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: Lauren Kelsheimer
• City, State: Terre Haute, IN
• Years with NIFS: 4.5 years
• Position: Fitness Manager
• What brought you to NIFS: I happened upon a message on LinkedIn from our previous Director. I thought it was an ad, but took my chances and reached back out to her to see what potential there was in a position like this. I am glad that I did!
• What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member:
  A member’s husband passed and she really became a recluse. I decided to reach out to her and see if she wanted to start participating in exercise classes or exercise in the fitness center. She was very hesitant, but agreed to come down to the fitness center and see what it was all about. After a few sessions, she really broke out of her shell and now is exercising daily, visiting friends she met from classes or programs, and is living life to the fullest! These moments are the reason I chose this career.
• What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: NIFS fitness professionals strive to create moments of magic for our members. We are passionate and care deeply about what we do. Also, we know the importance of creating experiences for our members that stand out from the rest. NIFS fitness professionals truly work together as a team to produce great programs, events, and fitness offerings and continue to perform at a level above.
• What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: I truly enjoy my residents. They have become family. The team members at Westminster Village are amazing as well. They are always willing to lend a hand and help me with any program or event that I have for the residents to help impact their lives. I enjoy that we all have a common goal and that’s to engage our community and provide fun, exciting programs for them.
• What motivates you: The smiles! I feed off of resident’s energy. If they are enjoying themselves and really feel like they are getting something out of my classes, programs, or events, then I have done my job. They constantly make me want to be better.
• What is your favorite hobby: I enjoy being with my family and jogging.

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

ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS

2020 has become a year to remember and maybe not in a good way, but instead on focusing on our limitations, lets focus on what we can do. Here is your guide to surviving quarantine:

1. Get outside and get some vitamin D! You may have heard that UV light kills the COVID-19 virus, so in a sense, going outside can be safer than visiting indoor public places. It is also more difficult for the virus to spread with increased ventilation, and what better ventilation is there than being outside? Not that you need another reason to get outside, but some doctors believe that individuals with vitamin D deficiency are more likely to contract and experience more adverse side effects from the virus. While the jury is still out on how big of an impact vitamin D deficiency makes on COVID-19, vitamin D plays a vital role in your immune system as well as supporting bone health, muscle function, your gut microbiome and more.
2. Find ways to socialize, safely. The last thing you need right now is a reminder to “social distance” but here it is anyway. Virtual gatherings are a safe and easy way to keep in touch with loved ones. “Meeting” online can also help you expand on your relationship with the ones you care about. When I’m virtually “hanging out” with friends, we often play games and I’ve been able to learn new things about my friends, like how competitive some of them are or new likes and dislikes. Virtual gatherings are also a great way for you to connect with grandkids, grandnieces or grandnephews.
3. Eat right and exercise. If you weren’t doing this before, I really hope you are considering it now. Eating nutritious meals and exercising regularly can help keep your body in tip top shape but can also aid in fighting off any colds or flus. Exercise is also a great way to release any mental stress, which let’s be honest, we are all a little tightly wound right now. Lastly, it will give you something to do! If you are like me and have been somewhat bored sitting at home, try a new online group fitness class, NIFS has plenty to go around. Aim for 150 minutes of exercise weekly.
4. Catch some ZZZ’s. If there is one thing you can put your new extra time towards, its sleep. Sleeping helps your body recover and keeps your immune system running efficiently. If you are someone who struggles with getting a full eight hours, try flipping off any screens 1 hour before bedtime, avoid meals or snacking 2 hours before bed and caffeine 6 hours before bed. Try to follow a nightly routine, maybe with some meditation or deep breathing exercises. Creating a habit for sleep teaches your body to relax and gets you ready for a restful night.

What are you doing to stay healthy during the pandemic?

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: Megan McQuade
• City, State: Indianapolis, IN
• Years with NIFS: 9 months 
• Position: Health Fitness Specialist
• What brought you to NIFS: I started working for NIFS following graduation from college in December of 2019.
• What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: The most impactful moment that I have had with a member was during an assessment with a client.  She was unable to touch her toes and struggled with flexibility.  We set a goal to work on it and after incorporating some yoga and stretching into her weekly routine her results were amazing.
• What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: Every NIFS Staff member is passionate about helping others achieve their goals, whether that be their co-workers or members at their client sites.  We are all one big support system even though we are spread across the country.
• What is your fave thing about working at your client site: My favorite thing about working at NIFS is the wide range of members I get to work with. I love the variety and being able to apply my skill set to best assist where each person is at in their health and fitness journey! Watching members set and achieve their goals is a reason why I love working for NIFS!
• What motivates you: I am a big goal setter so achieving goals that I have been working towards is what helps me push myself to continue working hard!
• What is your favorite hobby: Baking and cooking!!

