Tag Archives: DeWitt Fitness Center

Crossroads Triathlon Step One: Sign Up!!

The DeWitt, Iowa Crossroads Triathlon has been part of my annual “to do list” for more than a decade.  The event is beginner friendly with lots of community spirit and always a challenge no matter how many triathlons you have completed.

For me the idea of having a physical challenge bucket list is a must.  I have learned since I was 10 years old that saying yes by signing up is a good way to motivate the mind and body.  I have been picking out annual endurance sporting challenges for about as long as I can remember.  Triathlons first captured my attention when I was in high school.  What has been important to me is that the events I pick be achievable but also challenging.  How far can I go and what might I get to experience? How fast can I complete the event relative to my current fitness?

My first triathlon was the Quad City Triathlon in the late 1980s.  I had read about and saw pictures of pro triathletes that were very inspiring.  I was working as a lifeguard at Scott County Park Pool and enjoyed running and biking.  Swimming competitively was far different than the fitness and skill necessary to lifeguard.  My weakness would definitely be the open water swim.  What helped me say yes to the challenge and sign up for the event was a new life guarding friend.  He was a competitive swimmer and strong biker.  His worry was the run which I convinced him was no big deal.  My friend and I both finished despite struggling so much on our weaknesses during the event.  We were filled with a sense of accomplishment and a sense of euphoria that can’t be purchased.  We both were hooked and continued to pursue rewarding experiences through endurance sports.

30 years later there are many more triathlons to pick from in Eastern Iowa.  Jeff and Amy Castro started the Crossroads Triathlon and it is now continued by the DeWitt community with the support of DeWitt Parks and Rec and First Central State Bank.  The triathlon has a less crowded time trial start with self seeding and a challenging yet accessible course.  My goals each year have changed.  I was able to be part of a team with my wife and oldest son in 2017 which was a lot of fun.  I also get excited to encourage new participants to complete their first triathlon; whether as leg for a team or individual.  2018 will also offer a youth triathlon which has my 3 kids excited to see if they can complete the swim, bike, run challenge.

The first step to experiencing the sense of accomplishment and triathlete euphoria is to sign up.  Regardless of your current fitness level, registering will motivate you to physically prepare and feel great doing so.  Check out this great event and I am sure you too can make endurance sports part of your yearly experiences!

Ron Zimmer, DeWitt Resident and Triathlete 

The Rock Valley team at Autumn Fest

Making Better Lives

It was on May 7, 2007, when I saw my very first patient at Rock Valley Physical Therapy in our then new DeWitt location.  Having been a physical therapist for exactly 10 years at that point, I had the experience and confidence needed, in addition to the support and trust from Rock Valley owners and my colleagues to be successful, but…I was scared!  I was leaving the comforts of a clinic with several coworkers and loving what I was doing every single day.  I was moving on to a clinic with only one coworker and very few patients to start with in a community that I knew very little about, despite growing up just down the road.  It was change, and a big change in my life, and as we all know, change is hard!!

I grew up in Park View, Iowa and graduated from North Scott High School.  I knew of DeWitt growing up, especially when it came to going to see a movie and getting ice cream with my family.  It was in my later high school years and early college years that I knew I wanted to do something in the area of health care.  It was after a day spent doing a job shadow with a physical therapist, that I was able to solidify my decision to choose this as my future career.  I knew I had a passion for “making better lives” even before it had become the official tag line that I now live and practice by along with all of my colleagues at Rock Valley Physical Therapy.  I attended St. Ambrose University and graduated with my Master in Physical Therapy degree in May of 1997.  Before I started working for Rock Valley in 2001, I began my career in physical therapy with Genesis and even spent a few months working for Genesis Medical Center right here in DeWitt.  Little did I know at that time what my future had in store for me in this amazing community!

Twenty years into my career as a physical therapist and 10 years into my time working here in DeWitt, I still absolutely love working as a physical therapist and I love “making better lives”.  Physical therapy is such a rewarding career.  On a daily basis I am able to help and witness people’s lives improving by decreasing their pain, helping them return to work, play in a sport again or to be helping them return to the activities they are passionate about.  Another thing to love about my career is we have fun!  Every day is different and every person is different but we make the physical therapy process as enjoyable as possible as we help make their lives better.  Finally, I enjoy the relationships I have made with all of my clients and their families.  I have the opportunity to know that I cannot always completely resolve every problem in every person, but I am certain that I can make at least something better in the life of every person that is under my care.

