Strategic Partners

The Medical Fitness Association wants to partner with like thinking non-profit organizations to further the goals of improving the health of the communities we serve through exercise, nutrition and lifestyle management. To that end, we have engaged with the organizations below in our quest to educate physicians and physician extenders, exercise professionals, ancillary health care providers, and the public about the value of exercise in the management of individual and population health risk, using exercise in the treatment of many chronic diseases and implementing a broad prevention program for those at risk for chronic conditions.

If your organization is interested in joining with us in joint advocacy, joint position and white papers, supporting one another in our various conferences with speakers, etc., consider joining with us. For more information about our Strategic Partner program, please contact our MFA VP, Mariann Murphy at 910-420-8610 or mariann.murphy@medicalfitness.org.

American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR)

The American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) is a multidisciplinary professional association comprised of health professionals who serve in the field of cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.Members include cardiovascular and pulmonary physicians, nurses, exercise physiologists, physical therapists, behavioral scientists, respiratory therapists, dieticians and nutritionists. We are committed to the continued professional development of our members through networking and educational opportunities.

American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (AAPSM)

The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine serves to advance the understanding, prevention and management of lower extremity sports and fitness injuries.  We believe that providing such knowledge to the profession and the public will optimize enjoyment and safe participation in sports and fitness activities.  We will accomplish this mission through professional education, scientific research, public awareness and membership support.

American Council on Exercise (ACE)

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) is a nonprofit organization with global reach that works to improve physical-activity levels by certifying exercise professionals and health coaches, publishing original research, convening experts on physical activity and health, working directly with community groups, and advocating for policies to get people from all walks of life moving. The 90,000 exercise professionals and health coaches certified by ACE are among the most respected in the world of fitness, helping people embrace physical activity and adopt a healthier lifestyle.

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

The American College of Sports Medicine advances and integrates scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine. ACSM is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. With more than 50,000 members and certified professionals worldwide, ACSM is dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

American College of Lifestyle Medicine

ACLM is the professional association of physicians, clinicians and allied health professionals dedicated to the use of lifestyle as a therapeutic intervention for prevention, and, more importantly, the treatment and, often, reversal of chronic, degenerative disease.  Lifestyle Medicine is a branch of evidence-based medicine in which comprehensive lifestyle changes (including nutrition, physical activity, stress management, social support and environmental exposures) are used to help prevent, treat and even reverse the progression of many chronic diseases by addressing their underlying causes.  As our healthcare system shifts from a fee-for-service to a value and outcome-based model, it’s imperative that Lifestyle Medicine become the foundation, ensuring a transformed and sustainable system of care.

American College of Preventive Medicine

Founded in 1954, the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) is the leader for the specialty of Preventive Medicine and physicians dedicated to prevention. ACPM improves the health of individuals and populations through evidence-based health promotion, disease prevention, and systems-based approaches to improving health and health care.

ACPM provides leadership in research, professional education, development of public policy, and enhancement of standards of preventive medicine for and on behalf of its physician members. Uniquely trained in both clinical medicine and public health, preventive medicine specialists are equipped to understand and reduce the risks of disease, disability, and death in individuals and in population groups. Our members are employed in research, academia, government, clinical settings, and other entities worldwide.

ACPM provides a dynamic forum for the exchange of knowledge among preventive medicine specialists, and offers high-quality educational programs for continuing medical education (CME) and maintenance of certification (MOC), information and resources for ongoing professional development, and networking opportunities.

American Kinesiotherapy Association

Kinesiotherapy is defined as the application of scientifically based exercise principles adapted to enhance the strength, endurance, and mobility of individual with functional limitations or those requiring extended physical conditioning. A registered kinesiotherapist can administer treatment only upon receipt of a prescription from qualified physicians, nurse practitioners and/or physician’s assistants who have been privileged to make such referrals. To learn more about KT’s and how to hire a registered kinesiotherapist, please click here.

The Association for Corporate Health Risk Management

ACHRM is a unique employer-exclusive community to collaborate with your peers, learn new methods and techniques to reduce your company’s health care costs and improve employee well-being and productivity.

American Osteopathic College of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

The AOCPMR is the professional association of Osteopathic physicians dedicated to providing added value services to its members in the areas of advocacy, education and practice. AOCPMR values camaraderie, excellence and quality as it lives its mission. The profession is based on the dynamic interaction of mind, body and spirit; the body’s ability to heal itself; the primary role of the musculoskeletal system and preventive medicine as the key to maintain health.

Coalition for the Registration of Exercise Professionals (CREP)

Our mission is to secure recognition of registered exercise professionals for their distinct roles in medical, health, fitness and sports performance fields.

