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The ADVANCE, December 15, 2021/Page 11A
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ground in exercise science.
The Center’s director is
Maggie Barr Martin, who
is well known in the com
munity for her seven-year
affiliation with the previous
fitness center.
“We are super excited
about the Meadows Fitness
Center reopening. Jay has a
real heart for fitness, well
ness and working within
the community,” said Mike
Hagan, Vice President of
Operations at Meadows,
whose responsibilities in
clude ancillary and thera
peutic services, including
wellness. Hagan and John
ny Carroll, Vice President
of Post Acute Care Servic
es, have worked with Bailey
to make the Center a reality.
Hagan noted, “We look
forward to this facility be
ing available for Meadows
patients to use after care at
our hospital and anticipate
seeing our employees, phy
sicians, and the public at
large taking advantage of
this opportunity to main
tain health and fitness in a
state-of-the-art facility.” He
added that the new Cen
ter is a mutually beneficial
relationship for Meadows
Fitness Center, the Mead
ows hospital system, and
the community as a whole.
Bailey and his team
are actively working with
several local companies to
offer a payroll deduction
for their employees to use
the Center; and the Silver
Sneakers program will re
turn as an option for se
niors.
The Center is open
24 hours a day, seven days
a week, and offers child
care services; group fitness
classes; a 25-meter, indoor,
heated pool; an indoor
walking track; a full range
of exercise equipment; an
infrared sauna; zero-gravity
massage chairs; a coffee bar,
and other amenities.
“We have the full gam
ut from cardio equipment
THE BEER
STILL FLOWS
BY GARY TOOLE
They may shut down the churches
but the beer still flows and the beer
men work
with no mask
on. The
devil will
take care of
them I guess.
I wonder
who will take
care of us
Christians.
Jesus I trust.
I was in this
two bit one
horse town putting out my
Christian literature and I went four
miles out in boomey town and two
18 wheeler beer trucks were
unloading. Not with small hand
cart dollies but with fork lifts.
Enough beer to float two ships and
guess who drinks most of it. I’ll let
you guess that as a brain teaser. Yet
those folks that buy the devil’s
poison is putting up crosses. Come
on now! Years ago that mess
almost destroyed my life and it has
many. In our region of the woods
from yea to they! We lost three
with the virus but eight marriages
busted up because of dope and
alcohol which is dope and three
wrecks happened and two killed
because of alcohol. Alcohol
related. Four went to prison
because of crimes committed while
under influence of substance abuse
including beer and two homicides
happened while influenced by beer,
wine and whiskey and we had six
break ins while under the influence
of beer. Alcohol. Yet they want
everyone to stop smoking cigarettes
and start smoking marijuana and
drinking beer and yet I have never
heard of a homicide, a divorce, a
crime, a rape or anything
committed against society because
of a cigarette and I am against them
too, but I am making a point. They
talk about the hypocrisy of the
church. The world is a hypocrite if
you ask me. Job 8:13.So many
drink up their entire pay check or
social security check on beer while
the Busch family of Busch beer buy
big boats and mansions off others
misery. Think about it! Yet my
ministry is hurting because of this
virus shut down that seems like will
go on forever. Now and yet the
churches had all closed down and
so many still are or just as well be
and yet as I looked at that ton of
beer in one little store out in the
country. The beer is flowing and
the devil is alive and well and
promoting evil and he is having
himself a party with this virus lock
down and it ain’t hurt him and his
crew and yet what are we doing as
believers. Notice I said, “We.”
Drinking beer too! I should hope
not! We need to be busy for Jesus!
Can you say amen?
PD.ADV.
Photo by Deborah Clark
SAUNA - The infrared sauna, which offers dry rather than
steam heat, is particularly beneficial for lung function,
releasing endorphins, burning calories and reducing
fine lines and wrinkles, The infrared sauna is also recom
mended for chemotherapy patients because it helps
with reducing toxins and alleviating nausea,
like treadmills, recumbent
bikes, upright bikes, stair
steppers, and ellipticals —
but we also try to concen
trate on non-impact cardio
exercise, including equip
ment for people who have
just had surgery and are less
mobile,” Bailey said. He ex
plained that the Center has
a NuStep new recumbent
stepper, or seated ellipiti-
cal, that is good for people
with limited range of mo
tion. “Our heated, indoor
pool is only four feet deep
at any point and is good for
walking laps. Water creates
bouyancy and takes weight
off of joints, and water pro
vides passive resistance
which increases the heart
rate, plus there is the thera
peutic warmth,” Bailey said.
