Academy West Breathing Performance is now open at Westside Yard at 210 SW Century Drive. The breathing-focused physical therapy practice will host its grand opening on Friday, June 17. Andy Sabatier founded Academy West to teach and facilitate the use of breathing strategies to benefit all aspects of life.
Sabatier worked diligently for seven years as the primary physical therapist in the St. Charles ICU, helping thousands of patients breathe and survive in their most critical moments. Today, Sabatier blends a physical therapy perspective to breathing through individual physical therapy, group exercise and performance training. He takes a novel approach to fitness, core strength and functional movement. Patients who visit Academy West are eager to improve their athletic performance or may be struggling with anxiety, asthma, chronic pain, reflux, hernias, oxygen dependency, pre/post-surgery, sleep apnea, or scoliosis.
“Breathing is the single-most impactful action a human being performs, with more than 20,000 breaths taken each day and night,” Sabatier stated. “Until now, there has not been a resource specifically devoted to it. Academy West Breathing Performance establishes a new piece of the puzzle that has been conspicuously missing in the current healthcare and fitness landscape. We provide valuable information and practical tools for anyone curious or motivated to see how breathing can positively impact their quality of life. We take mountains of information and boil it down into concrete language and relatable examples. People learn how to use their breathing in different ways to help the body, and now we can do this in a fun and colorful setting.”
Compass Commercial Constructions Services Project Manager Dale Hendley led the build-out of the suite. Brokers Russell Huntamer, CCIM and Peter May, CCIM with Compass Commercial Real Estate Services represented the landlord, while broker Ron Ross, CCIM represented Academy West.
“This was a challenging and rewarding project to work on,” Hendley stated. “It was a pleasure to work side-by-side with Andy to develop the needs of his business and bring his vision to reality. He was rock solid the whole time, from his original vision for the space to adapting and tweaking things on the fly. I am very pleased with the final results.”
The tenant improvements consisted of framing, drywall, plumbing and electrical. A specific HVAC unit that turns air over in 30 seconds was critical to prevent stagnant air. One of the most unique pieces in the studio is the color-changing LED lights. Each color coordinates with breathing strategies used in classes. The Construction Services team completed the transformation of the new space into a fully functioning physical therapy studio in November 2021.
Sabatier said, “Thanks to the hard work of Dale Hendley and the Construction Services team, we now have a permanent place to call home where we can continue to provide meaningful and life-changing tools for those in need.”
Academy West is currently hosting group fitness classes on Thursday evenings and Friday mornings, with a grand opening scheduled for Friday, June 17. For more information, visit their website academywestperformance.com.