Intelligent Fitness provides living lab for exercise science students

During a time of public health concern, wellness is more important than ever. Malone’s Exercise Science students have many opportunities to leverage their passion for exercise and wellness through hands-on learning experiences, and Intelligent Fitness LLC is just one local business that has provided a living lab for internships and jobs in support of the medical fitness needs of Stark County. 

Danielle Wirick, owner, was inspired by the health experiences of her family to open a business that thrives on engaging clients in their current state of health and coaching them through their goals for the long haul. 

“The philosophy of Intelligent Fitness is to guide clients to a life of exceptional health and wellness regardless of their starting point,” she said. “We are proud to work with a wide spectrum of clients who deal with their own unique medical hurdles. Our staff of trainers hold either a bachelor’s degree in a health-related field or at least one of the 10 nationally accredited training certifications, but more importantly, they have servants’ hearts. They desire to see their clients succeed and show it every day in their attitude and the joy they bring with them to work.” 

Alexandria Spencer ’19 learned about Intelligent Fitness through her adviser Steve Wirick, associate professor of exercise science and Danielle’s husband. 

“While I worked at Intelligent Fitness, I enjoyed teaching classes and being a leader within our community. Helping people get healthy is fun, and I enjoy giving people the best part of their day,” Spencer said. “Malone prepared me for the experience by showing me how to work with others in a Christ-like way. I enjoyed the nuts and bolts of classes, like anatomy, but I’m even more grateful for the people skills I gained because I felt prepared to serve our clients in the ways they needed most.”  

The service orientation of Intelligent Fitness’ ethos aligns with Malone’s mission to train servant leaders for a hurting world. 

“I have seen every type of employee you can think of: the good and the not-so-good,” said Danielle. “Malone students stand out in interviews, and in our facility, because of their genuine desires to learn and grow as individuals and employees. They show passion for the field and invest themselves in their clients’ successes, which is a primary goal of our business. I know I can put my full trust into the students that come from Malone.”

The Malone network and Intelligent Fitness have found mutual benefit in support of one another as business grows. 

“I chose to become a client at Intelligent Fitness because of their reputation as a medical fitness facility,” said Cindy Lundin, events coordinator at Malone. “I have sustained injuries for years, and Danielle not only took time to evaluate me and recommended that I address the injuries before they led to bigger issues, but also helped me identify a physical therapist and continues to work with them on my behalf. Danielle’s style is warm and personable, and she models for her staff the importance of service-orientation and proper physical form so our bodies can recover properly. I have no doubt that Malone students receive training from Danielle that will position them for careers in the health and fitness industry.”

“We work with an amazing group of medical professionals from outside of our facility, and because of that, our trainers’ knowledge in the industry is diverse and their ability to work with even the most complex client is what makes Intelligent Fitness stand out in the marketplace,” said Danielle. “It seems that nearly every day one of my trainers finds another client, colleague, or others in their network who has a connection to Malone!”