Cleveland Clinic doctor transforms community gym into free, high-tech workout space in Fairfax neighborhood

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Clinic is working to keep community members motivated about their physical health and overall well-being, all while charting their progress in a fitness setting.

It’s all part of their smart gym technology at the Cleveland Clinic Langston Hughes Community Health and Education Center’s Fitness Center.

The center is free to those living in the neighborhood.

It comes at a critical time as the National Institute of Health reports people in marginalized communities have a higher risk of many diseases.

These include heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Some of that risk is caused by reduced access to health care and workout space.

The Cleveland Clinic is addressing these issues head-on in the Fairfax neighborhood.

Officials say access is the answer.

The updated gym has been made possible thanks to a generous donation and serious community motivation.

Michelle Dawson, 63, really does get by with a little help from her friends and some technology.

“I had my friend, she used to always take me, my best friend always takes me to my doctors’ appointments to Dr. Kampert,” Dawson said.

Dawson and her best friend of 20 years, Deirdre Tugard, are now workout buddies multiple days a week.

They support and encourage one another to push it, whether it’s on a weight machine or elliptical.

“If you see your best buddy doing well, then it makes you feel good,” Tugard said.

As part of their wellness journey, they now come to the Cleveland Clinic Langston Hughes Community Health and Education Center’s Fitness Center.

It’s a newly opened high-tech, smart gym that offers Olympic-quality exercise equipment in the heart of the Fairfax community.

The workout machines are user-friendly and literally guide you step-by-step with directions and visuals.

You can think of it almost like a hyper-interactive video game of sorts.

User wristbands play an instrumental part in the process.

“You press it up (the wristband) against the screen, press start, and start your workout and you don’t have to do anything. It tracks it all,” Tugard said.

Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine and Endocrinology specialist Dr. Matthew Kampert spearheaded the project.

“When they go to that machine, it will set the appropriate seat, height, arm settings and load the weight on the machines and track each of their reps,” Kampert said.

Tugard witnessed Dawson reclaim her happiness, sense of purpose, and overall health in just four months after working out here.

Her COPD and asthma improved as a direct result.

“Since I’ve been coming to this program, they have taken me off some of my medications. I’ve been taken off some of my inhalers, and I don’t have breathing issues now,” Dawson said.

Dawson also credits Kampert as they worked hand in hand to develop goals over time.

Over time, folks workout independently, but exercise physiologists are available to guide and answer questions—eliminating any anxiety or intimidation.

“You really see them transform from patients to athletes of their own level. This has been so important for improving overall wellness,” Kampert said.

A large part of the smart gym is holding participants accountable.

The machines track their progress over time so that they can review their results and see how far they’ve come in real-time.

“Tells you how many miles you’ve done. How many steps. How much weight you’ve pressed,” Tugard said.

Dawson says the experience has been life-altering and is now a regular part of her routine.

“I wouldn’t know what I would do without getting into this program ’cause it starts off my day,” Dawson said.

In the meantime, Kampert is hopeful more people will take advantage of it in the near future.

“What we’re able to do in this setting is we eliminate those barriers. We provide them a safe and free environment to exercise. We are here to be a support system and guide,” Kampert said.

A smartphone app allows providers to review the results of the data and make changes over time as well.

If you want to check out the program or enroll yourself, click here.

The gym is free and open to folks in the community.

The Cleveland Clinic staff can help enroll and do any sort of medical evaluation ahead of time.

For more information, call here: 216.361.1773