CREP® advances its mission by maintaining the United States Registry of Exercise Professionals® (USREPS®), an internationally recognized registry of exercise professionals in the United States, and as an advocate for the exercise professional who holds NCCA-accredited exercise certification on issues that pertain to regulation, access and scope of work. Current exercise certifications of member organizations listed in USREPS® include Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Group Fitness Instructor, Certified Pilates Teacher, Advanced Health and Fitness Specialist, Exercise Specialist, Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist, and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.

Exercise is Medicine

In 2007, the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) co-launched Exercise is Medicine (EIM) – a United States-based health initiative that has since been coordinated by ACSM.  The initial purpose of EIM was to make the scientifically proven benefits of physical activity the standard in the U.S. healthcare system.  Within two years of its launch, representatives from international public health, medical and scientific associations asked ACSM to expand its initial scope beyond the United States and begin a multinational collaboration to make EIM a global effort, launching the EIM Global headquarters in Indianapolis, IN.  Currently there are seven regional centers and 43 national centers across the globe.

Healthy Learning

Healthy Learning is one of the world’s foremost publishers of instructional materials for health/wellness, fitness, exercise, sports medicine, and camp professionals. Founded in 1997, Healthy Learning offers a content library of over 3,500 titles that feature several of the most respected individuals in their area of expertise. The underlying mission of Healthy Learning is to provide individuals with the information and resources that they need to address the needs, concerns, and interests of those that they serve.

The Jewish Community Center Association

JCC Association is the continental umbrella organization for the Jewish Community Center Movement, which includes more than 350 JCCs, YM-YWHAs, and camp sites in the U.S. and Canada. JCC Association offers a wide range of services and resources to help its affiliates to provide educational, cultural, social, Jewish identity-building, and recreational programs for people of all ages and backgrounds. JCC Association supports the largest network of Jewish early childhood centers and Jewish summer camps in North America, and is also a U.S. government accredited agency for serving the religious and social needs of Jewish military personnel through JWB Jewish Chaplains Council.

The National Board of Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC)

The mission of the NBHWC is to support individuals in improving their health and well-being, preventing and managing chronic disease, making important health decisions and optimizing their lifestyles to achieve their best possible overall well-being. That mission is pursued through the following three-pronged approach:

To Integrate
To integrate knowledgeable, skilled and credentialed professional health and wellness coaches into the healthcare system who facilitate lasting change of mindsets and behaviors to improve the health and well-being of individuals.

To Support
To support integration of basic coaching skills into the practices of health professions, so that healthcare providers are better able to catalyze and support engagement in health-enhancing lifestyles.

To Advance
To advance a collaborative research agenda and compile evidence on best practices. This would allow for refinement and further evaluation of health coaching methodology, as well as inform training and education practices.

Nebraska Methodist College

Nebraska Methodist College has served as an educational leader in wellness and health promotion for more than 20 years. As a healthcare institution, NMC understands the importance of producing results-oriented health promotion programs and services. NMC offers an online Master of Science in Wellness & Health Promotion Management degree with a concentration in Medical Fitness Management which includes a unique partnership with the Medical Fitness Association. Students who complete the program will be eligible to sit for the Association’s Certified Fitness Facility Director (CFFD) exam with the experience requirement being waived for graduates. In addition, graduates will be prepared to take the Certified Medical Fitness Facility Director (CMFFD) exam upon successful completion of the CFFD. Learn more by visiting www.methodistcollege.edu or call 402-354-7200.

Rock Steady Boxing

Rock Steady Boxing is a nonprofit organization founded in Indianapolis in 2006 with a mission to empower people to “fight back” against Parkinson’s disease (PD), a progressive, incurable, neurodegenerative movement disorder.

RSB gives people with PD hope by improving their quality of life through a non-contact, boxing-inspired fitness curriculum. Professional boxers condition for optimal agility, speed, muscular endurance, accuracy, hand-eye coordination, footwork and overall strength to defend against and overcome opponents. At RSB, PD is the opponent, and scientific research demonstrates that forced, intense exercise may actually be neuroprotective, slowing the progression of the disease. Currently there are 600 affiliates in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and 30 international locations.

Women in Fitness Association (WIFA)

The Women in Fitness Association (WIFA) is the only global non-profit organization that supports women of all ages and races to succeed both professionally and personally within the fitness industry. WIFA membership includes quarterly virtual meetings, live gatherings, mentorship pairing, networking capabilities, speaking and presenting opportunities, and blog contributions.The vision of WIFA is that every woman professionally representing the fitness industry can find her place and rise to her fullest potential!Our aim is to see more women in the board room, championing each other to achieve, sharing success through collaboration.