Dr. Holm and wife Mary are pleased to announce renewed ownership of Fitness Forum Sports & Wellness
MARSHALL COUNTY — as the Chief Health Officer for Marshall County and as a previous practicing physician for almost five decades, Dr. Byron Holm feels it is his responsibility and calling to restore medical and wellness services for the total health and wellness for individuals and families in Marshall County. Dr. Holm and his wife Mary have taken the reigns back at the Fitness Forum at Lifeplex Fitness Forum Sports and Wellness.
“I have to work at re-establishing the total health and wellness for our county. I take that on as a real burden for the community because we need family practice. Family practice still remains the core for patient care,” said Dr. Holm.
a press release issued on social media platforms Sunday, May 7 stated:
Lifeplex at 2855 Miller Drive, Plymouth and Dr. Byron and Mary Holm are pleased to inform members, guests and the community of the reopening of the lap pool and warm water pool in Fitness Forum Sports & Wellness on May 8, 2023. The Holms are again owners of Fitness Forum Sports & Wellness. "We are looking forward to the future and being able to recruit family practice and specialty physicians and nurse practitioners, reopen urgent care, and invite a variety of paramedical services to Lifeplex." It is a blessing when new beginnings become a reality. Lifeplex is a Premier Medical Fitness Facility with its origins in 1979 on Center Street in Plymouth. The facility and its mission, offers traditional medical care, ancillary services, and a plethora of wellness offerings for high-level athletes, post rehabilitation, post cardiac rehab, and improved lifestyles for those with chronic illnesses. "The community has been extremely supportive of the long-term mission 'to enable others to reach their God-given potential'. We are grate
ful for this support over the past year of unexpected interruptions. Our staff is ready to serve you." (Facebook @ Fitness Forum Sports and Wellness)
Dr. Holm said that he and Mary’s God-given mission and vision has been to improve the health and the wellness of the community through the health center. “Fitness Forum Sports and Wellness is for a reason - and that is that exercise is the best medicine that we have.”
Through every step, Dr. Holm said that he and his wife have tried to stay in the Lord’s will and within His direction. He credits his wife with the original and continued vision.
“We personally started this journey clear back in 1979 when God began to unfold a picture for us which was very limited at that time. But as gracious as God is He didn’t give us more than we could handle at the beginning. It began to unfold over the years and it’s still unfolding - that’s the exciting thing about it is that it never really ends,” said Mary.
Certain specialty services have been lost in Marshall County. The Holm family is committed to restoring those much needed resources including water therapy. The pool was back open on Monday. Dr. Holm explained that warm water temperatures are vital for a variety of conditions including arthritis, joint diseases, and physical therapy; the temperature of the water aids in comfort and mobility. The pools also need to be easily accessible for person’s with varying degrees of mobility. “We can offer that here at Fitness Forum Sports and Wellness,” said Dr. Holm.
Mary said that taking care of wellness and not only addressing illness helps increase focus and energy which increases each individual’s quality of life overall. “Then they can contribute to the community and the people around them.”
She said that being in the best shape an individual can be in does not require hours a day; 20 minutes three times a week of increased heart rate and some strength training two or three times a week will set someone on the right path to a happier, healthier life. A small commitment to health can make a world of difference.
Dr. Holm explained that while medicine is shifting toward a procedural focus, critical pathways, and policies to treat people, he emphasized the continued importance of family practitioners who make a lot of the clinical diagnosis and secures referrals to specialists. Dr. Holm advocates that for best practices, it is essential to know the story of each patient.
The other section of the building, Lifeplex Holdings, was the home of the former Urgent Care and Primary Care offices. Services still located in the building include Fresenius Kidney Care Nephrology Marshall County, Farrington Specialty Centers Services, Grossnickle Eye Center, Premier Health Medical Imaging, and the Dermacenter are still active. The Holms hope to retain those critical service providers and expand additional services. “It’s going to take time. It won’t come over night, but we will try to re-establish those by finding providers and nurse practitioners to help fill that void in our community.”
A program called “Move in to Wellness” which requires a physician’s referral, is administrated by a personal trainer, and involves health screenings, physical fitness screenings, and then directive exercise to get people back on the road to wellness and eventually transition what they learn from the program in to their daily lifestyle.
Certain providers signed a two year non-compete agreement in March 2022. That non-compete agreement, which impacted Dr. Holm and other providers, will expire in March 2024. Dr. Holm welcomes providers interested in running an urgent care to reach out. “It’s a good location for it. It would fulfill the total need of the building too, that we cover all modalities.”
The Holms are not rebuilding from scratch, they are rebuilding from experience. He started practicing in Marshall County in 1974. By 1979 Dr. Holm had moved to a new multi-specialty clinic on Center St., Plymouth west of the old Parkview hospital and eventually used some of the open space for a Nautilus Fitness Center. “The Holms believed in health, wellness, exercise and medicine as critical components of total physical and spiritual health. A fire in 2000 forced the decision to rebuild the same size or expand; the Holms felt led by God to expand. “You’ve got to learn to turn your obstacles in to opportunities. In the valleys is where you grow. You never grow on the mountain tops.”
Through the recent challenges, Dr. Holm focused on his faith in God. “God is more interested in my character than He is my comfort.”
Dr. Holm and Mary are committed to the restoration of the Lifeplex. “I think that what there is to offer here at the Lifeplex is unique, especially in a town our size. We’re just excited - I don’t know what other word to use other than blessed - to be at this point now that we can stop the stagnation and begin to rebuild again,” said Mary, “As I look out this window there are just floods of people taking a hold of the opportunity to be healthier, to feel more alive, to have a quality of life - to go beyond just being ‘not sick’ to a point of being truly well and making the most of their life; having the energy and the vitality to fulfill their dreams and follow God’s purpose for their life. To me, that’s the difference in a medical fitness and wellness center from traditional medicine - we go beyond just taking care of the sick but taking care of the well,” said Mary.
Though the valleys can be dark and overwhelming, the Holms held on to their faith and encouraged others to do the same. Dr. Holm’s message for his patients is the same for the community. “The best medicine that a physician can have is to instill hope in to his patients. That’s the best medicine there is from that standpoint - faith and hope that there is a brighter tomorrow for them.”
Dr. Holm and Mary are eager to maintain a positive outlook for the future of the establishment and for members in the community. “I think we’re on a new sunrise. We’re coming out of a valley, and we can foresee the mountain tops.”
“We are just ordinary people. We are blessed that God used us. One of our messages is that God can use anybody. We want to help people reach their full potential as part of our mission - to enable others to reach their God given potential through physical fitness as it relates to spiritual fitness,” said Mary. “If people can realize that life is to serve other people and do God’s will instead of getting up in the morning with ‘whatever happens happens’ - but to be focused and purposeful! Anybody can - it doesn’t matter what your income level is, what your mentality is, what your emotional health is - you can strive for your purpose in life.” said Mary.
Go to fitnessforum.biz or call 574-936-2333 for more information. Follow on Facebook @ Fitness Forum Sports and Wellness. Ask to speak to Jennifer Houin who will continue to serve as Business Manager. She worked for the Holm family before; and continued through the transition.
“We’ve got some good things to do - I think this is going to be fun,” Dr. Holm said optimistically.