Practical health strategies, grounded in science and built for real life.
Upward Healthy Living bridges health research and practical application, helping individuals make informed decisions about their health and supporting organizations with credible scientific research, writing, and communication.
PERSONAL HEALTH
Understand your health. Focus on what matters.
Personalized, practical guidance designed to help you better understand your health, establish meaningful priorities, and turn information into realistic action.
SCIENCE WRITING & RESEARCH
Make complex health science clear and useful.
Scientific research, evidence synthesis, writing, content development, and editorial support for organizations working across health, wellness, and human performance.
Better health doesn't have to begin with expensive testing, complicated protocols, or the latest optimization trend. At Upward Healthy Living, we start with the science, identify what matters, and translate it into practical strategies that fit your goals, resources, and real life.
Built for real life means looking beyond a single biomarker, diet, supplement, or training plan. Health is shaped by how the pieces work together: nutrition, movement, strength, sleep, recovery, health data, environment, and the realities of everyday life.
I’m Richard LaFountain, an exercise physiologist, health science consultant, writer, and coach with more than a decade of experience across exercise, nutrition, metabolism, human performance, and healthy aging.
My career has taken me from university research labs and classrooms to professional sports, health technology, and longevity companies. Along the way, I’ve conducted research examining nutrition and physical training in military personnel, performed advanced exercise and metabolic testing, contributed to performance testing with professional athletes with the Columbus Crew and Columbus Blue Jackets, taught university courses in exercise physiology and nutrition, and contributed to leading textbooks in exercise science.
I’ve also co-authored 16 peer-reviewed scientific papers, presented research at 30+ scientific conferences, and written more than 150 evidence-based articles and research reviews. Just as importantly, I’ve spent years working directly with people as a health coach; helping translate all of that science into practical decisions around exercise, nutrition, metabolic health, and longevity.
That intersection of research and real-world application is why I created Upward Healthy Living: to make credible health science understandable, useful, and actionable whether I’m helping an individual improve their health or helping an organization communicate complex science more effectively.
What Clients Say
“Rich was knowledgeable, attentive, and genuinely interested in understanding my health goals... I especially appreciated his practical recommendations and the personalized approach.”
— Randy S.
“Rich was excellent!... He is full of knowledge. He provided several ideas for me to bring to my doctor and followed up with a link to NIH research, which I found very helpful.”
— Kimberly O
“Rich is a great coach and is very thorough in his examination and explanation of my health lab results and the recommendations for the improvement of my overall health and wellness.”
— Dave S.
Have a question about your health goals, coaching, or a science and research project?
Let’s see if Upward Healthy Living is a good fit