Medical Exercise Specialists will become more important in the management of chronic disease over the next 20 years. The Medical Exercise Specialist (MES) program began in 1994 as an attempt to provide safe and effective exercise for patients discharged from physical therapy. Since 1994 the need for medical exercise/post rehab training has continued to grow.

The Medical Exercise Specialist is the new health professional. The MES has evolved beyond “personal trainer”. Completion of a thorough education in exercise management of medical conditions is required to obtain the title. Medical Exercise Specialists provided a wide range of services but never in an effort to replace licensed medical professionals. The role of the MES is to: 1) deliver safe and effective exercise for medical conditions; 2) effectively communicate with medical professionals; 3) document functional outcomes and 4) provide wellness and lifestyle education.  

The education necessary to fulfill...

Medical exercise training (MET) utilizes a “new fitness approach” to manage medical conditions using exercise. We know there must be a new approach to managing chronic medical conditions using exercise. Hypertension, diabetes, osteoarthritis, total joint replacements, low back pain and others are bankrupting health care systems around the world.

For fitness to have a significant and long-term impact on healthcare these changes must be implemented: 1) using specific functional outcome measures to gauge progress; 2) utilize a protocol-based approach to deliver of MET services for specific medical conditions; 3) determine number of session and duration of MET services; 4) establish a system of communication and documentation to share the results and progress of exercise programming with the medical community and 5) incorporate home exercise and lifestyle education into MET programming. These five points simply say…..MET is an extension of the services provided by...

Healthcare is changing rapidly and Covid will speed those changes. Medical exercise training (MET) will continue to grow but there is a need for MedXPROs to complete comprehensive and detailed MET education leading to competence and confidence to integrate exercise into the medical management process. 

The integration will require MedXPROs to:1) develop safe and effective exercise protocols for individual medical conditions; 2) utilize and report functional outcome measures; 3) document client progress and 4) communicate effectively with medical professionals. These are just a few of the skills needed to apply this new modality - Medical Exercise Training. 

If you want to pursue a career as a medical exercise professional visit www.MedicalExerciseTrainingInstitute.com. Download and read "Medical Exercise Training.....The New Modality" by clicking here. 

Medical Exercise Training (MET) is here to stay. It’s the new modality in managing medical conditions. If you are a fitness professionals and would like to develop the skills and knowledge to use exercise to enhance the function of clients with medical conditions join us and start "Bridging the Gap Between Health Care and Fitness" by becoming a Medical Exercise Specialist. Go to MedicalExerciseSpecialist.com for details. Click here to learn more about Medical Exercise Training....The New Modality.

Happy Thanksgiving!! Have a great day. Eat, drink and be merry!!

Medical Exercise Professionals will see greater usage and need over the next 20 years. As the need grows so will the need for a higher skills set and level of knowledge/understanding. The Advanced Medical Exercise Specialist Residency is the next step in your Medical Exercise Specialist education. The AMES will help you become the "MET Expert" in your community.

Here are some of the topics covered in the Advanced Medical Exercise Specialist Residency

• Manual Muscle Testing
• Joint Goniometry and Range of Motion Testing
• Gait Analysis and Biomechanics of the Gait Cycle
• Medical History Procedures and Assessment
• Neurological Assessment Procedures
• Vital Signs Assessment and Procedures
• Balance Assessment and Training Sequence
• Short- and Long-Term Goal Assessment
• Functional Outcome Measure Selection and Assessment
• Functional Scale Assessment Procedures and Selection
• Practice Management Systems

Soon we will provide more details and how to register for the residency. Put your name on the...

You may now complete the MES or PRCS final examinations online. We realize with the Covid-19 pandemic it is extremely difficult for MEST students to find an examination facility/proctor. As a result we have developed an online MEST final examination. The online MEST final exam may be completed in the comfort and safety of your home. 

After the complete all the MES or PRCS quizzes you are eligible to sit for the final examination. The online exam is graded and within 72 hours you will have your exam results.

Medical Exercise Specialist Examination

The MES exam has a written component consisting of 200 multiple choice questions. The practical component of the exam requires completion of 5 case studies. 80% is required to pass the written component. The practical component requires passing each of the 5  case studies. Three hours should be allocated for the written exam and two hours for the practical component for a total of 5 hours. 

Post Rehab...

Hey Medical Exercise Professionals…..This is the final in the "Bridging the Gap with Total Knee Replacement" series. In this segment we review a couple of specific techniques to recruit/activate the quadriceps and stretch the knee. REMEMBER....leave the acute management to the physicians and therapists. They will make your job easier if they have managed their roles and responsibilities appropriately.

The swelling is the major limitation in the early stages. The swelling should be at a minimal level when MET begins. If the client is limited to less than 90 degrees of flexion and unable to achieve full extension, refer the client back to the therapist or contact the therapist o develop an appropriate training program. Terms you need to become familiar with are extensor lag and patella mobility. The extensor lag is a combo of quad weakness/lack of fiber recruitment, swelling and lack of flexibility and connective tissue pliablity. The therapist should address these...

MedXPROS....total knee and hip replacements will become a large component of MET services over the next 20 years. The number of total knee replacements performed is estimated at 720,000 per year. TKR clients, if there are no major post-operative complications, will go through a brief bout of physical therapy. After which they are prime candidates for medical exercise training (MET) to increase strength, maintain or improve ROM/flexiblity, enhance joint stability and overall restore function. Every total joint replacement client needs MET in some form or fashion.

This video summarizes status of the client regarding swelling, ROM/flexibility and exercise programming. Three areas must be simultaneously addressed in the acute stages following TKR: 1) swelling/pain; 2) ROM/flexibility and 3) muscle recruitment/strength. In the acute stages these 3 are best handled in a physical therapy setting after discharge from the hospital. After these are addressed and the client is...