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

ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS

I recently shared insight on why there is a strong need for corporate fitness and wellness resources for employees while they work remotely during COVID-19 closures and extended work-at-home models for many employers. After all, working from home was already a growing trend before the pandemic. The way organizations support a culture of well-being needs a broader reach now more than ever to help employees live well. While options to extend that reach may feel limited, there are a variety of creative and impactful ways to meet those needs.

One service solution NIFS launched for our corporate clients this summer was NIFS’ Personal Fitness Quest (PFQ). Employees signed up for this virtual program to connect weekly with their fitness specialist for complimentary personal training and coaching. Participants complete a pre- and post-assessment along with goal-setting as part of the program. When we asked our staff what their members want to achieve during their PFQ sessions, overwhelmingly employees were asking for accountability. Others had goals for easing back in after surgery and looking for more variety in their routine, but most people praised the program for the accountability it provided them.

Here’s what our fitness specialists are hearing:

“People are struggling with consistency in their routines, or lack thereof. They want someone to hold them accountable. Once engaged, the members have been thankful for the support.”   

—Matthew, NIFS Manager, Indiana

“Our participants have struggled the most with prioritizing their workout and they’ve been lacking the motivation to get back on track with a fitness routine. Our participants really like having those weekly calls because that’s what keeps them accountable and they’re able to stay motivated.” 

—Aislinn, NIFS Manager, Indiana

“The feedback for PFQ has been very positive. Members enjoy being able to connect with a fitness specialist weekly to keep them accountable and answer questions.” 

—Jordan, NIFS Manager Pennsylvania

Here’s what our members are saying about their experience:

“PFQ is fantastic to be able to schedule a guided workout at a time that works with my schedule, and to have one-on-one direction and encouragement. It helps keep me motivated to work out and be ‘ready' for the next week. You did a great job of targeting the workout to what I wanted to improve.”

—PFQ Participant, Indiana

“I think you’re doing an awesome job virtually training! The process we have works really well for me, especially since you taught me some quick warm-ups in the first session outside. I only have positive feedback to share. Thanks for being flexible and creative to stay effective!”

—PFQ Participant, Indiana

The PFQ is one of many programs under NIFS’ virtual service model, HealthYou. HealthYou helps us provide a range of fitness and wellness services to employees of client locations without an onsite fitness center, or with a large demographic of employees who work remotely and have difficulty taking advantage of their fitness center. Group fitness classes, wellness programs like PFQ, and Healthy Lifestyle sessions from NIFS’ Registered Dietitian are all accessible with NIFS’ web-based tools; so while it may feel difficult to make an impact, NIFS helps you broaden your organization’s reach and connect your employees with the resources they need to live well.

This blog was written by Emily Davenport. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

While many have come to appreciate the convenience of working at home, the impact it can create on a sense of routine is far-reaching. When you head into the office for the day, it can be easier to honor that me-time in your schedule to squeeze in a group fitness class or work out in the onsite fitness center. When you are working from home, the distractions of the dishes in the sink, laundry in the dryer, and kids trying to complete homework can compete for those precious spare minutes of downtime you have between meetings and work obligations.

The work-at-home culture of COVID-19 has shown us just how much employees value and miss the onsite fitness centers provided to them by their employers. It’s convenient, easily accessible, and a great way to maintain consistency in an exercise routine with qualified staffing support at their fingertips.

Top 3 Remote Corporate Fitness Requests

Luckily for NIFS’ corporate clients, our staff are staying connected to their members and creatively supporting their health and fitness needs remotely with NIFS HealthYou virtual programming. Here are the top three requests we are hearing from our members right now on what they need to stay active and well while working from home.

