The Medical Fitness Difference
The biggest difference between a medical fitness center and another type of gym or fitness facility is that the medical fitness center focuses on overall health and wellness instead of just fitness. The purpose of a medical fitness center is to help people manage their health by preventing and treating disease, illness, and injury through regular participation in physical activity, disease management, and health education.
Medical fitness facilities cater to all age groups and are recognized as part of a healthcare continuum of care. A medical fitness center is where people with multiple risk factors and healthy individuals can feel safe and comfortable.
Medical fitness centers are evidence-based and often integrated with a healthcare facility like a hospital. Professionals oversee participants as they work toward their health and fitness goals, and these professionals can help ensure that participants are meeting those goals safely and effectively.
Exercise as Medicine
There is a growing mountain of evidence that physical activity is key to the prevention and treatment of disease, illness, and injury, slowing the progression of chronic disease, aiding in the recovery from illness or injury, and building strength and endurance for healthier aging.
With a foundation of “exercise is medicine,” medical fitness facilities use physical activity as a treatment prescription while clinically integrating therapy and physical fitness into an individual’s lifestyle.
The Medical Fitness difference includes:
- Professional staff, including registered nurses, registered dietitians, licensed physical therapists, certified exercise specialists, and certified personal trainers.
- Clinical integration with Seven Oaks Hospital and the broader health system.
- High level of cleanliness, maintenance, and capital improvement
- Specialized health and wellness programs that promote a healthy lifestyle
- Improved outcomes for members/patients with chronic diseases and multiple risk factors
- Medical oversight of programming and policies
- Programs and services to meet the needs of an aging population and special needs groups.
- Personal approach to exercise assessment and exercise prescription
- The highest standards for safety – explicitly designed as a medical fitness facility, WI was built for safety, and, as part of Seven Oaks Hospital, we comply with the rigorous certification standards of the Medical Fitness Association.
For more information, visit our clinical programs and wellness clinic pages.
Who Benefits from a Medical Fitness Center?
While anyone can benefit from an evidence-based approach to exercise, medical fitness centers are particularly beneficial to those with pre-existing health conditions, like diabetes or heart disease. Individuals living with these conditions should work on becoming more fit but must also act cautiously. Medical oversight ensures that participants can safely pursue fitness.
Medical fitness centers are also ideal for people who have no history of exercise. Medical oversight and proper exercise training can help people take their first steps toward an active lifestyle.
For example, patients can be referred who need help in several areas, including
- medical exercise services
- medical weight management program
- general exercise
- nutrition support
- cardiac rehabilitation
- pulmonary rehabilitation
- ortho rehab
- arthritis
- neuro-fit
- cancer rehabilitation