8 | www.WellnessCenterMagazine.com Wouldn’t it be great if recovering from a back or shoulder injury or from joint replacement surgery only required a few weeks of physical therapy on the road to being pain-free? However, “physical therapy is forever,” Alicia O’Connor, director of personal training at the MUSC Wellness Center, explained frankly. “Staying healthy and strong requires a long-term commitment to your health, and you must be able to hold yourself accountable.” The Wellness Center’s Beyond Therapy Program welcomes clients who have embraced the long-term dedication needed to remain healthy and fit. These clients have recently graduated from their initial course of physical therapy prescribed by their doctor and are now ready to build on the progress they’ve made in therapy so far, continue their recovery and learn how to achieve their lifelong fitness goals. Because the Beyond Therapy trainers collaborate with MUSC’s Physical Therapy Department, clients can start by doing the same exercises they were doing in their initial PT program and add more exercises as their strength grows. The post-rehabilitation trainers design individual plans for each client that typically focus on regaining stamina, agility or flexibility. While working with a trainer, clients have full access to multiple Wellness Center amenities, including the Rooftop Sports Deck, a variety of studios, a 25-meter indoor pool and specialized machines. According to the National Institute on Aging, it’s important to incorporate four types of exercise – endurance, strength, balance and flexibility – into your training routine. Each has different benefits. Participating in one kind often improves your ability to do the others, and variety helps reduce boredom and risk of injury. The Beyond Therapy Program enables clients to focus on the areas they need most. “With any rehabilitation program, whether someone has back issues or a shoulder or knee injury, keeping their core strong is critical,” O’Connor stressed. “A strong core reduces stress on other parts of the body and helps to increase stability. We also want clients to maintain functional abilities when performing everyday activities.” Once clients begin using the Wellness Center facility, they often end up joining so they can use the amenities on their own, outside of their regular therapy appointments. Beyond Therapy’s success is linked to the fact that anyone can take charge of their own fitness progress. If they ever get off track, they will have a plan they can return to. Maintaining a pain-free life is not always an easy goal to achieve. That’s why the Beyond Therapy Program offers clients unique paths to help them build on the training progress they have made until their lifelong physical fitness goals become a reality. ◆ TURNING SUCCESSES INTO LIFELONG GOALS Learn more: Alicia O’Connor, director of personal training, MUSC Wellness Center [email protected] By Lisa Wack
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