Trinity Mother Frances-Jacksonville Fitness Center plans open house

In a private service Monday, Father Mark Kusmirek (left) and Deacon Seamus Rowland offer a blessing at the new fitness center at Trinity Mother Frances-Jacksonville.

JACKSONVILLE - An open house is scheduled for 1 - 3 p.m. Sunday at the new Trinity Mother Frances Fitness Center on the Jacksonville medical campus on U.S. Highway 69 South.

In a private service Monday morning, Father Mark Kusmirek blessed the facility, which is a Trinity Mother Frances tradition following all new construction.

Tuesday morning, dignitaries and civic leaders gathered for a dedication and ribboncutting of the $2.5 million Fitness Center. The facility includes fitness equipment, a lap pool and a smoothie and coffee bar offering Starbucks ®.

Officials with the TMF Health System said the facility will be operated through a management agreement with Premier Fitness and is the first of its kind in the area.

"This facility will provide the residents of the area an opportunity to get fit and stay fit," said Tom Cammack, FACHE, chief administrative officer, TMF-Jacksonville. "When you are fit, your overall health improves. Our Trinity Clinic physicians can help you overcome conditions that might be slowing you down, while the experts from Premier Fitness can help you implement an exercise regimen for your continued healthy lifestyle or road to recovery."

Tom l Cammack, chief operating officer of Trinity Mother Frances - Jacksonville, gives the Cherokeean Herald a walk-through preview of the new Fitness Center on Monday,

Personal trainers from Premier Fitness will be available to provide a wide variety of services including nutritional guidance, fitness assessment, lifestyle management advice and weight control programs. A personal trainer's role in an exercise program is to motivate, keep the exerciser on track and make sure workouts are safe, enjoyable and effective.

The Trinity Mother Frances- Jacksonville Fitness Facility will be open to the public, Monday - Thursday 5 a.m. - 10 p.m., Friday 5 a.m. - 8 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., and include one of the region's only indoor three-lane pools for swimming laps or water aerobics. FreeMotion™ Fitness Equipment, including more than 20 individual cardiovascular exercise devices including bicycles, treadmills, step and elliptical machines, many featuring personal TVs, will be included. The weight room features weight machines and free weights. A group fitness studio with a full fitness schedule including cycle classes will be available.

A kinesis wall will be a prominent feature in the Fitness Center. Kinesis is functional fitness focusing on muscular strength and endurance to improve balance, stability and flexibility.

Technogym® enables the user to move three-dimensionally to perform more than 500 movements based on natural, free flowing motion.

The TMFHS-Jacksonville outpatient physical therapy department will relocate to the fitness center upon the center's completion.

The public can join the TMF Fitness Center-Jacksonville at the Sunday open house. Call (903) 589-1540 for more information.

For information on Premier Fitness, visit www.premiergetfit. com. For more information on all services available through Trinity Mother Frances Health System, visit www. tmfhs.org.

The facility opens for business Monday morning at 5 a.m. Memberships are now available.