Jims Kortrijk strengthens offer with physiotherapist support

As of today, SPRS (https://sprskine.be/), the high-level sports physiotherapist, will be permanently present at the Jims club in Kortrijk. Recently renovated, the club has four new treatment rooms for physio therapeutical assistance. The Jims Club in Kuurne will follow with a similar offer in early 2025. This test project is part of Jims' health ambition, which aims to involve independent health professionals more and wants to improve the interaction between physiotherapists and sports coaches. If the test phase turns out to be positive, all Jims clubs could benefit from this support. Physiotherapy is not the only option being considered: Jims is already collaborating in various ways with hospitals and other care establishments (including in Ghent, Halle and Genk), with the aim of complementing traditional care systems in the broadest sense.

Physical presence of a healthcare professional in the fitness club: a win-win

Jelle Duthoit and his team of sports physiotherapists, known for their link with Team Belgium, the Belgian Cats, Sport Vlaanderen and various sports teams, will as of today be present in the newly renovated Jims club in Kortrijk to coach members and welcome their proper patients. From early 2025, this will also be the case in Jims Kuurne. Each club will be equipped with four new treatment rooms where different therapists can treat patients. Top athletes of Olympic stature will be present in the Jims clubs in Kortrijk and later in Kuurne for their treatments and rehabilitation. If the test phase proves to be a success, all Jims clubs could be expanded with this offer.

This new collaboration should ensure a better connection between sports and rehabilitation and should bring the independent healthcare professional closer to the fitness scene. This is immediately one of the important elements in the curative health strategy of Jims, the fitness brand of retail group Colruyt Group.

Pieterjan Nuitten, responsible for Jims, comments: ‘We see this as a real win-win. Members of Jims can immediately ask advice from a physiotherapist if they feel something or have pain during their workout; they can receive an adapted programme more smoothly if something bothers them. This focuses on what they can still do instead of what they can no longer do.’ Jelle Duthoit of physiotherapist practice SPRS also sees the benefits of the integration: ‘Our non-member patients will get access to the Jim's infrastructure as well: this is a great new working tool for our team and creates a lot of opportunities. Of course, we will also be able to exchange a lot of knowledge”.

Jims as a complement to classical care system - in the broad sense of the word

This initiative fits into Colruyt Group's strategic approach to focus more on a more preventive health policy, and to support the Belgian citizen in his/her quest for a healthier lifestyle. In doing so, the retail group wants to take responsibility for the increasing role of retail in prevention and healthy living. Jims plays an important role in this, and this new physiotherapist offering is part of the fitness chain's specific development plan. Pieterjan Nuitten: ‘We mainly want to complement the classic care system. Moreover, we are not only approaching physiotherapists and other independent healthcare professionals but we’re also running test projects with hospitals and healthcare institutions for both patient follow-up and wellness offerings for the healthcare workers themselves. Today, exchanges are already taking place with Maria Middelares in Ghent, Sint-Maria-Halle in Halle and the Oost-Limburg Hospital in Genk.’

Jims specifically helps (and relieves) hospitals by allowing patients who need chronic exercise therapy (such as chronic heart and lung patients) exercise with them. In this way, the hospital creates more space to take in new patients and chronic patients are taken out of the traditional care system. ​ People undergoing in-depth care treatment such as obesity can also be referred to Jims. In addition, training days are organised for the Jims staff in the hospital, training schedules are exchanged with the doctors and there is a mutual referral.

Pieterjan Nuitten: ‘We tackle this very thoroughly, in function of our preventive health strategy, which is so much more than fitness alone. We also try to reduce the physical distance between the traditional healthcare system and prevention by having an active presence on the hospital campus. In concrete terms, this can be done by means of equipment and devices, just think of the cardio equipment in the emergency psychiatry department of UZ Ghent. Or we effectively operate an entire club on the campus, creating a synergy with rehabilitation. This will be the case in Gentbrugge on the Maria Middelares campus, for example. We are firmly convinced that we can thus be an interesting and valuable added value for independent healthcare professionals, healthcare institutions and patients.’