He added, “We also
offer resistance training;
weight bearing is good for
the bones, and builds mus
cular strength which is crit
ical to independence. The
gym’s “selectorized” equip
ment alleviates moving
pins in the weights and the
necessity of having to have
a spotter. Our machines are
self-spotting.”
The Center layout
organizes the equipment
into sections based on the
part of the body that is be
ing targeted. “If someone
comes in who is new to
exercise and tells us they
want to work on their legs,
we guide them to a particu
lar row and show them the
specific equipment.” A per
sonal trainer is on staff and
can assist new members in
determining which equip
ment will address their
needs and how to exercise.
Orientations are part of the
membership package, but
ongoing training requires a
fee.
The Center can ac
commodate persons with
certain limitations, such as
those who are recovering
from knee or hip replace
ments, spinal surgery, or
from cardio-pulmonary
procedures, for instance,
and who have transitioned
from physical therapy and
can continue to improve
and maintain their health at
the Center.
“Continuum of care
is important,” Bailey said.
“The pandemic prevented
a lot of people from exer
cising and having social
interaction. Returning to
a routine to correct and
maintain muscular balance
is essential to maintaining
health,” he said. The social
interaction the Center af
fords also promotes good
mental health.
“One of the most com
mon questions I get from
new members is, ‘Where
do I start?’ “ Bailey said. He
explains that he tells people
to “do the modality at your
own pace” and not worry
about keeping up with the
rest of the class. “I do ask
if someone is coming from
physical therapy to see what
they have been doing and
can branch off that. I like to
ask if they have limitations.”
Maggie Martin ex
plained that the infrared
sauna, which offers dry
rather than steam heat, is
particularly beneficial for
lung function, releasing
endorphins, burning calo
ries and reducing fine lines
and wrinkles. The infrared
sauna is also recommended
for chemotherapy patients
because it helps with reduc
ing toxins and alleviating
nausea.
Because it is just re
opening, the Center is not
yet offering a full range of
classes, but eventually Bai
ley expects body sculpt
ing and zoom classes, pool
therapy, yoga, and Pilates,
among other activities to be
added.
The Center provides
free childcare at specific
hours during mornings
and evenings for children
under 12. Children who
are at least 12 can become
members. The Center will
be staffed from 8 a.m. until
7 p.m.; after 7 p.m., an elec
tronic fob will allow mem
bers access to the exterior
of the building.
Bailey, who graduated
from Georgia Southern
University with a master's
degree in exercise science,
began his professional ca
reer serving as an exercise
therapist. He discovered his
passion for helping, serv
ing, and teaching others
about health and wellness
during this time. He tran
sitioned into the wellness
director and later owner
of Fairview Fitness Center
in Dublin. After 20 years
in the fitness field, the op
portunity arose for Bailey
to purchase Meadows Fit
ness Center, and with the
support and generosity of
Meadows, he is now able to
duplicate his community-
based approach to wellness
management in Vidalia.
Bailey, 47, is the proud
father of five children rang
ing in age from 6 to 18
years, with the youngest in
kindergarten and the oldest
attending college. Bailey’s
children are his “lifeline,”
and he is also dedicated to
helping children “who are
unable to stand up for them
selves.” Bailey has a passion
for helping foster children
whose circumstances often
bring about their separa
tion from siblings, home,
and school. Because of
Bailey’s concern for these
children, Meadows Fit
ness Center will support
organizations like Families
4 Families (www.families-
4families.cc), which assists
those who are willing to
become advocates for these
children.
Martin, who has a BA
degree in elementary edu
cation, began her career in
fitness as a swimming in
structor. She served as well
ness and fitness coordina
tor at the former Meadows
Fitness Center. After that
center closed during the
pandemic, she taught at Jeff
Davis County Schools from
which she was recruited to
join the new Center as Di
rector.
For more information
about Meadows Fitness
Center, visit their Facebook
page.
Photo by Deborah Clark
RELAXATION HEAVEN - Keema Wooden and Maggie Martin enjoy the zero-gravity
massage chairs at the Fitness Center. The chairs provide soothing massage in a restful
environment.
Photo by Deborah Clark
FULL RANGE OF EQUIPMENT - Jay Bailey, owner of the new Meadows
Fitness Center, points out the range of exercise equipment available
to members at the Center. The Center layout organizes the equipment
into sections based on the part of the body that is being targeted.
Photo by Deborah Clark
HEATED POOL - The Meadows Fitness Center's 25-meter pool is four feet
deep at any point and offers safe and effective therapy. Water creates
bouyancy and takes weight off of joints, and provides passive resistance
that increases the heart rate.
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