Every morning I am hitting up the NIFS Fitness Center working towards the goal to stay healthy and fit. I see all types of people with different fitness interests; those who participate in group fitness classes, those who always do cardio, or those who strictly lift weights. No matter their interest, I am always curious about their fitness journey. Why did they start? What is their progress? Are they working towards a goal? My usual gym routine consists of mostly lifting weights and getting in some cardio as well. I try to keep it balanced, but it is occasionally difficult. Being female and lifting heavy weights just seems to be so wrong and unattractive to some these days, but why? Wouldn’t you think that women would want to be as strong or fit as men, but maybe without the bulkiness? This leads to me to explain a controversial article I read recently posted on the ABC news website discussing a Fitness Test controversy in Pennsylvania. The head of the Pennsylvania State Police claimed that the agency’s physical fitness standards for recruits discriminate against women. Overall, nearly all male recruits pass the test, while 30% of women fail. An implemented fitness test must pass the threshold rule; 80% must pass. A lawsuit was filed; asking a judge to order the department to hire women on an equal basis with men. The Commissioner said he did not want to lower the standards because new troopers perform the same job and lowering the standards would endanger safety, as well insult those who already met the standards. This controversial topic sparked my interest and thoughts on the physical fitness test standards for other situations, like the one administered in gym class.
With kids heading back to school, that means gym class starting back up too! Although the President’s Challenge has not been used since 2013 and new guide to promoting fitness in schools is used, a variety of schools once used this method of teaching kids how to lead a healthy life. The Physical Fitness Test recognizes students for their level of physical fitness by doing 5 activities; curl ups or partial curl ups, shuttle run, endurance run/walk, pull-ups or right angle push-ups or flexed arm hang, and the v-sit reach. Based on their results three awards are given. The benchmarks are specific to age and gender. The girls’ benchmarks are lower than the boys’. So, this is where I ask your thoughts. Do you think that fitness test requirements like the ones mentioned should vary between males and females or should they be equal? What are your thoughts on strength training to create a better you? I want to hear your thoughts! Connect with a health fitness specialist in your corporate fitness center to strive to improve on your own numbers.
For the past couple of months, we have been able to enjoy the nice, warm weather, cookouts, vacations, and even those occasional lazy days. While summer is not quite over, this time of year marks getting back to your everyday grind, preparing children to go back to school and hopefully including fitness in both of those plans. Why is it important to include fitness you ask? Well, it is no secret that 
Are you getting burnt out on the same workout routine day in and day out? Have you tried to look up new exercises or is it easier to stick with the same familiar routine everyday? There are endless options available to find something new to try! Whenever I run out of ideas, there are several routes I take to spice up my usual workout routine. Below, I have only provided you with the typical routes I use.
Our staff has found that getting employees moving can be difficult. It is very often that our members speak of a variety of barriers that prevent them from exercising. We have all experienced hectic schedules that interfere such as work meetings and events, overtime, family events such as a child’s activities. It’s our job to help our members find ways to fit it in to their schedule, make time for themselves to live a healthier lifestyle. Be Active Be Fit is a program that was developed to encourage participants to strive for 150 minutes of physical activity a week for 8 weeks. Participants are encouraged to count any time they are doing physical activity no matter what the activity. Whether you prefer to bike or run, maybe you walk or swim, right down to mowing the yard and cleaning the house with reasonable effort can count. 
I may be pale now, but you’ll be wrinkly later!
Now that the less obvious tips have been addressed in 
We set up sessions 3 days a week working on cardio & strength training. I thought I was going to pass out after each session; I had never pushed past my comfort zone before. Within weeks, I saw improvements. I began to run on the treadmill, and a few months later I was running my first 5k with Lindsey running right alongside of me. It was the beginning of my new way of life. Since I was working so hard in the gym I decided to make changes in food choices for both my family and I. Pretty soon my entire household was feeling and looking better than we’ve ever have. It’s been one year since I started training with Lindsey and I’ve not only met each goal I setup on that initial evaluation, but I’ve exceeded my own expectations. Today, I am proud to say I’ve lost 10% body fat and met my goal weight. I no longer feel the need to step on that scale every day.
Duck, Duck, Goose – add a twist to the old school game, have participants hold a plank or perform sit-ups while one individual walks around deciding who will be goose.
Have you noticed your parents sitting more and more? Throughout the aging process we tend to become less physically active, therefore decreasing our overall strength. This can lead to many health issues, including loss of balance and eventually falls. Falls in seniors are the number-one cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries. As we all know, the older we get, the harder it can be to recover from any type of injury, so let’s help mom and dad prevent what could potentially alter, or even take, their lives.