STAY ACTIVE & HEALTHY

COLORADO COUNTY

STAY ACTIVE & HEALTHY

COLUMBUS — As people age and their bodies start to wear down, it becomes more and more difficult to stay in shape and keep muscles from atrophying.

Sometimes life just gets in the way — the job, kids, bills and so many other commitments.

However, residents of Columbus and surrounding towns who want to get back on track for fitness and improved mobility have a few places they can go to help them achieve and maintain their health goals.

Whether it’s beginners, older persons, advanced fitness aficionados or even those recovering from an injury, Columbus has the facilities to meet physical-fitness needs at any level, health advocates said.

Take, for instance, Extreme Gym, 1348 Walnut St., and the new Columbus Wellness Center, 107 Shult Drive at Columbus Community Hospital.

Longtime residents may recall Extreme Gym, located off U.S. 90, was first located a little further south off of S.H. 71.

Today, owner Scot t Schobel said it’s his life’s mission to create a top-tier community gym meant to serve the community, beginning with purchasing the long-standing gym where he worked out during his youth. After buying the company, he went on to purchase the batting cages at the location where the current Extreme Gym stands.

His passion for powerlifting and strength-training, combined with his love for the community where his family has lived for generations, spurred him to turn those batting cages into his vision of a classic gym.

“I kind of fell backwards into it,” Schobel said. “I actually worked out there and (the owner) wanted to sell it. … At those Houston gyms you’re kind of picking the type of gym that you want. I wanted to build all of those under one.”

Schobel has created a multi-room “supergym” that rivals even some national chains in size. The gym’s main room has many of the standard machines and weights for a person lifting at any athletic level. Dozens of different apparatus, weights and equipment dot the spacious room.

To the right of the main gym is one of the largest additions to the campus: the cross-training room meant for those who may be more advanced in their fitness journey. It has squat racks, barbells and even punching bags.

There also is a room dedicated to core exercises for those not looking for intense weight training.

Schobel said newcomers shouldn’t be intimidated by all the machines and equipment. He and his staff of professional trainers are a resource for anyone with questions about the machines or specific workouts.

According to Schobel, anyone can come in and not feel lost or overwhelmed. The gym offers personal-training plans and group classes, but the sessions are tailored to the participants’ physical levels.

The trainers, who also include Schobel’s own family members, also take the lead during the exercise classes carried out in the back room behind the main building, the first addition Schobel made to Extreme Gym.

Attendees can do as much as they are able to without the pressure of having to push themselves beyond their physical limits. Even in a group setting, the focus is on enhancing the experience of the individual to get the most out of the gym.

Schobel said every addition he’s made since purchasing the business has been done with his customers in mind. Providing protein and training nutrients for sale, massage therapy and saunas are just some of the ways Schobel said he has already made strides to give his customers the best possible experience.

A local chiropractic office shares space with the gym for those on a fitness regimen who are dealing with back issues.

According to Schobel, membership continues to grow.

To learn more, call 979484-2100 or visit extremegymcolumbus.

com. A short trip away is the Columbus Wellness Center, which is a program under the umbrella of the community hospital.

The center has been active for over two years after opening its doors earlier in 2022.

Unlike a general-purpose gym, the center and Columbus Physical Therapy are geared to aiding those with an injury or condition that requires treatment or remedial exercise for rehabilitation.

Participants in the programs need a doctor’s referral, officials said.

However, a section of the center is open for use by non-medical patients who just want to work out.

Therapists and other staffers at the center said they want to provide every service available to ensure physical therapy patients do not have to make long trips into Houston or other big cities, The facility was opened to create a local medical- therapy center that can handle any of the rehab needs in the surrounding area. Even wound injuries and conditions such as Parkinson’s disease are well within the scope of therapeutic care at the center, staffers said.

“We do traditional land therapy, we do aquatic therapy. We have occupational therapy here, and a certified lymphedema therapist,” Partner and Director of Operations Kristina Pflughaupt said. “If we can help patients here, we want to help them here.”

The center also has treatments for those with arthritis and post surgical care.

Once a new patient arrives, he or she is assessed by one of the many physical therapists on staff and assigned a plan focused on recovery or mitigating the negative effects of certain physical conditions.

Patients have access to rehab machines and receive professional advice. Treatments and exercises in the indoor pool are all a common part of the experience.

Clients are also given a regimen to follow when they are at home to aid in the recovery effort outside the facility.

When their recovery is complete, patients do not have to worry about searching for another location with rehab equipment.

Patients who complete their rehab plans with the physical therapy team are given a complementary month of membership to inspire a commitment to the strategies and exercises they learned during their recovery. Members can use the pool and also have access to a number of classes for any level of fitness.

For more information on the physical therapy services offered, call 979732-5783 to speak directly with Columbus Physical Therapy operators.

In addition, one of the key elements of the Columbus Wellness Center is the monthly membership plans, even for the general public. For a monthly subscription, customers are able to use the stateof- the-art machines and equipment found upstairs in the non-medical areas of the building.

Wellness Center manager Denise Moncrief is one of the main teachers for classes after a long history at the wellness center in Hallettsville.

She said sessions such as the “muscle magic” class or “gentle yoga” are great ways for beginners and older persons to engage in low-intensity workouts.

The center has made it a priority to get patients feeling better through the latest techniques in physiotherapy, staffers said.

For more, call 979-4937592 or visit columbusch. com.

“If we can help patients here, we want to help them here.”

— Kristina Pflughaupt Columbus Wellness Center