Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

Fall prevention programs and services have been a cornerstone of NIFS programming for our senior living clients across the US with our signature Balance Redefined program. Whether joining our agility workshop to condition for the next pickleball tourney or bridging into a balance class after being discharged from therapy, residents of all abilities should have access to fall prevention programs that help them stay dialed into their life’s passions.

Off the heels of our successful Pump it for Parkinson’s event this spring, NIFS wants to bring the senior living industry together once again during Falls Prevention Week in September to empower seniors across the country. One of our most popular fall prevention programs is our Empowerment Workshop. This hallmark program is run on repeat a couple of times a year at several of our client communities because residents gain so much and continually ask for it.

During this program, we empower residents through education and the realization that the floor doesn’t have to be a scary place to be. We provide them with step-by-step instructions on how to safely get up from the floor, demonstrate it for them and then allow them a safe place to try it for themselves. In addition, insight is shared that if you find yourself in the predicament of falling, there are ways you can do so more safely to minimize the risk of severe injuries. We also empower residents with education on tools in their senior living community like pendants, pullcords and assistive devices that can help them feel more comfortable in their surroundings.

Upon completion of this workshop, the resident commentary is amazing to take in and listen to how they are feeling.

• “I didn’t know I could do that.”
• “Taking a minute to breathe and not panic makes a big difference.”
• “Wow, having a plan and knowing the ways to move my body safely makes me more confident.”
• “I never would have thought to actually practice how to get up from the floor, but it feels great knowing I can do this!”

As the fear of falling is a risk factor for falls, this workshop will equip residents with improved awareness, knowledge, and skills to build their confidence while empowering them to take our Fall-Free Pledge with thousands of seniors across the US. Participating communities and their residents can be featured in a fall prevention video shared by NIFS on Friday, September 22!

Participation is FREE and easy. Register your community on our event page and we’ll train up your fitness staff on how to host the program for your residents. Your community will receive all the great promotional content, flyers, brochures, etc., to plan the Workshop for your residents and you’ll have a chance to win a free Step and Connect balance training tool and a free fall prevention consulting package from NIFS to help your community customize your own fall prevention program.

Communities and senior living operators are welcome to contact Emily Davenport for more information on how to bring this best-in-class fall prevention experience to their residents for free.

The National Institute for Fitness and Sport (NIFS) is thrilled to have the support of the Brio Pledge as part of Pump it for Parkinson’s on World Parkinson’s Day! This nationwide event is promoting the benefits for exercise for those living with Parkinson’s Disease and 140+ senior living providers across the US are participating. Brio Living Services has committed a pledge of 60,000 steps on the NuStep Cross Trainers which their communities will track on Tuesday, April 11.

Participating Brio locations will be Chelsea Retirement Community in Chelsea, Michigan, The Cedars of Dexter in Dexter, Michigan, and Porter Hills Village and Cook Valley Estates both in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Communities will enjoy learning more about the second most common, age-related neurodegenerative condition at the Parkinson’s Education Station and employees and residents will be able to contribute steps on the NuStep Cross Trainer to go towards the Brio Pledge. NIFS is grateful for the support and collaboration of all four communities working together towards our larger goal of one million steps. This is a strong example of how not only residents can unite within a community to raise awareness but how a network of communities can unite for an even bigger impact! The Brio Pledge is a testament to the strong leadership in Brio communities and their commitment to creating healthy programming and vibrant living options for their residents.

Nicole Maag is Chief of Residential Services with Brio supported the Pledge! Brio Living Services is delighted to join the National Institute for Fitness and Sport (NIFS) and NuStep to celebrate Pump it for Parkinson’s on April 11. NIFS is a valued partner of Brio, providing wellness instruction for our residents at Chelsea Retirement Community, Cook Valley Estates, The Cedars of Dexter, and Porter Hills Village. Our residents and team members are honored to join in NIFS’ challenge of one million steps for the one million people in the U.S. who are living with Parkinson’s Disease. We hope to promote awareness for the important benefits of exercise for all of us as we age.

NIFS Fitness Manager Tyler Forbes is pumped for the event at his communities! On behalf of the fitness department here at Porter Hills Village and Cook Valley Estates we are beyond thrilled to team up and participate in the upcoming Pump it for Parkinson's event. We see the value in overall awareness of this disease and how support for those dealing with it can make such a huge impact. We are ready to ROCK!

NIFS Fitness Manager Tylene Costello has big plans for a successful event! Chelsea Retirement Community is very excited to participate because it has brought our AL, IL, memory care, and rehabilitation areas together to collaborate on this program.  We have the same goal which is to bring awareness of the benefits of exercise for those suffering from Parkinson’s.  This will be a fun way for our residents and team members to exercise in this social assembly.

