Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

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: Kelly Stinnett
• City, State: Terre Haute, IN
• Years with NIFS: 2.5 years
• Position: Per Diem Health Fitness Specialist
• What brought you to NIFS: I was already in the community teaching other exercise classes and I was happy to come on board with NIFS for staff coverage and greater opportunities to grow.
• What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: I see a lot of little moments as the most impactful "moment" with not just one but a handful of individuals. They appreciate what I do and take the time to walk up after class and say "good job" or "thank you for being here". The majority of members I get to see on a regular basis treat me like a friend and may pop their head into the office just to extend another sincere thank you. These are little things that I cherish and consider most impactful! 
• What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: The NIFS resources and network allow program managers to bring new, creative, and thoughtful ways to keep incorporating much needed movement and activity into everyone’s lives who are recipients of a NIFS pro.
• What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: Relationships with members and the wonderful sense of fulfillment I get with this position.
• What motivates you: Knowing that every exercise class/program provided is creating a better quality of life for members but also for myself as I get to enjoy the exercises and socializing that is so important for aging adults.  
• What is your favorite hobby: A favorite is hard to choose. Everything outdoors, especially in the sun, would be on the top of the list. Hiking, biking, running; playing with a frisbee, football, or volleyball. Thankfully my husband and step-daughter are the same in this way and whenever we get a chance to take a trip to the park, we pack ALL of the things into the car (even a hammock, book, and guitar), never actually able to do everything, but we have them just in case!
   

  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: Kelsey Devereaux
• City, State: Indianapolis, IN
• Years with NIFS: 6 months
• Position: Fitness Manager
• What brought you to NIFS: I was in between jobs and needed to find something more stable. I found the opportunity with NIFS and went for it.
• What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: Working with the residents in senior living is impactful in itself. They make you want to better yourself no matter where you are in life.
• What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: The ability to transform into whatever we need to be for our client. 
• What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: Connecting with members helping them with their fitness and health goals.
• What motivates you: Being able to share new knowledge of the fitness and health industry to help clients accomplish their goals.
• What is your favorite hobby: Riding my bike through the woods for a lot of hours.....and petting dogs.
  

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

  ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS

Daily headlines remind employers of what they are already feeling with the squeeze to find qualified candidates to fill the record-setting job openings across nearly every industry. And for HR professionals responsible for hiring in senior living or corporate fitness centers, it may already be challenging enough to recognize the necessary skills when hiring a fitness professional who can cultivate the engaging onsite fitness center you desire. In the past couple of months, I have heard from multiple fitness management clients that they are grateful that they are partnered with NIFS to manage their fitness center personnel as its one less department they have to worry about as time, resources and candidate pools are stretched thin with staffing struggles.

It isn’t through luck that NIFS is able to recruit some of the best in the fitness industry to manage our corporate and senior living client fitness centers. We have been recruiting, vetting, and welcoming talented fitness professionals to our team across the country for over three decades. That experience has helped us build a foundation and a reputation that attracts degreed and passionate staff. If you are struggling to hire the right talent to create an engaging fitness space, consider how you might apply these factors in your organization’s hiring practices that have elevated NIFS recruiting efforts:

1. Create a following: we have a careers page on our website where hundreds of followers have opted in to receive notifications about vacancies NIFS has available across the country. We regularly update our website when a position becomes available and followers receive a notification right in their inbox. Even if they aren’t regularly visiting our website, our position announcements are delivered right to them! In addition, candidates can submit their resume to NIFS to house in our database so we regularly have qualified candidates to comb through as positions become available.
2. Partner with local universities: doing business in 16 states across the US puts us in proximity to some of the best exercise science and kinesiology programs, many of which are the alma maters to our staff. This has created opportunities for us to attend job fairs and post on university job boards to recruit new grads and more experienced alum. I remember hearing about NIFS in one of my first undergrad classes in the exercise science program at Ball State University (chirp chirp) and NIFS was one of the first employers I looked into upon graduation…and I’ve been here ever since. We recently hired a candidate who told us about admiring the work NIFS does in fitness management from the strong reputation she heard it carry in her master’s program at her university in southern Indiana.
3. Network of amazing staff: our staff come to us from a variety of backgrounds working in commercial gyms, rehab settings, athletic training, sports performance, nutrition, and health coaching. From that experience brings a broad network of connections to spread the word about NIFS vacancies with former peers, classmates, colleagues, etc… Talent attracts talent and we love when our team helps us find the right fit for a client!

