Making athletic performance an accessible goal for all

The Exos athletic performance focus is all about removing barriers to fitness self-actualization. For everyone.

Monument Health Sports Performance Institute in Rapid City, South Dakota, serves as a model for the future of human athletic performance training. Senior General Manager Sam Linart says the facility’s Launch Program is changing lives for the better – for good.

“Our Launch members may never have considered themselves athletes before,” Linart explained. “Or maybe they’re people who loved the gym at one time, but felt like they had to get in shape to get back to the gym.”

“Launch is for everyone, and the community response has been incredible.”

Launch makes fitness training accessible

Mike Latour, System Director of Musculoskeletal Services and Sports Medicine for Monument Health, said the initial goal with Launch was to provide a vehicle for integrating lifestyle medicine for Monument Health patients referred by their doctors and therapists.

“Launch members are coming back to the gym after a long time, or they may not have any fitness training experience,” Latour said. “They enter the program after being referred by physical therapists, physicians, or other members.”

“They stay because they can see and feel the results.”

With a huge and growing adult training population, Monument Health SPI has built a successful retention program focusing on providing a continuum of care that’s fully integrated with Monument Health medical care.

It’s more than personal training

“Launch is there for anyone,” Linart explained. “A typical workout incorporates body weight and light-weight movements for about 30 minutes in a small-group, coach-led session. It feels like personal training, but there’s an element of community camaraderie that’s essential to keeping members engaged.”

Launch participants are introduced to the full complement of Exos methodology, a little at a time. Coaches focus on teaching mindset, nutrition, movement, and recovery pillars in a way that’s immediately applicable to members.

“The classes focus on movement quality while building strength and cardiovascular health,” Linart continued. “While all four pillars play a role in the Launch program, the biggest take-away for most members is the mindset part. Their mindset shifts, they find their confidence, and believe in themselves, and they begin to see that they are capable of so much more than what they originally set out to accomplish walking through the doors.”

That’s why the Monument Health SPI program continues to grow.

Launching a Revolution at Monument Health

Monument members are able to take advantage of personal health coaching at any time during their Launch experience by signing up for Revolution.

The Revolution Program began as a 12-week virtual “conversation” about topics such as meal prep and building healthy habits. It’s now an in-person lifestyle discussion centered around building healthy habits.

Linart explained that a member might spend 3 months to a year in the Launch program, while Revolution is 3 months focused on behavior change. It can be combined with a training program to incorporate the movement pillar and, gradually, more challenging athletic performance training classes.

Both offerings are designed to remove barriers to entry for anyone interested in better overall health.

“Members move through Launch at their own pace,” Linart explained. “They work on building confidence and fitness, then move to Bridge or Return to Play, then adult performance training classes.”

Launch and Revolution membership continue to grow. With many people looking to re-engage in healthy habits they started – then lost – during the pandemic lock-downs, Linart says she doesn’t expect the hybrid introductory programs to be a passing phase. In fact, they’ve become a model for building community and engagement at similar Exos managed performance training sites.

“We currently serve 270 active adult performance members, and more than 45 youth and high school members,” she continued. “This is such a unique community, and the coaches really enjoy helping members achieve small victories and daily progress.”

“That’s what human performance is all about – getting better every day.”

About Monument Health Sports Performance

The Monument Health Sports Performance Institute teaches athletes, first responders, and community members behavioral health and lifestyle medicine. Exos Coaches and a Performance Dietitian offer individual and group training for members of all ages and physical abilities. Exos provides business consulting, staffing, membership, maintenance, community outreach, and ad hoc marketing support for the Monument Health System.

Learn more about Exos facility management and consulting services to see what a welcoming, accessible sports performance training program can do for your fitness facility and community.