NIFS Assistant Director Lindsay Knox was honored to help The Cedars of Dexter plan! The beauty of Pump it for Parkinson’s is how creative we can be to make it fun for the residents and fit the needs of the community. I can’t wait to see what the residents at The Cedars of Dexter accomplish!

NIFS wishes Brio communities the best of luck for a successful and fun event with your residents and employees and we thank you for participating!

If you are an operator or network of communities looking for a collaborative event, competition, or challenge to unite your communities and spark engagement, contact the senior wellness pros at NIFS Fitness Management.

We have talked about the versatility of the NuStep recumbent trainer in senior living both for convenience in the fitness center layout and overall function for the population we serve in this environment. We have also provided great insight in programming a workout on the NuStep recumbent trainer and how you can creatively boost strength, endurance and aerobic function for users. That's why NuStep equipment has been a top choice for senior living communities for over 25 years. And that's why NIFS fitness pros look to NuStep.

Hear from the fitness pros at NIFS on why they love NuStep for their residents.

“We love working with the NuStep because it is an excellent option for all abilities and skill levels. The fact that it is a match for everyone, provides a safe and effective method of exercise makes it a go-to for building strength and endurance in the active aging population” – Josh, Phoenix, AZ

“No matter whether you have difficulties with your hips or joints, or have almost any other mobility difficulties, the NuStep can accommodate you. The adjustable resistance level gives all fitness levels a great workout. The hand grips and seat are adjustable to fit an incredible range of individuals in different height and weight ranges. NuStep will help to keep your muscles strong and improve blood circulation throughout your body.” – Kayla, Towson, MD

 “The NuStep is a great piece of exercise equipment when it comes to people with limited range of motion and lack of mobility. The upright posture accompanied with arm and leg movements at the right intensity can prove to be an effective cardiovascular exercise for anyone.” – Davion, Stone Mountain, GA

““I love the NuStep due to how beginner friendly it is for our residents of all ages and backgrounds. The NuStep considers all individuals with varying capabilities when being utilized.” – Michael, Terre Haute, IN

“NuStep is great because it’s easy to use and beginner friendly. Residents love using the NuStep to get their movement in, especially if the treadmill or bike is too difficult.” – Stephanie, Baltimore, MD

“I love the NuStep, because it is very user friendly! The residents are not intimidated by it, like they are with some other equipment. It’s super easy for them to adjust on their own, and they don’t have to press a lot of buttons to get it started.” – Michelle, Baltimore, MD

“Our residents love the NuStep.  It is the most popular piece of equipment in our Fitness Center.  As a fitness professional, I love the features that it offers.  The ability for people to exercise both the upper and lower body.  The ease of getting in and out, the adjustable swivel seat, the familiarity of the equipment as many people transition from rehab to general fitness.  The NuStep gives wonderful back support and is simply a terrific piece of cardiovascular equipment.  You can pump up the resistance and have a challenging workout too!” – Jane, Palm City, FL

“I love the NuStep because it is easily accessible, which is an important factor in a senior living setting. A wide variety of residents can operate the machine safely and get an effective workout as well.” – Adrian, Indianapolis, IN

It’s a no-brainer on why we chose NuStep for Pump it for Parkinson’s as we considered exercise options that would accommodate ranging abilities. This free event will provide education on the benefits of exercise for those living with Parkinson’s during Parkinson’s Awareness Month and communities can engage both their residents and employees together. Whether your participant is a newbie to exercise or very fit, the versality of the NuStep is sure to give them a great workout! We invite your senior living community to join us in this free program to help us achieve our goal of completing a million steps to honor the one million Americans living with Parkinson’s! One location will be the lucky winner of a free NuStep T6 Cross Trainer!

The prevalence of Parkinson’s Disease is on the rise. Previous numbers indicated that 60,000 Americans are diagnosed each year and new research from the Parkinson’s Foundation indicates a steep 50% increase with 90,000 Americans now diagnosed annually. For senior living providers if you aren’t seeing Parkinson’s amongst your resident population yet, it is on the horizon as diagnosis is directly associated with increased age. This may result in less than a dozen or so residents living with Parkinson’s in your community at a time, but if you consider how Parkinson’s may also be impacting spouses of those diagnosed, the impact is deep. In addition, there is a good chance you have employees and residents with loved ones impacted as Parkinson’s remains the second most common age-related neurological disorder behind Alzheimer’s Disease.

