Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

How can older adults improve their wellbeing, grow closer to others, and enhance the community in which they live? Practicing vocational wellness is a great way to accomplish these important feats.

Vocational wellness is a part of our lives and wellbeing that makes the most of our individual strengths, talents, skills, and experiences. When we are vocationally well, these unique characteristics are intentionally used in contribution to our community and larger society.

Here’s what the International Council on Active Aging has to say about vocational wellness: “Work that utilizes a person’s skills while providing personal satisfaction is valuable for society as well as the individual. Participating in the paid and unpaid workforce means maintaining or improving skills, and helping others. Older adults contribute to society as experienced professionals, caregiver, mentors, teachers and volunteers. Leisure-time vocations in the arts and through hobbies maintain vocational skills.”

One great joy in life is serving others or meeting needs in a way that only we can. Neighbors, friends, and family benefit from our vocational wellness. In community, this may look like teaching, leading groups, practicing creativity, or taking the time to volunteer. When we share ourselves vocationally, the impact can be surprising.

Here are 3 tips for improving your vocational wellness:

• Learn about vocational wellness and meditate on what it could look like in your life. By reading this blog, you’re on the right track. You may also talk with your friends and neighbors about what they do for vocational wellness.
• Seek out opportunities to participate in activities, clubs, committees, or special events that interest you. If on first look nothing interests you, don’t let that stop you! Get in touch with people who can help you start something new and exciting. Your skills and experiences are valuable!
• Do what you like to do in a way that benefits yourself and others. Beyond being used for your own enjoyment, your vocational talents can be used for the greater good. If you are a creator, create something beautiful for others to see. If you are a leader, lead others to a healthier life. If you are a teacher, teach your friends something new.

These steps should get you well on your way to a higher level of vocational wellness. When vocational wellness is overlooked, everyone is being short changed. Make the most of your unique life qualities by getting started today!

As more companies welcome their employees back to the office, they are also developing reopening strategies for their onsite fitness centers. It’s one thing to establish social distancing protocols in office spaces, breakrooms, etc., and it’s a whole other ballgame managing traffic in and out of the dynamic environments of locker rooms and fitness centers full of movement. NIFS has been helping our clients prepare their reopening plans so they can do so with confidence that this engaging space is safe for their employees. As your organization considers its reopening plans, review these considerations and align policies that best support your space and programming expectations of your members.

• Locker Rooms: don’t just think about how many people your fitness center can accommodate with proper social distancing, also consider how many individuals your locker rooms can accommodate and if you will allow that space to be accessible. Consider the traffic flow of your locker room, the number of showers you have available, and how many people that space can safely accommodate to help you determine capacity limits.
• Reservation Systems: if your employees are anxiously awaiting the reopening of their fitness center, consider how to best manage the traffic in your space especially during peak times of day before work, over the lunch hour, and immediately after work with a reservation system. Within that reservation system, consider how many users you can accommodate in the space (again, include those locker rooms), how long each session will last and how much time is needed to sanitize the space before the next round of users arrive. Also consider who or how you will manage this reservation system.
• Equipment Spacing & Cleaning: consider how you might need to stagger equipment or put select pieces of out of service to allow for adequate distancing between users. In a fitness center where fans are blowing and respiration rates are high, we recommend a minimum of 10’ between equipment opposed to the standard 6’ for social distancing. In addition, consider how smaller, hard to clean pieces of equipment should be sanitized between users or taken out of circulation. Or perhaps you have a cleaning box for small equipment to be dropped like bands, foam rollers, etc., so your onsite staff can ensure they are properly cleaned before placing on the floor again. Also provide touchless sign-in methods if you track visits and provide touchless water refill stations opposed to drinking fountains.
• Appointments & Services: consider limits on the number of participants in classes and whether you need to schedule back to back offerings on your calendar to accommodate the demand. It might not be efficient, but likely what is needed for your larger groups. Again, consider 10-12’ between your participants and even the types of formats you are offering. Avoid circuits or boot camp style classes where participants rotate stations sharing equipment. For one-on-one services such as fitness assessments or personal training, work with your onsite staff to develop the appropriate cueing to conduct their appointments while maintaining proper distancing from the member.
• Signage & Reminders: as people settle into old workout routines and habits, it’s important that they remain diligent on the current protocols within your facility. Provide extra cleaning supplies around the fitness center with reminders to wipe down equipment before and after use, use tape or other markers to indicate participant “spots” in free weight areas and group fitness classes to ensure distancing and include signage with general reminders about your company’s COVID safety protocols.

