In Tip #41 of the MET 101 Tips eBook series, Dr. Mike tackles one of the most frequently asked—and crucial—questions for MedExPROs: “What should I charge for my medical exercise (ME) services?” His answer is rooted in experience, professionalism, and long-term sustainability for your practice.

Dr. Mike’s formula is simple but strategic:

• Find your local personal training rates—both for assessments and sessions.
• Charge 25% to 50% more for ME training sessions.
• Charge at least 50% more for your ME assessments than a standard personal training assessment.

Why the higher price tag? Because as a MedExPRO, you're delivering more than a workout. You’re investing in advanced education, communicating with medical professionals, and designing programs based on functional outcomes—not just fat loss or fitness trends. Your services are a vital extension of the healthcare system, and that added value must be reflected in your pricing.

Dr. Mike also makes a critical distinction between a sc...

Something powerful is coming for MedExPROs ready to grow. The Medical Exercise Specialist (MES) App was built for those managing complex clients and seeking real, lasting connections with referring providers. It’s more than just another tool—it’s a quiet revolution in your pocket. Whether you're looking to elevate your client outcomes, sharpen your marketing to medical professionals, or finally gain clarity in your business systems, the MES App was designed to meet you where you are—and take you where you’re meant to go.

Stay tuned. The future of your practice might be one tap away. Get on the first user list. Send an email to [email protected]. In the subject line, put MES App.

August is here. Clients are trickling back from summer break. You’re waiting. Hoping and planning for a strong fall.

But if you’re like most MedExPROs I talk to, you’re also feeling frustrated—because despite all your certifications, passion, and hustle… something’s still not working.

Here’s the hard truth: 5 core challenges keep even the most skilled MedExPROs from building thriving, referral-ready practices.

Let’s see if any of these sound familiar:

🔹 Lack of Clarity

You started in fitness, added medical exercise… but now you’re juggling group classes, stretching sessions, post-rehab clients, and trying to be everything to everyone. The result? No clear identity. No consistent message.

🔹 No Medical Referrals

You’ve reached out to doctors, PTs, and chiropractors—but the referrals just aren’t coming. Maybe you get the occasional backdoor endorsement, but not direct, professional referrals.

🔹 Overwhelmed by Complex Clients

Clients with multiple conditions leave you unsure where...

The last 31 years have proven something powerful:

👉 Medical Exercise Professionals (MedExPROs) are more than trainers.

👉 We’re not just bridging gaps—we’re building a new standard in post-rehab care.

👉 And the future of functional health may rest on how well we rise to meet what’s next.

In our last article, we outlined five major goals MedExPROs must pursue over the next decade:

1. Become the next tier after rehab
2. Lead community-based chronic condition programs
3. Champion outcome data collection and documentation
4. Serve as post-rehab client care navigators
5. Build practices that collaborate with and support healthcare systems

But goals require skills. Not more exercises—but professional capabilities that elevate how we practice, communicate, document, and lead.

Here are the 5 critical skills every MedExPRO must master to achieve the next level of professional impact.

1. 📋 Functional Documentation & Outcome Tracking

Why it matters:

If we want to be taken seriously by healthcar...

This year marks 31 years since the very first Medical Exercise Specialist (MES) workshop. That single event sparked the development of a profession that has helped tens of thousands of clients around the world regain function, reclaim independence, and live stronger lives after rehab or in the face of chronic disease.

Over the past three decades, MedExPROs, including Medical Exercise Specialists, Post Rehab Conditioning Specialists, and Medical Exercise Program Directors, have done more than deliver great results—they’ve carved out a role that never existed before. They’ve brought clarity to the blurred lines between fitness and healthcare. They’ve earned the trust of physicians and therapists. And most importantly, they’ve changed lives.

Here are four major accomplishments MedExPROs can celebrate—and four more that must define the next decade.

🎯 WHAT WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED IN 31 YEARS

1. We Standardized Post-Rehab Exercise Protocols

MedExPROs took the guesswork out of exercise after ...

