About Lisa

Lisa graduated from the University of Ca, Irvine, Fitness Instructor Program, and went on to get her Certified Personal Trainer and Health Coach Certifications through the American Council on Exercise. She has many specialty certifications to work with those with medical conditions, post-surgical/rehab as well as pre & postpartum fitness.  Course work includes Heart Disease, Breast Cancer Recovery, MS, Parkinson’s, Diabetes, Dementia, Arthritis, Respiratory Disease, Fibromyalgia, Knee & hip replacement, and Pre & postpartum fitness.

Lisa founded Whole Body Fitness in 1999 and has helped many people of all ages.  She now runs the MedFit Training and Education Center in Costa Mesa, CA.

Lisa enjoys working out, running, art & museums, travel to tropical locations, and her canine and feline family.

Lisa in the News

► Finding the Courage to Help Move Your Dream Career Forward! | A Mo’ment with Mo Podcast, August 2023

► 30 Inspiring Stories of Courage | canfitpro, August 2023

► Creating a Network for Medical Fitness Professionals | Wellness Paradox Podcast, August 2022

► Shifting the Paradigm of Medicine | Women We Should Know Podcast, July 2022

► Medical Reimbursement for Training | NASM-CPT Podcast with Rick Richey, July 2022

► Health Benefits for Personal Training Made Easy: What is MedFit Care? | The Flipping 50 Show, July 2022

► Tap into the Medical Fitness Market | ISSA’s Trainers Talking Truths Podcast, January 2022

► A New Era Begins and You Can Lead It | Guest Author for Fitness Business Podcast, September 2021

► Interview with Lisa Dougherty | WIFA Waves Podcast, May 2021

► Bridging the Gap Between Medical and Fitness | Move to Live More^SM Podcast, March 2021

► Is Medical Fitness Now the New Post Pandemic Fitness? | Fitness Marketing Mastery Podcast, February 2021

► Crisis Leadership: Success Strategies for Today — And Tomorrow | IDEA Fitness, November 2020 (Lisa featured in “Reimaging Our Industry”)

► Life Time Training Podcast – MedFit Network, Education & Virtual Conference, September 2020

► A New Era Begins, Healthcare through Fitness… Medical Fitness, A Conversation with J.R. Burgess and Lisa Dougherty, April 2020

► Interview on Two Fit Crazies and a Microphone podcast, April 2020

► HALO Talk Interview with Pete Moore, July 2019

► Lisa Dougherty: Improving Lives with Medical Fitness; International Sports Sciences Association, February 2019

► Medical Fitness: Is It the Wave of the Future? ACE® Certified Magazine, July 2018

► Lisa Dougherty: Leading the Medical Fitness Movement; Wellness Force Podcast with Josh Trent; April 2018

► MFN Founder Launches MedFit Education Foundation; California Clubs of Distinction News (IRHSA), 4th Quarter Edition, 2017

► Lisa Dougherty, CEO Medical Fitness Network: Pioneering the Medical Fitness Marketplace; Never Too Late for Fitness Podcast with Phil Faris, October 2017

► A Team Approach to Wellness (PDF); IDEA Fitness Journal, May 2017

► Leading a Movement. Leaving a Legacy; PFP Magazine, Spring 2017

► This is how a personal trainer can change health care; Scale Well Podcast, February 2017

► PFP Trainer of the Year, 2016 Nominee

► PFP Trainer of the Month; January 2016

► PFP Trailblazer Award; 2015 Finalist

► Meet the Founder of the Medical Fitness Network (podcast); Exercise & Nutrition Works, July 2016

► Medical Fitness Network Founder, Lisa Dougherty, is Finalist for the White House Champion of Change; May 2016

► Why You Should Know About Medical Fitness and Lisa Dougherty; Huffpost Healthy Living, February 2016

► Meet Lisa Dougherty; Silver & Fit Newsletter, November 2016

► Conversation with Lisa Dougherty and Janet Kennedy (Podcast); GetSocialHealth, August 2015

► Fitness Professional Spotlight on Lisa Dougherty; ExerciseJobs.com, June 2015

Education

Lisa is a graduate of the Fitness Instructor Program at University California, Irvine 1999. This program included full university-level anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, nutrition, psychology, and many others.

Certifications

Lisa is a Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise since 1999.  The American Council on Exercise (www.acefitness.org) is the largest nonprofit fitness certification and education provider in the world. Widely recognized as “America’s Authority on Fitness,” ACE continually sets standards and protects the public against unqualified fitness professionals and unsafe or ineffective fitness products, programs and trends.

Lisa has been a Healthy Moms^® Fitness Certified Perinatal Fitness Instructor since 2006. Healthy Moms^® is dedicated to enhancing the physical and psychological well being of women before, during, and after pregnancy

Lisa is American Heart Association CPR & AED certified.