If you are tired of the turnover, lack of coverage support during staff vacations, or simply need time freed in your busy schedule from staffing struggles, contact NIFS for a conversation about fitness management services and let us champion the fitness staffing piece for your employees’ onsite fitness center or for your senior living fitness center.

Finding the right fit may only be half the battle when staff retention also comes into play. We recently had an applicant who works for a senior living community. He shared with us that he’s looking for other work because he feels like he’s on his own and has little connection and support from community personnel. He likes his community and loves his residents, but feels like there is missed opportunity to elevate his program or his own professional growth. We’ve written about networking opportunities for fitness staff before – check out these ideas here! Don’t go through the pains of recruiting, hiring, and training a great candidate just for them to quickly be searching elsewhere. Even though NIFS team is geographically stretched from coast to coast, we are strongly connected. NIFS team member Candace in Virginia recently shared the following with me, “I truly love being a part of the NIFS community, it has absolutely been my favorite company to work for throughout my career. I always feel appreciated with this company.” That is truly music to a director’s ears as loyal and appreciated employees take exceptional care of our clients.

Click below to find out more about our staffing services

Senior Fitness Management  |  Corporate Fitness Management

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: Candace Montgomery
• City, State: Newport News, VA
• Years with NIFS: 2 years
• Position: Fitness and  Vibrance Director
• What brought you to NIFS: Originally in the Health Fitness Specialist position and wanted to expand my career in fitness.
• What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: When working with a member for an extended period of time and they truly begin to see the results of their hard work, whether that be improved balance, gained strength, etc., it is always rewarding for me when they have that confidence boost!
• What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: A NIFS fitness pro is different from the rest because of the resources available and upper management that is consistently encouraging their team to be their best for the members. The NIFS team is a great sounding board for crafting innovative programming and how to keep fitness fun!
• What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: The favorite aspect of my role is interacting with the members and many of them become like extended family members, where they genuinely care about you and your own family. This role provides me with the opportunity to not only build members strength, but also build lasting relationships. It is a truly rewarding career!
• What motivates you: I am motivated by son (3yo) as I am always striving to be the best version of myself to set an example for him. Additionally, the members motivate me! I feed off the energy of the residents, especially during exercise class. Nothing keeps me motivated more than having fun and exercising with our members!  
• What is your favorite hobby: I love doing DIY projects! We recently moved into a new house and my husband and I are constantly doing a new project. Its so much fun being creative and finding new ways to make a space uniquely yours. I watch a lot of Fixer Upper, haha!

   

  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: Tara VanNess
• City, State: Indianapolis, IN
• Years with NIFS: 5 months
• Position: Fitness Center Manager
• What brought you to NIFS: I was seeking a position to expand my experience in the health and exercise field.
• What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: Connecting and working with a member that had a relatable injury from a past. It was easy to relate with her and share my experience of areas I could have rehabilitated better or different tools for success. Additionally, reconnected with a previous member who was a patient at my old job, before NIFS. He is hilarious and we constantly connect over his many injuries and training habits.
• What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: I believe it is our ability to not only train but educate our members regarding our field. We can identify the reasoning behind why we have our members train a specific way or feedback on their training.
• What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: The ability to build relationships with members. I get to see some of the same faces everyday and connect daily on what’s new in either of our lives. Lastly, I love learning something new every day such as various training styles, traveling, engineering, education, news, etc.
• What motivates you: Personally, this question is heavily dependent on what goal I’m striving to achieve. However, as for as work the members and my co-workers are what motivate me to do my best and show up with a positive attitude.    
• What is your favorite hobby: Currently, it is an outdoor light competition in my neighborhood for the holidays. On a regular basis, it’s spending time outdoors exploring with my dogs and boyfriend.
   

  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: Angelica Patterson
• City, State: Stone Mountain, GA
• Years with NIFS: 6 years
• Position: Fitness Center Manager
• What brought you to NIFS: a former co-worker who worked for NIFS   
• What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: During the program Personal Fitness Quest, I worked with a member for 6 weeks straight and to watch the improvement was amazing. Someone who started out needing a wheel chair after recovering from a fall all the way up to walking without assistance while improving overall balance.
• What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: Their attention detail when it comes to bringing value to different communities.
• What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: Building relationships with the members, as well as helping in the professional development of the Health Fitness Specialist role. 
• What motivates you: My family motivates me, I was taught at in early age that with anything you do you want to try your best as well as its not never too late to improve. 
• What is your favorite hobby: Cheering on my favorite team the Philadelphia Eagles "Fly Eagles Fly".
  