As always, stay on top of current CDC guidelines and best practices for the operations and programming in your onsite fitness center. Need support in developing a plan for your organization? Contact NIFS for consulting services or to discuss how our qualified fitness staff are effectively managing these reopening strategies for their clients.

Throughout the past year, everyone’s wellness routine has been thrown upside down at some point or another. Maybe you figured out what your ‘new norm’ looks like, you are not sure where to start, or you are somewhere in the middle trying to find that new norm. A lot of the residents at the senior living community where I am employed are unsure of where to start, specifically after the pandemic.

It felt like all at once, a handful of residents became aware of how far they regressed with taking the stairs, causing not only concern but also action. The residents were out at a Colts game or the symphony, had to take a set of stairs to their seats and came face-to-face with the harsh reality of how challenging the stairs were not only physically, but also mentally. We decided to add a “Stair Master” class to our group fitness schedule, which allowed the residents to learn proper biomechanics of taking the stairs, work on their capabilities twice a week, and have a support group that understood the struggles with the stairs. We had this class 2x per week for 4 months, each time focusing on the stairs in addition to strength, cardiovascular fitness, balance, and stability. Below are the three concepts we looked at each month to not only help evaluate if we were targeting what we wanted to target, but it was also used as an aide for residents to see their progress.

• Evaluation. There was no gold standard evaluation for out goals, so we made up our own evaluation. We wanted to overshoot what residents would typically have to do at an outing so regardless of how many stairs, they would be confident. The first Thursday of the month, we would perform 4 continual minutes of stairs and record the results. As the months went by, the residents had pride in how they felt as well as how far they had come along since the first evaluation.
• Intensity. Classes lasted 45 minutes, with a water break around the halfway point. We would consistently change when in the class we did the stairs, the duration spent on the stairs, and use work to rest ratios to help add intensity to the exercise without overloading the residents. If the stairs were added towards the end of the class, we found that residents were challenged more than if they were at the beginning of class. Overtime, going down the stairs presented a greater challenge, specifically mentally, and that allowed for our class to focus on overcoming mental barriers.
• Rate of Perceived Exertion. Once residents completed the 4-minute evaluation, we would ask them to rate their perceived exertion on a scale of 1-10. At the end of the 4 months, we saw the number of flights of stairs residents successfully performed did not increase exponentially, however their rate of perceived exertion consistently decreased.

How are you creatively adapting to the needs of your residents?

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: Kaitlyn Pando
• City, State: Indianapolis, IN
• Years with NIFS: 2.5 years
• Position: Health Fitness Specialist
• What brought you to NIFS: I went to school at Ball State, and I always heard of NIFS in our classes. I knew that if my professors were always mentioning NIFS that it must be a great place to work. I graduated knowing that I wanted to go into corporate wellness, so when I saw NIFS had a position in corporate fitness I had to apply.
• What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: I received a personal fitness quest client who was not active. I started working with them to slowly add in a little bit of movement into their days. I worked with them beyond the 4 weeks because I knew that this could help change their life. Fast forward a few months and we ran a program that required them to try and workout 5 days a week for 6 weeks. This member ended up being one of the few that got almost every single day in for 6 weeks straight. I am so proud of this person. They went from not being active at all to getting some form of movement into their day every single day.
• What separates a NIFS fitness professional from the rest: One thing that separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest is that NIFS puts an emphasis on having background knowledge in the fitness industry. We all come to this job with at least 4 years of schooling in this field. NIFS then encourages us to get certifications, attend workshops, and more. We are always learning as NIFS fitness professionals.
• What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: The members are by far the best part of my job. We have so many great members here that keep work fun and exciting. I love getting to know all of them and help them achieve whatever goals they may be.
• What motivates you: My group fitness class participants motivate me. I want my participants to leave every class knowing that they got a great workout in. This makes me continue to think outside of the box on how to make my workouts challenging, but fun so they keep coming back.
• What is your favorite hobby: Camping with my husband and dog!

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

ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS

Hiking is amazing in so many ways. It is great for physical activity, mental health and stress-relief, cardiovascular health, socialization and more. I’ve always loved the outdoors, but my love for hiking drastically increased when I went to Sedona, Arizona. The red rocks, the greenery, the breeze thousands of feet above sea level…breathtaking. No matter where you hike, you will experience many wonderful things along the way. If you have never hiked before or have only hiked a handful of times, follow these five steps for a great hiking experience:

1. Hike with a friend or a group of people. Hiking is a great time to socialize with friends and family. You don’t have to carry on conversation the whole time, but it’s nice to have someone with you to keep you company. Hiking allows you to take a break from the hustle and bustle of life, take part in physical activity together, and experience the wonders of nature. It’s also a good idea to have someone with you for safety reasons.

2. Plan your hike and have a map. Before you lace up and hit the trail, make sure you have your hike planned out. Here are some details that you should plan for: distance, elevation, estimated traffic of the trail, weather, layers to wear/bring, estimated duration and travel time to and from your house to the trailhead. Distance and elevation are important because the longer distance and the higher elevation, the harder the hike will be. Some apps and websites list the estimated level of difficulty to help you determine if it’s the right trail for your desired intensity. The traffic of the trail isn’t as important to determine ahead of time; but if you plan to bring your dog hiking and you know he barks at people all the time, then it would be best to go on a trail marked as low traffic. Check the weather to make sure you bring the right gear. Generally, the higher elevation, the colder the weather, so make sure you bring the right layers with you just in case the weather changes as you are hiking and increase elevation. Finally, estimate the duration of the hike and the time to and from the trailhead to your house. Make sure your group members know the plan and don’t forget to bring a map! Most trails have maps they give out at the park entrance.

3. Wear appropriate hiking shoes. It is not necessary to have hiking boots but choose shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. In the summer, I would suggest tennis shoes or hiking shoes. Wear tall socks that protect your feet and ankles from blisters. In the colder or rainier months, I would suggest wearing waterproof hiking shoes or boots to keep your feet warm and dry.

4. Pack the essentials. Make sure to bring a water bottle and snacks. It is also a great idea to bring a first aid kit. Be smart with the gear you bring, such as sunscreen on a hot day or a scarf on a windy day. Even if you plan a short hike, bring the essentials in case you are out longer than planned.

5. Soak in the moment. Breathe the fresh air. Slow down and enjoy. Yes, hiking is physical activity and can be challenging, but it is also a chance to rest your body and mind from the day-to-day routines you have in place. I would encourage you to stop for 5 minutes during your hike and just look at the beauty of the nature around you. Take slow, deep breaths. Talk to your friends about something you notice that you otherwise would have missed. Enjoy the moment!

 I know these tips will allow you to plan ahead properly, so I hope you are excited and ready for your next hike! Where are your favorite hiking locations?

