Gateau Physical Therapy Announces the Opening of the First Medically Oriented Gym in Maryland

   Gateau Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine in California, Maryland announces the opening of the first Medically Oriented Gym (M.O.G.SM) in Maryland. November 8, 2011 will mark the long-awaited opening of the M.O.G.SM at Gateau Physical Therapy. The newly constructed facility is located on Camden Way, adjacent to the new Gateau Physical Therapy office, behind BJs at the intersection of Rt. 235/Three Notch Road and Rt. 4/St. Andrews Church Road.

   Gateau Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, 2011 recipient of the Leading Edge Award for Small Business of the Year, moved into the Camden Way property in October 2011. With the opening of the Medically Oriented Gym, which will be associated with and integrated into GPTs very successful physical therapy practice, Gateau Physical Therapy and the M.O.G.SM will “Bridge the Gap Between Medicine and Fitness”.

   The M.O.G. SM is a one-of-a-kind, community-based, family-oriented, fitness and health facility. The Medically Oriented Gym will occupy 4700 square feet of Gateau’s new space and will be dedicated to state of the art LifeFitness, TechnoGym, and Hammer Strength cardio and fitness equipment, as well as free weight, kettle bells, and physioballs, just to name a few. The M.O.G.’s SM appearance will be similar to a traditional gym, but that is where similarities will end. This will not be a do-it-yourself fitness experience. The M.O.G. SM will be staffed by experienced, highly-skilled, and licensed Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants, as well as Exercise Physiologists.

   Each M.O.G. SM member will receive a complete, comprehensive fitness assessment, including medical history, activity profile, diet questionnaire, blood pressure, heart, and respiratory rates, body weight, body-mass index, waist circumference measurement, and VO2max measurement. A personalized exercise program will be developed based on the member’s physical condition and fitness experience, in addition to the results of the M.O.G. SM assessment. M.O.G. SM staff will work with each member to develop reasonable short and long term fitness goals and during each visit, exercise professionals will offer personal attention and safe programming as they monitor member’s technique and make appropriate adjustments to each program to safely progress toward goals. Quarterly, a re-assessment of initial fitness values is performed and data is made available to member and Primary Care Physician (if requested), as part of membership.

   In addition to fitness, the M.O.G. SM will strive to promote a healthy lifestyle. The Medically Oriented Gym will host monthly educational seminars on a variety of topics. Also, an assortment of motivational, group fitness classes will be provided as part of membership and will be appropriate for adolescents to seniors.

   According to Ellie Sweum, PTA, CPT, and Clinical Director of Gateau Physical Therapy, “Exercise is Medicine. Everyone from fit to frail would benefit from this highly successful model. Diseases including, but not limited to diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, and metabolic syndrome respond positively to exercise. There is clinical evidence that exercise, as part of the prescription, can prevent, manage, or lessen the affects of these diseases. As a society, we have become less active and more unhealthy. Gateau Physical Therapy and the Medically Oriented Gym plan to actively make a difference.”

   The Medically Oriented Gym’s vision is to deliver a culture of fitness that is safe, non-intimidating, scientifically-based, and will be a valuable part of each member’s life. The M.O.G. SM will provide an opportunity for the medically compromised community member or first time exerciser to experience the tremendous benefits of exercise and the commitment to making healthy lifestyle choices.

   For more information, contact Ellie Sweum at elliesweum@gmail.com or at 301-862-5177. You can also visit Gateau Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine’s website at www.gateaupt.com