Achieve All Your Fitness, Health & Wellness Goals, Right Here in Bryan County

Story by Gail Parsons

If focusing on health, fitness and wellness is on your agenda for 2025, Bryan County has a range of resources to help.

The Recreation Department maintains an active schedule of youth and adult sports and recreational activities throughout the year. The Hendrix Park facility is more than 100 acres and includes a 1.6-mile walking/running track, gymnasium, football fields, soccer fields, baseball/softball complexes, covered picnic shelters, two tennis courts, and a playground area for small children.

The Henderson Park facility has a gymnasium, a baseball and softball complex, walking trails, a 10-court regulation tennis complex, and artificial turf fields. It also has Bark Park, a place for the furry members of the family to play.

 The Timber Trail facility boasts a baseball and softball complex with eight fields and batting cages, two football fields, and two full-size gymnasiums.

Bryan County also offers several scenic walking and hiking trails for all levels of outdoor enthusiasts. The J. F. Gregory Park is a 335-acre multi-use recreational area. The park is ideal for picnics, sports, activities, canoeing, birding, fishing, hiking, strolling, and meetings. Attractions include a lagoon, walking trail, and birding tower.

The Green Creek Trail is a level paved walking trail with minimal elevation. It’s perfect for peaceful walks, with interpretive signs and benches along the way. Parking is available along Highway 144, though limited, and the trail can also be accessed via Devaul Henderson Park.

At Fort McAllister Historic Park the 3.1-mile Red Bird Creek Trail weaves through maritime forest, crosses several footbridges, and includes a connector trail that leads to a marsh side lookout tower.

In addition to outdoor options, Bryan County has several gyms and other facilities to aid in meeting personal fitness, health, and wellness goals. However, not all gyms are the same when choosing one, people should visit and see what fits with their goals, preferences, and lifestyle.

Look for a gym that offers the facilities, equipment, and classes that align with your goals. For instance, if you enjoy group workouts, prioritize a gym with diverse fitness classes like yoga, spin, or HIIT. Location and hours are also important, a conveniently located gym with flexible operating hours will make it easier to stay consistent.

Additionally, evaluate the gym’s atmosphere—friendly staff, cleanliness, and a supportive community can make a significant difference in your experience.

CrossFit/HighTide

912.455.3595  |  www.crossfithightide.com

150 Thunderbird Dr, # 307 B, Richmond Hill

Mon.-Fri: 5:30am to 7:30pm; Sat: Classes at 8 & 9:15am; closed Sunday

For people who are new to their fitness journey, stepping into a gym can be intimidating. However, with a team of experienced coaches, and members who share a goal of health and fitness, people can feel comfortable as they challenge themselves at CrossFit/HighTide.

For those looking for a class setting, the Functional Fitness Class follows the methodology of diet, metabolic conditioning, gymnastics, weightlifting and throwing, and sports. Workouts are adjusted in weight, intensity, and mechanics to scale to an individual’s experience and fitness level.

To ensure a person’s hard work in the gym is not thrown out in the kitchen, CrossFit/HighTide has a nutrition coach to help people develop a plan to aid in their fitness goals. Members have 24/7 access to the gym and its equipment.

Sweat Society

912.825.8387  |  www.sweatsociety.fit  |  3741 US-17 Suite 300 B, Richmond Hill

Mon.-Fri.: morning classes 5 to 9:15am; afternoon classes 4 to 7 p.m.; Sat.: classes at 8 and 9am

Sweat Society offers a range of HITT-style 30- to 45-minute workouts in the morning and evenings.

Their specialty classes include Pilates, yoga, strength and weights, build a booty, kickboxing, and hip-hop dance.

HIIT-style classes include HIIT Fusion, a fast-paced, ever-changing circuit of strength and cardio; RecoverMax Strength, which is designed to help reduce muscle soreness and prevent injury; and the Cardio Kick Power Blast class helps improve cardiovascular health and burn calories with low-intensity cardio workouts.

For people not sure if this is the right gym for them, Sweat Society has a free seven-day trial for people to check it out before committing.

