MEDFIT EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Our mission is to create a world where millions of people with chronic disease, medical conditions & disabilities have access to the same fitness resources as the healthy and fit.
At MedFit Education Foundation, we come to work every day because we want to be sure that the fitness industry is equitable in offering resources to those with the greatest needs.
We know that regular exercise leads to a healthy, happy, and productive life while meeting the challenges faced with aging.
The problem is that, historically, for those with chronic conditions, safe and effective exercise programs are out of reach.
Enter MedFit Education Foundation — the solution to this challenge.
We are in a perfect storm for the fitness industry. Beyond COVID we are still facing a chronic disease, obesity, opioid, and mental health crisis. This is an opportunity for fitness and healthcare professionals to up-level their education and services to be the front line of healthcare by aiding in the management and prevention of chronic disease.
All programs will be a minimum of 10 hours and will include a business component for fitness professionals on how to market yourself as this specialist, how to team up with MDs to get referrals or be packaged in with their services. They all include interviews with the population, caregivers, doctors, therapists, etc., to create an immersive learning experience.
All of the online courses on MedFit Classroom which lead to a Certificate of Specialization are considered advanced level education and are meant to be taken by fitness professionals who have previously acquired education and experience as a professional within the health and fitness industry. In order for one to receive the Certificate of Specialization conferred upon those who obtain and complete this Fitness Specialist course, one must be able to demonstrate that he or she has the following:
1. Evidence of current certification, or vocational credential, from a reputable certifying or credentialing organization, and within the health and fitness industry; OR an associate’s degree, or higher, from an accredited college or university in the field of exercise science, kinesiology, physical education, fitness, or a related field; AND
2. Evidence of current professional liability insurance.
The completion of these specialization courses, and the passing of its corresponding competency assessments, leads to a Certificate of Specialization. This Certificate of Specialization will be considered valid for a period of two years. To keep the certificate current, you must complete 10 hours of continuing education, on the relevant subject matter, and formally renew the certificate prior to the date of its expiration. As with many certifications and specializations in our field, professionals should anticipate some costs to continuing education and renewal of the certificate.

We have identified authors for our educational programs. These programs will be available as online course in 2021- 2022 & can be taught as live workshops.

• Adaptive Fitness Specialist - Authors: Devon Palermo, PTA & Meaghan Minzy, Pt, DPT
• Alzheimer Fitness Specialist – Author: Jonathan Ross
• Arthritis Fitness Specialist – Author: Christine Conti
• Cancer Exercise Specialist – Author: Andrea Leonard via Cancer Exercise Training Institute
• Cardiac Rehab Fitness Specialist – Author: Pat VanGalen, MS
• Diabetes (Type 2) Fitness Specialist – Author Rick Richey, DHSc
• Drug and Alcohol Recovery Fitness Specialist – Author: Nicole Golden, MS
• Eating Disorders: What Fitness Professionals Need to Know – Authors Christine Conti & Karli Taylor
• Fibromyalgia Fitness Specialist - Author: Carol Ann, MS & Irene Lewis-McCormick
• Geriatric Fitness & Lifestyle Specialist- Authors Cate Reade, MS, RD, FMP, Holly Benson & Sharon Bourke
• Joint Replacement Fitness Specialist - Authors: Dr. Grove Higgins & Pat Marques
• Longevity Lifestyle & Fitness Specialist - Dr. Melissa Petersen
• Meditation Specialist - Author: Briana Bragg
• Menopause Fitness & Health Specialist – Author: Debra Atkinson, MS
• Medical Fitness Specialist* - Author: Dr. Dan Mikeska
• Multiple Sclerosis Fitness Specialist – Authors Carol Ann, MS & David Lyons
• Obesity Fitness Specialist - Authors: Dr. Amy Bantham & Dr. Rachele Pojednic
• Orthopedic Fitness Specialist - Authors: Irene Lewis-McCormick, MS & Dr. Irv Rubenstein
• Osteoporosis Fitness Specialist – Author: Dr. Mark Kelly
• Parkinson’s Fitness Specialist – Author: Colleen Bridges M.Ed
• Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness Specialist – Carolyn Appel & Brittany Citron
• Respiratory Disease Fitness Specialist – Author: Carol Ann, MS & Patti Bain
• Sleep Coach Specialist - Authors: Kelly Bennion, Ph.D., EdM & Kate Sprecher, PhD
• Sports Medicine Recovery Fitness Specialist - Naomi Albertson MD
• Stroke Recovery Fitness Specialist – Authors: Dr. Grove Higgins & Pat Marques
• Wellness and Lifestyle Improvement Coach – Author: Dr. Michael Arloski
• Youth Fitness & Nutrition Specialist – Author: Pete Guzman

The challenge in the past has been that trainers and allied health professionals couldn’t help change the lives of people with chronic conditions for three major reasons:

Professionals didn’t have the expertise to work with anyone outside of the generally healthy and fit.
The medical community struggled to find credible professionals to refer their patients.
People with the greatest needs had no way to find trainers and allied health professionals with the proper knowledge to work with them.

For far too long, the licensing and certifying of professionals was only focused on working with the healthy population. This is fine for professionals who are starting out, but for professionals with experience and drive to truly impact the world, it is simply not enough.

Our professionals want to reach more than clients who are looking to shed a few pounds or run a 5k. They want to impact the lives of people who are looking to feel more normal, to more easily get up out of a chair, safely exercise while pregnant or even get out of bed without debilitating joint pain.

That’s why the MedFit Education Foundation was created.

The Foundation works to elevate the quality and amount of available education for fitness and allied healthcare professionals. Through our MedFit entities, we are facilitating education and professional development for professionals to serve the nation’s growing healthcare needs.

The MFEF manages the following websites to achieve its goal of creating and facilitating education for professionals in medical fitness and active aging.

MedFit Care
MedFit Care promotes the role of fitness training in the management of chronic disease through the application of exercise prescription.

MedFit Classroom
MedFit Classroom is an online learning platform for fitness and allied healthcare professionals to purchase webinars, online courses, specialty certificate programs, and continuing education. For more info, visit medfitclassroom.org.

MedFit Tour
The MedFit Tour is a conference event with world-class speakers, education and networking. For more info, visit medicalfitnesstour.org.

MedFit TV
MedFitTV.org offers a library of all past webinars and conference recordings produced by the Foundation. For more info, visit medfittv.org.

Speakers Bureau
Our Speakers Bureau represents the leading experts in the rapidly growing space of medical fitness, active aging, nutrition, wellness, prevention, rehabilitation and more. Your organization can request to book one of our speakers for your next event. These trailblazers are at the helm of the medical fitness movement to transform health and redefine healthcare. To view available speakers, visit medfited.org/speakers-bureau