The Medical Fitness Podcast

🎙️ New Episode: Is “Move More” Enough, or is an Exercise Prescription More Important? In the latest episode of the Medical Fitness Podcast , we take on one of the most important questions in medical fitness: Is general physical activity advice enough, or do patients need structured, progressive, individualized exercise prescription to improve health outcomes? Jeff Young, Thomas Hammett, and David...

Season 4, Episode 4 of the Medical Fitness Podcast just dropped, and this is an important one: “Qualified Staff Are the Differentiator.” In this episode, David Flench, Thomas Hammett, and I discuss a topic that sits at the center of the medical fitness model: the people delivering the work. Medical fitness is not differentiated by equipment, technology, facility design, or marketing alone. Those t...

Season 4, Episode 3 of the Medical Fitness Podcast focuses on one of the most important and often misunderstood topics in our field: clinical integration . In this episode, David Flench, Thomas Hammett, and Jeff Young discuss the difference between offering medical fitness “programs” and truly becoming part of how healthcare is delivered. We cover why clinical integration requires more than good i...

Building the Rehab-to-Fitness Bridge with Dr. Thomas Hammett In this episode, Jeff sits down with Dr. Thomas Hammett to examine one of the most persistent breakdowns in healthcare: the gap between rehabilitation and long-term fitness. Most patients are discharged from physical therapy with a home exercise program, not a structured transition to a qualified fitness professional. The result is predi...

Season 4 of the Medical Fitness Podcast is here, and we have officially rebranded the show into a two-part format: Part 1: We interview a guest on what we consider a true “hot topic” in medical fitness. Part 2: We reconvene to break down the conversation and translate it into practical takeaways. For Season 4, Episode 1, we sat down with Jason Jones (Technogym) to tackle one of the most important...

Season 3, Episode 22 of the Medical Fitness Podcast is live, and it is an extremely insightful conversation. In this episode, Thomas sits down with Courtney McCliment , a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, and manager of the Lifestyle Medicine Department at Valley Medical Center. Courtney oversees physical and occupational therapists, registered dietitians, cardiac and pulmonary re...

🎙️ New Episode: Season 3, Episode 21 — “Bridging Lifestyle Medicine and Medical Fitness with Dr. Andrew Mock” In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Andrew Mock , physician, educator, and national leader in lifestyle medicine and medical fitness . Dr. Mock currently serves as Chair of the Fitness & Medicine Member Interest Group for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Chair of the MFA P...

🎙️ New Episode of the Medical Fitness Podcast Guest: Dr. Michelle Segar, University of Michigan In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Michelle Segar , NIH-funded scientist, author of No Sweat and The Joy Choice , and internationally recognized expert on sustainable behavior change. With more than 30 years of research and coaching experience, Dr. Segar has advised organizations like the World Healt...

🚨 New Episode Alert: The Brain Health Opportunity 🚨 We just dropped a powerful episode of the Medical Fitness Podcast featuring Ryan Glatt , Senior Brain Health Coach and Director of the FitBrain Program at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute Foundation. Ryan’s path into brain health is anything but ordinary—starting with childhood concussions, video games like Dance Dance Revolution , and eventu...

🚨 New Episode of the Medical Fitness Podcast! 🚨 This week, we sit down with Simon Matthews , a psychologist and global leader in health behavior change coaching . Simon has nearly 30 years of experience helping people bridge the gap between mental health, physical health, and lifestyle medicine. In this episode, we cover: ✅ Why clinicians often struggle when patients present with hopelessness a...

🚨 New Medical Fitness Podcast Episode! We’re joined by Dr. M. Lucius Pomerantz —orthopedic surgeon, lifestyle medicine physician, and founding member of the MFA Physician Advisory Committee. Dr. Pomerantz shares how he combines surgical expertise with lifestyle medicine to help patients not only recover but also thrive. From small, sustainable lifestyle changes to the role of exercise as “the bes...

🚨 NEW PODCAST EPISODE ALERT! 🚨  🎧 Medical Fitness Podcast | Powered by the Medical Fitness Association + MRFi 🔥 This one’s a must-listen for anyone serious about bridging the gap between healthcare and fitness. We sat down with Carly Headd, Director of Programming at Pinnacle Lifestyle Medicine, to unpack what real medical fitness looks like in action—from behavior change coaching and chronic...

🎙️ New Episode: Redefining Cardiac Rehab—How One Team Is Disrupting the Status Quo 📍 Season 3, Episode 14 | Guests: Ashan Korala & Alex Cannon 🎧 Listen now on all major podcast platforms For decades, cardiac rehab has followed the same outdated script: light aerobic work, RPE-based guesswork, minimal resistance training, and low adherence. The result? Underwhelming outcomes and missed opport...

