Tidelands HealthPoint Center for Health and Fitness, the region’s only medical fitness center, is celebrating 20 years of helping people live more active and healthy lives.
The Pawleys Island medical fitness center caters to its members, whether they prefer sweating to one of the 75 classes a month or have a doctor-referred need for a custom plan developed just for them through the Stronger Through Movement program. The staff of specially trained exercise physiologists make sure the 2,200-plus members have what they need and want, which has helped Tidelands HealthPoint stay successful for two decades. The center opened in November 1998.
“We really cater to the members,” operations manager Kim Vanlandingham said. “Our team members have a passion for fitness and healthy lifestyles, and they enjoy sharing their expertise with our members to help them live better lives through better health.”
As the region’s only medical fitness center, Tidelands HealthPoint offers programs developed by health care professionals to help people of all ages and physical abilities safely and successfully become more active. The center focuses on helping people manage their overall health instead of just their weight or physique.
While it’s a medical fitness center, you don’t have to be referred by a doctor or work at Tidelands Health to become a member of Tidelands HealthPoint.
In celebration of 20 successful years, here are 20 fast facts and interesting tidbits you may not know about Tidelands HealthPoint:

• Between sweating and swimming, members go through towels – at least 1,000 a day. (Members enjoy free towel service at Tidelands HealthPoint.)
• Keep your eye out for special appearances by high-profile fitness gurus and athletes. Big names in fitness have popped in and led special classes, including Tae Bo creator Billy Blanks and Loretta Bates, a Zumba education specialist. And Jonathan Maybank, a 2004 Georgetown High School grad and former pro basketball player in Australia, led a basketball camp.
• The busiest day? Monday.
• The busiest times on an average day? 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• Number of members: 2,200 and growing.
• Members range in age from 2 months to 96 years old.
• Never use age as an excuse not to be active – Tidelands HealthPoint has four members who are older than 90.
• In addition to getting a good workout, you can pamper yourself, too. Tidelands HealthPoint features a full-service day spa offering facials, body scrubs, waxes, massages and other treatments and a nail salon. You do not have to be a Tidelands HealthPoint member to use the day spa.

• The 40,000-square-foot building hasn’t expanded over the past two decades, even though the programs and offerings have. Staff has found ways to make that happen. A conference room has turned into a spot for more Pilates and yoga classes. Several of the closets have been converted into more usable space – a stretching area, a kids’ clubhouse for camp, etc. “We have to be creative on the inside,” Vanlandingham said.
• Attention women: Feeling shy about working out in front of the guys? Try the women’s only workout room featuring a treadmill, elliptical, bike, dumbbells, TV and more.
• Kids camp isn’t just for the summer. The Fit for Kids Camp is active when local schools are out for holidays, storms or even Election Day. You do not have to be a member to enroll children ages 3 to 12. Cost is $25 a day. When schools were closed because of Hurricane Florence in September, about 55 kids participated in camp – enjoying swimming, arts and crafts and other activities.
• Several of the camp leaders have been coming to Tidelands HealthPoint since they were in diapers. Their journey started when they were babies – their parents used the fitness center child care, which accommodates babies from 2 months old to 12 years old while their parents work out. Apparently, the exposure to the fitness center rubbed off on them. Now in their teens, they lead some of the camps. “We see them grow up then they work here while they are in school,” Vanlandingham said.
• Want to get some steps? Tidelands HealthPoint has an indoor walking path – 16 laps equals a mile.
• Busiest month? July. Like nearly everything else in our tourist-driven area, July is the peak month as visitors buy weekly passes to keep up their exercise routine while on vacation. For annual members, January and February are the busiest months as folks set that New Year’s resolution to get in shape.
• The lightest month? December.
• Whether in the water or in an exercise studio, classes are popular at Tidelands HealthPoint. More than 75 classes – 20 in the pool – are offered, ranging from ballroom dancing to Zumba. Check out the latest schedule here.
• Most popular class? Body Pump. This hour-long class features a challenging, high-intensity, low-impact workout – there’s not a lot of jumping that can wear on your knees. Participants also use weights for strength training while jamming to high-energy, popular tunes such as “Uptown Funk.”
• You not only feel great, but can look your best when you leave after a workout. The women’s locker room features four sit-down vanity stations, each equipped with a hair dryer, tissues and more.
• You’d think 93 degrees would be way too warm for a workout – but it’s the perfect temperature for the warm-water exercise pool.
• Don’t know how to swim? Learn this important skill – especially with all the pools, rivers and ocean in our communities – by taking swimming lessons at Tidelands HealthPoint. Free swim lessons, through a partnership with the American Red Cross, are open to children ages 3-10 and will be offered from 5:45-6:30 p.m. Dec. 3-6. Membership to Tidelands Health is not required.
• Can’t make it to those lessons? The center offers group lessons for ages 6 months to 5 years old, while adults can arrange for private lessons from a certified instructor. Already know how to swim? Improve your skills by joining the Tidelands HealthPoint swim teams. Get more info here.