Clinical Exercise Specialist – Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation
Balance Wellspace Integrative Medicine | Christiansburg, VA
Part-Time to Start | Tuesdays & Thursdays | Opportunity to Grow Into Full-Time
Put Your Exercise Science Background to Work in a Clinical Setting
If you studied Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Exercise Physiology, or a related field because you wanted to help people move better, get stronger, and regain function, this is an opportunity to put that knowledge to work directly with patients.
Balance Wellspace Integrative Medicine is seeking a Clinical Exercise Specialist to join our growing Christiansburg clinic.
This position will initially work Tuesdays and Thursdays, which are active patient-care days with a fast clinical pace. You'll work directly with patients participating in rehabilitation and physical therapy programs while collaborating with our multi-disciplinary team.
We're a lean clinical team, so this isn't a position where you'll blend into a large rehabilitation department or spend your day waiting for someone to tell you what to do next.
You'll be busy. You'll be hands-on. And your contribution will matter.
The position is part-time to start, with the opportunity to grow toward full-time as patient volume, services, and the role expand.
What You'll Do
As a Clinical Exercise Specialist, you'll play a direct role in helping patients complete their prescribed rehabilitation programs safely, effectively, and consistently.
You'll:
- Guide patients through prescribed therapeutic exercise and rehabilitation programs
- Coach proper movement, positioning, technique, and exercise execution
- Progress or regress exercises appropriately within established treatment plans and your role
- Observe patient movement, performance, tolerance, and response to exercise
- Recognize when a patient is struggling, compensating, or responding differently than expected
- Communicate relevant observations promptly to the appropriate provider
- Reinforce prescribed home exercise programs, stretching, movement, and lifestyle recommendations
- Help patients understand the purpose behind their exercises and the importance of consistency
- Encourage patients while respectfully holding them accountable for their participation
- Assist with physical medicine and therapeutic modalities after appropriate training
- Document patient participation and progress accurately and professionally
- Help maintain efficient patient flow so prescribed services are completed without sacrificing the patient experience
- Communicate closely with providers, technicians, and front-office staff throughout the day
- Participate in clinical team meetings and contribute meaningful observations about patient progress
- Help identify opportunities to improve rehabilitation workflows as the clinic continues to grow
This Is a Fast-Paced, Hands-On Role
Our Tuesdays and Thursdays are busy clinical days. You'll frequently be moving between patients, exercises, documentation, provider communication, and the next thing that needs your attention.
That means we're looking for someone who can maintain a great patient experience while staying organized and aware of what's happening around them.
You may be a strong fit if you:
- Enjoy being busy and productive throughout the day
- Can manage multiple patients and priorities without becoming flustered
- Have strong situational awareness
- Notice movement compensations and changes in patient performance
- Understand exercise progression and regression
- Are comfortable correcting technique in real time
- Can build rapport quickly with different personalities
- Communicate clearly and professionally
- Know when to take initiative and when to involve a provider
- Can encourage patients without allowing them to simply go through the motions
- Take feedback well and apply it
- Are dependable and prepared to contribute from the beginning of the day through the end
- Enjoy working on a small team where people help one another
- Want your responsibilities to grow as you demonstrate your capabilities
The Patients You'll Work With
This isn't the same as coaching healthy clients in a traditional gym.
Many of our patients may be dealing with:
- Chronic pain
- Reduced mobility
- Weakness or deconditioning
- Balance or functional limitations
- Fear or uncertainty around movement
- Difficulty staying consistent with exercise
- Multiple health concerns affecting their ability to progress
You'll need to know how to meet patients where they are while continuing to move them forward. That requires more than exercise knowledge. It requires patience, observation, communication, adaptability, and accountability.
A Lean Team Means Your Role Matters
Our Christiansburg office operates with a small clinical team that currently includes a medical provider, chiropractor, neuropathy technician, and front-office team member.
We intentionally want candidates to understand that environment.
You won't be one of ten rehab employees.
Your ability to communicate, stay organized, solve problems, support your teammates, and take ownership will have a noticeable impact on how the clinic operates and how patients experience their care.
There are established responsibilities and clinical direction, but we also expect team members to think.
If something needs attention, we want someone who notices it.
If a patient isn't progressing as expected, we want someone who communicates it.
If the day gets busy, we want someone who helps the team solve the problem rather than saying, “That's not my job.”
For the right person, that's an exciting environment because you'll have the opportunity to become an increasingly important part of the clinic as it grows.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in:
- Exercise Science
- Kinesiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Strength and Conditioning
- Athletic Training
- Health and Human Performance
- Or a closely related field
We Will Also Consider
Candidates with relevant certifications and experience, including:
- Certified Personal Trainers
- Strength and Conditioning Coaches
- Rehab Technicians
- Physical Therapy Technicians/Aides
- Exercise Specialists
- Other movement or rehabilitation professionals with applicable experience
Experience
One or more years of experience in fitness, rehabilitation, physical medicine, healthcare, strength and conditioning, or another patient/client-facing coaching environment is preferred.
Experience with exercise progression/regression and movement coaching is strongly preferred.
However, we are willing to train the right recent Exercise Science or Kinesiology graduate who demonstrates:
- Strong foundational movement knowledge
- Excellent communication skills
- Initiative
- Reliability
- Professionalism
- Coachability
- The ability to learn quickly
- Comfort working in a fast-paced environment
Schedule & Growth Opportunity
This position will initially work:
Tuesdays & Thursdays
These are busy, established patient-care days, not abbreviated or low-volume shifts.
The role is part-time initially, with the opportunity to expand toward full-time as patient volume, services, and responsibilities grow.
We're specifically interested in someone who sees the initial schedule as an opportunity to get established, demonstrate their abilities, learn our clinical model, and take on more responsibility over time.
We're not simply trying to fill two days.
We're looking for someone who could grow with this position.
About Balance Wellspace Integrative Medicine
At Balance Wellspace, we believe healthcare should do more than manage symptoms. Our goal is to help patients improve function, movement, health, and quality of life through an integrated approach to care. That requires patients to be active participants in their recovery and it requires team members who communicate, collaborate, and care about measurable progress.
As a Clinical Exercise Specialist, you'll have the opportunity to directly influence that experience.
Physical Requirements
This is an active, patient-facing position.
Candidates must be able to:
- Stand and walk for extended periods
- Bend, squat, crouch, and demonstrate exercises
- Assist patients safely during movement and exercise
- Occasionally lift or move approximately 20–30 pounds
- Maintain attentiveness, energy, and professionalism throughout a busy clinical day
Reasonable accommodations may be made for qualified individuals with disabilities.
Who Should Apply
You don't need to know everything on day one.
You do need to be dependable, energetic, observant, coachable, comfortable being busy, and willing to take ownership of your role.
If you're looking for a slow-paced position where you'll have one narrowly defined responsibility, this probably isn't the right environment.
If you want to use your exercise and movement knowledge in a clinical setting, work directly with patients, become an important part of a small team, and potentially grow into a full-time role as the clinic expands, we'd like to meet you.
Apply today to join Balance Wellspace Integrative Medicine in Christiansburg, Virginia.
Pay: $21.00 - $24.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
Work Location: In person