🏥💪 A Certified First in Medical Fitness: How One YMCA is Reshaping Community Health 🎙️ In the latest episode of the Medical Fitness Podcast, we sat down with Veronica Lopez, RN, Vice President of Health Strategies at the YMCA of Greater Brandywine—the first YMCA in the country to become Medical Fitness Association certified. Hosted by David Flench, President and CEO of the MFA, this episode is a...

🎙️ NEW EPISODE ALERT: “From Policy to Pavement: Building a Physically Active Nation” 💪🗽 In this powerful new episode of the Medical Fitness Podcast, co-hosts Jeff Young (MRF Institute) and David Flench (Medical Fitness Association) sit down with Greg Mihailovich , National Advocacy Consultant for the American Heart Association , to break down what it really takes to make physical activity a nati...

🎙️ NEW EPISODE: When PT Ends, What’s Next? A Physiatrist’s Answer to the Follow-Through Problem Dr. Sarae Jandreau is not your average physician. A Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, athlete, and former assistant strength coach, she’s now a newly minted physiatrist with a mission: bridge the disconnect between therapy, medicine, and fitness. This episode is a masterclass in what can h...

🚨 NEW EPISODE DROP! 🚨 How is digital health reshaping cardiac care —especially for women and underserved populations? 🎙️ On the latest episode of the Medical Fitness Podcast , we team up with the American Heart Association to bring you an insightful conversation with Dr. Ritu Thamman , cardiologist, digital health leader, and fierce advocate for women's heart health. We discuss:  ✅ Why dig...

🎙️ NEW EPISODE ALERT: The Medical Fitness Podcast 🔗 This week, we sit down with one of the pioneers in exercise oncology — Dr. Karen Wonders — and if you work in the medical fitness space, this is a must-listen. Dr. Wonders is a professor at Wright State University, director of both the Exercise Science and Exercise Oncology Certificate Programs, AND founder/CEO of Maple Tree Cancer Alliance . Sh...

New Episode Drop! 🎙️ Get ready for one of our most practical and powerful conversations yet on The Medical Fitness Podcast. We’re joined by Raina Childers-Richmond — registered dietitian, certified health coach, and a true pioneer in integrating nutrition, behavior change, and fitness inside medically integrated centers. With nearly three decades of experience, Raina brings frontline insights you...

🚨 NEW EPISODE ALERT — Season 3, Episode 8 🎙️   The Medical Fitness Podcast Powered by the Medical Fitness Association + the Medicine-Rehab-Fitness Institute 🎧 Guest : Dr. Jessica Matthews 🎓 Tenured Professor, Program Director – M.S. Integrative Wellness, Point Loma Nazarene University 🏥 Clinical + Research Appointment – UC San Diego Health 🏆 Former Board Member – ACLM & National Board for...

🚨 NEW EPISODE – Season 3, Episode 7 of the Medical Fitness Podcast 🎙️ “Muscle as Medicine: Strength Training for Health & Longevity” .  Featuring Dr. Rachele Pojednic  Powered by the Medical Fitness Association and the MRF Institute . What happens when an Ivy League scientist, Harvard educator, Stanford faculty member, and lifelong fitness advocate steps into the medical fitness conversation?...

🔥 NEW EPISODE ALERT! 🔥 . Season 3, Episode 6 of the Medical Fitness Podcast just dropped, and we’re bringing back a powerhouse guest— Dr. Rick Howard! 🎙️💪 . Rick is a leader in applied sports science, strength & conditioning, and long-term athletic development —and when he talks, people listen! 👏 . This episode dives into game-changing strategies for increasing physical activity at every s...

🚨 NEW EPISODE ALERT! 🚨 🔥 Season 3, Episode 5 of The Medical Fitness Podcast is LIVE! In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. John Farrell , Assistant Professor and Human Performance Consultant at Texas State University. John’s expertise spans exercise training for adaptive athletes, individuals with chronic conditions, and elite performers —giving him a unique perspective on bridging the gap betwe...

🚨 NEW EPISODE ALERT! 🚨   🔥 Season 3, Episode 4 of The Medical Fitness Podcast is live, and this one is a must-listen! We’re sitting down with Ken Gorman, CEO of Power Wellness , to talk about the future of medical fitness, increasing physician referrals, and scaling fitness centers within healthcare systems . With nearly 30 years of experience leading the largest medical fitness management comp...

🎙️ Next Episode Alert: The Medical Fitness Podcast 🎙️ Are you ready to uncover the life-changing power of exercise as medicine? Join us as we welcome Dr. Rob Newton , a world-renowned exercise oncology pioneer and the 2019 Western Australia Scientist of the Year, to the podcast! Dr. Newton shares groundbreaking insights from his decades of research at Edith Cowan University, where he leads the Exe...