[g-slider gid="109697" width="100%" height="55%"]

At first glance, the Texas Sports Medicine Center near the Tomball Regional Medical Center appears to cater only to patients and athletes. Its services, however, expand beyond rehabilitation for mobility issues and sports injuries.

While the center is used for outpatient physical therapy for TRMC patients, it is also open to the public seven days a week as a fitness and wellness resource. TSMC Director John Ford said the therapy program began in 1983, and the facility was built near the medical center in the early ’90s.

“As orthopedics and the population increased in the area, so did the program,” Ford said. “It was always basically four aspects of care: physicians, physical therapy, sports performance and fitness. These aspects continue today within the community.”

In September, the facility took the first step toward implementing its three-year renovation plan by purchasing new fitness equipment, Ford said. The center has installed several new exercise machines and technology-integrated sports equipment.

“This equipment is actually very user friendly,” Wellness Coordinator Blake Williams said. “Everything is touch screen, like a tablet. You can set machines to measure distance, calories or time—whatever you like.”

The elliptical machines, treadmills and other cardio equipment include screens that allow users to watch 16 TV channels, play games or simulate outdoor exercise, Williams said.

“We hear a lot of, ‘I’ve never exercised before, what do I do?’ from members. So [with the key], trainers would be able to sit down with a member and go over their goals and prescribe a workout. It’s quite unique.” —John Ford, Texas Sports Medicine Center director

Clients can also receive a technology-integrated key that is compatible with several fitness machines in the facility as part of a membership that costs $240 to $335 a year, Ford said.

The key is a unique option because it allows members to track their workouts and also provides prescribed fitness routines for work with one of the center’s personal trainers, he said.

“We hear a lot of, ‘I’ve never exercised before, what do I do?’ from members,” Ford said. “So [with the key], trainers would be able to sit down with a member and go over their goals and prescribe a workout. It’s quite unique.”

In addition to a schedule of group fitness classes, the facility also offers free weights, a swimming pool, tennis courts, stationary bicycles, a basketball court and a 0.10-mile indoor track that circles the entire facility.

“There’s more to this [than physical therapy],” Williams said. “It’s a different structure than some people [expect] because we do have the medical aspect, but anybody can become a member.”