Medical Fitness Association FAQs

Medical Fitness Questions

The Medical Fitness Association (MFA), a non-profit organization, was formed in 1991 to assist medically integrated health and fitness centers achieve their full potential. MFA’s purpose is to advance knowledge, networking, and influence of the medical fitness industry. To achieve this, MFA provides industry standards, educational programs, certification opportunities, benchmark data, professional development, and networking opportunities for improving operational success and healthcare integration.

A medical fitness center is a medically integrated facility that promotes healthy lifestyle choices as it focuses on the prevention and treatment of lifestyle related disease, illness, and injury via participation in physical activity, nutrition, chronic disease management programming, and health and wellness education.

Components of the Medical Fitness Model

  • Medical oversight & integration
  • Quality management & outcomes focus
  • Pre-participation screening
  • Safety, risk management, and emergency preparedness
  • Clinical programs & services
  • Professional staffing
  • Cleanliness
  • Individualized approach & customer service
  • Socialization

The Medical Fitness Association membership is for anyone who has a commitment to the medical fitness industry.  Our membership includes:

  • Fitness center directors and managers
  • Fitness professionals, exercise physiologists, personal trainers
  • Physicians, medical directors, clinicians, physical therapists, and nurse practitioners
  • Hospital CEOs and administrators, hospitals, management companies, multipurpose facilities committed to physician support and oversight
  • Industry Partners that serve the medical fitness industry
  • Students and professors in exercise science and related healthcare delivery programs

When you become a member of the Medical Fitness Association, you become part of the wider medical fitness community! Your membership is a way to deepen your knowledge, your networking, and your influence. Click here to learn more about a Medical Fitness Association membership.

Not at all!  The Medical Fitness Association offers several levels of membership for all members of the medical fitness community. However, we do encourage medically-integrated centers, who are ready to take the next step of receiving the seal of approval for meeting the highest industry standards, to seek Facility Certification.

General Questions

The Medical Fitness Association supports its Industry Partners. We have a list of our Partners on our homepage. We encourage and promote our Partners, because they are committed to the philosophy and spirit in delivering medically based fitness and exercise platforms. Members needing products and services should consider these companies that deliver exemplary services to our members and facilities.

  • The Medical Fitness Association Facility Certification program launched in 2008 in the United States.
  • Based on the Medical Fitness Association publication, Standards & Guidelines for Medical Fitness Center Facilities.
  • Certification process involves an in-depth review of a facility’s adherence to the prescribed standards and guidelines for delivering a medically sponsored, integrated, accountability based fitness and exercise platform.
  • Certification process is an integral part of ensuring the quality and safety of the facility’s programs and services that are necessary to meet the vital role that medical fitness centers perform.
  • Recognized as the mark of excellence in the health and fitness industry.
  • Click here to review more certification details.

Since its inception, the Medical Fitness Association has provided fitness leaders with educational resources, networking opportunities and facility certifications. In addition, MFA offers the Medical Fitness Facility Director professional credential to help you take your career to the next level.

This certification is designed to test your knowledge of fundamental operations of fitness facilities and your understanding of the role fitness facilities play in the future of healthcare.

The Medical Fitness Facility Director Certification ensures that fitness facility directors and aspiring fitness facility directors possess the core knowledge and skills to safely and efficiently manage their centers. This 50-question exam covers knowledge in nine specific content areas relevant to the operation of medically integrated fitness facilities.

Click here to learn more about the Medical Fitness Facility Director Certification.

A Medical Fitness Association initiative, designed to promote an increase in physical activity levels in all ages and to highlight the medical fitness difference.  MFA provides materials for a MOVE150 program and a WALK10k challenge at MFA member facilities.

Click here to learn more about Medical Fitness Week.

The Medical Fitness Leadership Institute course, developed by the Medical Fitness Association, focuses on a variety of topics directly related to the operational success of medical fitness centers and the development of industry leaders for this growing field.

The course is geared to the medical fitness model and medically integrated facilities. The primary focus is on the development of managers and directors either new to the medical fitness industry, or those who are preparing to take on leadership roles for the first time.

Click here to learn more about the Medical Fitness Leadership Institute.

The Medical Fitness Association offers the following publications:

  • Medical Fitness Association’s Standards & Guidelines for Medical Fitness Center Facilities
    Published in conjunction with Health Learning, this expanded edition of the Standards and Guidelines features a set of nationally derived parameters that are applicable to the design and operation of a medical fitness center.  Included are sample job descriptions, a Facility Certification checklist, policies and procedures, and industry resources.  If your facility is planning to apply for certification, we highly recommend the purchase of this publication.
  • Benchmarks for Success
    Benchmarks for Success is the most comprehensive, up-to-date resource of its kind in the medical fitness industry.  It provides a broad and valuable range of information about medical fitness centers across the country, including facility features, programming, financial data and membership information.  The guide provides statistics on the growth and profitability of the industry that are especially pertinent to the development, staffing, management, programming, and marketing of medical fitness centers.

If you have any questions or concerns, please fill out our Contact Us.

Current Member Questions

To access the members only section of the MFA website, you’ll need your User Name and Password.

  • User Name – this is your first and last name written in all lower case and as one word – i.e. Mary Smith = marysmith
  • Password – if you have forgotten your password, there is a link to reset it

To log in, go to the MFA website at www.medicalfitness.org and click on the green box with SIGN IN in the upper right hand corner.

Once you’re in, hover your mouse over MEMBERS ONLY ACCESS and you’ll see a drop down menu. You can access archived webinars, see the presentations from recent live events, review reports from Member Surveys, update your profile, etc.

Please go to the login page, click the “Lost your password?” link on the login screen.  You will be able to change your password by entering your email.

Please go to our events calendar and click on the event you would like to attend and complete the necessary registration form(s).  You will receive an automated email with more information on the event you have registered for.

All of your CECs, whether from a webinar or one of our live events, are included in your Medical Fitness Association membership!

MFA has a robust Career Center on the MFA website. Job listings are free for MFA members and Industry Partners. Click here to visit the MFA Career Center.

For more information on how to post your job openings, contact MFA at 910-420-8610.

There are many ways to become more involved within the Association. Your support is always welcome through an MFA Task Force or Regional Committee. Click here to learn more.

Do you have knowledge to share? We are always seeking insightful, top-quality subject matter experts to present at our webinars and live events! If you are interested in sharing your expertise and knowledge and contributing to the growth and development of the medical fitness industry, we welcome your presentation proposal.

Click here for more information and for our online form to submit your presentation proposal.