Papieri People
Exercise is essential
Maarten Duijn
Reha-Zentrum Papieri
Classic physiotherapy, a small gym, outdoor classes and support for athletes – Reha-Zentrum Papieri offers much more than just rehabilitation and physiotherapy support. In this interview, founder Maarten Duijn talks about his work, the philosophy behind it, and what he likes best about the Papieri.
The modern rehabilitation center Reha-Zentrum Papieri offers classic physiotherapy, children’s physio and sports physio in an area of around 400 square meters. It also boasts a small gym – a true gem. The cardio equipment is located right by the windows that look out over the Lorze river as it flows quietly by, casting a mystical spell over the gym. Reha-Zentrum Papieri is Maarten’s third location after the centers in Cham and Rotkreuz. «The new location in the Papieri is ideal. One day there will be 3,000 people living here – plenty of potential clients for our physio and sports facilities. All the centers function independently and have no structural connections with each other. But naturally we take advantage of synergies and help each other out with personnel,» says Maarten. These days the experienced physiotherapist tends to work behind the scenes. But when things get busy and the appointments diary is full, he can also support the team as a therapist.
Maarten Duijn’s policy is simple, and firmly anchored in the mission statement of the rehabilitation center: «Move more than you do now.» For the Dutch-born physiotherapist, exercise is more than just spending time in the gym or meeting up with friends to go jogging or walking. Essentially, just incorporating more movement into your everyday life – like taking the stairs rather than the elevator – can prevent a whole range of physical problems. «Nevertheless, it was essential that we also integrate a gym where our clients have the support of a professional fitness trainer if they need it. The premises may not be huge, but they are unique and exactly right,» he says.
«The gym is also available to the residents of the Papieri. On top of that, there are weekly outdoor classes in the neighborhood, where people work out together in the fresh air – all in all, a well-balanced range of personal health options..»
At Reha-Zentrum Papieri, a multidisciplinary team supports people who want to stay healthy or quickly return to fitness after a procedure. «We help people recover from injuries, operations and illness, for example, or simply to keep moving. But our customers also include sports clubs such as the LK Zug women’s handball team (National League A), the Zug United men’s team in the unihockey A league and heavyweights of Swiss wrestling – who are currently being treated at the center in Cham,» says Maarten. Reha-Zentrum Papieri supports athletes and non-athletes alike on the journey back to greater mobility. In all cases, however, the responsibility lies with the client. «A course of treatment is only successful and, above all, sustainable with the right initiative and regular mobilization,» says Maarten.
Exercise in everyday life seems to increasingly be an issue for younger people. Maarten and his team have noticed that clients are getting younger. A lack of exercise often leads to obesity, which in turn puts strain on the joints. Knee and foot problems, for instance, are occurring earlier. For this and other reasons, Reha-Zentrum Papieri offers children’s physio, while the premises are geared to the needs of young clients. There are numerous pediatric practices in Cham, but few children’s physios.
Generally speaking, the most common problems are orthopedic in nature – that is, related to joints such as knees, back, shoulders, hips and feet. Sufficient exercise in everyday life would prevent most of these issues.
«Adequate movement and exercise in everyday life are good preventative measures in many respects».
The demand is great and Reha-Zentrum Papieri aims to keep on growing. Occupational therapy and massage services are also in planning – both of them ideally matched to the physiotherapy on offer.
For Maarten and his team, the main goal is prevention and regeneration. But if injuries do occur, Reha-Zentrum Papieri provides support. «I love interacting with other people and I like it when we get involved with bigger activities. For the Papieri-Fäscht, for instance, we opened our doors and made contact with potential customers for the gym. One of them was photographer Christian Krebs, who afterwards took all the photos for our homepage. The Papieri-Fäscht is a platform that has benefited us a lot, which is great,» says the founder of Reha-Zentrum Papieri.
He also gets on well with the other tenants in the Papieri, and they take advantage of synergies where appropriate. For example, the rehabilitation center is in dialog with the neighboring company Prometrics, which offers performance measurements in the field of sports. They complement each other well in the Papieri, says the physiotherapist – it’s an exciting location with a cooperative atmosphere. But his favorite thing in the neighborhood is the Lorze. The picturesque river flows about two meters from the windows of his gym. «I love it here in the early morning, when I open the windows and the fresh scent of the river water pours into our rooms».
Doesn’t it make you want to jump on a step machine with a view of the Lorze?
Contact
Reha-Zentrum Papieri
Maschinengasse 21
6330 Cham
Web https://rehazentrumpapieri.ch/
Mail info@rehazentrumpapieri.ch
Phone 041 781 41 00