Anytime Fitness

912.226.6626  |  www.anytimefitness.com  |  10200 Ford Ave., Suite 107, Richmond Hill  |  Open 24 hours

Open 24 hours a day, Anytime Fitness has more than 5,000 gyms across the world, which lets people continue their fitness journey regardless of requirements competing for their time.

While people can go to Anytime Fitness and develop their own routines, they can also sign up for personal, semi-private, or team training.

The gym has six personal trainers who can meet one-on-one with people to guide them on their fitness and nutrition journey and help them meet their goals. Semi-private groups are similar to personal training but only have three people in a session. Team workouts include up to eight people and provide accountability and an energy-filled atmosphere that keeps people motivated.

Poppy Hill Spa

912.239.5380  |  poppyhillspa.com  |  405 Harris Trail Road, Suites C and D, Richmond Hill

Tues.-Thurs.: 10am-7pm; Fri. & Sat.: 10am-5pm; Sunday by appointment only; closed Monday

A trip to Poppy Hill Spa provides a time for pampering and rejuvenation of the body and soul. A team of specialists is on hand to provide any one of an array of massages including therapeutic, hot stone, warm bamboo, prenatal, and deep tissue. If a client’s needs do not fit into one of the pre-designed packages, people can work with a massage therapist to create their own combination of techniques.

Facials, peels, body wraps, waxing, lymphatic drainage, body sculpting, and permanent makeup are also included on the spa’s extensive menu of offerings.

24/7 Family Fitness and Tanning Center

912.756.4890  |  24sevenfamilyfitness.com  |  2641 U.S. Highway 17 Richmond Hill;

912.653.2471  |  701 W. Bacon St., Pembroke  |  Members have 24-hour access

The excuse of not being able to get to the gym before it closes is null and void when 24/7 keeps its doors open for working out all day, every day.

While each of the 24/7’s 10 locations have slightly different offerings, they all include top-name equipment with cardio, circuit, and free weights, plus stand-up and lay-down (UV) tanning beds.

The Richmond Hill location features a lot plate-loaded equipment and has two floors of workout space. In Pembroke, the facility is going through an expansion, which is expected to be complete by the end of January. They have more CrossFit equipment and are on the lookout for tractor tires, which can add another level of exercise outdoors.

They also work with large companies to help them develop wellness plans for their employees.

Georgia Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center

912.727.7546  |  www.gaderm.com/richmondhill-office 
2701 Highway 17, Ste 1B, Richmond Hill  |  Mon. & Wed.: 8am-5pm

Georgia Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center has several offices across the state. The Richmond Hill location offers general, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology. General dermatology services range from acne treatment to skin cancer detection, and the management of complex medical conditions.

Botox, fillers, and platelet-rich plasma are among the treatment options for cosmetic procedures.

Platelet-rich plasma is an advanced treatment used to help repair damaged tissue. The minimally invasive procedure accelerates the body’s own natural healing. It is used for facelifts, skin toning, erasing fine lines, slowing balding, and encouraging hair regrowth.

The Center’s dermatology experts also have a variety of safe, effective procedures to remove cancerous and noncancerous skin growths.

Kelly Chiropractic

912.756.8080  |  www.calldrkelly.com  |  10164 Ford Ave., Suite B, Richmond Hill

Mon, Wednes, Fri: 9am-12pm & 3-6pm; Tues & Thurs by appointment; Saturday and Sunday closed

With over 25 years of experience, Dr. Tim Kelly at Kelly Chiropractic Knee and Neuropathy Center uses advanced state of the art solutions to help patients who are suffering from knee pain, neuropathy and other persistent pain conditions. He offers personalized care targeting the root cause of chronic pain to improve the patient’s quality of life.

After a consultation, the healthcare team creates a customized care program for new patients. The goal is to deliver effective and lasting relief from conditions such as chronic pain syndromes, knee degeneration, neuropathy, degenerated spine and discs, arthritis, and more.

At Kelly Chiropractic, the team uses cutting-edge technology to enhance the body’s natural healing process, offering long-term relief from neuromusculoskeletal pain, soreness, and inflammation.