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The Medical Fitness PodcastAuthor: Jeff Young, Thomas Hammett, and David Flench
Welcome to our podcast! Our goal is to provide you with principle and evidence-based content on all things related to exercise science, strength and conditioning, medical fitness, and building the bridge between medicine and fitness. Jeff Young, Thomas Hammett, and David Flench have a passion for and an expertise in connecting the fields of healthcare and fitness, and are excited to host industry leaders and subject matter experts for informative interviews, as well as occasionally bring you solo material. We hope you enjoy listening! Language: en-us Genres: Fitness, Health & Fitness, Medicine Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Season 3 Episode 22 Courtney McCliment
Episode 22
Wednesday, 19 November, 2025
Season 3, Episode 22 of the Medical Fitness Podcast is live, and it is an extremely insightful conversation.In this episode, Thomas sits down with Courtney McCliment, a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, and manager of the Lifestyle Medicine Department at Valley Medical Center. Courtney oversees physical and occupational therapists, registered dietitians, cardiac and pulmonary rehab staff, and medical exercise personnel across a large multidisciplinary team. Her advocacy for exercise, behavior change, and patient empowerment is unmatched. This conversation goes far deeper than standard discussions about nutrition or exercise. Highlights include:1. Why “move more” is not enough. Courtney explains why physical activity must be viewed as a prescription, not a hobby, and why relying on generic advice leaves patients stuck. She details how movement drives metabolic change, supports long-term disease management, and gives patients genuine control over their health. 2. Strength training as a cornerstone therapy for insulin resistance. Courtney outlines how skeletal muscle drives glucose metabolism, why under-muscled patients face major metabolic limitations, and how resistance training is essential for improving type 2 diabetes outcomes. 3. The real story behind bariatric surgery preparation. Courtney walks through the rigorous nutrition and behavioral requirements patients must meet long before surgery, and why expecting them to self-diagnose their own exercise plan often backfires. Her examples make clear why structured guidance matters, especially for medically complex individuals. 4. How continuous glucose monitors (CGM) can transform motivation. She explains how CGM provides immediate feedback about the effects of meals, stress, sleep, and exercise, and why this real-time insight often increases patient engagement far more than traditional education. It is one of the most powerful behavior-change tools now available. 5. A practical look at motivational interviewing. Courtney shares how true behavior change conversations differ from education or advice-giving, why fear-based messaging fails, and how eliciting a patient’s own motivations creates lasting adherence. Her examples are relevant to clinicians, coaches, and anyone trying to help people change. This is one of those episodes that blends science, clinical wisdom, and real-world experience in a way that can reshape how clinicians and fitness professionals think about patient care.If you work in medicine, rehab, fitness, lifestyle medicine, diabetes education, bariatric services, or health coaching, you will take something meaningful from this conversation.Listen to Season 3, Episode 22 now and share it with colleagues who believe lifestyle change deserves a seat at the clinical table.Support the show
