Like Novant, the Reston Therapy & Fitness Center provides a medical evaluation and two free personal training programs at the beginning of the membership. However, RTFC goes a step further and requires a prescription from the client’s physician at the beginning to clear them for participation in an exercise program. This referral, along with the health evaluation, ensures that RTFC members know their limits and work to better themselves rather than compete with other members. In addition to the public fitness center, it supplies rehabilitation and sports medicine programs to patients, and the entire fitness center is medically supervised.

RTFC also provides nutritional counseling, including weight management, diabetes classes and individual sessions. All classes are open to the public and include suggestions for positive lifestyle changes, personalized meal plans and diet and exercise recommendations. Melissa Ozmar, director of marketing and communications for Reston Hospital Center, notes that RTFC staff is “trained to counsel patients for a variety of health reasons including diabetes, weight loss/management, preparation for bariatric surgery, gastrointestinal concerns (such as Celiac Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, reflux, etc.), cancer-related concerns, cardiac disease, food allergies and tube feeding management.”

(August 2015)