Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

Staff High Five: Morgan Garrett

We say it with pride quite regularly, our amazing staff in corporate and senior living fitness centers are what help us serve our clients so well. Their strong educational background in health and fitness helps us set the bar high while their exceptional creativity and relationship building skills allows them to keep their members engaged and asking what’s coming next. Since we have the privilege of getting to know our staff across the country, we thought our followers might like to as well. Join us monthly as we throw a different NIFS team member a High Five.

  • MGarrettName: Morgan Garrett
  • City, State: Scottsdale, AZ
  • Years with NIFS: 9 years
  • Position: Senior Manager
  • What brought you to NIFS: I was wanting a more consistent schedule and to work with a variety of clients.
  • What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member:  One of my clients let me know that what he looks forward to most now, is our sessions. He feels that they have improved his quality of life in the last few years and is so happy he started working out.
  • What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: The ability to adapt to situations and abilities of clients. To know what is going to work for each client and helping them to achieve their goals.
  • What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: The atmosphere, positivity of each member. I also enjoy the direct management relations at my community.
  • What motivates you: Making the fitness center fun and enjoyable for all levels of care.
  • What is your favorite hobby: I enjoy golfing, hiking and traveling. I also love cooking on the grill and having friends over.

Interested in learning more about our staffing services? Click below for what best fits your needs.

ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS

Topics: senior fitness management nifs fitness management staffing nifs staff

3 Tips for Hiring an Active Aging or Corporate Fitness Professional

NIFS staffWe’re a staffing organization – we provide well-credentialed and passionate fitness professionals to manage senior living fitness centers and corporate fitness programs for our clients.  To say we know a thing or two about interviewing could be, perhaps, an understatement.  Over the last 30+ years, we’ve hired hundreds of staff to fill a variety of fitness-focused positions for a diverse clientele.  We have definitely made some mistakes and we’ve lived to tell about it.

Hiring is a risky proposition and that’s true for any type of opening you have.  But when you’re talking about the health of your residents or your employees, are you prepared to make a hiring decision for a job about which you don’t understand the credentials or the essential duties?  Think of it this way:  You don’t repair your own brakes on your car – that’s what your mechanic is for.  Why would you tackle hiring for a position about which you know nothing?  In the end, you may want to consider pulling in an organization like ours that does this for a living.

But, if you insist on pressing on hiring your own staff, check out our top three lessons learned on interviewing health-focused staff.

Tip #1:  Do a double check on candidate credentials.

Our business IS fitness, so we’ve seen the credentials that are out there.  But if you’re an executive director trying to staff your senior living community fitness center or a human resources executive hiring for your employee wellness program, how do you know that the credentials presented by a candidate are worth their salt?  Don’t take this the wrong way, but…you don’t. 

The sad truth about fitness is that personal trainer certifications are a dime a dozen.  You, dear reader, regardless of your educational background, could jump online tonight and within a short window of time, be a “certified personal trainer”.  So be careful about credentials for the candidates you interview because they don’t always carry a lot of weight.  And until the industry initiates registration or licensure, hiring a fitness instructor who carries a certification that isn’t backed up with a health-related bachelor’s degree is a very employer-beware circumstance.

In order to win an interview with NIFS for a fitness-focused opening, candidates are required to have at least a bachelor’s degree in a health-related field.  This doesn’t guarantee the right fit for the opening, but it’s a good start. 

To that end, there are probably dozens of degree program names for an allied health type of career:  Kinesiology, Exercise Science, Health Promotion, Wellness, etc.  If you’re unsure about if/how the candidate’s degree fits for your opening, you can ask some pointed questions about the coursework the candidate completed, or direct your questions to the types of tasks she performed at another job. 

Case in point:  We had a candidate with a health promotion degree apply for a fitness center manager opening.  When we dug a little deeper into her background in anatomy and physiology, she responded by saying something like, “You know, the ankle bone is connected to the shin bone, and the shin bone is connected to the knee bone.”  I’m not kidding.  You can’t make this stuff up.

Tip #2:  Require the candidate to demonstrate his/her skills.

