From treatment to prevention
The concept of health experts working together to form a client plan is rooted in the late 1970s, when medical teams began sharing expertise to better treat heart disease and diabetes. "It's a medical model that is now being transferred into something more applicable to people who have not yet been diagnosed with disease," says Walter Thompson, Ph.D., a regents professor of kinesiology and health at Georgia State University who studies fitness trends. "Pairing diet and exercise was the first collaboration. Today, it's not just about diet and exercise, but about human behavior as well."

Some collaborative fitness centers are geared toward average people looking for a more holistic approach to wellness, while others appeal to serious athletes. All of them provide the benefit of experts in different fields communicating to help you reach your fitness goals.

Feedback loop
Clients at Boulder Bodyworks in Boulder, Colorado, feel tended to and well cared for. Owners Renée Beshures and David Schwartz have brought together a group of skilled practitioners who offer Pilates, yoga, cranial sacral work, massage, acupuncture, manual therapy, and physical therapy. While many clients are healing from injuries, others are there to prevent injury and maintain overall health and alignment as they age.

"We offer the same services that we found to be beneficial in our own healing process, and in maximizing our well-being mentally and physically," says Beshures. They first realized the benefits of collaborating when they worked together in the same building, and shared patients. "The clients loved that we communicated with each other, and we enjoyed the team approach."

Clients at Boulder Bodyworks first go through an evaluation to determine if their focus is wellness or medical. A six-week treatment plan is recommended, and during that time the various practitioners meet regularly to discuss the client's progress. Many clients continue beyond the initial six weeks, and enjoy ongoing communication between the staff. The synergy results in a more satisfying experience for therapists, too -- which ultimately translates to better care. "The therapists have an opportunity to collaborate and grow together, and this team effort means success in working with patients," says Beshures. Clients pay fees comparable to other Pilates, yoga, and bodywork services, but get the benefit of working with instructors who are interested in and aware of their overall fitness progress.

A focus on athletes
Mark Verstegen, the founder of Athletes' Performance, offers a program with a slightly different emphasis. He has taken a collaborative approach originally used for top performers and adapted it to recreational athletes. His new program, called Core Performance, is available in person in Santa Monica, California, and online. Clients glean advice from physical therapists, performance specialists, nutritionists, metabolic specialists, and massage therapists.

Verstegen says clients go through an initial evaluation and are then paired with a support team that, by interacting with each other and the clients through established check-in points, continues to adapt the program as needed. A 90-minute evaluation and 10 training sessions cost about $649. "This collaborative approach looks at each individual, taking them through specific movement screening, metabolic tests, and other evaluations," says Verstegen. "The program factors in client mind-set, nutrition, movement and recovery, supplying a plan that works for their goals and lifestyle."