The Medical Fitness Podcast

🚨 Part 2 is Here! 🎙️ Ready for the next chapter in the evolution of medical fitness? The latest episode of The Medical Fitness Podcast is live! In Part 2, Jeff Young, Dr. Thomas Hammett, and David Flinch go beyond the “why” of medical fitness and dive into the "how" —breaking down the tools, technology, and strategies revolutionizing exercise as a medical intervention. 💡 Highlights inc...

🚨 New Year, New Episode! 🎙️ Start 2025 with a thought-provoking dive into the evolving world of medical fitness! In the latest episode of The Medical Fitness Podcast , Jeff Young, Dr. Thomas Hammett, and David Fletch tackle the why behind the medical fitness movement and its critical role in bridging the gap between fitness and healthcare. From its early origins to its growing relevance in today’...

In this episode of the Medical Fitness Podcast , we sit down with Doug Ribley, a seasoned leader and pioneer in the medical fitness industry with over 40 years of experience. Doug shares his journey from helping to build world-class wellness centers at Cleveland Clinic Akron General to advising health systems nationwide on how to create successful, sustainable wellness programs. He dives into the...

We’re excited to share the latest episode of The Medical Fitness Podcast , featuring a groundbreaking conversation with Dr. John Jakicic , an internationally renowned expert in exercise science and obesity treatment. With decades of research and clinical experience, Dr. Jakicic brings invaluable insights into how physical activity can be integrated into modern healthcare to create transformative o...

Episode Title : Breaking the Fitness-Medicine Barrier with Josh Lyons Are you a clinician frustrated with vague exercise prescriptions that don’t stick? Or a fitness professional aiming to elevate your impact in the healthcare arena? Tune into a game-changing episode where we dive deep with Josh Lyons, CEO of Pinnacle Lifestyle Medicine, as he shares a bold new approach to transforming lives throu...

🎙️ New Episode Alert! Dive into the Future of Medical Fitness! 🌍 Join us on this special episode of the Medical Fitness Podcast, featuring the inspiring journey and invaluable insights of Jeff Jeran, a seasoned leader in medical fitness and the senior director for Power Wellness. From transforming personal challenges into a thriving career to pioneering solutions in patient referrals and integrat...

In our latest episode of the Medical Fitness Podcast, powered by the Medicine-Rehab-Fitness Institute and the Medical Fitness Association, we had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Amy Bantham , CEO of Move to Live More and former president of the Physical Activity Alliance. Amy shared insights from her extensive research on integrating healthcare with health and fitness, including the barriers cli...

In this insightful episode of the Medical Fitness Podcast, co-hosts Jeff Young and David Flench sit down with Dr. Cedric Bryant, the President and CEO of the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Dr. Bryant shares his personal journey from academia to his current leadership role at ACE, highlighting how he integrates science-backed education and behavior change strategies into fitness programming. T...

In this engaging episode of The Medical Fitness Podcast , Dr. Andrew Mock, a leader in lifestyle and preventive medicine, brings listeners into his practice to demonstrate how he seamlessly transitions patients from medical and rehabilitation care into the fitness domain. Using practical assessments like the sit-to-stand test, Dr. Mock shows how simple screens can serve both as interventions and t...

In this episode of the Medical Fitness Podcast, Dr. Laurie Whitsel, a leading policy expert from the American Heart Association and advisor to the Physical Activity Alliance, explores the intersection of public policy and healthcare in promoting physical activity. She discusses the ongoing efforts to make physical activity assessment, prescription, and referral a routine part of clinical care in t...

In this captivating episode of the Medical Fitness Podcast, hosts David Flench and Jeff Young are joined by Michael Stack, a highly respected exercise physiologist, health entrepreneur, and advocate for the fitness industry. Michael's career spans over two decades, and he has made significant strides in elevating the role of fitness professionals within the healthcare system. As the founder o...

In this continuation of our conversation with Dr. Bill Kraemer, a leading figure in strength and conditioning research, we explore several key concepts that are crucial for both practitioners and clinicians alike. Dr. Kraemer discusses the significance of periodization in resistance training, emphasizing the need for flexibility and individualized approaches across different rep ranges and trainin...

