What a wonderful addition to this little corner of Louisiana!…read more
The Fitness Center lies within the Wellness Center building of Thibodaux Regional Medical Center.
Being a medical fitness center, FCTR is much more than a box-o-treadmills. The 60,000 sqft facility offers everything one needs to achieve and maintain their fitness, health, and wellness goals. This means there are plenty of options for all walks of life, whether you're rehabbing an injury, getting used to a new heart or leg, fending off your golden years, or simply trying to undo a shrimp poboy.
Walking in to the fitness center, you're greeted with a smiley and friendly staff. A barcode scan is required for entry unless you are touring or with a member as a guest. As a new member, I recommend signing up for the free assessment. This will determine your body's "age" and help you track your progress over time. An appointment is required for this.
There are plenty of options for storage of stuff. There is a set of lockers out in the main gym area if you need to quickly drop your stuff and go. I personally prefer using the locker room.
There are separate locker rooms for men and women and I love that I always see someone cleaning them while I'm there (because "ew" to naked germs). Each has restrooms, showers, hot tub, sauna, and steam room. Because the center is energy efficient, these amenities all work with timer knobs, so if you like your sauna hot-hot, remember to preheat.
The showers are nice and spacious. The glass shower doors reach to all the way to the floor, so no surprise peeky-boo from young curious kiddos. One complaint is that the seals that keeps the doors shut need to be replaced. The showers do have one over-sized stall that is closed via shower curtain for wheelchair access. All showers are stocked with 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner and a body wash.
The center provides towels (though I've been seeing signs asking each member to limit themselves to 2 per visit) so you don't need to bring your own.
As for modesty, I have only seen one lady saunter through the locker room loud and proud and naked, but she wrapped up fairly quickly. Otherwise, women keep their special parts to their special selves. Hubby says this is absolutely NOT the case on the men's side and they actually posted a sign by the hot tub enforcing the use of swimwear with examples of what swimwear is.
If you are uncomfortable changing in front of others, you may also take advantage of the "family" locker room. This room is a straight hall with lockers on one side and lockable (and spacious) changing rooms and a shower opposite. There are no additional amenities in this space.
All locker rooms have doors out the back that lead to the pools. There is an Olympic-size lap pool, a warm water therapy pool, and a special underwater treadmill pool that is for PT patients only.
All pools are saltwater pools and use minimal chlorine (though I smell pretty chloriney after using the hot tub). The therapy pool starts at about 3' 5" deep and graduates to about 6'5" (guestimating) and is available for free swim. There are various pool noodles, weights, boards, and other pool tools you can use for a low-impact workout. This is also where aqua classes are held and they are quite popular.
If wet workouts aren't your thing, you should check out the main floor. There is a section for weight lifting, both free and machine, and a section of cardio equipment. The machines are all by Technogym, so they are pretty smart. Many of the weight machines guide you through your range of motion and help monitor your speed to ensure you get an efficient set. Most of the cardio machines have screens where you can log in to just about any app (Netflix, Youtube, Pandora, television, etc.) to distract yourself from actually being at the gym. The machines are bluetooth capable as well. You can also track your workouts or challenge a friend by signing up for MyWellness.com and signing into the machine you're on.
Prefer to workout with friends? There are a TON of incredible classes to meet anyone's needs. From yoga, pilates, and Tai Chi, to spin, HIIT, and Zumba, there is something for EVERYONE. Many classes also have modified versions, such as chair yoga and aqua zumba. Most classes are free to members, although there are paid series available also. I have tried a few classes and so far have loved them all.
There is also a 1/6 walking track that circles the (indoor) perimeter of the fitness center, which is great during the hot summer or rainy weather. Personal training and massage therapy sessions are available for an extra charge.
The best part of the fitness center is the staff. Special shout out to Matthew, who always takes a moment to check in and say hi and give a little encouragement! But everyone there are fantastic people always friendly and ready to help!
