Medical Exercise Training.....The New Modality - Part 5

The Medical Exercise Training client is usually somewhere between 25 and 80 years of age. They have a chronic medical condition but they are "medically stable".  Their blood pressure, blood glucose, pain, swelling, etc are all managed to allow participation in a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise without exacerbation of their condition. The medical management is provided by physicians, therapists, chiropractors, nurses, etc using indicated medications or procedures. The MET client must be "medically stable" to begin exercise.  

The MET session should include some combination of strength, flexibility, balance, endurance, stability and functional training. Prior to beginning exercise the client should undergo a MET assessment including medical history and screening along with an appropriate regional assessment. The assessment allows the MedXPRO to identify residual functional deficits. These and other findings from the assessment are used to develop an exercise program that is forwarded to the physician, therapist or chiropractor for review. 

Every MET session should be documented and monthly progress reports forwarded to the referring medical professional. Documentation should be maintained in the client's file and progress noted using functional outcome measures. 

There are a number of options to deliver MET services: 1) 1 on 1 sessions; 2) small group sessions; 3) what we call Med-Fit Group training which incorporates lifestyle education and exercise for a group of clients with similar conditions and/or capacity. The importance of lifestyle education for MET clients can not be over emphasized. Lifestyle is a prime area for MedXPROs seeking referrals from the medical community. 

As you can see medical exercise training is far more than just giving a client with a medical conditions a few exercises. MET has the potential to positively impact clients and our health care system. Getting the proper education is required to provide these services. Go to www.MedicalExerciseSpecialist.com for info the Medical Exercise Specialist program. Follow this link for the full "New Modality" video series.