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: Tracy Yost
• City, State: Redding, CT
• Years with NIFS: a little over 2 years. However, I started as a per diem sub so add in an additional 3-4 months of sub work.
• Position: Fitness Manager
• What brought you to NIFS: I was looking to work in fitness on a campus with an older population. After working a few shifts for the previous manager, I knew I liked working at my client site. Then I saw the Fitness Manager's role posted online. I immediately applied. As they say, the rest is history. I find tremendous satisfaction in working with an older population. I understand that it takes effort for them to get to fitness class/gym. I try to make sure that they feel it was worth the effort. I often find that the super seniors, as I call them, are so grateful for every workout, every balance challenge, every tip, etc. In some ways, I work for the daily reward of making a difference in people's lives. 
• What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: I like to do a loving kindness meditation practice in November. I find that it sets the stage for a better Thanksgiving Day. There was no established mindfulness practice here so I took a risk and introduced a morning meditation class. We had half a dozen participants (which is good for us). One particular day after 3 weeks or so of practicing loving kindness every weekday morning, the energy/the flow was particularly powerful in the room. My voice & pace just right, no outside noises, no late comers, etc. As I was reading the script, I could feel the charged emotion in the room and in my own body. I looked up and eyes were closed but tears were streaming down most faces. I believe it was a moment of true forgiveness combined with the power of group energy.  It's hard to describe but it was profound. In fact, those of us in the room still feel connected to each other. I was able to build on that connection during the year of Covid isolation. I added those residents to my weekly call list. 
• What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: The resources and the support. We are able to tap into a group of fitness professionals who understand the age population and the dynamic of a continuing care community. We share best practices and best programs. However, it's the next step that truly separates us: we are able to use what we have learned and tailor it to our individual site. Suggestions and answers are a phone call or email away. 
• What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: The people, it's always about the people & relationships for me. I love working on a campus and connecting residents to all the resources available on the campus. Right now, my absolute fave thing is providing scavenger hunts that allow residents to walk and explore every nook & cranny of the community.
• What motivates you: Feeling part of...a team, a community, a family. Helping people. I like connecting to residents with conversations, learning about their lives before moving into the community. I also like feeling part of the team that ensures that residents are getting the assistance that they need. As the Fitness Manager, I see residents daily and thus see/hear/notice changes that I am able to share with the transition team. 
• What is your favorite hobby: I love my 2 dogs. I love day hikes. On Sundays, my husband and I (with our dogs) are currently exploring The Charles Ives Trail in our area of Connecticut. It's an 18-mile trail (that we had never heard of) that travels through the nearby towns in our area. I love crochet but its's currently on hold. Instead, I am sewing intricate felt Christmas stockings for my family. It's been a long process.  I play a crazy mah jongg solitaire game with real tiles (not online). I read a lot of books. I actually listen to books- as I drive, as I sew, as I exercise. My daughters live in California.  I love visiting them and exploring with them. Lastly, I run races but not because I like running. I run races because somehow, I am able to convince friends to do one with me. It becomes more about the race weekend and the time spent together with friends than the actual race. Ironically a friend just reversed roles & convinced me to join her in a 50-mile race called Rock the Ridge. 

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

ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS

Y’all, spring is HERE! This means sunshine, beautiful weather, and outdoor activities! Whether you plan on exercising outdoors, playing games with the family, or maintaining the yard, please don’t forget to warm up first. Warming up helps get your body ready to move and helps reduce the likelihood of suffering an injury.

Don’t forget these few tips about exercising outdoors! Avoid exercising in the hottest part of the day and start exercising now, so you’ll be better adjusted to the heat before summer gets here. Hats and sunscreen are a must! Also, be sure to bring water to stay adequately hydrated. If you are concerned about altering your exercise routine, be sure and speak to your doctor.

Warming up your body immediately before exercising helps you get the most out of an exercise routine, not to mention helping you prevent injuries. Try to warm up for at least 5 minutes before starting to exercise. You can know that you have completed a good warm up when you’ve started to sweat, have used most of your large muscle groups, and you’ve performed dynamic movements similar to what you will perform in your exercise routine. Starting to sweat means that you have increased your body temperature and your muscles and joints are ready to go!

So, what might a warmup look like?

Before exercising, try a five-minute walk or bike ride!

Or you could try this routine. Make sure you have something sturdy nearby to hold onto for balance and try to maintain your good posture while warming up!

