Medical fitness training is a relatively new field, and it requires a bit more from trainers to become certified. But if the trainers are willing to put in the effort, they get the opportunity to enter an in-demand niche of the fitness industry and work with a diverse range of clients to help them achieve their fitness goals.
Moreover, medical fitness specialists are better equipped to collaborate with physicians and other medical professionals to determine the best course of action for the client. If you’re interested in medical fitness, check out W.I.T.S. Education’s medical fitness course.
Who Can Become A Medical Fitness Trainer?
While the medical fitness training field is open for anyone, it’s more suited for medical professionals and related workers such as occupational therapists and massage therapists. That’s because these people are already aware of certain medical practices needed to train clients. Moreover, most of these people usually have certain medical licenses making it easier for them to offer specialized services to their clients, such as stretching for chronic pain relief.
On the other hand, certified personal trainers can also enter the medical fitness field by getting additional certifications. Personal trainers are usually trained to work with clients with chronic illnesses.
How Does Medical Fitness Training Differ From Personal Training?
On the surface, it may look like personal trainers and medical trainers do the same thing. Because essentially, they both train clients and help them achieve their desired fitness levels. But personal trainers rely mostly on exercise programs to train the clients.
On the other hand, medical fitness trainers train clients to improve their overall health by working with nutritionists, physicians, and other professionals. They also help clients develop healthy behaviors and habits that improve their health in the long run. Besides fitness, medical trainers also help with stress management, hygiene, and sleep management.
So it can be said that the job description of a medical fitness trainer is less defined than a personal trainer because they have to take on a more challenging role.
What’s The Scope Of Medical Fitness?
Training Clients With Chronic Illness
Clients with chronic illnesses such as arthritis, diabetes, cancer, and asthma can’t take part in regular workouts because their bodies aren’t strong enough. Personal trainers can help them to a certain degree, but when dealing with nutritionists and physicians, they aren’t equipped to handle it. Medical fitness trainers are trained to understand the specific requirements of certain chronic illnesses.
Therefore, they can better understand the physician’s instructions and incorporate them into workouts. Moreover, they can also better assess the clients’ performance and determine which exercise isn’t working for them. They also recommend unconventional workouts such as cycling and swimming so clients can relieve their pain without a lot of effort.
Working With Clients With Disabilities
Besides chronic illness, disabilities are another thing not catered to by the mainstream fitness industry. As a result, disabled people often face fitness-related issues because they can’t find trainers who can work with them.
Medical fitness experts have the skills to handle disabled clients and design workout programs to help them reach better fitness levels without being held back by their disabilities. Not just that, but their exercise programs also include dietary suggestions to ensure that the body gets enough nutrition and that the workouts aren’t affecting the client’s health.
Developing Clinical Exercise Programs
Clinical exercises are a relatively new term in the fitness world, but they refer to exercises and training sessions designed specifically for individuals dealing with chronic illness. However, these exercises are different than those normally recommended to chronically ill clients. It focuses on one illness at a time and uses research and clinical analysis to design exercises.
Once the exercise program is created, the client’s progress is monitored and analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the program. If the program is successful, other clients with the same issues can also benefit from the same exercise programs. Medical fitness professionals have the knowledge and expertise to work with researchers and develop such exercise programs.
With Clients With Depression And Anxiety
Certain exercises are linked to the production of endorphins in the brain, which acts as a natural pain killer. These exercises are great for people with depression and anxiety because they relax the clients and reduce their symptoms. It also boosts the mood and makes clients more determined to follow a better lifestyle.
However, these exercises should be supervised so that the clients don’t push themselves too much. Medical fitness trainers usually work with therapists to monitor the client’s progress and determine if there have been any improvements. Over time, these exercises can help clients overcome their anxiety and depression and lead healthier lives.
Training Clients With Chronic Conditions Due To Physical Inactivity
Physical inactivity isn’t classified as an illness, but it is difficult to train clients with little to no physical activity in their daily routine. It can lead to obesity, heart issues, cholesterol issues, and even bone-related issues in some cases, which is why personal trainers aren’t equipped to handle such clients.
Medical fitness trainers can work with them and determine how to boost their physical activity. Because most of the time, such clients don’t want to work out, so they need other methods to promote fitness. They also need periodic monitoring to ensure their health isn’t affected by the sudden changes in their lifestyle.
Become A Medical Fitness Trainer With W.I.T.S. Education’s Specialization Course
W.I.T.S. Education is a training institute with a selection of personal health trainer programs for people looking to become a part of different fitness niches. Our training programs include a medical fitness training program designed to help medical professionals enter the fitness world and work with clients with chronic illnesses and other health issues.
Besides that, we also offer other courses such as our personal trainer course, group fitness instructor course, and youth fitness instructor course. Four of our courses are accredited by the American Council of Education. We are also the only institute with written and practical skills accredited by the N.C.C.A. So what are you waiting for? Explore our courses and enroll today!