Other Special Training and Continuing Education

• Medical Fitness Tour conferences. Each event included 10-14 hours of educational sessions, with topics including active & healthy aging, nutrition, genomics, CBD, pre & postnatal fitness, and exercise benefits & programming for medical conditions, including Alzheimer’s, breast cancer, diabetes, hypertension, multiple sclerosis, and osteoporosis.
  • Phoenix, AZ, Feb 2018
  • Glassboro, NJ, April 2018
  • San Francisco, CA, Sept 2018
  • Chicago, IL, Oct 2018
  • Irvine, CA, Feb 2019
• Stroke Recovery Fitness Specialist: MedFit Classroom June 2021
• Parkinson’s Disease Fitness Specialist: MedFit Classroom Jan 2021
• Arthritis Fitness Specialist: MedFit Classroom Dec 2020
• Stages of Menopause & Exercise Intervention: MedFit Classroom Oct 2020
• Multiple Sclerosis Fitness Specialist: MedFit Classroom May 2020
• BEST Exercise Program for Osteoporosis Prevention, 3rd Edition Course; DSW Fitness, Jan 2016
• Physical Activity Instruction for Disease-Specific Conditions Certificate Program; DSW Fitness, Sept 2015
• Exercise and Arthritis, 7th edition: Enabling clients to manage arthritis and chronic pain; DSW Fitness, Aug 2015
• Training the Pregnant Athlete; IDEA Health & Fitness, Aug 2015
• Exercise and Heart Disease – strategies to help clients prevent and manage heart disease; Oct 2014
• Exercise and Respiratory Disease – condition-specific exercise design and management strategies to help clients’ lead normal and productive lives; Sept 2014
• Understanding Dementia – outlines risk factors, symptoms, treatments; INR Seminarsm Aug 2013
• Exercise and Arthritis – enabling clients to manage arthritis and chronic pain through exercise; DSW Fitness, Dec 2012
• Exercise and Multiple Sclerosis – tools & strategies to improve fitness and functional ability for clients with MS who have varying symptoms and levels of abilities; DSW Fitness, Sept 2012
• Exercise for Knee & Hip Replacement – appropriate progressions and guidelines to improve strength, mobility & flexibility; DSW Fitness, June 2012
• Exercise & Parkinson’s Disease – exercise management strategies for the primary neurological disease of the elderly; DSW Fitness, May 2012
• Exercise & Diabetes – creating, monitoring & progressing exercise programs for clients with diabetes; DSW Fitness, Mar 2012
• Breast Cancer Recovery Exercise program – assisting breast cancer recovery patients as they build confidence and regain function through specialized therapeutic exercises; DSW Fitness, Dec 2011
• TRX Suspension Training Certification; Nov 2009
• Trigger Point Technologies  Myofascial compression techniques™; Feb 2008
• Exercise & Fibromyalgia – Gwen Hyatt, MS; DSW Fitness, 2005
• Yoga and Strength – Linda Freeman Resist-A-Ball & BOSU Master Trainer;  2005
• Training for Strength & Nutrition for Muscle – Len Kravitz, PhD Sr Exercise Physiologist; IDEA Health & Fitness Assoc., 2005
• Counseling for Health and Fitness; Nutrition Dimension, 2005
• Full Body Flexibility – Jay Blahnik, Nike Fitness Athlete sponsored by Nautilus, 2005
• Fit 4 Mom Pre/Postnatal Fitness; Stroller Strides Oct 2006
• Fit For Labor – Lisa Druxman, MA, Owner of Stroller Strides; 2005
• Biomechanics of Motherhood – Lisa Druxman, MA Stroller Strides; 2005
• Exercise & Menopause – Sabrena Newton, MS Curriculum development; A.C.E., 2005
• Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness Specialty Certification; A.C.E., 2003
• Teenage Obesity What Can We Do About It; Chris Vega, MPH, RD, 2005
• The Skill to Define and Design Exercise – Cheryl Soleway, physical therapist; CanFtiPro’s, 1999
• Yoga Studies – Yoga Teacher; University of California Irvine, 2005
• Experiential Anatomy & Basic Physiology; University of California Irvine, 2005
• Yoga for a New Day – Teaching Yoga Asana for Health & Fitness; DSW Fitness, 2004
• Psychology for Health Fitness Professionals; A.C.E., 2002
• Fitness Motivation; DSW Fitness, 2002
• Dietary Supplements Critical Thinking Skills; County of Orange Health Care Agency, 2002
• Functional Training; MF Athletic Company, 2001
• Obesity, Diabetes & Overeating in Children & Adults; Institute for Natural Resources, 2001
• Current Trends in Nutrition; County of Orange Health Care Agency, 2000