💥 5 Truth Bombs Medical Exercise Pros Need to Hear

🔷 What the Industry Gets Wrong—and What You Must Do Instead

This year marks 31 years since we launched the first Medical Exercise Specialist workshop, and in that time, we’ve seen our field grow from an emerging idea into a recognized "Bridge Between Healthcare and Fitness". But with that growth has come confusion—largely fueled by the fitness industry's obsession with certifications over competence. 

Fitness organizations are racing to release the next “medical” or “corrective” exercise certification, and professionals are racing to collect them. But here’s the hard truth: 

👉 1. If you’re not obtaining a diagnosis for the client; 

👉 2. Communicating with the client's medical professionals; 

👉 3. Documenting every MET assessment and session and 

👉 4. Working toward sshort and long-term functional goals...

You’re not practicing Medical Exercise Training. You’re just doing personal training with higher rates and riskier clients w...

10 Essentials to Unlock Reimbursement

In today’s healthcare environment, Medical Exercise Professionals (MedExPROs) are more critical than ever—bridging the gap between rehab discharge and long-term functional recovery. But if you're still operating under a purely cash-based model, you're not just limiting your revenue—you’re also limiting your impact.

Insurance reimbursement is no longer off-limits. It's possible. It’s happening. And it’s one of the most powerful ways to grow your practice, reach more clients, and gain recognition from medical professionals.

But you need a system. And that’s what the Cracking the Code blueprint delivers. Below are the 10 essential steps every MedExPRO must follow to position their services for insurance reimbursement. These steps won’t teach you to file a claim on their own—but they’ll show you exactly where the path begins.

🔑 The 10-Step Reimbursement Blueprint for MedExPROs

1.  🧾 Verify Insurance Eligibility
   Don’t assume anything based on a clie
...

In Tip #40 of the MET 101 series, Dr. Mike dives into one of the most misunderstood and risky areas in medical exercise training: billing through a medical doctor (MD) or physical therapist (RPT) for services performed by a Medical Exercise Professional.

Dr. Mike warns MedExPROs about the "slippery slope" of indirect billing—a practice where a medical professional bills insurance for services that were actually delivered by a Medical Exercise Specialist, but without direct supervision. This isn’t a gray area—it’s insurance fraud, and it can jeopardize everyone involved, including your career. Dr. Mike shares examples such as MES professionals seeing clients at home or in a clinic while the doctor is absent, yet the provider still bills for the session. That’s a clear violation.

Instead, Dr. Mike explains the only legitimate way for a medical provider to bill for your services: you must be an employee, and medical professional must provide direct, on-premises supervision. If those two...

Medical Exercise Training has evolved over the last 31 years. Initially, everything was one-on-one training. Now, a Medical Exercise Professional (MedExPRO) practice should offer a structured and comprehensive Menu of Services focused on improving function, reducing recurrence, and enhancing quality of life for clients with medical conditions after discharge from medical care. This menu should align with the scope of practice for MedExPROs and reflect a continuum of care—bridging the gap between healthcare and fitness.

Here’s a recommended menu of services for a MedExPRO practice:

🔷 1. Post-Rehab Functional Training Programs

For clients recently discharged from PT, OT, or chiropractic care
Goal: Maintain and improve functional outcomes, prevent re-injury
Includes:

• Condition-specific programming (e.g., post-ACL, post-stroke, post-MI)
• Functional movement training
• Balance and proprioception retraining
• Core stabilization

🔷 2. Medical Exercise Assessments

Thorough functional as...

Make Your MET Practice Referral-Ready in 30 Days: A Marketing Roadmap for MedExPROs

After 31 years Medical Exercise Training is here to stay!! But being skilled isn’t enough anymore. As a Medical Exercise Professional (MedExPRO), you need to be seen, understood, and trusted—especially by the physicians, physical therapists, chiropractors, and healthcare providers who can refer clients to you. That means becoming referral-ready—on paper, in your systems, and in your presence.

This 30-day marketing roadmap is your guide to getting there. Designed specifically for MedExPROs, it walks you through four essential stages: clarifying your identity, mastering your documentation, building your referral system, and turning visibility into consistent referrals. Each step is practical, actionable, and geared toward transforming your skills into a sustainable, recognized practice.

A Marketing Roadmap for MedExPROs

It’s not enough to be skilled.

You need to be seen.

You need to be understood.