Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

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?
  
  

We make no bones about it that our staff are the best in the business not only in their creativity but in their expert knowledge and appetite for continued learning. It takes this combination to make the most impact in reaching residents with engaging health and fitness programs in the senior living communities we serve. As NIFS was developing our Parkinson’s program, Bold Moves, we knew that equipping our staff with new certifications would not only boost their confidence, but the success of the program and we were right! Here’s some insight from three of our degreed fitness managers on how NIFS Bold Moves training aided them in elevating how they support the unique needs of their residents with Parkinson’s.

Becca G. – Bold Moves Coach in Indianapolis, Indiana

There was an abundant request at our community for a class for Parkinson’s Disease.  I researched some things on my own, but I felt like I needed more to effectively offer a class for PD.  The Bold Moves program helped me feel confident to lead class.  I feel like it gave more information about the disease, for example, how medication timing is imperative to consider when building an exercise program and encouraging participants to keep pushing. Prior to the Bold Moves training, I did not know to avoid cross over exercises, like the grapevine, or that PD causes impaired exercise-induced blood pressure levels.  After completion, I felt qualified to lead group classes and guide individuals in tailored exercise plans. Also, because of the education and training behind the program, the residents are ensured they are receiving safe, effective, and appropriate workouts from us.  I’m happy NIFS built the Bold Moves program with tools and resources to help us serve our residents with PD! It’s more than just the initial education, I have the sustained support and materials to manage the duration of this ongoing program.

Alyssa O. – Bold Moves Coach in Raleigh, NC

I feel the training was great because it educated us on the disease of Parkinson’s, the symptoms to be aware of, and walked us through several different exercises geared to manage those symptoms for maintenance or improvement in quality of life. It was very comprehensive in listing which exercises were better and why those exercises benefit this population of people.

They incorporated studies as well as example exercise programs for Parkinson’s that emphasized symptoms to look for when exercising this group of people. The training also guided intensity level and provided ways to structure the class so that it is conducted smoothly. The Bold Moves training was very helpful in my opinion!

 Charles B. – Bold Moves Coach in Atlanta, GA

As someone with a background in physical therapy, I already had some prior training and education for working with residents with Parkinson’s. However, Bold Moves training did give me a new list of Do’s and Don’ts for working with this population (avoiding grapevines and other advanced balance exercises while needing to implement exaggerated movements and elevate heart rates). The training also gave us the idea to install balance bars all along the back wall of our aerobics room, which has made our training much safer and accessible. I have 2 residents in wheelchairs and 3 in walkers who can perform standing exercises thanks to having these bars installed!

We are proud of our staff and their continued commitment to finding exercise solutions that work for all residents! For more information on NIFS Fitness Management services and our expert staff, contact Emily Davenport!

A significant value component we bring to our senior living clients is that our staff have a team of peers doing this work across the country and we pride ourselves in collaboration and networking best practices across our client sites. It’s important that fitness stay fresh and fun to maximize engagement in your community and with dozens of emails just like this circulating around our team each month, the flow of ideas is constantly elevating how we serve our clients. Below is a monthly recap email from our superstar staff Kayla Hill in Towson, Maryland that was sent to our team of managers in 14 states across the country. She has a wonderful team at her community who she collaborates with regularly to bring these special programs and events to life and as you can see, she has a lot of fun doing it and sharing her story with her peers.

If your community could benefit from a stream of fresh ideas to enhance resident engagement in your fitness offerings, contact NIFS today.

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.

• Name: Andre McCormack
• City, State: Kalamazoo, MI
• Years with NIFS: 8 months
• Position: Fitness Manager
• What brought you to NIFS: I enjoy working with the active aging population!
• What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: The most impactful moment so far was when a resident stopped me to tell me that the motivation they consistently received led her to losing 10lbs and helped her get back to the weight she was used to being at. Other moments are similar, I get a big smile on my face whenever I recommend something and the person comes back telling me how much it helped.
• What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: The difference with a NIFS Fitness Pro is that they have a great ability to adapt and excel with all levels, interests, environments, and situations that may come up.
• What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: The best part of my role is interacting with the residents. They truly do become a second family to you. Most of the residents are hungry for new knowledge and that creates great discussions on a number of topics. On top of all that, the residents show their appreciation more than any other population and it means the world to know you are doing a great job helping.
• What motivates you: I want to be able to have an impact on as many people as I can. There truly is nothing better than helping flip the direction of someone’s afternoon, day, week, or better yet…life!
• What is your favorite hobby: I love to travel to places with amazing sights and love to learn about new cultures, foods, history, and more. In addition, I absolutely LOVE sports. There nothing better than watching or playing in a good competition.

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

ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS

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.

• Name: Kara Gootee-Robinson
• City, State: Indianapolis, IN
• Years with NIFS: almost 18 years
• Position: Assistant Director
• What brought you to NIFS: While attending Purdue and networking between friends I was connected with a Purdue grad who worked in Corporate Fitness at one of NIFS client locations at the time.  I went to my first real interview and the rest is history.  
• What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: Seeing a member go from being so unsure about exercise to loving it.  Observing this member change their mindset on what exercise can be for them was truly rewarding.  They attended one class a week, it turned into two classes, then it became weekly one on one training and just seeing them enjoy coming in as a part of their routine and lifestyle was rewarding.
• What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: Our staff genuinely care about their members. The connections made help people to continue coming back and staying active in their onsite fitness center.  The way we engage people helps them to form community at their sites.
• What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: The people, both members and co-workers.  I have made life long friends with people who took my classes, who I trained, and who I worked alongside for so many years. The people are why I've been with NIFS for so long. 
• What motivates you: Seeing the change in people and myself.  Making exercise a regular habit is hard, but once you do it's routine.  Once the small changes are noticed it makes it easier each day to choose to be healthy and active.  It's motivating to see others do the same. 
• What is your favorite hobby: Depends on the season, my family enjoys time on the lake from swimming in Tennessee to fishing in Minnesota.  That tends to be how we spend our summers and when things are most relaxing!
  
  

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

  ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS