Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

Imagine a full exercise class, residents upbeat and ready to start, a packed schedule of personal training clients, or hallway conversations about how good the residents feel after exercising. I say imagine because during the cold months, these things aren’t always a reality.

There are many reasons why our group fitness classes have lower participation, why our personal training clients keep pushing off their session until next week, and why we don’t have as many conversations with seniors about feeling well and full of energy. As staff, we need to be prepared for these seasonal shifts and adjust as needed. Seasonal Affective Disorder can play a huge role in the lack of resident participation and engagement in the fitness center. Here are some tips that staff can implement to keep senior residents active.

Tip #1: Change the group fitness schedule.

NIFS staff collect data on class participation, and we use this data to enhance our group fitness calendar seasonally. If you know it’s too cold outside to continue your outdoor walking class, change it to a gym circuit class. You can entice those residents to take the new circuit class by incorporating use of the treadmill or other cardio equipment, along with strength machines and usage of the non-typical group fitness class equipment.

Take note that in the New Year it's great time to trial a new class with the uptick in New Year’s Resolutioners. Use that feedback to adapt and keep the excitement going through the next few months.

Tip #2: Call the residents or send them a personal note.

You know who the regulars are and when they come to the fitness center. Haven’t seen them for a week? Call them or send them a personal note that you miss them and would like to meet for a consultation to see if they need any assistance adjusting their personal fitness routine. This act of kindness goes a long way in keeping seniors engaged and staying active.

Consider creating a few handouts, such as balance and no-equipment total body workout, that can be given to residents who are struggling to come to the fitness center but are open to exercising in the comfort of their own home.

Tip #3: Run a wellness program or presentation and incorporate SAD facts and management techniques.

During the winter months, it can be easy for people to dismiss their feelings. Maybe they think they are tired after being busy decorating and baking and going to all of the social functions. But what about when the holiday rush is over? It is up to community and fitness center to staff to not only engage residents to stay active, but to also consider their overall wellbeing. Following the holiday or winter season may be a great time to focus on wellness and highlight ways to manage Seasonal Affective Disorder or be a helping hand to someone who expresses SAD symptoms.

Consider hosting the presentation or wellness social and offering a giveaway for complementary personal training, to help residents get back into an exercise routine, or a complementary massage, to help residents relax and decompress.

Put these tips into action and see how small changes can make big impacts for the senior residents and fitness center engagement!

The National Institute for Fitness and Sport (NIFS) has partnered with NuStep to host a free event on World Parkinson’s Day, Thursday, April 11, 2024, to raise awareness on the benefits of exercise for those fighting back against Parkinson’s. We have a big goal of achieving 10 million steps on the NuStep to honor the 10 million people living with Parkinson’s worldwide.

If your organization would like to rally your communities to join our cause and demonstrate a commitment to resident well-being through education and exercise, we’d love for you to make a Pump it Pledge on how many steps your organization plans to contribute! You can calculate your organization’s Pledge with 3 simple steps:

1. Identify how many of your communities will be participating.
2. Identify how many NuSteps are available at those communities to Pump it with us!
3. Estimate each of those NuSteps taking 30,000 steps on April 11!

This outcome will be your organization’s Pump it Pledge and we’d like to thank you for your contribution by featuring you on our event social posts and in upcoming blogs spotlighting our wonderful supporters! Email Emily Davenport with your Pump it Pledge and for resources your organization can share about the event with your communities, residents, and social followers!

Communities can register at our event page linked here. With 100% of survey participants reporting the event created buzz and engaged their residents in a new way in 2023, your communities are sure to have fun as they contribute to a great cause!

We have also partnered with Team Fox for an optional fundraising element in 2024 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Individuals or communities in this component can find more information here on our Pump it fundraising team!

Last year, the only complaint we heard about Pump it for Parkinson’s was several communities heard about it too late and missed out on the fun! 2023 was the first year the National Institute for Fitness and Sport (NIFS) hosted the event to raise awareness on the benefits of exercise for those fighting back against Parkinson’s Disease and by all accounts it was a smashing success!