Much like Alzheimer’s, there is no cure, and the treatment path is to control symptoms. One of the best treatments to not only manage symptoms but also delay the onset is through exercise. In NIFS work supporting dozens of senior living communities across the US, I shared previously how we were receiving requests from our clients for quality exercise resources to support residents with Parkinson’s and NIFS development of our signature program Bold Moves.

As April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month, many communities are looking for resources to provide Parkinson’s education to their residents and staff as well as options for quality fitness programs to cater to the unique training needs of residents with Parkinson’s. This is why we are pumped to host Pump it for Parkinson’s!

This event on Tuesday, April 11 will unite the senior living industry for a common cause. The National Institute for Fitness and Sport (NIFS) and our partners at NuStep, ICAA and Wellzesta are inviting communities to join us for this education-based fitness event. Pump it for Parkinson’s is a day-long NuStep-a-thon where we accumulate steps from senior living providers across the US with a goal of achieving 1 million steps to honor the 1 million Americans living with Parkinson’s. NIFS will be providing communities with a packet in the mail of promotional items as well as a digital resource library that can help them customize an event unique to the interests of their residents. With informative resources for your Parkinson’s Education Station, employees, residents and families can learn more about Parkinson’s, grab exercise resources and healthy recipes while also contributing steps on the NuStep!

Registration is free and a great way for a community to introduce wellness resources for Parkinson’s or celebrate the hard work of residents who are already fighting back against the disease! Take advantage of this opportunity to demonstrate your community’s commitment to being an industry leader in helping residents live well!

Every step counts and we would love for your community to join us and contribute to our goal of one million steps. Participating locations will have a chance to win a NuStep T6 Cross Trainer and will also receive a digital toolkit of Parkinson’s fitness resources including exercise videos, handouts and tips from NIFS registered dietitian. 

We work on a lot of build/design projects in retirement communities where the project is either new construction for a new community, or the plan is part of a repositioning that includes enhanced wellness spaces and services.  If you follow industry trends, you see it all the time in press releases, RSS feeds and other media avenues:  ground breakings for projects that include a state-of-the-art wellness wing, indoor/outdoor pool complex, etc.  Communities are  serious about folding resident wellness into their broader business strategy to remain viable in the market. Over my years at NIFS, I’ve had the pleasure of working on dozens of fitness center builds.  As you can imagine, I’ve learned quite a bit along the way. Below are our top five recommendations (in random order) on pitfalls to avoid during your design journey.

#5 – Don’t let your design team talk you out of consulting with an expert who is used to programming fitness spaces. 

NIFS Expertise Makes Our Approach Unique

We have designed dozens of client fitness centers to maximize function and flow in the space with diverse equipment options that meet the needs of active older adults. Check out our case study on how we took the guesswork and the legwork out of a large scale project for a client in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Find out more about NIFS consulting services by clicking below. We can help you bring the best programming, fitness center design and staffing to your community.

Register your community for our FREE educational event and get your residents pumping for Parkinson's Disease as we raise awareness!

Over 15 years ago, I remember sitting down at the computer in my senior living client’s fitness center and Googling, “exercises for Parkinson’s disease”. I had a new resident move-in with Parkinson’s and though I’m a certified and degreed exercise physiologist, I wanted to make sure I understood how to support her needs. Her name was Carolyn and I still remember her smile.

I now work at the operational level for NIFS supporting dozens of senior living clients and team members across the country. I benefit from a bird’s eye view of hearing successes and challenges impacting our communities and what residents want in their fitness center. I was continuing to hear requests from clients and staff for Parkinson’s resources. Our clients wanting a quality, yet manageable program that stands up to their brand promise in helping residents live well, and from our staff feeling like there were missed opportunities to better engage these residents.

Our staff are degreed fitness professionals, but those credentials don’t tell the full story of who they are as people. They are intuitive and gifted in relationship building with their members. They shared stories of individuals with Parkinson’s trying an existing balance class and noticing they weren’t coming back. They shared stories of what they were witnessing in the emotional needs of these residents who can also experience fatigue and depression.

As a prospective or current resident with a diagnosis speaks to our clients or staff, we want them to feel confidently met with exercise options that they know are designed for their needs. This is where Bold Moves was born. We spent over a year researching, completing specialized certifications, and meeting with our team to learn not only how to better support the exercise needs of those with Parkinson’s, but in a way that we know is manageable in a senior living fitness environment. We know the equipment, spaces, personnel, and resources commonly in place and created safe and empowering programming with Bold Moves that our staff could apply across different client settings.

