Festus, appreciate you joining us today. What was your school or training experience like? Share an anecdote or two that you feel illustrate important aspects or the overall nature of your schooling/training experience.

I got my training for occupational therapy in the military, which made things exciting. But I think that’s where I honed some of my skills for exercise. Before joining the military, I played football and learned a lot about weightlifting, cardiovascular exercise, and much more. But through the military, I was able to hone those skills. Once I transitioned into the occupational therapy trade school at Fort Sam Houston, I was in for a rude awakening. In one sense, it was great because we were the caring side of the army. In another sense, it wasn’t easy to shut off being a soldier. This was especially true because of working with different populations once I got out of the military. In the military, you deal with many combat injuries and trauma. While in the public sector, we deal with many health care issues, such as strokes and heart attacks.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

The genesis of MedXFit followed a request for Festus to work with a patient discharging from Skilled Nursing in 2015. The woman was an avid biker and hiker but had back surgery due to a fall. Festus declined the request thinking that home health was adequate for her needs. However, the woman passed away within 2-3 weeks of returning home from skilled nursing. Festus was in his 8th year as an Occupational Therapy Assistant at that time. Festus questioned if he could have made a difference in her situation and why there seemed to be a need for exercise outside the traditional therapy model. This was when he began his journey toward medical exercise. He promised himself that if someone else asked for his help, he would be open to the opportunity to see how he could help them.

In 2015 he was approached by a woman that needed help with her husband, which was about to begin dialysis. Festus realized the lessons he had learned in the military as a combat medic and years of occupational therapy in various settings made him well suited for the task. Upon helping the woman and her husband, Festus realized that there is a significant gap between the medical and fitness industry in which many patients cannot engage in safe and effective exercise due to their differing abilities and the lack of knowledge and information on the fitness community.

In 2019 Festus passed his medical exercise certification from Medical Exercise Training Institute. From then, he began serving individuals one on one in their homes, senior living facilities, and more.

We typically work with clients from professional backgrounds, including doctors, business owners, and more that need medically based exercise in their homes, at our gym, and more by providing: Post-rehab – Follow up with those with an injury or illness lasting longer than 30 days after rehabilitation discharge, Active Aging in Place – How to age and figure out a personal plan to include exercise, Chronic Illness – Developing exercise and lifestyle plans that meet their individual needs, Health and wellness coaching – those that wish to combine exercise with life events or stage management.

Our Services include:
One-on-One Medical Exercise
Medical Exercise Small Groups: Fall Prevention and Recovery, Diabetes Training Program, and Hypertension Training Program
Lifestyle and Environment Education

Have you ever had to pivot?

Pivot is a sensational word. I think it’s more interesting because that’s what we all did during the pandemic. I served clients privately for the longest time, just taking a few here and there. But with the pandemic and everything going on in the healthcare industry, I realized it was time for me to spread my wings. So, in January of 2022, I started working full-time in MedXFit Houston.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Word of Mouth is the most important type of marketing available. It’s often quite underrated. But the saying is true that birds of a feather flock together. And I try my best to encourage my clients to reach out to their friends and colleagues.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.medxfithouston.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedxfitHouston
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/78426358

Image Credits
Festus Amoye Canva.com Pexels.com