• Over 4 million total steps on the NuStep cross trainer were accumulated by senior living communities across the US far exceeding our goal of 1 million steps.
• 100% of event survey responses reported Pump it engaged their residents and staff in a fun new way and created buzz within their community!
• 100% of event surveys reported their residents were pumped to contribute to a Parkinson’s focused event!

As we gear up for year number two, we are going even bigger with new goals, new recruiting efforts to engage more communities, and an optional fundraising element. Here are the basics of what Pump it for Parkinson’s is and how communities can get involved.

Pump it is an event on World Parkinson’s Day where communities can rally their residents and staff to contribute steps on their NuStep cross trainer to submit towards NIFS nationwide goal. Registration is free and participating locations receive a digital toolkit of educational resources, signage and tracking sheets to help them promote and host the event in their community. Hosting Pump it for Parkinson’s is a great way to engage your residents and staff in wellness, contribute to a nationwide goal and help your residents who are impacted by Parkinson’s feel recognized. At the end of the day, communities submit their total step count to NIFS and we tally up all the hard work from thousands of residents and staff across the US who contributed! One thing we heard repeatedly from communities last year is they were surprised to learn how many residents and staff were directly impacted by Parkinson’s Disease and how many residents kept their diagnosis hidden. Pump it empowered many individuals to share their story!

The one-day event will be hosted on Thursday, April 11, 2024, and here are our big goals for this year:

• We are aiming for 10 million total steps to honor the 10 million people living worldwide with Parkinson’s Disease! Rally your residents, staff, families, and prospects to contribute steps on as many NuSteps your community has available. This a great program to engage residents across the continuums if you are a lifeplan community by recruiting your activities and rehab staff in licensed areas to participate! Our motto, every step counts and it’s a great way to help residents of all abilities contribute.
• Due to requests, we are also proud to announce a partnership with Team Fox to incorporate an optional fundraising element for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF)! Communities can form or a team or individual donations can be made if desired.
• We are inviting senior living operators to make a Pump it Pledge by recruiting as many of your communities to participate in this free event as possible. We will recognize your organization’s commitment to resident well-being through future blogs and social announcements featuring our participating locations. Contact Emily Davenport for more information on creating your organization’s Pump it Pledge!

Not only do communities have an opportunity to participate in an engaging event, but they also have a chance to win a free NuStep T6 Cross Trainer thanks to our partners at NuStep and a kit of Parkinson’s fitness resources from NIFS to enhance their wellness program.

Visit our event page to register: https://wellness.nifs.org/pump-it-for-parkinsons and follow along at Pump it for Parkinson’s Facebook page for great tips, images, and inspiration for a successful event. We would also like to extend a thank you to our event partners who are committed to helping us spread the word about Pump it for Parkinson’s including NuStep, Wellzesta and ICAA. If you are a vendor in the senior living space willing to help us spread our message, please reach out here for more information on how you can help.

It has often been thought that core strength can only to be achieved through sit ups, crunches, and planks but in recent years there has been a lot more discussion about the way we breathe and how it effects our core. If you participate in 1-1 training or group fitness, you have probably heard your trainer tell you to breathe and brace your core through a particular exercise. What does it mean to effectively brace your core and why is it important? Is it to see your abdominals, provide you strength or to help with your posture? In all reality, we use our core for many daily tasks such as standing tall, getting up off a chair, or even walking. Learning how to brace your core is fundamental in creating a strong foundation for all movements and can also help to aide in injury prevention.

As you may know, your core is not merely just a sheet of muscle. In fact, there are several muscles that work together to brace your core and support your spine. These muscles include rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, internal and external obliques, erector spinae, and your quadratus lumborum (also known as the QL muscle). These mighty muscles work together to keep your spine stabilized and upright. If there is weakness in one or a few of these muscles, it can lead to lower back pain, hip pain, or injury. Knowing this foundation, it can help us know how to engage these muscles for them to work altogether.

When it comes to your core, breathing is an excellent tactic to get those muscles working! What you can start with is a deep breathing exercise. Take a moment to breathe. Start by inhaling through the nose, really feeling your ribs expand. The next step is to brace the core muscles. Tighten your midsection by pulling your navel to the spine, think of this as bracing for impact – you will feel your ribs flare downwards as you do this movement. Of course, do not forget to exhale and expend the air being held in the lungs during the bracing. Some exercises can also be done to help brace the core such as squats, bird dogs, planks, and the list goes on and on.

At the end of the day, it is important to understand the proper breathing technique that coincides with bracing your core. Take a moment to think of your favorite exercise. Is it a squat or a bicep curl? Whatever it may be, there are two main stages in the lift that correlate with the proper breathing and core bracing technique.

Let’s start with a squat and keep these steps in bind for breathing and bracing.

1. When you are standing, try to keep your shoulders rolled back and down, allowing optimal space for your lungs to expand.
2. As you go down into the squat, gravity is helping you get lower, this is the key motion to allow yourself to take a deep breath in.
3. When you are ready to stand from the squatting position, this is where bracing your core is the most effective. As you push to stand, let out a breath through your mouth and brace your core.

The push of the air coming out of your lungs will help to contract your core muscles and make the movement much smoother.

Now, here is a challenge for you! Think of any movement you do daily and try to practice it at least one time each day. When gravity is assisting, that is the time to breathe in, when you are pushing up against gravity, brace that core and exhale! Learning to brace your core takes time and a lot of practice. Bracing your core can be done as you’re completing your daily tasks. Take time to practice, and watch it help you in your day to day!

Acute and chronic pain is something almost everyone must deal with in their lifetime whether it is from an injury, overuse, or a degenerative condition such as arthritis. This consideration becomes much more common as exercisers move into the active aging portion of their fitness journey. Meditation in various forms has been shown to provide relief in both acute and chronic situations and in many cases may increase an exerciser’s overall pain tolerance. Techniques that correlate well with pain management are mindfulness meditation, body scans, visualization, guided meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation.

Mindfulness meditation popularized by John Cabot Zinn, PhD focuses on acknowledging the thoughts and emotions connected with pain cycles. Studies have shown that there are specific neural mechanisms at work during this type of meditation that provide analgesic benefits to the body while also triggering endorphins in the brain. Body scanning is another technique used by Zinn and others that incorporates the focus of the mind to scan the body for pain, tension, and discomfort. This technique is best done while lying comfortably on the floor or bed face up and can employ rhythmic breathing to match the pace of bodily scanning.

Guided meditations have been found to be useful in pain management with apps such as Calm and content driven websites like YouTube providing a multitude of options that range from simple spoken word to videos with intricate visuals and binaural beats audio to help reach a deeper state of relaxation and pain relief. A recent study revealed a 77% in pain reduction with the use of binaural beat technology versus the placebo. In addition, simple visualization is also an effective technique in reducing symptoms of pain, most specifically concentrating on the area in distress and focusing on healing and reduction of discomfort in the area.

Progressive relaxation is another option for pain reduction and utilizes breathwork and muscle contractions to ease pain symptoms. This technique can be performed sitting or lying down and involves beginning with the feet and lower legs being strongly contracted with an inhalation and relaxed during the exhalation. Moving all the way up the body, then back down with contractions/inhalations lasting about 5-10 seconds and the relaxation period being double the time or longer based on preference.

Starting out, a person could perform 5 minutes of meditation and slowly work up to 20 minutes a session. Also, throughout the day a ‘mini’ meditation of 30 seconds to a minute may be applied when acute pain flares up. In conclusion, different styles of meditation for self-management of pain are low risk options that are easily available and can also strengthen the mind-body connection while improving overall physical functionality.

It’s not uncommon for people to describe uncomfortable physical sensations; musculoskeletal discomfort has become increasingly common. If you think about the average office worker, they will likely talk about pain in the neck, upper traps, and shoulders. Why these specific areas? When people are stressed, they have a tendency to hunch over and round the upper back. This tightens the aforementioned muscles, causing irritation. Trauma and chronic stress can have a lingering impact on our bodies; the body can unconsciously tense up, causing chronic pain.