Many think they have classes and one-on-one services that residents with Parkinson’s can participate in already. This was our line of thinking too. But after implementing Bold Moves, the level of engagement by residents with Parkinson’s skyrocketed. In the first two months of the program, we saw a 96% increase in group fitness participation by these individuals having a dedicated class on the calendar uniquely designed for their training needs. We have also seen a 100%+ increase in completion of our one-on-one exercise prescription service. These residents are regularly engaging in their community’s fitness centers more and it’s amazing to see how far we’ve come since the days of that simple Google search looking for resources!

We were so pumped by these outcomes; we wanted to celebrate and share resources to help more communities support their residents. On World Parkinson’s Day, we are going BIG with Pump it for Parkinson’s. During this nationwide event on Tuesday, April 11, senior living providers will come together, utilize complimentary programming materials to host their NuStep step-a-thon, and receive expert resources from NIFS to continue supporting their residents with Parkinson’s. Don’t have a NuStep in your community? That’s OK. We can find opportunities utilizing the equipment you do have. It is estimated that one million people are living in the US with Parkinson’s and our goal is to come together and complete at least one million steps on the NuStep as we Pump it for Parkinson’s. In addition to the great Parkinson’s resources including instructional videos for your fitness staff and education from NIFS Registered Dietitian, your community will also have an opportunity to win a free NuStep T6 Cross Trainer in thanks to our partnership with NuStep! We are thankful for our industry partners with NuStep, ICAA and Wellzesta who are helping us spread the word about this event so more communities can join us. For more information and to register your community, visit our Pump it for Parkinson’s page here.

The National Institute for Fitness and Sport (NIFS) presents Pump It for Parkinson’s on World Parkinson’s Day, April 11, 2023. NIFS has partnered with NuStep inviting senior living communities across the country to take part in this event to raise awareness on the benefits of exercise for individuals with Parkinson’s. Pump It for Parkinson’s will be a day-long NuStep challenge for senior communities striving to achieve 30,000 steps on their NuStep.

Emily Davenport, NIFS Director of Fitness Center Management, said, “communities can rally their entire campus by bringing together their residents and employees to accomplish the goal!” NIFS will provide communities with a complimentary programming packet including tracking tools, promotional content, and educational resources they need to get their residents excited. The event’s goal is to accrue 1 million steps representing the 1 million people in the US living with Parkinson’s!

“Whether this event is a community’s first program dedicated to supporting residents with Parkinson’s or a fun add-on to existing offerings, we want to provide resources as they continue to help residents fight back against Parkinson’s,” said Davenport. Participating communities will also receive a Parkinson’s fitness toolkit of resources and videos they can use in their fitness center. Communities that want to get involved need to register here.

“We’re pleased to partner with NIFS and support their event, Pump It for Parkinson’s. And we’re honored that participants will be using NuStep cross trainers throughout the day to demonstrate the importance of exercise for people with Parkinson’s," said NuStep Vice President of Marketing and Product Development, Tobey Thelen. As an added incentive, thanks to NuStep and NIFS, communities may be eligible to win a NuStep T6 Cross Trainer for participating in Pump It for Parkinson's.

Nearly 10 million individuals are living with Parkinson’s Disease worldwide and each year 90,000 Americans are diagnosed with this degenerative condition. Three years ago, NIFS embarked on developing a comprehensive fitness program to meet the unique needs of residents with Parkinson’s Disease for their senior living community clients. From this, Bold Moves programming specifically designed for residents with Parkinson’s was born.

NIFS would like to thank strategic partners, NuStep and Wellzesta, for supporting Pump It for Parkinson’s and their help in creating awareness of the unique fitness needs residents with Parkinson’s Disease have.

To find out more about Fitness Center Management by NIFS, call (317) 274-3432, email Emily Davenport.

NuStep is a leading manufacturer of recumbent cross-trainers used in healthcare, senior living, and fitness settings worldwide.

Communities can learn more about this complimentary program and register for the event by clicking the button below!

Follow the event on our Facebook page: Pump It for Parkinson's

Staffing shortages and employee retention challenges: the headline every organization hopes to leave behind in 2022. Finding the right staff and providing them with the connection and resources to grow is a key focus for many as we charge ahead into 2023. The creativity and networking of ideas forging our current team of staff has NIFS Fitness Management on fire, and I can’t think of a better way to start the year! As your community evaluates employee satisfaction, retention, and recruiting efforts as well as the impact your fitness program is having on resident lives, here are a couple of scenarios to consider regarding your fitness staffing model.

Do You Have the Time to Manage Your Community's Fitness Center Staff?

We recently experienced a client change where a new executive director with a background in fitness decided quickly in his new role that he wanted to bring fitness staffing in-house and do all the hiring. He felt he had the vision and expertise to effectively lead the fitness staff. Though he knew the qualifications to look for in candidates and had some programming experience, what he did not recognize was the time and commitment it would take to run such a valuable part of their community.