I couldn’t be happier with my decision to leave the comforts of my clinic in Davenport to make that difficult change and take on the professional opportunity I was given to open a clinic for Rock Valley in Dewitt.  The DeWitt community as a whole has also played a role in our ability to “make better lives”.  I have felt welcomed into this community from day one and have developed so many wonderful friendships through the lives I interact with in the clinic and from my involvement in the DeWitt Noon Lions and the DCDC.  I am happy to say we are now busting at the seams in our clinic located adjacent to the Dewitt Fitness Center with our amazing team of four full time, two part time and two per diem employees who are all extremely passionate about “making better lives” for every client who walks through our doors.   I am overjoyed to be able to “make better lives” for such wonderful people in such a fantastic community.

Kerri Hanna – Physical Therapist & Clinic Manager at Rock Valley Physical Therapy DeWitt Location

Much to Gain When We Lose

With the turn of the calendar, the majority of us have high hopes and goals for the new year. The top of that list is usually a goal to lose weight, get fit, eat healthier, etc.  Unfortunately these goals are usually short lived.  Fortunately, the DeWitt Fitness Center is offering a solution to the usual fading resolution.  Get Fit DeWitt, part of the Live Healthy Iowa initiative, is a team (consisting of two to ten people) motivated competition of weight loss and activity minutes. Get Fit DeWitt will run from January 23rd – March 31st, 2017.

Get Fit DeWitt can be a great motivator, not only does a team atmosphere encourage accountability, but a little healthy competition can go a long way. Each year for this annual event, I captain a team where many different personalities coming together to reach common goals: to gain health, lose weight and support each other.  I would be lying if I said the competition did not fuel me, I am sort of a competition junkie (for this I blame my dad, Dennis). In all seriousness, this type of atmosphere can really be of benefit when there is a goal to get healthy.

Get Fit DeWitt offers it all, an obtainable timetable, supportive team atmosphere, individual accolades and incentives.  We all have much to gain when we lose!  When we lose weight or get more active the natural result is to gain health.  Blood panel numbers get better, our bodies get leaner and stronger, we have more energy and our moods can even be more positive, it truly is a win-win for everyone.

Taking the first step can be scary; I encourage you to take it any way!  Find a buddy and jump on board.  What do you have to “lose”, not as much as you will gain.  I challenge you all to be part of the 2017 Get Fit DeWitt initiative, let’s make this the biggest and best one yet.  Find out more about the program and register here!

Amy Besst, Certified Personal Trainer

The 5 Healthy Habits of DeWitt Health Care

People in DeWitt have more convenience and less travel to be able to experience high-standards in health care then ever before. Here are five habits of their success.

  1. Be loyal to the cause. It’s no coincidence in 2014 and 2015, Genesis Medical Center – DeWitt was named “Top 20 Hospitals for Quality of Care” by the National Rural Health Association. The quality of care comes from a combination of cutting edge equipment, elite specialists and outstanding in-patient, out-patient and emergency care. They have made it a habit to provide high quality and compassionate care to the DeWitt area since 1952. Other health leaders like DeWitt Dental Associates, Hill Chiropractic, DeWitt Eyecare Clinic, and GMC-DeWitt have served DeWitt for over 35 years.
  1. Try something different. For those who do not seek traditional healthcare, there are five practices in DeWitt which offer chiropractic care and homeopathy options. For example, Stress Solutions Unlimited uses cutting edge light and sound technology such as light bed therapy and ION cleanse to assist their clients. They also offer nutrition education, brain-based and natural healing therapies.
  1. Building strength. There are three physical rehabilitation centers in town, as well as four massage therapy centers. Booked days in advance, these places offer rebuilding and rejuvenation of health through aquatic, neurological rehab, sports performance, hand and orthopedic therapies to name a few. The two fitness centers also do their share of strength training. For the ninth year in a row, starting on January 25th, the DeWitt Fitness Center offers a 10-week Get Fit DeWitt wellness program which encourages individuals to form teams to achieve weight loss goals.
  1. Call on the Experts. In certain cases, when a surgery or specialized procedure is not offered locally, healthcare professionals easily guide clients to trusted associations to ensure the best care. DeWitt Eyecare Clinic provides this for eye surgery patients. DeWitt Dental Associates coordinates specialized surgeries for their clients. And DeWitt Family Health Clinic and Genesis Health Group match mothers-to-be with top area birthing centers.  All are committed to providing services locally, but will always meet the needs of the patient first and foremost. Before and after surgery care is always available as it best meets the needs of the patient.
  1. Options, options, options. DeWitt is home to a variety of reliable options for health care, including two family practice clinics, two elderly care facilities, three physical rehabilitation centers, two dental offices, five chiropractic practices, two eyecare clinics, a locally owned pharmacy and four massage therapy centers. Even three veterinarian clinics for your four-legged or winged friends’ healthcare. And additional options continue to open their doors. DeWitt Delivers Health Care!