• Walk in place for 30 seconds.
• Walk a little forward and backwards for 30 seconds.
• Step side to side for 30 seconds.
• March with high knees for 30 seconds.
• Kick your foot up behind you (be sure and keep your knee pointing to the ground!) Alternate legs for 30 seconds.
• Hold onto something for balance, shift your weight onto one foot, and lift the other. Roll the lifted foot around in a circle 10 times one direction then the other. Repeat on other foot. This exercise also works well seated!
• Keep your feet planted on the ground and your hips facing forward, then twist your torso side to side 10 times.
• Pull your hands back behind you, then swing your arms forward and give yourself a hug. Repeat 10 times.
• Let your arms hang down by your sides, then swing one up and over your head. Alternate your arms and windmill them for 30 seconds.
• Turn your head side to side, as far as is comfortable, while keeping your back straight and your chest facing forward. Repeat 10 times in each direction.
• Try this warm up before exercising or completing strenuous activities or use it as your break during long, stationary activities. Personally, I add these exercises into my weekend yard work, as a way to keep limber while weeding my flower beds! Now it’s your turn! Be sure and comment your favorite warmup exercises!

Cross training in exercise can make you a stronger athlete and help you achieve your fitness goals faster and more efficiently. Consider cross training in the workplace, and how learning or developing new skills can help to improve business, experiences, and job satisfaction – this isn’t much different in the realm of fitness! Simply put, cross training consists of adopting an exercise regimen which consists of a variety of modalities. To get started, consider your fitness goals, and the type of exercise that compliments them. Take running for example, instead of hitting the treadmill or pavement daily, try adding in Yoga or Pilates a few times a week for to help improve your flexibility and balance, or a strength training routine which targets the muscles you rely on to carry you across the finish line.

Runners, along with any athlete (yes, I’m looking at you!), participating in sport or recreational activity can benefit from adding a consistent strength training program into their training. The addition of resistance training multiple times a week will help increase muscular endurance, power and strength. What about yoga, flexibility training, and cardiovascular exercises like swimming, cycling, and rowing? Adding in a variety of these training methods will help to improve cardiovascular endurance, agility, balance, and posture, and make you more well-rounded which translates to how you feel and move in everyday life.

Still not sure cross training is for you? Some other benefits include:

• Reduced risk of injury: By cross training, you will be more likely avoiding overtraining of just one set of muscles and reduce the risk of overuse injuries.
• Enhanced weight loss: Using multiple forms of exercise is a great way to increase metabolism and calorie burn. A proper diet, exercise and decrease in caloric intake will create a deficit, assisting in weight loss, if that’s a goal of yours.
• Overall Improved fitness: Adding other modes of training outside of your regular sport or recreational activity can have benefits of increased agility, aerobic capacity, flexibility, and balance. Giving you an overall improved level of health and fitness.
• Reduced risk of exercise boredom/burnout: Most people, at some point in their training, have experienced burnout or boredom from doing the same routine daily, monthly, etc. Adding cross training to the mix can spice things up and keep you fresh and focused! Cross training also allows the body to experience different types of stress to the body's systems.

There are so many ways to mix up or tweak your weekly workout schedule by adding something different into your routine. Try something new and refreshing, like a group fitness class, or a partner workout, and allow your body to recover from its normal routine. Remember not everyone’s cross training will look the same - speak to your NIFS fitness staff if you would like help creating a cross training schedule based on your personal fitness goals.

Having a home garden is a simple and rewarding way to grow your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs while also being physically active. Springtime is the perfect season to begin planning which plants you want to grow, organizing the layout for your garden, and preparing the space. Gardening can add value to your life no matter your time commitment, space, or experience!