Six months later, the community’s newly hired fitness manager was applying for positions with NIFS and said he felt like he was on an island with little support, collaboration, or resources to help him serve the residents. His executive director had a full plate and couldn’t be dialed into fitness, and his life enrichment director was also busy and had no expertise in fitness programming herself. Within a short period of employment, he was looking to leave the community and seeking an organization that would offer him the support and a team of like-minded peers to grow and develop his skills. The executive director’s intentions were in the right place, but with a full plate, he lacked the time to fully support his new employee.

Is Your Fitness Staff Getting the Support They Need?

On the flip-side, we have numerous clients who have had their own in-house fitness staff and they saw opportunity to do better for their residents. Their staff had the qualifications for NIFS to onboard them, creating a seamless transition for the community and residents. The one common theme these new team members tell us is that they are grateful that they will have resources, best practices, and a team of peers doing this work across the country to help them take their senior fitness center program from good to GREAT. This is a win-win because we were able to onboard someone who knows the community and the residents, and inspire them with the solutions to their daily challenges and networking of new ideas.

In other instances, the staff the community hired did not possess the qualifications or skills to enhance what they were doing and the community made a change altogether, allowing NIFS to recruit a qualified fitness manager. In both instances, we helped clients evaluate the fit of their personnel when looking to elevate their resident service model.

If your community is looking at employee retention strategies, consider the support, growth potential, and collaboration available to your fitness staff. Think about the limits of your fitness program without new ideas, resources, and innovation pouring in from a network of fitness professionals in a similar setting and how you might better support your fitness staff.

NIFS Fitness Center Management Is Ready to Go!

To say we are excited about our current team and the ideas being developed for 2023–2024 for our clients and their residents is an understatement! NIFS Fitness Center Management staff members are developing relationships, sharing ideas, and inspiring one another to serve their residents with a fresh focus in 2023. We are providing them with professional development funding for new certifications, an annual curriculum of staff enrichment trainings, and a leadership team with 50+ years of experience in fitness and senior living to guide and support them. Let’s go!

Exercise continues to be one of the best tools to slow the progression and combat symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease and the need for senior living communities to have dedicated exercise programs for residents with Parkinson’s is increasing. According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, 60,000 Americans are diagnosed annually and 96% of those diagnosed are over the age of 50 leaving seniors looking for best-in-class amenities and services including fitness professionals who understand their condition and can help them safely maximize the benefits of exercise.

Executive directors and marketing directors in the senior living communities NIFS serves were asking us for a marketable program they could offer in their fitness centers to support both current and prospective residents with a Parkinson’s diagnosis. NIFS culminated our years of experience developing expert health and fitness programming, supporting residents with Parkinson’s, and immersing ourselves in the science and research to develop Bold Moves™ a Parkinson’s Program by NIFS.

While NIFS had the resources to develop such a program, it was no easy feat and as usual we relied on our expert staff to help us learn what works, what doesn’t, and what resources and education we needed to enhance our department. Our staffs’ passion and commitment to finding exercise solutions to support the needs of their residents is boundless and supporting those with Parkinson’s is no exception as they helped us develop Bold Moves to incorporate:

We were able to learn from the experiences of team members across the US and industry experts in the field of exercise and Parkinson’s to create a truly unique program for our residents. Best of all, it’s making an impact with how much residents are engaging in exercise generating a 96% increase in group fitness visits by participants and 92% of them rating Bold Moves as good to outstanding. These statistics are from residents already residing at these communities which indicates a dedicated Parkinson’s program supports these residents in moving more!

Today, NIFS team members complete a comprehensive 8-week training including a specialty certification in Parkinson’s & Exercise to effectively launch Bold Moves for our clients. We collaborate with community personnel to incorporate an interdisciplinary team approach to bridge resources and care where needed. Residents with PD have confidence in the credentials of their fitness staff and a program uniquely designed to meet them wherever they are in their fitness journey. In turn, NIFS senior living clients have a marketable service that helps them create distinction in their marketplace with 100% of participants rating Bold Moves as a great feature of a great community!

Here are a few questions to evaluate on how your community could take steps to support residents with Parkinson’s:

• What are the credentials of my fitness staff to deliver effective and safe Parkinson’s fitness programs?
• Do we have a class on the group fitness schedule that provides the training modalities, equipment and safety factors to support residents with Parkinson’s in a class setting?
• For those who don’t like group exercise, how can we provide exercise options for them in the fitness center or pool that can help them manage symptoms?
• What pathways to bridge resources are established with other disciplines in your community like physical, occupational or speech therapy, dietitians, or healthcare navigators?