A Good “Fit”

Fitness has come closer.

Ideal Physical Therapy and Fitness, after eight years up by Rattlesnake Hammock Rd., moved into new digs at the Naples Coastal Shoppes on Collier Blvd. this summer. Ideal already had a strong following on Marco Island, said owner Tom Drummond, but now the travel time from Marco has been halved at the new location, just seven minutes from the Jolley Bridge. 

“We’re excited being this close to Marco,” he said. 

The bright, newly built-out 4,500 square foot fitness studio is equipped with half a million dollars worth of state-of-the-art therapy and gym equipment, but that’s not what their clientele comes for, patients and staff agree. 

“It’s this guy,” said Robert Schulze, 93. The Marco resident pointed at therapist Stephen Peace, who was working with him through a series of exercises on a variety of machines. “He keeps me moving.” 

“We met when I was at the Y on Marco Island, and then he came with me here,” said Peace. He emphasized how they work with patients one-on-one, with an emphasis on safety at all times. 

That one-on-one approach is key, said Ideal Fitness director of physical therapy Sean Hallihan II, who has MPT, CLT, and GPT after his name. They do serious work without being too serious about it.

“People actually enjoy coming here. They’re enthusiastic. We hear, ‘I went to another PT clinic, and it was nothing like this.’ 

“We’ve integrated PT and fitness,” he said. “A lot of people go to therapy, but they finish, their prescription runs out, and they stop doing all the things that make them feel better. We can hold you accountable – and we really have fun doing this.” 

That feeling, said Drummond, is what Ideal is all about. He founded the business, he said, so he could become a customer – sort of like the Gillette Co. owner who liked the razors so much he “bought the company,” or the Hair Club for Men owner who was a client as well.

“I started the business for me – so I could come here. Spinal decompression changed everything for me. I had collapsed discs, number five and six, but after about 25 treatments, they opened up. We’re not your normal physical therapy facility, for sure. Ongoing care is what sets us apart.”

Six-months-of-the-year Marco Island resident Rich Gordon, smiling while lying on the $48,000 spinal machine, also swears by the benefits of decompression. 

“I have a sciatica problem. This really helps my golf game – and I need it,” he said. 

“This facility has definitely shaved a few strokes off my golf game,” said Drummond, who plays out of the Members Club at Marco. Apparently, the advantage gained does not conflict with the Strict Rules of Golf. 

“What’s really cool, when insurance is done, Sean writes the program, and people can still continue and come here for as little as $30 a month,” said Drummond. 

Ideal is credentialed with United Healthcare, said Hallihan, allowing them to offer a $30 per month gym membership with unlimited visits. “Most people don’t have to pay a penny out of pocket for physical therapy, and we have a self-pay rate to help folks when insurance doesn’t cover them,” he said. 

While the friendly, knowledgeable staff, not the equipment, is the draw at Ideal, said Drummond, the facility boasts a host of professional-level gym apparatus. Staffer Kerry Seiler demonstrated what Peace identified as the upper body ergonometer, or as she called it, the “arm bike,” working the upper body while in a seated position. 

With Peace shadowing and spotting him, Schulze moved on from the recumbent stationary bicycle to the TrueStretch, allowing him to work out various muscle groups without risk of a fall. 

Ideal’s equipment roster includes three Nusteps, two recumbent stationary bikes, two upright stationary bikes, four treadmills, four ellipticals, two Cybex free motion machines, 14 Cybex total body circuits, four electrical stimulation machines, four therapeutic ultrasound machines, spinal decompression, five adjustable height tables, six steps of different heights, a rack of free weights up to 60#, and various stretching straps, Therabands, balance pads, foam rollers, medicine balls, Swiss balls, shoulder pulley, and the upper body ergonometer. And more, including two private treatment rooms.

“Sean tells me whatever he needs, and I tell him to go get it,” said Drummond. 

Ideal Physical Therapy & Fitness is located in Naples Coastal Shoppes at 6050 Collier Blvd., Suite 160. The phone number is 239-272-3226, and hours are from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.