You get in touch
Through the form on this page, by phone on +5999 736-6488, or you walk in at the Mahaaiweg. Do say that it is about rehabilitation, then we set aside enough time for it straight away.
Post-rehabilitation training · Mahaai, Willemstad
Recovery does not stop at the last treatment
Your treatment has ended, but you are not there yet. At Dunker Fitness you keep building strength, balance and fitness, under the supervision of a physiotherapist.
Freeintake meeting
30min
That is how long a guided circuit session takes
1building
The physiotherapy practice is under the same roof
40+
The age this gym was built for
Free
The intake meeting costs nothing and commits you to nothing
What it is
What post-rehabilitation training means here
Rehabilitation literally means becoming able again after an accident, an illness or an operation. That process is rarely a straight line. There is a lot to it physically, and there is often even more to it that nobody sees.
At some point the programme at the rehabilitation centre comes to an end. Your treatment is finished, the appointments stop, and you are on your own again. For many people in Curaçao that is the point where progress stalls, simply because there are few places that take over from there.
Post-rehabilitation training is what comes next. You keep moving, in a place that is set up for it and with someone watching. Building strength, finding your balance again, bringing your fitness back up slowly. Not all at once, but in steps you can handle.
Dunker Fitness has been a gym for people over 40 and seniors since 2018. Post-rehabilitation training belongs here, because the people who need it are often exactly our members.
We train, we do not treat
This is a gym, not a clinic. We give no medical treatment and we make no diagnosis. What we do is let you move safely, with exercises that fit your situation.
Under the supervision of a physiotherapist
Post-rehabilitation training at Dunker Fitness takes place under the professional supervision and coaching of a physiotherapist. You never do an exercise just because it happens to be on the programme.
Everything is agreed beforehand
Every rehabilitation session is discussed with the trainers and planned in. That way everyone knows what happens that day and what needs to be taken into account.
Not sure whether training is wise for you at the moment? Then talk to your doctor or your own physiotherapist first. We are glad to get to work with you, but never against medical advice.
Who it is for
Who comes here after a rehabilitation programme
Our members walk in with very different stories. What they share is that the recovery is not finished and that they do not want to sit still.
After an operation
You have had surgery, the recovery is under way and the treatment has finished. From there we build your strength and your stamina back up.
After a stroke
After a stroke it is often about getting your confidence back in what your body can do. We work calmly, with a lot of attention for posture and balance.
With a neurological condition
You are welcome here without any obligation if you have a neurological condition too. There are few places in Curaçao that take this group in. We do.
With diabetes
Moving is extra important with diabetes, and you probably know that from your doctor already. We make sure it happens safely and that you keep it up.
With balance problems
Trouble getting up out of a chair, unsteady on your feet, afraid of falling. Balance can be trained, and that is exactly what we do here.
Treatment finished, and still wanting more
You no longer qualify for help at a rehabilitation centre, but you want to carry on training and hold on to your quality of life. Then we are here.
Is your situation not on the list? Give us a call. Then we look together at whether it fits here, and we say so honestly if it does not.
How it goes
From the first phone call to regular sessions
For rehabilitation we do not start with a trial session but with a conversation. We want to know what happened and where you want to get to, before anybody touches a machine.
Free intake meeting
We go through it calmly: what happened, what you can and cannot do now, what your doctor or physiotherapist has said, and what you want to be able to do again. This conversation is free and without obligation.
We agree it with the trainers
All rehabilitation sessions are discussed with the trainers and planned in. That way the trainer beside you knows exactly what to watch for and what we are building this period.
Your first sessions
You start carefully. Small movements, little resistance, plenty of explanation. If something does not feel right we stop and look for another exercise. That is not a setback, that is how it is meant to go.
We build up at your pace
As it goes better it gets heavier. Not because a schedule says so, but because you are ready for it. Every session takes thirty minutes.
You belong here
You train among people of your own age, who often have a story of their own. That makes coming back easier than any training schedule.
What you work on
Strength, balance and fitness, in that order
Among our members it happens regularly that someone struggles with falling and getting back up. Others mainly want their strength and their fitness back. Post-rehabilitation training at Dunker Fitness therefore consists of different kinds of exercises, which we match to your situation.
