Fitness for All

Laura Gump knew it was time for a big change.

“I was overweight, had Type 1 diabetes and was at risk for a lot of health problems,” she says. “The thing is, I hated going to the gym. I tried a couple of places, but there was never anyone around to help me and I felt intimidated. Then I found out about the fitness center at Turnstone and it has been life changing.”

Gump was a participant in a wellness program through Parkview Health called “Her Heart Challenge.”

“Parkview has a partnership with the fitness center at Turnstone and I had the opportunity to try it out. I was scared at first and didn’t know what to expect, but all I can say is this place is incredible. It’s nice and big and you have plenty of room, and I guarantee you’ll never meet anyone at Turnstone you don’t like. The trainers are so nice and personable. I never feel judged by them or the other members. It’s such an uplifting environment.”

Turnstone Center for Children & Adults with Disabilities is a well-known and highly respected organization in northeast Indiana. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that you don’t necessarily need to have a disability to use the fitness center.

“Our adaptive fitness center has been around for a long time, and in 2015 we really stepped up our game by expanding the facility with the opening of the Plassman Athletic Center,” says Stasha Carrasquillo, chief marketing technology officer. “In addition to the fitness center, we have a warm water therapy pool and four-court field house. We’ve significantly broadened the eligibility requirements for the fitness center to make it more available to the community. We want people to know that while we are an adaptive fitness center, you don’t need to have a visible or diagnosed disability to work out in our facility. Of all the programs we offer here at Turnstone, I think our fitness center is perhaps the least understood and I believe there are a lot of community members who would really benefit from and enjoy the fitness center — they just don’t know about it.”

EJ Whitney is a personal trainer at the fitness center and also the director of Fitness, Aquatics & High Performance Sports at Turnstone. The word “preventative” comes up often as he describes the fitness center.

“People often have a hard time visualizing what our fitness center is, so I refer to it as a ‘preventative health care facility,’” says Whitney. “We would prefer someone who is at a higher risk of having a stroke come in here to get in better shape now instead of them coming in here to get better after a stroke has occurred. It also doesn’t have to be about weight loss. A lot of it is just living a healthy lifestyle, being active and working to prevent or slow down secondary risk factors by adapting your approach to fitness.”

Anyone interested in the fitness center can simply call Turnstone or go to its website and fill out an interest form.

“Once we receive an inquiry, we’ll make an appointment to have the individual come in and go through a health evaluation. We’ll go over any diagnosis they have or physical therapy they’ve been through, and talk about their goals and what they want to accomplish,” says Whitney. “We actually make an exercise prescription sheet for each individual. We have different packages for personal training if that’s what they want to do, or they’re welcome to come and go as they please on their own. We always have fitness staff on the floor. They are constantly walking around to make sure everyone is staying safe and assisting anyone who needs help or guidance.”

The fitness center is open Monday through Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Friday 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

There are three aquatic classes offered as well as seven other group classes, including mind and body yoga, silver sneakers classes and a specialty class called Rock Steady Boxing, designated for people with Parkinson’s Disease.

“When you’re first starting out here, we provide three, free individual sessions with a trainer,” says Whitney. “We put a lot of emphasis on those first three appointments. We definitely want to provide a high level of customer care with these one-on-one appointments and it allows us to build relationships with our members right off the bat.”

Whitney explains the membership is also available to participants who have a Medicare Advantage Plan, including SilverSneakers, Renew Active and Silver&Fit. For those who qualify, the enrollment fee and all-inclusive membership fees are waived.

Whitney says the fitness center is more than just a place to exercise, it’s a place to fit in and experience a sense of community.

“One of the biggest bonuses of coming here is the socialization,” he says. “There are so many relationships being built between the members and between the staff. For some of our members, this may be the only interaction they get with other people. It’s very family-oriented.”

Gump has been going to the fitness center for a little over a year and is always encouraging others to join.

“It’s incredible what working out can do for your mental state,” says Gump. “It not only relieves my stress, but it just makes me feel good. I have made so many friends here, not only with the trainers, but with other members. We all support each other. I really feel like I’m part of a family here and that I owe them accountability, which motivates me to work out more. I had no idea when I started a year ago how much this would forever change my life for the better.” 

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