• Fitness center alternatives: Without access to the onsite fitness center, employees are asking our staff for flexible exercise plans to help them maintain their strength and fitness levels utilizing the equipment and resources they have available at home. Routines using dumbbells, resistance bands, and bodyweight movements are a great starting point. More creative options using kettlebells and TRX, and shifting exercise outdoors for walking, running, and cycling routines have also been in demand.
• Accountability: The onsite fitness center and qualified fitness staffing truly are a guiding light of accountability for employees. It’s a regular visual reminder to show up for themselves and to participate in the healthy culture of their workplace. Without the fitness center, staying consistent can be a challenge for many, and we are hearing just how much employees value the weekly one-on-one appointments they are scheduling with our staff to check in on their routine and progress to stay on track.
• Motivating programming: Employees have always loved our group fitness programs, and they are tuning in regularly to our live fitness classes offered throughout the day by our amazing staff across the country as well as utilizing our library of recorded fitness classes. In addition, fitness challenges, educational Healthy Lifestyle sessions by NIFS’ Registered Dietitian, and wellness programs are keeping the resources and motivation well within reach for the members we serve.

While employees greatly miss the onsite fitness centers, the fitness specialists from NIFS are helping to fill these needs for the employees of our corporate clients. NIFS’ HealthYou service model has long been supporting wellness programming for employers without onsite fitness centers and for remote workers. Employees have access to our amazing staff and a variety of resources including a HealthYou portal and NIFS exercise programming software to remain connected to the resources they need.

It’s Actually a Good Time to Launch a New Corporate Fitness Program

It may feel like an unusual time to launch a corporate fitness program for your employees, but the need is there. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation call on NIFS HealthYou services to support your employees while they work remotely today and see how our model can adapt as you bring employees back to the office in the months ahead.

This blog was written by Emily Davenport. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

As fall brings us cooler temps and the beautiful change of landscape, it can be a great time to settle into a new wellness routine. After all, keeping your routine fresh can inspire your spirit and challenge your body with new physical and mental endeavors. Here are a few ideas to change up your routine while appreciating all the season has to offer.

•  Outdoor meditation: this time of year can be enriching for the senses with the cooler air, bold colors and earthy smells. Find a peaceful spot to soak it all in and be present in the environment. Practice our mindful meditation session or focus on deep breathing exercises.
• Scenic hikes: head outdoors to walk and enjoy the colors of the season. The cooler temps and lower humidity can make exercise outside more tolerable than in the heat of the summer and the scenery can be a great motivator! Look up the peek color schedule for your region and plan a walk at a local park.
• Go for a swim: while temperatures drop outside, the warm air and climate of indoor pools can help you maintain those summer vibes if desired. Aquatic exercise, whether attending a water aerobics class, water volleyball game, or doing a water walking workout are all fantastic modes of exercise that can get the heart pumping, and the muscles burning, all while being gentle on the joints.
• Recreation programs: while football might not be the most appropriate mode of activity for active older adults, games like corn hole and bocce ball can be a great way to be physically active outside while enjoying those fall vibes (no helmet required). It’s important that you find ways to move your body every day and that doesn’t always have to be structured exercise. Recreation games are a great option to move while having fun!
• Garden prep: picking your last harvest, cleaning out garden beds, and prepping your soil with compost can be a great mode of physical activity and you’ll reap the benefits next spring when you have minimal work to prep for planting season. Many people enjoy the meditative benefits from gardening all summer long so give your garden beds a little TLC as a thank you for another great growing season.
• Harvest meals: veggie and gourd harvests can create some wonderful variety in healthy dining only available at this time of year. Pumpkin bread, grilled squash varieties and hearty soups can be delicious choices and oh so healthy! The colors in the trees and on your plate can be rich and beautiful.

We love partnering with our senior living clients to create new fitness and wellness experiences for residents with the changing seasons and all year round accommodating the requests we hear from residents. The monthly calendar is often full of life enriching experiences that support vibrant living spanning the different dimensions of wellness. Find out what is happening in your community this fall and try something new.