  

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

  ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS

When members of our corporate fitness centers meet with our staff for a complimentary fitness evaluation or exercise prescription appointment, it has long remained our focus of meeting that employee where they are in their fitness journey. Whether they are rehabbing a knee replacement, looking to improve their half marathon time, or returning to work from maternity leave, our degreed and certified staff do a deep dive to learn about the employee’s goals, motivations, and barriers to tailor a program unique to their needs. Through the pandemic, meeting employees where they are has taken on new meaning as we developed a stronger capacity to support members beyond the four walls of their employer’s corporate fitness center. NIFS HealthYou programming provides an array of virtual fitness and wellness services to support employees as they work remotely or travel for business.

HealthYou has long been a value-added service for our corporate fitness management clients but the demand and awareness skyrocketed during the pandemic. Now that members have experienced the flexibility of fitness options that meet them where they are both personally and logistically, HealthYou engagement is here to stay - even as employees return to the office and have access to their onsite fitness center. After all, jumping into a fitness class on a Saturday morning or still being able to meet for your weekly training session while you travel for work are great solutions in helping employees stay active when they aren’t on campus. Don’t just take our word for it, here are a couple of fabulous testimonials from our members that speak to the achievements they’ve gained working with our staff with HealthYou virtual resources.

Crystal P. - Employee of Fortune 500 Company, Indianapolis, Indiana

“This has been a fabulous perk working for our organization. Working with a trainer once a week has really helped me and my husband get back into a routine. We can do it in our basement at any time. The workouts are short enough to do with little kids at home, they hit total body and met my goal of feeling stronger, more fit, and flexible! I have recommended this to a lot of coworkers and keep spreading the word. I hope you consider keeping this option around even after things return to normal or the new-normal. My trainer was Hannah and I loved working with her! Her workouts were challenging, yet fun. She is so positive and up-beat! Meeting her and getting to know her, also makes me more likely once back in the office to come down for a class or workout while she is there because I know her now. I told Hannah I wanted to get strong without the bulk and she came through. I am amazed at how I feel after doing her workouts and how much I did in a short amount of time. I feel meeting with her keeps me accountable to working out. Needing to report into Hannah is always on my mind, which in turn means I do my workouts, even when it is so easy to say I have other things to do. I am also connected to the Yammer page and the posts the fitness staff are making are great about classes, fitness tips and tricks, nutrition, etc. This perk helps me stay healthy, helps my family stay healthy and promotes fitness and health to our child! Please keep this the new norm, as something wonderful the pandemic has taught us! For me, this was a wonderful way to connect, meet someone new and grow! THANK YOU!”

Charlie - Employee of Fortune 500 Company, Indianapolis, IN 

“Thanks for the workout today. I thought I’d drop you a note to capture my appreciation. You have really been motivating and inspiring these last couple of months and I have really been impressed with both our live sessions and the wealth of materials (recorded library of workouts) that are available on-demand. As I do every year, I made a vow for New Years that I was going to seriously work to get back in shape. Thanks for helping me plan my goal of 300+ minutes of exercise per week. This has been a far more reasonable and attainable goal to track each week. I’ve successfully lost 16lbs in the last 8 weeks. Also when I was getting started on my game plan, I was looking at spending money on gym memberships and/or personal training options. The NIFS online content has actually been easier to use and easier to fit into my crazy work schedule, which means I’m much more likely to actually do it. I also really appreciate the monthly Prove YOU Move challenges which have kept me motivated and engaged. They actually work as little “above and beyond” challenges that add a little more to the daily routine.”

We’ve been promoting to our members that “your fitness is personal” and that’s not only in the design of their exercise program but also in exercising at a time and location that best meets their needs on a given day. The testimonials above are great examples of the personal fitness journey these members have been on over the past year with our amazing staff.

HealthYou can be a standalone service option for organizations who do not have an onsite fitness center or perhaps have employees to reach in various locations. HealthYou is also a value-added service for NIFS fitness center management clients to provide the flexibility and resources for employees to stay active with busy and dynamic schedules. Looking for additional resources on how to enhance your virtual wellness options, download our checklist or visit our website for more information on NIFS fitness center management.