Join us as Dr. William Kraemer shares his incredible journey from aspiring football player to world-renowned sports scientist, offering insights into the evolution of strength training and the importance of evidence-based programming - citing his recently published book, "Developing the Athlete: An Applied Sport Science Roadmap for Optimizing Performance" as a resource. This episode is a...

Join us for this episode with Dr. Jon Bonnet; David Flench and Jeff Young as they talk about Lifestyle Medicine and the importance of disease prevention and overall wellness in our healthcare system. Dr. Jonathan Bonnet is board-certified in family, sports, obesity, and lifestyle medicine. He is an associate professor (affiliate) at Stanford University School of Medicine and the Program Director o...

Episode 1: Dr. Renee Rogers Interview with David Flench & Dr. Thomas Hammett Dr. Renee Rogers is a Senior Scientist at the University of Kansas Medical Center and a Consultant and Strategist for Ideal Consulting. She is an expert in developing bio-behavioral healthy lifestyle interventions for obesity treatment with special focus on physical activity and relevant strategies to promote long-ter...

In this episode, Kelli gives great insight into how she goes about designing primarily weight loss programs for her clients, many of whom have gotten caught up with unsuccessful yo-yo dieting, quick fixes, and other unsustainable methods with her clients.  She also discusses topics such as: how she addresses lack of adherence if it becomes an issue, why tracking fats, carbs, protein, at least init...

In this fun and informative episode, David Flench, the President and CEO of the Medical Fitness Association, shares his insight and experience on building a successful career; the state of medical fitness in the US today; the need to build trust between clinicians and fitness professionals, and ways to accomplish it; examples of highly collaborative facilities, and much more!  See the time stamps...

In this episode I interview my friend and colleague, Sheila Hautbois, PA-C. Sheila gives insight into her patient visits -- how she goes about discussing lifestyle medicine and exercise.  She also talks about how she determines which patients are candidates for referral; how she uses her own progressive strength program to plant seeds, intrigue, and motivate patients, and why this is such an impor...

In this episode, Thomas and I begin discussing what I like to call the 'six components to needed to create a healthy musculoskeletal system' – a topic I cover in most of my presentations, including a recent presentation for the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Personal Trainers National Conference. But our talk ended up evolving into an even better discussion on how this...

I’m excited to post this podcast because I’ve been working in clinical, rehab settings for nearly 20 years in very traditional settings, where the primary goal is pain management and “fixing the person’s broken part.”  I, like many people, including most physical therapists, assumed this was the norm. . And then I met an exercise specialist named Joe Copeland, who introduced me to my friend, colle...

 Resistance training programming. . So many clinicians and fitness professionals want to know more, be better at discussing it, be better at prescribing it, and just generally feel more comfortable about it. . A big reason why there's a disconnect between medicine/rehab and fitness is because so many fitness professionals SCARE clinicians with their programming. It lacks a "continuity of...

This episode was the first of what will be many where Jeff and Thomas discuss their perspective on various topics.  It provides an opportunity to listen to a seasoned clinician and seasoned exercise specialist discuss their views on building the bridge between medicine, rehab, and fitness from a very unique perspective. Both Jeff and Thomas either have experienced or are currently involved in succ...

Dr. Rick Howard is an assistant professor in Applied Sports Science at West Chester University in Philadelphia, PA and holds a PhD in Health Promotion and Wellness.  In this podcast Rick does a masterful job of merging his education and experience as he discusses the importance of making fitness fun from childhood to old age as a primary way to improving exercise adherence in the pursuit of public...

Jeff Jeran is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Medical Fitness Association for a reason – he is an ALL-STAR in this space.  Jeff has opened SIX successful, award-winning medical fitness facilities over the past 18 years, which are a testimony to his amazing ability to build fitness centers which cater to the 80% of the population that don’t use traditional gyms and health clubs, and who...

Just shy of 2.5 years ago I was introduced to Dr. Thomas Hammett, DPT.  A week or two later he live-streamed me in to a presentation he gave to a couple dozen physical therapists, where he explained to them the importance of going well beyond “fixing pain” as the standard treatment approach, and instead, looking at patients through a lens of lifestyle medicine, the pursuit health and wellness, and...