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: Rachel Leszczynski
• City, State: Issaquah, WA
• Years with NIFS: 4 
• Position: Fitness Manager
• What brought you to NIFS: I started with NIFS as a Health Fitness Specialist in Lincolnshire, IL. It was my first “real job” in the fitness industry.
• What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: I think the most impactful moment has been with one of my regular PT clients. When we first started she wasn’t able to stand up from a chair without pushing off. While we’ve had a few setbacks, she is able to stand from a chair without pushing off.
• What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: Not only do NIFS staff take good care of their clients, our network of managers is a great support system and was very helpful in my first couple of years as a fitness manager, specifically with programming. So I guess you could say a NIFS pro is best because of the team as a whole.
• What is your fave thing about working at your client site: My fav thing is being able to access all the hiking trails of the beautiful pacific northwest. Taking members out on a guided hikes once a month is a total treat.
• What motivates you: I’m an active person and being able to stay healthy and do the things I love keeps me motivated.
• What is your favorite hobby: Playing soccer!

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

ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS

September is a busy month with national health observances which are geared to bring awareness and resources to individuals or caregivers for issues ranging from childhood obesity to senior independence and just about every chronic health condition in between. For many, the health observance may be one of the only times during the year in which they have access to these additional resources.

If you think about it, older adults who reside in senior living communities have access to these types of resources every single day. As NIFS partners with senior living communities across the country in managing their fitness programs, we see firsthand the impact that the vibrant lifestyle has on enhancing the lives of seniors. The scope of resources from health services to socialization to robust physical activity programs help seniors thrive and are built into the lifestyle 365 days per year opposed to a week or month-long health campaign. It’s not just about increasing awareness, the lifestyle provides the tools and resources for older adults to effectively manage their health and maintain their independence. We witness minds put at ease from the convenient access to exceptional dining, medical care and amenities and lives lived to their fullest.

Let’s look at some examples for September’s health observances that align with the lifestyle that residents in senior living communities have at their fingertips every single day:

• Healthy Aging Month: well that’s a gimme with the month-long focus on the positive aspects of growing older and bringing inspiration to improving the physical, social, mental, and financial well-being of those 45+. These types of enrichment opportunities fill the lifestyle calendars every single month in senior living communities.
• National Yoga Awareness Month: brings awareness to the benefits of yoga and its attributes in living a healthy lifestyle. Yoga classes are a senior living staple on the group fitness calendar as the research behind the gentle poses and stretches bring flexibility, strength and balance gains to the participants as well as enhancing the mind/body connection.
• National Fall Prevention Week: We know that fall prevention is a year-round priority for seniors and NIFS Balance Redefined program brings a comprehensive service model of balance training and fall prevention programming to the communities we serve. Balance classes and rehab departments are commonplace services within senior living.

Just like any industry, some senior living communities have an edge with the scope of amenities and quality of services available to their residents. If you are exploring how a senior living community measures up in fulfilling these lifestyle goals, ask these questions:

• If you are motivated to become more physically active, does the community have a fitness center with professional staffing and a robust service model of classes, appointments, and programs? Most communities have a fitness center, but the staffing makes all the difference!
• If you are interested in gaining more socialization, how do the activities, outings, and dining experiences align with your personal passions and interests? How many new offerings are on the calendar each month to keep things fresh?
• If you are looking for intellectual enrichment, how do the programs engage participants and spark conversation?  There is a difference in the lifelong opportunities available between attending “sit and listen lectures” and events that truly foster new life experiences.

Of course we support initiatives that help connect people with additional resources for any health condition they or a loved one might be experiencing and the national health observances do a nice job with that. For more information on other observances, check out this link from the US Department of Health and Human Services. In closing, we’ll consider the lifestyle available to residents within senior living communities a yearlong health observance for the best of both worlds.

With extra time at home, are you looking for ways to enrich your day to day life? Practicing self-care allows you to use this time in social isolation to take care of yourself and help reduce stress you might have over our current situation.

Self-Care is the practice of taking deliberate action to encourage growth or maintain one’s own health. This can be your physical, mental, or emotional health, or any combination thereof! Some basic categories to use in practicing your self-care are eating, sleeping, socializing, exercising, and stimulating your mind. All of these are important to your health, but there are many ways of addressing them.

Practicing self-care by focusing on eating can look like these:

• consulting a Registered Dietician to make sure that your specific food needs are being met while you’re at home
• taking the time to make your favorite meal or trying out a new healthy smoothie recipe
• personally, I like to make sure I drink enough water every day by slicing fruit and having flavored water whenever I want

Focusing on sleep can mean:

• creating a consistent bedtime routine
• try a face mask and a calming cup of tea to relax before bed
• simply prioritize getting enough sleep each night, roughly 8 hours is a good goal

Socializing might look different now than it used to, but you can still enjoy time with others!

