The Traveling Wheelchair

250Faunce Corner Rd.
North Dartmouth, MA 02747
Phone: (508)999-2171
www.healthtrax.com
 
My friend told me that he loves working out at Healthtrax Fitness & Wellness Center because they have some adaptive machines that he can use while sitting in his wheelchair and a great heated therapy pool. I decided to check it out for I am definitely in need of more exercise so my mom, friends and I visited Healthtrax Fitness & Wellness Health Center and found that it is very wheelchair accessible.

Parking is not a problem for there are many handicap parking spaces located right in front of the entry door. The entry doors are my favorite kind of automatic doors for as soon as you approach they slide open!  Once inside, we approached the front desk and asked an employee if someone had some time to show us around the gym and provide some information about the programs they offer for persons in wheelchairs.

Jen, a very nice employee greeted us and took us to a spacious sitting area with a table that is a perfect height for me in my wheelchair. My mom asked about the programs and the cost for me to join the gym. Jen explained that the cost of membership varies per person because the gym offers many kinds of discounts and programs. Discounts are offered to all persons who have Tufts Health or Pilgrim Health. Persons who have Blue Cross can receive a percentage of the cost in a reimbursement. To find out the specific cost for a membership for you, please call the phone number listed above. 
 
Jen explained that Healthtrax provides personal coaching called ‘Atheus Personal Coaching’ and Coaching Assistance is available at every visit. For an additional cost you can hire a Fitness Coach to work with you on a personal fitness program. Your first month membership includes two free sessions with a Personal Coach. Your Coach will do a thorough assessment and help develop a special program that best fits your needs.

All the Personal Trainers are experienced in assessing exercise physiology, strengths and conditioning, sports, nutrition, massage and physical therapy. Jen then introduced me to Matthew, the Director of Fitness and Coaching. Mathew was very nice and made me feel that the coaching team would be there for me if ever needed.
 
Jen then took us on a tour of this gym. She first showed us a room with all kinds of equipment that I could easily transfer onto with the help of my friends. She then showed us another supervised fitness room that has weight lifting equipment and told us that I could sit in my wheelchair to use a lot of it with the help of a Coach. My friends, Justin, Ric and Tony demonstrated some of the equipment for me and we all had a laugh because we all need more exercise and less food!

This gym is very spacious and I had no problem wheeling through any area. It was nice to see that there is a coffee machine, water bubbler and a sanitary hand dispenser that are all located at a perfect height in this gym.

Jen then took us to see the pool. There are two pools located in a large room and the air is warm and comfortable. One pool is a smaller therapy pool that is nice and warm for the temperature is set at 95 degrees. This is the therapy pool that I would use and it has a lift for me to get into this pool. The other pool is larger and the temperature of the water is set at 85 degrees and is usually open for anyone to swim.

My friends and I then headed to see how accessible the men’s locker room is and we were really impressed to see that it has an automatic door leading into the locker room. The locker room is spacious enough to maneuver my wheelchair around. Inside this room are roll in showers, a Jacuzzi, Steam Room and a Sauna. The showers are accessible if you have a roll in shower chair or you can transfer onto a seat that is mounted on the wall. The seat is at a perfect height and it folds up when not in use. Safety grab bars are located in the shower as well.

Jen told us that anyone can use one of the many lockers to store your personal belongings but you should bring your own lock and key. The sinks in the locker room are accessible and at a good height. The locker room even has hair dryers if needed and a large Flat Screen TV mounted on the wall.

We finished our tour of the first floor of the gym. Jen offered to take us up the elevator to show us equipment located on the second floor, but I chose not to for it is equipment that I wouldn’t be capable of using for it is all cardio and aerobics in which one needs to be able to walk..

Well my tour ended and I made a decision to join this very accessible and remarkable gym! The cost was reasonable and I get a discount because I have Tufts Healthcare , plus my mom is treating me to a memebership for she believes it will be good for my health! My first visit is scheduled for Monday and I can’t wait to try out that warm therapy pool! And my friends get to come in for free to help me with my exercises and therapy time in the pool.
 
I give Healthtrax Fitness & Wellness Center FIVE STARS for wheelchair accessibility.