What Is a 'Medical Fitness Center'?

It’s about more than weight loss and looking good

Have you joined a health club, but stopped going because you got bored with your routine, didn’t get the results you hoped for, or hurt yourself exercising? If so, consider a medical fitness center. There are several benefits:

Individual approach

“We determine each person’s fitness level with a comprehensive assessment, then customize a program around his or her goals,” says John Graham, director of Healthy You Fitness Centers.

Medical connection

Medical fitness centers are affiliated with hospitals and can help people with a chronic disease or disability manage their condition. “We work with their doctors to design the best program for their unique needs,” Graham says. Insurance may cover a portion of the membership.

Regular follow-up

Every 12 weeks or so, workouts are revised. “Variety keeps your muscles challenged and your mind engaged, so you’re more likely to keep exercising,” Graham says. It’s one of the reasons medical fitness centers have higher retention rates than many commercial health clubs.

Certified professionals

Medical fitness centers have college degreed exercise specialists with backgrounds in orthopedics or sports medicine. “We look at people from an overall health perspective rather than focusing only on weight and appearance,” says Brian Zarbatany, fitness manager of the Human Performance Center in Allentown. “Professionals are always nearby to make sure you’re doing the exercises correctly.”

Focus on injury prevention

Whether you’re 14 or 90, staying our clients exercises to target many of the smaller stabilizing muscles, like the rotator cuff, so they won’t get hurt when swinging a golf club or performing daily activities,” Zarbatany says.

Want to Know More about the health conditions a medical fitness center can help you manage, or where to find a center near you? Call 610-402-CARE.

Published from Healthy You Magazine, May-June 2008

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