Kevin Dehlinger, executive director of Sportsclub Fitness & Wellness in the Upstate, said he and his staff are constantly creating innovative programs for people who want to stay fit, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Along with aquatics, pickleball, racquetball, Pilates, group fitness and a host of other programs, Sportsclub offers the Physician Referred Exercise Program, which was established there in 2013. The PREP plan is aimed at introducing seniors and those with physical limitations to specific exercise choices that fit their personal health and fitness goals as indicated by their personal physicians and physical therapists.
The PREP mission is to create individual fitness plans for those suffering from diabetes; with blood pressure issues; going through physical therapy; preparing for joint replacement surgery; seeking pre- or post-natal fitness; or trying to improve sports performance. As Dehlinger put it, the program is for “anyone cleared by a physician for physical exercise.”
Dehlinger explained, “We are not just a gym or health club. We are a resource for the community. We work very hard within our clubs and our communities to help members with their fitness and wellness. We endorse this program along with physicians and physical therapists by removing all barriers to exercise and welcoming patients in a nonthreatening and comforting environment.”
Affordable at $60 for 60 days, Dehlinger relayed, “Participants can join Sportsclub at the end of 60 days and receive a $60 account credit – with a required 12-month contract – or receive the Healthy Start/iStart program at no additional cost.”
The PREP plan includes five components: a signed referral from a medical professional – a doctor, nurse practitioner or physical therapist; intake with a PREP nurse to review medical and exercise history, physician instructions and recommendations; one-on-one orientation with a medical fitness trainer within one week of the intake appointment; a 30-day checkup with a PREP nurse, where goals may be adjusted; and a 60-day checkup with a PREP nurse, where intake measurements are reviewed.
Additionally, the PREP program offers two weekly small-group training sessions with supervision by a nurse and medical fitness trainer; review of progress checks with a registered nurse; nutrition seminars; and a copy of progress notes and program results to share with your physician – along with access to all three Upstate Sportsclub locations.
Dehlinger noted, “We are open for business and are using all proper precautions. Our trainers and nurses are masked and gloved when working with PREP participants. We want our members and the community to know that our clubs are clean and safe.”
Sportsclub, with locations in Greenville, Simpsonville and the Five Forks area, has been keeping members fit, healthy and happy since 1975.
For more information on Sportsclub and the PREP program, visit www.sportsclubsc.com.
By Eileen Casey