Somatic based exercise has begun to grow in popularity due to its therapeutic benefits. But what is it exactly? You’ve likely heard about the ‘mind-body connection’ either in writing or on TV. Think of somatic exercise as an extension of mind-body awareness. By exploring the body through gentle movement, we bring awareness to and find a way to combat the stressors in our daily lives. Moving in a conventional way (exercise, stretching, etc.) is solely focused on the physical, or outer, experience. By contrast, somatic methods help relieve stress and pain by allowing the practitioner to focus on the inner experience- moving slowly and processing how it feels.

So how did this practice come into being? In the 1970s, a philosopher and educator named Thomas Hanna was doing research into the mind-body connection. He looked into ancient methods of meditation and mindfulness originating from Asia. Hanna came to the conclusion that many physical and mental ailments could be attributed to a ‘disconnect’ between the body and mind. He sought to educate others regarding this phenomenon.

Due to Hanna’s work, somatic exercise gained traction in the western world. Mind-body awareness exercises from Asia such as yoga and tai chi continue to be popular modalities for fitness and health to this day. The practitioner achieves a relationship between mind and body by focusing on the inner self; they take into account how they’re feeling as they move through each pose. Other popular methods that were developed in the West include Laban movement analysis and the Feldenkrais method. Laban movement analysis helps a person better understand the relationship between the body and the space it inhabits. Developed by a dancer in Germany, it is still used amongst a wide array of athletes in the present day. The Feldenkrais method involves using movement and awareness to stimulate brain activity. Considered an alternative form of medicine in the clinical setting, it can help create neural pathways that improve cognition and well-being.

Somatic exercise is a beneficial addition to any wellness regimen, but can be particularly helpful to those experiencing PTSD, chronic stress, anxiety, and depression. Somatics have been shown to increase emotional awareness and physical mobility while significantly reducing pain and fatigue symptoms. If you are the aforementioned stressed office worker, take a few seconds to close your eyes, sit up tall, and slowly roll your shoulders forward and back. Think about how you feel inwardly and focus on your breathing. With each roll of the shoulders, allow the tension to ease and relax. This simple exercise is somatics at its core: awareness of how the body and mind are interconnected. Whether performing tai chi or engaging in a clinical mindfulness exercise, somatic exercise can be a great alternative form of medicine.

Congratulations! You’ve decided to get started with your fitness journey! Now what?

Deciding that you want to begin a regular exercise routine can be a big step, but once you make that decision, getting started can be intimidating. Here are some simple steps to take to get you on the right track. It’s important to note that you should receive clearance from your doctor before beginning a new exercise program.

1. Figure out what type of exercise you enjoy. If you have exercised in the past, what did you enjoy doing then? What type of exercise sounds enjoyable to you? Do you enjoy group classes, exercising with a friend, or by yourself? Do you enjoy being outside or prefer indoors? Ask yourself these types of questions. It’s important that you find some enjoyment in the exercise that you are doing, otherwise you are less likely to stick with it. If you aren’t sure what you enjoy, try a few different classes, try going for a few walks, try out the exercise equipment in the fitness center, or schedule a fitness evaluation with the fitness staff so they can give you guidance.
2. Make a schedule. Another great way to make sure you stick with your exercise routine is to make a schedule. Figure out how many days per week you are going to exercise, what time of day, and how many minutes. It will vary depending on everyone. In general, I recommend starting with 2-3 days per week for 20-30 minutes. The time of day will depend on if you are a morning person or evening person. Whenever you feel you have the most energy or have room in your schedule is when you should schedule your exercise.
3. Find your “Why”. Why did you decide to start your fitness journey? Your first thought might be something straightforward, such as to improve your balance, to move better, to get stronger, etc. Try taking it a step farther. Why do you want to move better? The answer to that could be anything, but an example may be something like “So that I can do more activities with my grandkids.” It’s important to have a strong enough reason why you are starting or continuing your exercise program, so that on days you don’t feel like doing it, you can come back to that reason and remind yourself why you are doing it.
4. Give yourself grace. I think another part of getting started with an exercise routine that can be intimidating is thinking that it must be all or nothing. As a fitness professional, I am all about helping people find ways to make exercise a part of your daily life, but that doesn’t mean your whole routine and progress is thrown off if you miss a day or even a week. Sometimes things happen, you get sick, or your spouse has medical issues, or a family member needs help, or anything unplanned happens to throw off your schedule. That’s OK! We can’t prepare for these things, so it’s important to not be too hard on yourself if your exercise routine gets pushed aside while you’re dealing with whatever is going on. All you can do is start back up once things have calmed down.