In a field where your candidate will be working with employees or residents to help individuals improve their health, where there is a lot of hands-on work, it will be imperative that they can demonstrate competency in those practical skills. 

You can ask a candidate about his/her experience teaching group fitness and he/she may impress you by describing the formats she’s taught, the audiences to whom she’s taught, and the feedback she’s received from her participants.  But until you see her in action, his/her words are useless.  Trust me, I know enough about group exercise that I could talk a really good game about my style, my music, the ways I modify classes for participants, and the anecdotes participants in my classes have shared with me.  And it would all be just words.  All you have to do is ask me to teach a five-minute core class and you would quickly see that teaching group exercise is not on my list of gifts. 

Your interview process should include testing on practical skills required for the job.  When candidates interview for a fitness career with NIFS, we require them to prove their competency throughout the interview by offering the following (and more):

  • Provide us with copies of print materials they’ve created for other employment or in school.
  • Evaluate a health history questionnaire according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) risk stratification.
  • Write and administer an exercise program from a case study.
  • Teach a short group exercise class.
  • Provide a brief wellness presentation.

Case in point:  Each time we offer an interview to a candidate, they receive an email outlining everything they should be expected to do during the interview.  One time, we had a candidate accept the offer for an interview after receiving a detailed email from us.  When we got to the part in the interview where we require the candidate to evaluate a health history questionnaire according to ACSM risk stratification, she looked at me and asked, “What’s risk stratification?”  Seriously.

Tip #3:  Make sure the candidate understands your audience.

It’s worth noting that today’s graduates are moving through health-related degree programs that require an internship to graduate.  But there was a day (trust me, I would know about this) when degree programs did not require an internship.  Use the required internship that your candidate has under her belt to dig a little deeper into that individual’s preferred clientele. 

Let’s face it, not everyone can hack it in a corporate wellness program based in a manufacturing setting.  Some candidates would be bored in a white-collar office environment, and still, others have no business working with an active aging audience in a senior living setting.  Ask some probing questions to find out whether your candidate really fits your environment and your audience.

Case in point:  On more occasions than I care to admit, I have interviewed candidates who, when talking about the demographic with whom they prefer to work, have indicated that they’re OK working with “older adults”.  When I press what they mean by “older adult”, they say something like, “You know, adults over maybe age 40 or 45.”  And I used all the energy I have left not to laugh out loud.

What to do about your candidate opening.

If this blog has you wondering about your ability to hire your own fitness professional, particularly in a time when so many businesses are struggling to fill open positions with qualified staff, download our quick read on how NIFS finds and retains top professionals in the industry.

Download: How NIFS Attracts and Retains the Industry's Best Staff

Topics: corporate wellness active aging nifs fitness management hiring tips

Parkinson’s Disease and Exercise

GettyImages-1203934092We already know that exercise is a key contributor to a healthy lifestyle overall, but for those with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) this is no exception! In fact, exercise is extremely critical for people with PD, and research shows that participating in an exercise program can not only help to maintain balance and mobility, but can also slow the progression of the disease, and improve many of its symptoms! Establishing an exercise routine early on in diagnosis is key for PD management, but for any fitness level or disease stage, just getting up and moving is helpful.

Common symptoms of PD include tremors, rigidity, slowed movement, and balance and coordination impairment. Those symptoms coupled with the fatigue, muscle weakness and low power that people with PD frequently exhibit have the power to greatly affect day to day life, but they don’t have to.

It is recommended by The American College of Sports Medicine and The Parkinson’s Foundation that individuals with PD participate in 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week. For the greatest benefit, exercise should be intentional, and you should look to include cardiovascular endurance, strength/resistance, balance, and flexibility exercises into a training program. Together, these modalities create a comprehensive fitness regimen and will help reduce the risk of falling and improve the ability to perform activities of daily life – like getting dressed, reaching for an object, or standing up from a chair.

