Foundations of Medical Fitness: a comprehensive course for specialists

Learn how to use exercise as medicine

Do you consider yourself a specialist in the Health and Fitness Industry? If so, are you interested in becoming a Medical Fitness Specialist, and earning a certificate of specialisation. Not sure where to start or which chronic diseases or medical conditions you want to focus on? Then this course is for you!

 

This is an online, self-paced course delivered by Medfit.

All materials are delivered digitally – through a variety of digital mediums, including written material, video narrated slide presentations, videos of sample exercises, sample forms, and more. Comprehension of the material will be measured via a mandatory competency assessment requiring a minimum of 80% correct responses

Course Author: Dr. Dan Mikeska DHSc.

Course Length: 20 Hours

Course overview

This course is for Fitness and Health Professionals who want to learn how to use exercise as medicine with clients who suffer from one or more chronic diseases.  This includes diseases such as cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, or orthopedic dysfunctions. You will learn to assist in the prevention and/or management of numerous chronic diseases, and collaborate with clinicians.

1-3
Lesson Content 1-3
modules

Module 1: Introduction Chronic Disease

  • Lesson 1 – Chronic Disease and the Benefits of Exercise
  • Lesson 2 – Scope of Practice and Health Risk
  • Lesson 3 – Rapport and Psychology

Module 2: Assessments

  • Lesson 4: Postural and Movement Assessments
  • Lesson 5: Cardiorespiratory Assessment
  • Lesson 6: FITT

Module 3: Chronic Diseases

  • Lesson 7: Coronary heart Disease
  • Lesson 8: Hypertension
  • Lesson 9: COPD and Asthma
  • Lesson 10: Diabetes
  • Lesson 11: Hyperlipidemia 
  • Lesson 12: Body Composition, Overweight and Obesity
  • Lesson 13: Metabolic Syndrome
  • Lesson 14: Cancer
  • Lesson 15: Pregnancy
4-5
Lesson Content 4-5
modules

Module 4: Common Dysfunctions

  • Lesson 16: Core, Balance and Gait
  • Lesson 17: Common Shoulder Dysfunctions
  • Lesson 18: Common Dysfunctions of the Distal Arm
  • Lesson 19: Common Hip Dysfunctions
  • Lesson 20: Common Knee Dysfunctions
  • Lesson 21: Common Dysfunctions of the Lower Extremity
  • Lesson 22: Low Back Pain
  • Lesson 23: Arthritis
  • Lesson 24: Osteoporosis

Module 5: Developing a Successful Business 

  • Lesson 25: Business Application
  • Lesson 26: Epilogue – What to do next
  • Lesson 27: Appendices
CERT.

Prerequisites & renewal

The completion of this course, including the competency assessment, leads to a Certificate of Specialization. This online course delivered through Medfit Classroom is considered advanced level education, and are meant to be taken by fitness professionals who have previously acquired education and experience as a professional within the health and fitness industry. 

 

In order to receive the Certificate of Specialization, upon completion of this course you will be asked to provide proof of the following:

  1. Evidence of a bachelor’s or master’s degree in fitness or health related field AND/OR possess a certification from a nationally-recognized certification, NCCA or ANSI/ISO accredited program AND
  2. Evidence of professional liability insurance.

*If you do not meet the requirements for a Certificate of Specialization, you can request a Certificate of Completion.

This Certificate of Specialization is valid for a period of two years. To keep the certificate current, you must complete 10 hours of continuing education, on relevant subject matter, and formally renew the certificate prior to the date of its expiration. As with many certifications and specializations in our field, professionals should anticipate some costs to continuing education and renewal of this certificate.

about the

course author

Dr Dan Mikeska

Dan Mikeska

https://www.medex.fit

Meet Dan! His mission is to improve population health and to increase the quality of life by connecting education, medicine, and fitness. Dan’s goal is achieved by providing an educational pathway for fitness professionals who want to become respected members of the healthcare community, prompting clinicians to prescribe exercise, and encouraging patients to enlist the services of a qualified Fitness Professional.

Dan’s philosophy centers on the fact that human movement is a complicated and coordinated effort between your muscles, skeleton, and metabolism, and everyone is different. Knowing how each of the systems of the bodywork, independently is essential in the development of an effective fitness program.

In addition to a doctorate degree in Health Science and a master’s degree in Human Movement, Dan has some of the most sought after certifications from The National Academy of Sports Medicine, the American Council on Exercise, the Cancer Exercise Training Institute, and the Exercise is Medicine credential from the American College of Sports Medicine.

His education and experience has given him the opportunity to work with notable organisations such as Life with Cancer and 2Unstoppable. He continues to teach fitness and wellness classes at Northern Virginia Community College. Currently adjunct faculty for A.T. Still University’s master’s of Kinesiology program, and is a member of the Industry Advisory Council for American Public University’s Sports and Health Science program.

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