How do you plan to make your health and fitness a priority this year?

We know that practicing gratitude can have profound effects on our health and wellbeing, but in our fast-paced lives, it’s easy to brush off and overlook all of the good around us. Because of this, NIFS staff across the country took the month of November, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, to give thanks and practice gratitude with their residents through our own Operation Gratitude program. Some of the popular offerings and events included a month-long self-care calendar, relaxation through additional mindfulness and meditation practices, a mindful meal, journaling, workshops, small group discussions, gratitude letters and candygrams, random acts of kindness, philanthropy, and a whole lot of awe walks! Here are some of the benefits our participants observed:

• Stress Reduction: Practicing gratitude acts as a powerful stress reliever while training our minds to focus on the good things in our lives and be present in this moment. This shift in our perspective helps us to counteract daily stressors and anxiety and promotes a feeling of calm and relaxation.
• Mental Health Benefits: Practicing gratitude has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression and increase our overall quality of life. When we shift our focus to recognize and appreciate the positive aspects of our life more, we adopt a more optimistic outlook and see the “negatives” less which dramatically improves our mental health as a result.
• Physical Health Benefits: The benefits of practicing gratitude extend far beyond our mental well-being and can even positively impact our physical health. Research suggests that practicing gratitude helps to reduce inflammation, improve immune function, lower blood pressure, and improve quality of sleep.
• Enhanced Relationships: When we express gratitude towards others, we strengthen our relationships and connection with them. Practicing gratitude can lead to improved communication, increased empathy, and stronger social connections. These connections can be linked to better mental and physical health outcomes as well.
• Improved Resilience: By practicing gratitude and focusing on the positive things in our lives we develop an abundance mindset which allows us to take on challenges with more ease. Individuals who are grateful exhibit increased resiliency, adaptability, and in turn can cope with life’s surprises with a bit more ease.

Throughout month of gratitude, we engaged nearly 2,500 different residents in gratitude offerings at least once, many multiple times, and collected donations for local food banks, the Salvation Army, Family Promise, and the Alzheimer’s Association. At the conclusion of the month, and the NIFS program, residents continued to practice gratitude by sharing what they appreciated about the program. Feedback ranged from feeling lighter and brighter throughout the tasks of day to feeling free to let go of pain after chemotherapy, and everywhere in between. We at NIFS are grateful for the communities we partner with and the ability to serve their residents every day!

When programming for your community’s fitness center, don’t forget to step outside of the fitness bubble sometimes and engage residents through whole-person wellness offerings. You just might be able to reach a whole new audience, and impact your current superusers in a new way, too!

Learn more about how NIFS Programming supports wellness and impacts quality of life for your residents!

While most of us enjoy the hustle and bustle that comes with the season, we might find our lives accumulating stress. Sometimes we feel stress in the moment and sometimes it isn’t until the holidays have ended, and we feel the exhaustion set in. Thankfully in many senior living communities across the country, exercise and fitness professionals are including techniques in their group fitness or 1-1 programming that can be used to help with relaxation. Consider adding these in as part of your routine this season if holiday stress starts to wear you down!

1. Breathing with intention. In some of our fitness programing, I like to bring attention to breathing. It is something we do all day and night, but we rarely breathe with intention. Most people only utilize about 30% of their lung capacity with every breath. With more focused breathing we can improve that percentage. Breathing is probably the most direct way we can influence the “parasympathetic nervous system” response. This sounds familiar because many of us have heard of the “sympathetic nervous system” which is what shifts us into “fight or flight” mode, but the parasympathetic nervous system has been called the “rest and digest” system. This tells our body & our nervous system that we are safe and able to relax.

