After a severe fall left her nearly bedridden, Stevie Ash was referred to the UAB Medicine St. Vincent’s One Nineteen water therapy program. Her pain specialist, Robert Nesbitt, M.D., thought the program could help with the pain in her back, hips, neck, and legs.
It did much more than that. While Ash was participating in the water therapy program, her physical therapist, Emily, encouraged her to also take advantage of the fitness center and personal trainers that One Nineteen offers. Today, she credits the programs at One Nineteen with helping her get her life back.
Located just off U.S. Highway 280 on Alabama 119, UAB Medicine St. Vincent’s One Nineteen is a health and wellness facility that connects patients to medical specialties, outpatient surgery, a gym, a spa, and a variety of wellness services. Its care teams will review your health history, make sure you understand your diagnoses and treatment options, and create a personalized care plan that helps you meet your goals.
Meeting fitness goals
“I’ve never been a gym-goer,” Ash confessed. “Emily would tell me that starting an exercise program would really help all the work we had been doing in physical therapy, and I’d say, ‘Oh ok,’ and not really think anything more of it. But after about the third or fourth time she said something, I decided to walk over to the gym and see.”
It was there that she met Hannah, a personal trainer. The pair started to train together twice a week, and Ash saw vast improvements in a short period of time.
“Hannah is just the best,” Ash said. “I’ve gone from being in a wheelchair to walking around my house without a walker the majority of the time. You just don’t know what that does to a person, to be able to do the little things in life that you couldn’t, like fold the laundry. It just means everything to me.”
The personal trainers at UAB Medicine St. Vincent’s One Nineteen specialize in adapting fitness plans to meet each client’s individual needs. They take the time to get to know their clients, to help ensure that a fitness regimen is safe, achievable, and also sustainable, which is the key for maximum benefits.
“When I first meet with a new client, I ask them a series of questions, like what are your goals? Are they overcoming an injury or illness? What do they ultimately hope to get out of this?” Hannah explained. “When I first met Stevie, she was a little reserved and timid about being in the gym setting. She just needed little nudges of encouragement, and she was well on her way.”
Because falls were a main concern for Ash, Hannah developed a regimen that focused on core strength and overall muscle-building. Hannah also worked closely with Ash’s physicians to help ensure that her fitness regimen was in line with what Ash needed medically.
“There were machines that intimidated me, and I thought there’s no way I will use those,” Ash recalled. “But I have, and not only that, I continue to increase my weight.”
Spa services for the whole self
Ash has been consistent in keeping her twice-a-week workouts with Hannah, even booking doctor’s visits and vacations around her schedule at One Nineteen, so that she doesn’t miss a step. Another thing Ash never misses: her bi-weekly Friday deep tissue massages at Spa One Nineteen.
“That has greatly helped my neck and my hip, which were the main things injured during my falls,” Ash said. “Had I not been pointed in the direction of One Nineteen, I know I wouldn’t be able to live my life the way I am now. I was about ready to give up and go into a nursing facility. But One Nineteen has given me my life back.”
The massage therapists at Spa One Nineteen are trained to provide a complete approach to health through wellness services.
“I just want people to know this facility exists,” Ash added. “For people who need help both mentally and physically, the work they do and the encouragement they give has so greatly helped with my mental and physical state. I can’t say enough about them.”
Learn more about UAB Medicine St. Vincent’s One Nineteen or call 205-408-6600 to schedule an appointment. To take part in the medical fitness program and nutrition counseling, please call 205-408-6516.