Whether you are a sports enthusiast or a newly converted couch potato, the place to get and stay in shape is Palmetto Athletic Club. Tucked away on U.S. 278, at the back of South Island Square, you’ll find the Lowcountry’s premier fitness center, featuring not only state-of-the-art equipment, but the professional assistance you need to meet all of your fitness goals.
Owned and operated by Nate Dixon, doctor of physical therapy (D.P.T.), the facility is staffed by a group of highly educated, experienced exercise physiologists, personal trainers and physical therapists. “The club takes pride in offering individually tailored programs to each member with a big emphasis on safety,” noted Dixon.
“We are a medically based exercise facility,” he said, explaining that new members are evaluated in terms of body fat, blood pressure, strength and aerobic capacity. Exercise is then prescribed, assuring that the individual works most effectively depending on his or her current fitness level and ultimate fitness goals. Members whose goal is weight loss are offered nutritional counseling in addition to a customized exercise program.
“One thing that sets our gym apart,” said Dixon “is the equipment, which is the finest available.” Well-designed ergonomically for smooth, controlled and safe exercise, the strength-training equipment is superior to any in the area. Regular patron Welles Murphy concurred. “I’ve been in a lot of athletic clubs. This equipment is by far the finest,” he said. “The Downtown Athletic Club in Manhattan doesn’t have equipment like this.”
The cardio equipment is also the latest, with individual television screens on each machine. “Allowing patrons to choose their own form of diversion while exercising helps motivate many people to work out longer,” Dixon explained.
Palmetto Athletic Club currently boasts 75 members; Dixon is looking for growth up to 200 members at the present location. For a limited time, the club is offering memberships at the special rate of $39 per month, with a one-year commitment. This includes an initial fitness assessment, equipment orientation and personal training session. Lockers, showers, towel service and bottled water are provided.
The Athletic Club operates in conjunction with Palmetto Therapy Services, offering a full array of physical therapy and rehabilitation services at two locations. The Hilton Head Island location, adjacent to Palmetto Athletic Club, is directed by Marty Kerr, M.S., P.T. The Sheridan Park location in Bluffton is directed by Chris Fisher, M.P.T.
Plans include an additional physical therapy site on Main Street, as well as an expanded fitness center at a more convenient island location. A second health club facility in Bluffton is also slated for 2007. “We are meeting a demand from our community and we are doing it in first-class style”, said Dixon.
As the business grows, more equipment and services will be added, including the most up-to-date group fitness instruction and an aquatic center, which will provide all forms of water therapy and aquatic exercise.
Whatever your fitness or physical therapy needs, you owe it to yourself to visit Palmetto Athletic Club and Palmetto Therapy Services.
