Medical Fitness - Two Worlds Unite as One
A fitter, faster, stronger model of medical care
My Friends... Since I have been straddling these two worlds for the last 20 years of my career, it has been exciting to watch this movement evolve and become a part of what will undoubtedly be the next frontier in the pursuit of true wellness, vitality, and longevity! Enjoy! -Carla
For decades, medicine and fitness have lived within their own silos - or more like on their own planets! As allopathic practitioners prescribe pills and fitness professionals prescribe programs, both lay claim to the answers to wellness and longevity.
At times, these two worlds have been at odds with one another. Some in the fitness world go so far as to demonize prescription medications and some in the medical community label fitness activities beyond walking as "that crazy stuff".
As with any issue, the solutions to health and wellness are not found at the outer fringe of the pendulum swing. Rather, they are found where the pendulum is in equilibrium - and from that equilibrium, emerged Medical Fitness!
What is Medical Fitness? It's a movement that integrates the best of medicine and fitness into a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to health and wellness.
Traditionally, we think of “multi-disciplinary” as a primary care doctor and any number of medical specialists for individuals requiring care for complex medical conditions. With Medical Fitness, the “multiple disciplines” refers to a trainer, physician, nutritionist, and possibly a wellness coach as the standard of care for everyone - whether you are healthy or suffering from serious medical issues.
Medical Fitness is personalized- because it has to be! Everyone is different - optimal health is not a product of either medication or fitness and nutrition. It's a product of the integration of the entire wellness spectrum into a dynamic, evolving, individualized approach to total wellness care.
Although the idea of integrated care has been around for a long time, the actual execution of this comprehensive model of care has only recently come into the mainstream.
In 2018, CrossFit recruited physicians who do CrossFit from around the world to create CrossFit Health. The premise of this group’s creation was that CrossFit principles of nutrition and fitness hold the cure for chronic disease. Many of these physicians were already a step ahead- having set up their medical practices within their own CrossFit facilities.
Along with CrossFit Health emerged CrossFit Precision Care / Wild Health - a primary care practice where each patient is offered a dedicated team who uses cutting-edge technology including individualized genetic analysis, fitness/nutrition consultation, and a personal Health Coach to create a personalized and optimized health and wellness plan.
MedFit Care is another pioneer in Medical Fitness that utilizes telehealth consultation to promote the role of fitness in the management of chronic disease through the application of “exercise prescription”. This model uses a dedicated network of certified fitness and wellness professionals who implement exercise prescriptions written by MedFit Care network physician providers.
In my career, I have seen numerous transitions in how medical care is delivered. The role of hospitalists who relieve the unending hours of call burden. Physician assistants and nurse practitioners have taken on greater roles and responsibilities freeing up time for physicians and other care providers to specialize in what they do best. Not to mention the leaps and bounds in the knowledge of medicine, fitness, nutrition, and wellness spanning a wide range of specialties. But the Medical Fitness movement is like no other! It is a philosophy as much as it is a movement that is not just limited to organizations like CrossFit and MedFit. More and more fitness-informed health care providers are already integrating wellness practice into their medical care. Welcome to the next frontier: a fitter, faster, stronger model of medical care!