126