Where to Start:

  • Safety First! Always consult your doctor before starting an exercise program.
  • Pick exercises that you will enjoy! It doesn’t matter how “great” your program is if you don’t plan to stick to it. The most important thing is to make sure you exercise regularly, so try to have a little fun while you’re at it!
  • Consider joining a group exercise class! Joining in on Parkinson’s specific classes will offer you added motivation, support and socialization with others who also have PD. Additionally, you will receive instruction and any necessary modifications from trained experts.
  • Exercise at an intensity that feels like a challenge.

Still unsure of how to start exercising with Parkinson’s Disease? Starting, or restarting, an exercise program alone can be intimidating, and with PD requiring some special considerations it can be even more difficult to truly know where to begin. There are numerous benefits associated with working with a qualified fitness professional – ideally a fitness professional who has an educational background and experience working with PD – that span far beyond added motivation and accountability. Working with an educated and credentialed professional is essential in properly progressing exercises, reducing risk of injury, and maximizing effectiveness for all individuals, but especially those with unique needs. Qualified professionals can not only advise you on where and how to start, but will also be able to progress you accordingly, and adapt your exercise program to meet your individual needs. They will be able check and correct your form, while also educating you on which muscles are being targeted, and why that is important in maintenance and slowing of your PD progression so that you can continue to perform daily tasks and activities.

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Topics: active aging senior fitness improving senior fitness Parkinson's Disease

Step Your Way Through July to Prove YOU Move with NIFS

July Prove You MoveThis month our corporate members are encouraged to pick a goal of 5,000 or 10,000 steps per day to kick of July’s Prove YOU Move Fitness Challenge. Some people cringe at the thought of 10,000 steps per day, but it isn’t just intentional exercise. Have you ever considered how many steps you actually take in a given day? How often are you moving throughout the office or your house? You might actually surprise yourself. Most phones have a Health App, or you can add a step tracker to your smart phone. If you keep your phone on your body throughout the day, it will calculate your movement and track your steps. As you start digging into your phone, don’t get down on yourself when you discover how little you possibly move, remember your phone must be on your body throughout the day to get the best estimate.

Increasing your daily step count and simply moving more by walking has many health benefits. Let’s take a closer look at why you should Prove YOU Move this month.

  • Heart Health: Moving more of course improves heart health, but did you know it can decrease your risk of heart disease by 20%?
  • No Gym Required: Moving your body by walking is FREE! No gym membership required. Step outside and go!
  • Burn Calories: Many factors come into play like walking pace, distance, and your weight, but moving your body burns calories more than binge watching your favorite shows.
  • Boost Your Mood: Stepping outside and taking in your surroundings helps get your mind off any negative thoughts or situations. Decrease stress in your day by walking.
  • Tone Muscles: Walking is a great way to increase muscle tone. Choose a pace that makes your heart rate increase. Use your arms as you walk and get the most out of those steps. As you complete your walk, you may find you enjoy the lingering tingle in your muscles.
  • Increase Energy: Walking helps increase oxygen flow in your body which helps increase cortisol and epinephrine levels that increase energy. You may not need so much coffee after all.
  • Be Social: How often do you cross paths with a neighbor when out for a walk after dinner or a stranger when walking through the office. A simple hello and smile can not only boost your mood, but make your day or someone else’s simply by being kind.

How much should you move?

A general rule of thumb is 150 minutes of physical activity per week for adults; that is 30 minutes a day! There are about 2,000 steps in a mile, so if you can squeeze in 1.5 miles in 30 minutes you are almost to that 5,000 steps a day goal! Keep in mind that is only considering intentional movement. Here are other ways to increase steps throughout the day.

  • Instead of scrolling social media during your lunch break, go for a walk after you eat. This can also help aid in digestion.
  • Schedule that meeting as a walking meeting. Boost your creativity with your team by taking the meeting on foot.
  • Park further away. Rather than taking that closer spot, park further away or higher up in the parking garage.
  • No elevator needed, take the stairs!
  • Kids have practice? Just say no to bleacher butt, walk around the field.

Eager to see where you stand in the daily step count? Head over to our NIFS Fitness Management Facebook Page and join us by sharing your step goal this month. We’d love to see how you move more this July! Tag us using @NIFSFitnessManagement and #NIFSProveYOUMove!

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Topics: corporate fitness programming incentives exercise habit setting exercise goals