The Health & Fitness Center achieves Medical Fitness Association Facility certif

Published on Nov 25, 2014 7:21pm

The Health & Fitness Center at Washtenaw Community College is proud to announce it has recently become a certified Medical Fitness Facility.

The certification was granted by the Medical Fitness Association, the country’s leading organization dedicated to medically integrated health and wellness facilities. Becoming certified ensures that The Health & Fitness Center at Washtenaw Community

College offers the highest in quality staffing, equipment and programming under a medical oversight.

“It shows the community that our members are assured safety in the programming available at our fitness center,” said Director Linda Perry. “There is a greater sense of safety that our members are aware of from the first time they step foot into our building.”

The fitness center is different from most workout facilities, Perry added. Fitness staff members are required to have four-year degrees and many maintain additional certifications in specialty areas such as arthritis or cardiac health. Programs are regularly reviewed by the center’s Medical Advisory Board, which includes physicians from St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Hospital and a physical therapist from Probality Physical Therapy.

All staff members are required to hold certifications in CPR, AED and First Aid. The center conducts regular safety trainings and drills for emergency situations throughout the building.

The center also offers a unique program called “Next Steps,” which provides nine training programs tailored to specific medical needs such as weight loss, diabetes or recovery after surgery.

“As people are aging they want to maintain their health and wellness,” Perry said. “It’s important that we are able to develop individual exercise programs to improve their health in a place where they can feel comfortable and safe.”