- Strength in your legs, so that standing up and taking the stairs works again
- Balance and stability, against the fear of falling
- Fitness, so that a day takes less out of you
- Movement in your joints and your back
- Confidence in what your body can still do
You train on the machines of the circuit, which were chosen on purpose for how easy they are to use. No loose weights you can pick up the wrong way, no exercises that take your back by surprise.
Parkinson's
Guiding people with Parkinson's
Parkinson's is a complicated illness. Your brain controls your muscle movements less and less well, and other complications can come with it. One of the causes is a shortage of dopamine, a substance your brain needs in order to work properly.
Science now knows that alongside medication an intensive exercise programme matters too, to keep people with Parkinson's mobile for as long as possible. That is the reason we do something here that you would not immediately expect in a gym for people over 40: we use kickbox fitness.
Kickbox fitness asks for coordination, reaction and repetition all at once. It is intensive, it is focused, and for many people it is more fun to keep up than a list of exercises. With us it is not about fighting and there is no opponent involved. You hit gloves and pads, at your own pace, with a trainer standing beside you.
The guidance is always professional and agreed in advance. If you have Parkinson's and want to know whether this is something for you, come by for an intake meeting. Do check with your neurologist or your physiotherapist beforehand, so that everybody is on the same page.
Under the same roof
The physiotherapy practice is in the same building
At Mahaaiweg 9 there is more than the gym. The physiotherapy practice is in the same building. That is exactly why post-rehabilitation training is possible here and not in most other places.
For you it mainly means that the lines are short. You do not have to take your story from one side of the island to the other. The people who train with you and the physiotherapist who supervises are literally in the same building.
We do remain the gym. For treatment you are in the right place with a physiotherapist, for building yourself back up afterwards you are with us.
What that means in practice
- One address in Mahaai, no travelling between two places
- Supervision by a physiotherapist during your sessions
- Your sessions are agreed with the trainers and planned in
- You can park in front of the door
Mahaaiweg 9, Willemstad, Curaçao. On weekdays we open at 06:00 and again in the afternoon, Saturday 07:30 to 11:45. The exact times are on the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about rehabilitation with us
What does the intake meeting cost?
Nothing. The intake meeting is free and without obligation. We take the time to hear what happened and what you want to be able to do again, and after that you decide for yourself whether you start. You are tied to nothing.
Is this the same as physiotherapy?
No. We are a gym, not a clinic. We do not treat and we do not diagnose. What we do is let you train safely after your rehabilitation, under the supervision of a physiotherapist. If you need treatment, you will hear that from a physiotherapist or your doctor, not from us.
Do I need a referral from my doctor?
You can come to us without any obligation and we do not ask for a referral. We do like it when your doctor or your physiotherapist knows that you are going to train, certainly after an operation or a stroke. If you are in doubt whether moving is wise at the moment, talk to them first.
How often do I come and when?
We agree that together. All rehabilitation sessions are discussed with the trainers and planned in, so that there is always someone ready for you and a spot free. A session takes thirty minutes.
I am unsteady on my feet and afraid of falling. Can I still join in?
Tell us at the intake meeting and we take it into account from the very first session. Trouble with falling and getting back up is common among our members. Balance and stability are exactly part of what we work on, and there is always someone beside you.
What does it cost per month?
You train on the same memberships as the rest of our members. Those start at XCG 95 per month with a yearly membership. All the amounts and terms are on the rates page.
In which language will I be helped?
Our trainers speak Papiamentu, Dutch and English. You talk to us in the language you feel most comfortable in, and at an intake meeting that certainly matters.
Free and without obligation
Ask for an intake meeting
Leave your details and we will call you to arrange a time. In that conversation we go through calmly what is going on and what is possible. After that you decide for yourself.
Would you rather speak to someone straight away? Call +5999 736-6488 or walk in at Mahaaiweg 9 in Mahaai. All contact details and opening hours are on the contact page.
If you have letters or advice from your doctor, your specialist or your physiotherapist, feel free to bring them to the meeting. Handy, but not required.
Bon bini
Keep moving, also after your rehabilitation
The conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. After that you know exactly whether this suits you.