Top Takeaways from the 2019 Medical Fitness Conference

The Medical Fitness Association’s 29th Annual International Conference took place November 13-15, 2019, in Orlando, Florida.

According to Kristin McConnell, the marketing director at The Atlantic Club, the conference was a think-tank for hospital-based facilities, stand-alone clinics, wellness centers and commercial clubs.

“This year in particular I recognized quite a few of the commercial club players in our circle at more of the medical fitness-based seminars surrounding this new area of wellness we are all diving into,” said McConnell.

According to McConnell, there were a number of key takeaways from this year’s Medical Fitness Conference, outlined below.

When designing programming, don’t forget to get back to the “why.”

According to McConnell, when creating programming, clubs should ask how they can help, improve and change the lives of others. “The 80% of the population who don’t typically walk through our club doors need other ways to get them engaged,” she said. “Give them programs that get them moving more and sitting less. Think about your customer journey and ask yourself if it engages and delights your customers. How can you add more happiness to your customer journey?”

Carefully consider how to serve special populations.

“Another popular discussion at the Medical Fitness Conference was physical activity in select populations at your facility,” explained McConnell. “We discussed people with traumatic brain injuries, those with PTSD, spinal cord injuries and Parkinson’s.”

The discussion also included how to best serve people with anxiety disorders. “An interesting question that arose was, does your facility have a space for people to go if they are feeling anxious?” added McConnell. “Maybe consider adding a meditation room, a quiet space with open access, unscented and simple lighting. This space would be beneficial to those who may have an anxiety disorder or are feeling overwhelmed, but also doubles as a practice meditation space.”