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 and 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, which provides top-caliber personal training services in Newport Beach/Costa Mesa, CA area to clients of all ages.
Lisa is passionate about helping others and founded the MedFit Network in 2013. MFN is both a professional membership organization for fitness and allied healthcare professionals, gyms, studios & integrative wellness centers, and students and a free online resource directory for the community to locate fitness and allied healthcare professionals with a background in prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation in working with those with chronic disease or medical conditions.
Lisa enjoys working out, running, art & museums, travel to tropical locations, and her canine and feline family.
Lisa in the News
- Crisis Leadership: Success Strategies for Today — And Tomorrow, IDEA Fitness, November 2020 (Lisa featured in “Reimaging Our Industry”)
- A New Era Begins, Healthcare through Fitness… Medical Fitness, A Conversation with J.R. Burgess and Lisa Dougherty, April 2020
- Interview on Your Best Lifetyles Total Health & Wellness podcast with Terrance Hutchinson, 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
- Which Niche Do I Choose?; Online Trainers Federation Podcast, October 2018
- FDN Pro Series: Lisa Dougherty; Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, September 2018
- 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
- Medical Fitness Network Directory Helps Personal Trainers and Health Clubs Reach New Clients with Chronic Conditions;
Club Industry, February 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 both a Certified Personal Trainer and Health Coach through the American Council on Exercises in 1999. An ACE Health Coach emphasizes fitness, nutrition and the science behind true behavior modification. As the only NCCA-accredited certification of its kind, ACE Health Coach helps professionals connect with people in a way that makes them not only want to change, but believe they can do it long term. 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 is recognized as a Master Trainer, the highest level of achievement as a Personal Trainer by IDEA Health and Wellness (www.ideafit.com), the world’s leading membership organization of health and fitness professionals with more than 250,000 members in over 80 countries.
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.
Board Affiliations
Board Member, Medical Wellness Association (medicalwellnessassociation.com). The Medical Wellness Association promotes and integrates professional development of medical wellness programs, professionals, facilities and services. MWA provides leadership, promotes high standards and integration and advances the development of the profession.
Board Member, National Association for Health & Fitness (www.physicalfitness.org). America shares in the social, economic, health and environmental benefits that come from living an active lifestyle. NAHF is a non-profit organization that exists to improve the quality of life for individuals in the United States through the promotion of physical fitness, sports and healthy lifestyles.
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
- 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