Check out these steps to get your home garden started:

1. Where to Plant? Most plants thrive when they review direct sunlight, so you ideally want to place your garden in a spot where it will receive the most amount of direct sunlight throughout the day.
2. What to grow? Most farmers recommend starting your first garden by growing items that you consistently eat now as well as items that can be easily preserved or stored. Each individual seed packet has directions referring to growing duration, when to harvest, and when to germinate the seeds. For best results, review each individual seed packet and plant based off those recommendations.
3. Prepare the space. Some people opt to till-up the ground, talk about a great way to burn calories, others choose to build or purchase raised garden beds. The benefit of raised beds are that they allow you to maximize the space you have, especially if you live in a dense area such as the city or even an apartment. They also help to make gardening and more manageable for the first-time gardener. The downside of using raised beds are that you will need to invest more resources into the purchasing and building and filling the beds. Consider what material you use, increase nutrients to the soil by use of compost, manure, sand, and peat moss.
4. Plant the seeds. It is best to refer to the seed packets for more specific instructions about depth, timing, and other important variables. Additionally, it is important to plant any tall items, such as tomatoes, corn, or anything grown on a trellis on the North side of the garden. This will allow the shorter items to still receive enough southern sun without anything impeding the direct light.
5. Garden maintenance. Now that your garden is planted you want to maintain your efforts to help your garden flourish. Be sure to weed 2-3 times per week to h
6. elp over growth or invasion of unwanted weeds. Water daily, keep your plants hydrated. Consider mulch or wood chips around the base of your plants.

Don’t let your lack of space keep you from gardening!

If you do not have a yard or have limit space on your property, then container gardening will be the best place to start. Many individuals will use small to large planters to grow various herbs and even some smaller fruits and vegetables. The same steps from above apply to container gardening: correct placement of the containers, proper sunlight, soil, and room to grow.

Talk to almost any senior about exercise and physical health and it likely won’t be long before they talk about a fear of falling. Falls become a major risk with every year one ages. For exactly this reason it is vital to prioritize balance and stability when training the senior population. Without the ability and confidence to walk comfortably, get on and off the floor, and move safely into and out of a seated position, seniors sacrifice a certain quality of life. On the contrary, improving balance and stability can dramatically increase the quality of life in senior populations. It’s easier to participate in more activities and socialize more if one is not nervous of stumbling or falling on the way there.

I have found appropriate strength training to make a huge difference improving balance. Several regular attendees of our group fitness classes have remarked that they feel more stable while walking, that they feel more confident getting out of chairs or off of the floor, and that they feel their hips and leg muscles working more to stabilize their body while standing or walking. This improves confidence and allows them to walk further, perform more advanced exercise, and remain more active in their daily lives. Strength can be a life saver! Check out these four tips for seniors to maintain and improve balance:

1. Use your hips!

The entire lumbopelvic complex (core and hips) is helpful for full body balance. The more one improves their core and hip strength, the more these muscles can contribute to full body stability. In our group classes we perform sit to stands (standing up out of a chair), one leg balances (supported against a wall if necessary), seated leg extensions, seated or standing hip abductions, seated or standing marching, and many more exercises that strength train the hip complex to improve balance.

2. Walk more (as long as it feels good)

If you can walk comfortably and without pain, it won’t hurt to add a little extra walking to your daily routine. Every time we walk, we are training our balance as every muscle of our lower body has to constantly be stabilizing as we shift our weight from one foot to the other. Walking is one of the best and simplest exercises to perform and requires no equipment.

3. Stand when possible

Many exercises can be performed seated or standing. As long as you feel comfortable to perform exercises standing, you will be working your balance. Even exercise such as overhead presses or bicep curls will help improve balance as the hips and core need to be active while standing.

4. If you don’t use it you’ll lose it

One of the worse things we all witnessed during the strict COVID lockdown was the loss of physical ability. Daily physical movement that people took for granted was suddenly severely limited. Without a regular daily schedule it becomes very easy to pass the days with little to no physical activity. Many found that their strength, balance, mobility, and endurance had decreased over the course of the lockdown. The best way to avoid this is to find ways to practice balance throughout the day. We have already mentioned walking more, but practicing getting in and out of seated positions, practicing getting on and off the floor, and practicing exercise that help you improve balance will all be critical for maintain these abilities for as long as possible.

Let us know if you have any enjoyable or interesting ways to maintain and train balance! Is your community in need of balance programming? Check Balance Redefined below.