Season 4 of the Medical Fitness Podcast is here, and we have officially rebranded the show into a two-part format:

Part 1: We interview a guest on what we consider a true “hot topic” in medical fitness.
Part 2: We reconvene to break down the conversation and translate it into practical takeaways.

For Season 4, Episode 1, we sat down with Jason Jones (Technogym) to tackle one of the most important issues in clinically integrated fitness right now: data collection and outcomes tracking.

Jason makes a clear case that if you are not measuring meaningful outcomes, you are not proving impact. And if you are not proving impact, you risk being seen as an “activity center” rather than a health and performance solution that belongs in modern healthcare.

Key themes we cover:

Why outcomes are a core differentiator in medical fitness, and why they matter strategically (not just academically).

The common trap of collecting too much data and overwhelming staff, and how to avoid it.

The value of starting small with a short list of “easy win” metrics (think: 3–5) and building your system over time.

How to organize outcomes in a practical way: performance/fitness capacity, patient-reported outcomes, adherence and completion, and more.

How technology can reduce friction, create consistency, and make reassessments and reporting realistic in the real world.

In Part 2, we expand on the implications: outcomes tracking is not just measurement, it is positioning. It can determine whether a program gets treated like an optional amenity or a clinical asset that drives referrals, retention, credibility, and long-term growth.

To connect with Jason:

Email: jjones@technogym.com

LinkedIn: Search “Jason Jones” + “Technogym”

If you work in medical fitness, lifestyle medicine, physical therapy, or any setting where exercise is being positioned as healthcare, this two-part episode will sharpen how you think about measurement, value, and credibility.

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Season 3, Episode 22 of the Medical Fitness Podcast is live, and it is an extremely insightful conversation.

In this episode, Thomas sits down with Courtney McCliment, a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, and manager of the Lifestyle Medicine Department at Valley Medical Center. Courtney oversees physical and occupational therapists, registered dietitians, cardiac and pulmonary rehab staff, and medical exercise personnel across a large multidisciplinary team. Her advocacy for exercise, behavior change, and patient empowerment is unmatched.

This conversation goes far deeper than standard discussions about nutrition or exercise. Highlights include:
1. Why “move more” is not enough.
Courtney explains why physical activity must be viewed as a prescription, not a hobby, and why relying on generic advice leaves patients stuck. She details how movement drives metabolic change, supports long-term disease management, and gives patients genuine control over their health.

2. Strength training as a cornerstone therapy for insulin resistance.
Courtney outlines how skeletal muscle drives glucose metabolism, why under-muscled patients face major metabolic limitations, and how resistance training is essential for improving type 2 diabetes outcomes.

3. The real story behind bariatric surgery preparation.
Courtney walks through the rigorous nutrition and behavioral requirements patients must meet long before surgery, and why expecting them to self-diagnose their own exercise plan often backfires. Her examples make clear why structured guidance matters, especially for medically complex individuals.

4. How continuous glucose monitors (CGM) can transform motivation.
She explains how CGM provides immediate feedback about the effects of meals, stress, sleep, and exercise, and why this real-time insight often increases patient engagement far more than traditional education. It is one of the most powerful behavior-change tools now available.

5. A practical look at motivational interviewing.
Courtney shares how true behavior change conversations differ from education or advice-giving, why fear-based messaging fails, and how eliciting a patient’s own motivations creates lasting adherence. Her examples are relevant to clinicians, coaches, and anyone trying to help people change.

This is one of those episodes that blends science, clinical wisdom, and real-world experience in a way that can reshape how clinicians and fitness professionals think about patient care.
If you work in medicine, rehab, fitness, lifestyle medicine, diabetes education, bariatric services, or health coaching, you will take something meaningful from this conversation.
Listen to Season 3, Episode 22 now and share it with colleagues who believe lifestyle change deserves a seat at the clinical table.

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🎙️ New Episode: Season 3, Episode 21 — “Bridging Lifestyle Medicine and Medical Fitness with Dr. Andrew Mock”

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Andrew Mock, physician, educator, and national leader in lifestyle medicine and medical fitness. Dr. Mock currently serves as Chair of the Fitness & Medicine Member Interest Group for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Chair of the MFA Physician Advisory Committee, and a member of the MFA Board of Directors. He’s also delivering a keynote presentation at the upcoming Medical Fitness Association Annual Conference in San Diego.

Dr. Mock shares his personal journey and his evolving vision for how medicine and fitness must merge to build a healthier society. Together, we explore five key topics shaping the future of medical fitness:

✅ The Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine in a Medical Fitness Context
Dr. Mock discusses how the six pillars—nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, social connection, and avoidance of risky substances—can be assessed and integrated into every medical fitness program. While nutrition and exercise often receive attention, he highlights sleep and connection as profoundly underutilized levers for improving health outcomes. He also emphasizes how substance use, while often overlooked in fitness settings, should be addressed through proper screening and referral systems.

✅ The Underrated Role of Sleep and Recovery
Sleep emerged as one of the most powerful yet neglected health determinants. Dr. Mock explains that inadequate sleep impacts every physiological system and is linked to billions of dollars in productivity loss annually. He and Jeff discuss how wearables and self-monitoring can help track improvements in sleep and recovery as patients progress through medical fitness programs. They also explore how progressive resistance training and structured recovery can coexist under the same “sleep” pillar, representing two sides of the same restorative process.

✅ Behavior Change and Habit Formation
Dr. Mock outlines practical methods for promoting sustained lifestyle change, including habit stacking, self-monitoring, and shifting from outcome-oriented to process-oriented goals. He explains how simple prompts (like linking daily activities to desired behaviors) and connecting patients to their deeper “why” can dramatically improve adherence. The discussion reinforces that long-term success depends not on willpower alone but on intentional structure, tracking, and meaning.

✅ The Role of Exercise Professionals in Clinical Integration
Exercise professionals, Dr. Mock notes, are essential to bridging the gap between medicine and wellness. Since most physicians receive minimal formal training in exercise prescription, fitness professionals with advanced education and credentials play a key role in guiding patients safely and effectively. He emphasizes the importance of two-way communication between clinicians and fitness specialists, data sharing, and referral quality control to build trust and continuity of care.

✅ Policy and Advocacy: Coverage Determination and the Path to Reimbursement
Dr. Mock provides an inside look at current efforts to secure insurance coverage for exercise services through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). He explains the ongoing work between the Medical Fitness Association, Physical Activity Alliance, and American College of Lifestyle Medicine to expand national coverage determinations and modify the Physician Fee Schedule so that preventive exercise interventions can be reimbursed. The discussion also touches on the need for standardized exercise reporting (CERT) and better data capture to strengthen the c

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