A Calling to Adaptive Fitness

Although he first discovered his love of exercise science and kinesiology during his junior year at the University of Alabama, it wasn’t until Dr. Fleming worked as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) that he found his true calling in adaptive fitness.

Even though he originally planned to train athletes, Dr. Fleming found his passion working with children who were on the autism spectrum.

This led to coaching for the Special Olympics, where he noticed movement deficiencies among older adult populations, indicating a physical activity gap.

Dr. Fleming responded to this gap by starting his own business, working with individuals with disabilities to improve their lives through fitness.

Dr. Mark Fleming watches on at eye level as a client with spina bifida and scoliosis does dumbbell shoulder presses to ensure the lift is being done properly and safely. (Tampa, Florida, 2023)

Building ‘Equally Fit’ From the Ground Up

What started as a business out of the trunk of his car in late 2016 transformed into Equally Fit, a mission-driven company focused on improving the lives of individuals with disabilities through proper exercise guidance and whole health consulting.

At Equally Fit, Dr. Fleming offers a range of services to make the great benefits of exercise accessible to all, including one-on-one and buddy sessions.

His meaningful work has been featured on noteworthy channels spanning CNN, American Autism Association, and Men’s Health, to name a few.

Redefining Success: A Personal & Academic Journey

Dr. Fleming’s personal academic journey is just as inspiring as the impactful work he is doing in the industry.

“Growing up, I never considered becoming a doctor of any kind [as] I was never really successful in school.”

Although things did not always go according to plan, he turned his educational experience around and became one of the first PhD graduates at CSP Global.

During his time in the Kinesiology Department, Dr. Fleming connected his professional interests with his dissertation research to make a deeper impact in his community.

His dissertation focused on the barriers to exercise for the developmentally disabled, which allowed him to understand why someone in the community may be hesitant to exercise.

When considering doctoral programs, he chose CSP because:

“The schedule was flexible, the courses allowed me to focus on my area with each subject, thus gaining even more knowledge and expertise.”

Balancing Entrepreneurship with a Doctoral Program

Dr. Fleming’s experience demonstrates how it’s possible to balance a full-time career with a rigorous doctoral program. It was this 100% online, flexible structure that provided Dr. Fleming the ability to earn his PhD while simultaneously managing his company, Equally Fit, and navigating high-profile media features in outlets like CNN and Men’s Health.

From Dissertation Research to Real-World Impact

Mark didn’t leave his business at the door when he logged into class. Instead, he treated his dissertation as R&D for Equally Fit. By researching “barriers to exercise for the developmentally disabled,” he wasn’t just writing a paper, he was building the evidence-based framework that would later be featured in Men’s Health.

He leveraged his knowledge directly into his business, which serves the same community as the focus of his dissertation. This path showcases the degree’s powerful ROI, enabling graduates to become leaders and innovators solving real-world challenges in human movement. This direct translation from academic research to business enterprise was possible because CSP Global’s doctoral curriculum emphasizes applied research. Dr. Fleming’s dissertation served as the practical framework for Equally Fit, allowing him to launch a company grounded in evidence-based practice.

A Graduate’s Advice for Doctoral Students

His advice for current CSP students is “trust yourself. You have already put so much work into your journey.”

Dr. Fleming is proof that you can do it all: you can be an entrepreneur and also earn your doctorate degree while making a difference in the lives of others.

Going forward, he plans to keep growing the business to help as many individuals with disabilities as possible.

“Whether that’s through training the population directly, training others to train this population, or even making programs to make exercise more accessible to all.”

To learn more about Dr. Mark Fleming’s inspirational work, visit his website www.equallyfit.com.