A great place I like to start is to ask participants to simply try EXHALING longer. When you INHALE, think about relaxing your stomach and when you EXHALE think about drawing in the abdomen and belly button. Try to exhale for longer than you inhale. This will feel unnatural at first but with practice will feel better and better. Try it out in the morning or at night and see how you feel. Start with 5 deep and slow breaths. The more you practice this, the more natural this will feel. Practicing this even once per day can make a big impact on your relaxation levels.

2. Mobility focus. We can’t avoid it, all of us end up with stiff/tight muscles and joints and they often feel worse in the cold winter months. In our fitness centers, we like to just encourage prioritizing movement, mobility, and stretching. And a great way to do this is attending your local fitness classes! Simply showing up and moving your body promotes blood flow and healing. Certain areas such as our ankles, knees, low backs, hands, and neck can feel stiff and painful. Movement and exercises can keep these joints healthy and lubricated.

3. Meditation. This goes hand in hand with breathing. But meditation goes a step further and allots us time to release some of the stress of day-to-day living. We often find ourselves worrying about the past and the future. Taking even a few minutes to meditate on the present moment without stressing about what has happened or what will happen. Regular meditation can improve our physical and mental health. If you aren’t sure how to meditate, there are a lot of great resources you can access online. Or even better, consider reaching out to your local fitness or senior center, they likely have a great place for you to start!

Stress management is important any time of year, but the additional demands on our time make it more apparent during the holiday months. Will you use these techniques if you are feeling stress this holiday season? We hope you will and let us know how it made you feel!

If you would like to learn more about how NIFS Fitness Management can help your community expand beyond the four walls of your fitness center, reach out! NIFS would love to assist.

I had an opportunity to speak as a panelist at the Senior Housing News BUILD conference in Orlando, Florida. The panel was hosted by our good friends at NuStep who have similarly been supporting fitness in the senior living space for decades with some of our favorite equipment. Those in attendance were architects, developers, and designers looking to the future with both renovations and new construction. The panel was on one of my favorite topics – the business case for quality fitness programs in senior living communities. The audience very well could have been marketing and operations executives as the discussion equally applied to all visionaries in the senior living landscape who recognize the demands of their consumers…finding a community that can help them live well.

The design of your fitness amenities 100% matters. Choosing the right equipment is crucial for the safety and success of your residents and there were great insights shared.

These are just a few of the questions posed by the audience and moderator:

• How do you get started in a fitness center design project?
• How do you choose equipment that meets the needs of current residents while appealing to future consumers?
• How can you enhance your fitness center when financing is a challenge for renovations or new construction?
• How are you seeing lifeplan communities support resident wellness through the continuums of care?

Time and time again, our expert moderator Tim Mullaney would ask a question of myself, and co-panelist Annie Shaffer from Sunnyside Retirement Community and we found ourselves speaking to quality staffing being a significant part of the solution to these questions. Do you want to check the box that you have a fitness center or do you want your residents and prospects to feel the energy in a fitness program that is a hub of activity and heartbeat of your community?

When we spoke to getting started with a design project, we began with defining your vision. You wouldn’t open a new dining venue without a vision for the resident experience in that space. What food would be on the menu? What level of hospitality and service would residents experience in that space to keep them highly satisfied? The same is true for the fitness center and a calendar of group fitness classes is not enough. Defining your vision and designing a space around the desired resident experience is a significant piece of the solution to these questions noted above and you need quality fitness staff to evolve your program with resident input and preferences.

What is your community’s vision and how are your showcasing it to create distinction in your marketplace? Don’t go at it alone. Make sure you find a partner who is experienced in developing quality fitness programs and not just selling you equipment. You need that operator perspective to design not only the space, but a program that truly serves your residents.

Learn how NIFS expertise generates a 63% increase in resident engagement in our client fitness centers. 

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