• Our phones and computers allow us to text, call, and even video chat with people around the world.
• Try sending cards and letters in the mail. Do you have beautiful stationery and cards that have been sitting around? Now is the time to send them to someone and spread joy!

We all know exercise is important for more than just your physical health.

• if you enjoy spending time outside, try taking a walk!
• try yoga outdoors or in your own home
• look for online exercise options like written workouts or classes that you can follow along with

Mental stimulation can look very different for everyone.

• meditation, journaling, and painting are all great options
• you can enjoy reading books or maybe try joining an online book club
• brain teasers, crossword puzzles, and online trivia competitions are great options
• include meditation or a daily Bible study in your routine

Many self-care options cover more than one of these categories. Drawing a nice bath with scented candles after exercising can help you relax before bed and wrap up a hard workout. Baking a treat and delivering it to a neighbor provides you mental stimulation and some socialization while giving your neighbor a nice surprise! Make today special by focusing on yourself and practicing self-care to preserve and promote your health in a way that works for you.

While many may have feelings of uncertainty come to mind with everything we’ve endured thus far in 2020, we’ve also experienced inspiration from the dedication of our healthcare workers and educators and witnessed innovation in how many industries are adapting to remote workforces and revised service models.The corporate fitness industry included and that is why NIFS has adapted our HealthYou programming to accommodate our clients’ needs while their fitness centers remain closed and their employees are at home.  

We have long stated that it's our amazing staff that makes our business-model thrive and our hiring practices help us recruit some of the best professionals in the industry. The relationships our staff build with their members are key to our successful corporate fitness centers. One thing the current pandemic has taught us is those relationships don’t need to be nurtured within the four walls of a fitness center. As our clients’ workforces were sent home and access to typical fitness amenities became limited, our staff got to work finding opportunities to support their members’ health and wellness needs to maintain engagement.

Here are a few examples of how our staff is keeping our clients’ workforce connected to healthy lifestyle resources utilizing their customized HealthYou portals and our licensed exercise software integrated with Zoom:

• Virtual Health Coaching: if you have tried to purchase fitness equipment in the last several months, you’ve likely experienced home-based cardio equipment on backorder, dumbbell racks empty in the stores, and the basics for building your home gym difficult to come by. Our staff have been routinely connecting with their members via phone calls and email and finding innovative ways to support their members’ evolving needs. For some, it may have been relaxation techniques while kids were home with distance learning, for others it may have been working through a new exercise program within the scope of what equipment and space a member has available at home. The gratitude and thanks our staff have heard from their members in maintaining that connection has been inspiring.
  
  
• Group Fitness: we’ve been host morning, noon, and night virtual group fitness classes since the pandemic started and it’s amazing to hear just how much our members love to see THEIR fitness staff and still workout with them. They’ve also enjoyed getting to experience classes with other NIFS staff across the country for variety. Not only do they have live classes available but they have a video library of recorded classes at their fingertips which have 1,000’s of views.
  
  
• Programming: let’s face it, those early weeks of the pandemic, in particular, were rough. Stress and anxiety levels were high and many fell into the groove of day-long snacking followed by evening binge-watching of our favorite shows. Wellness programming like NIFS Commit 21, Fitness Bingo, and NIFS Stress Relief Calendar has helped employees establish personal goals and self-care routines to get back on track.
  
  
• Nutrition Services: NIFS Registered Dietitian has been hosting Healthy Lifestyle sessions on Zoom each week where everything from weight loss, to pre-and-post workout nutrition, to family meal planning, is discussed. There is also a Facebook group in which healthy recipes are shared and some great discussion continues throughout the week! As the frequency of cooking at home has increased, these nutrition resources have been a great option to break out of those menu ruts and explore new healthy choices.

We are already hearing requests and interest for our HealthYou resources to remain available to our members once fitness centers reopen. The landscape of many industries post-pandemic will likely look different and we are glad that members are inviting more options to exercise onsite when their fitness centers reopen as well as requesting the continued accessibility of virtual resources.

NIFS HealthYou programming is a great solution for organizations looking to broaden their employee wellness offerings. Whether you have an onsite fitness center or your employee-base works remotely, our amazing staff and virtual tools can connect them to the resources they need to live well. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation to explore opportunities for your employees.