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: Keith Ledbetter
• City, State: Indianapolis, IN
• Years with NIFS: 12 years
• Position: Corporate Fitness Manager
• What brought you to NIFS: I completed my internship with NIFS. I liked the NIFS model and how we are able to deliver our outstanding services to our clients and members. There are other ways of doing what we do, I think our way is the best.  
• What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: There are many moments that stick out in my mind, from people who achieved a large amount of weight loss to people who recovered from surgery, and gaining confidence after some traumatic life events and achieving their goals. The one that stick with me the most is when a member came down and started with NIFS PFQ program, then transitioned in to one of those “group fitness people.” She continued to see results and became the ignition point for the rest of her family to change some habits and get healthier too.  
• What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: Curiosity. This trait is expressed in trying to find new ways to deliver programs, exercises, or new classes to our members. Furthermore, curiosity is expressed by asking how will this new thing help my people. We are able to take in all of these “tools” and apply them in the most appropriate way to the correct group of people.
• What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: My people.
• What motivates you: My members, I want to deliver what they are asking for in the best way for them. That keeps me looking and trying to find the wrinkle in the wellness world that will connect with them.
• What is your favorite hobby: I have a few different hobbies, I like to garden, cook, bake, and some low level home DIY (floating shelves, tiling, what the wife sees on Pinterest and what I figure I can’t make it worse by trying). The through line of these hobbies being challenging myself and figuring out how to do something new.   

   

  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: Charles Bartlett
• City, State: Atlanta, GA
• Years with NIFS: 3 years
• Position: Health Fitness Specialist
• What brought you to NIFS: If we are being honest, Indeed.com literally brought me to NIFS.
• What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: My most impactful moment was fairly recent. I am working with a client right now who has worked harder than anyone I have had previously, and has been very consistent with her appointments with me (she has even helped me get additional clients). She has continued to improve and can now stand up with out pushing off of her legs. It has taken several months, but it is a real success story.
• What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: A full time NIFS employee working in a senior living community will always have an advantage over other franchise gym employees simply because of the challenges they face. Every age related chronic condition will be a factor in your daily routines and programming. NIFS employees also aren’t forced to adhere to a sales goal of PT and memberships. You can actually do what you’re supposed to do as a fitness professional, build stronger bodies and instill confidence,  without pressuring and harassing gym patrons with “deals or packages”.
• What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: My favorite thing about my role is that I get to help those who genuinely want and need help.
• What motivates you: My motivation is knowing that I actually get paid for something that I love to do. And that’s help others better themselves physically and mentally.
• What is your favorite hobby: Travelling, Cooking, exercising and watching college football are my favorite hobbies.

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: Ashley Smith
• City, State: Indianapolis, IN
• Years with NIFS: 13 years
• Position: Coverage Supervisor and Account Manager
• What brought you to NIFS:
  I completed my internship in 2008 in the Fitness Center at NIFS headquarters in Indianapolis, IN. Being a college grad I quickly needed to find a job and one that I had just spent 4 years earning a degree in would be nice!! Corporate Fitness made sense and sounded fun. I applied for a coverage position and spent time floating around the Indianapolis sites NIFS managed which was cool, I also got to meet a TON of really cool people.
• What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: I think we all experience small and big wins while working with our members each day. It’s always great to see someone hit a goal, gain muscle, knock that PR out of the park or just make it through a tough workout! For me, the most impactful moments were spent creating relationships with members. When you listen to people you learn a lot about them and how to work with them in order to achieve things they didn’t know were possible.
• What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: Our staff make it personal! They take the time to work with people 1-1 to customize workouts and plans to fit individual needs.
• What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: We have a great NIFS group at each site, I enjoy getting to chat with everyone each month and seeing staff help each other grow. In addition, we are lucky enough to be asked a couple times a year to help with big onsite events like judging a Bocce Ball Tournament and Run a 5K with the CEO. It’s nice because we all can get together for these events!
• What motivates you: Positivity and Albanese OR Haribo gummy candy… preferably bears, worms, things like this… but I don’t judge a gummy!
• What is your favorite hobby: It’s always changing but currently, I enjoy gardening, house planting, decorating for Halloween, arts and crafts with the kids, front yard baseball, hanging out with family and hiking, well in general just chillin’ in nature! 😊

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

ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS