Strength as a Vital Sign: The STAT Wellness Story with Kristin Oja, DNP

In this episode, Dr. Kate Kresge sits down with Kristin Oja, DNP, founder of STAT Wellness, a clinic model that brings functional medicine and movement under one roof. Kristin's path from personal trainer to nurse practitioner to multi-location clinic owner started with boot camps in a high school parking lot. Today her team treats muscle mass, body composition, and HRV as vital signs alongside blood pressure and heart rate. (García-Hermoso 2018) (Jarczok 2022) She shares her baseline labs, why "little by little, a little becomes a lot," how she approaches GLP-1s without skipping the foundations, and what it really takes to build and scale a practice with heart.

3 Key Takeaways

1. Muscle loss starts earlier than most people think. Muscle mass declines about 3–8% per decade after age 30, and faster after 60. (Volpi 2004) Kristin calls strength training the most important lever for longevity.

2. Simple function tests carry real signal. In adults aged 51–80, each one-point gain on a floor sit-to-rise test was associated with a 21% improvement in survival. (Brito 2014)

3. Medications work best on a strong foundation. Kristin's "pyramid mindset" puts lifestyle at the base, supplements and hormone support in the middle, and medications like GLP-1s at the top.

Guest: Kristin Oja, DNP, FNP-C, IFMCP, is the founder and CEO of STAT Wellness, which integrates functional medicine and movement under one roof. She's a Doctor of Nursing Practice, an IFM Certified Practitioner, and a former personal trainer passionate about muscle as medicine. She hosts the Little By Podcast and is working on her first book.

Clinical FAQ

Which labs does Kristin run on nearly every adult?

Fasting insulin and hs-CRP top her list, along with testosterone, estrogen, DHEA, pregnenolone, cortisol, a thyroid panel (TSH, free T4, free T3), and vitamin D. She adds stool testing when gut health is a concern.

How does she approach muscle building?

Progressive overload, good form first, adequate protein plus quality carbohydrates after training, and recovery between sets. (Morton 2018) She uses body composition scans to track muscle symmetry, not scale weight. (Cruz-Jentoft 2019)

Does high-intensity exercise drive high cortisol?

Rarely on its own. Kristin maps every stressor in a patient's "stress bucket" (caffeine, fasting, sleep, work) and uses wearable recovery data to decide when HIIT fits.

Timestamps

00:00 – Kristin Oja's origin story

07:06 – How STAT Wellness started in a parking lot

08:59 – What "modern healthcare" looks like at STAT

19:13 – Intake and data-driven care

21:07 – Sarcopenia and strength training

25:21 – How to build muscle

31:29 – Kristin's ideal lab panel

35:37 – GLP-1s: when they help and when they harm

39:52 – A placebo GLP-1 story

44:11 – Retesting and functional test timelines

45:50 – Cortisol and the stress bucket

49:50 – DHEA, cortisol, and pregnenolone

51:54 – Scaling with investors

01:07:23 – Rapid fire: labs, supplements, and metrics

01:13:14 – Using HRV in clinical practice

Ready to elevate your practice? This episode is sponsored by Fullscript, a comprehensive care delivery platform designed to support whole-person, integrative healthcare. Fullscript helps clinicians bring supplement dispensing, lab ordering, and patient education into one centralized workflow. For more practitioner education on supplements, nutrition, and evidence-informed clinical care, visit Fullscript Academy at academy.fullscript.com.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of Fullscript or any affiliated organizations. This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice. For your safety, always check with your doctor or healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.