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. The conversation explores topics such as the importance of evidence-based practices, the need for a continuum between "moving more" and structured exercise, and the role of behavior change in promoting long-term healthy lifestyles.

Listeners will gain valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities within the fitness industry, especially regarding collaboration between fitness professionals and healthcare providers. Dr. Bryant emphasizes the importance of networking, lifelong learning, and professionalizing the fitness industry to ensure fitness professionals can effectively contribute to public health initiatives like Active People, Healthy Nation. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, a health professional, or simply interested in improving your well-being, this episode offers practical advice and inspiration to keep moving forward.

Tune in to hear more about Dr. Bryant’s career, his approach to effective exercise programming, and the role of fitness professionals in the larger healthcare continuum.

Catch this episode now and start applying these key takeaways to your professional practice or personal fitness journey!

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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 teaching tools, making strength training accessible and relevant for clinicians and patients alike. His approach highlights the current gaps in medical education, particularly regarding resistance training, and the crucial role it plays in optimizing patient outcomes.

Dr. Mock also discusses his proactive efforts to bridge the gap between medicine, rehab, and fitness by personally vetting local fitness professionals to create a trusted referral network. He emphasizes the need for clinicians to better understand and incorporate strength training principles into their practice. This episode is essential listening for clinicians seeking to overcome common barriers to exercise referrals and learn how to collaborate effectively with fitness professionals. Dr. Mock’s unique perspective as both a competitive strength athlete and physician provides valuable insights into why strength training should be a core component of healthcare. This "outside-the-box" thinking is exactly what’s needed to reshape patient care today.

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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 the U.S. healthcare system. Dr. Whitsel shares exciting initiatives such as the development of standardized measures in electronic health records and the collaboration with healthcare systems to reduce barriers and ensure physical activity becomes part of the clinical workflow.

Listeners will gain insight into the significant policy work being done behind the scenes to create opportunities for qualified exercise professionals to be recognized within the healthcare team and ultimately improve patient outcomes. This episode is packed with actionable insights for fitness professionals, clinicians, and policymakers alike who are interested in the future of physical activity in medicine and the broader movement towards value-based care.

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