Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

With parties in full swing and family gatherings next week, the last thing you want to be is SICK!  Tis’ the season for sneezing and wheezing.  When you aren’t feeling 100% and you cough or sneeze, those germs float into the air and spread to the next person.  Take these steps to help prevent the sharing of germs so you can share gifts instead!

• Cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing, if you can’t get a tissue in time cough into your elbow instead of your hands!

• Avoid touching your mouth, nose or eyes where germs invade your system! 

• Wash your hands often; your best option is with warm water and soap.  The most effective way to prevent the spread of germs is by washing your hands to kill those germs.

Hand washing 101... be smart about washing your hands.  Here are a few tips for when it’s important to be sure you are thoroughly scrubbing those hands between your fingers, backs of hands and your wrists!

Wash Hands Before:

Eating and preparing meals

When caring for an injured or sick person

Inserting or removing contact lenses

Wash Hands After:

Preparing food, especially raw meat

Changing diapers or using the bathroom

Taking care of animals

Handling garbage and cleaners

Use of Alcohol Based Hand Sanitizer:

Choose those that contain 60% alcohol

Apply enough to cover hands completely

Rub hands together until dry

Have your family adopt these simple hand washing habits to help limit the transfer of bacteria and viruses to lessen your chances of being sick this holiday season!  

What’s happening in corporate wellness programs right now could be characterized as something of a revolt. Well, revolt might be a little dramatic (don’t think Arab Spring), but perhaps it’s more appropriate to say that those who are the target of carrot/stick employee wellness strategies are pushing back.

They’re pushing back on what has been conventional wisdom for a while: that health-risk assessments and biometric screenings are central (dare I say foundational?) to a sound, data-driven corporate wellness initiative. Employees are pushing back on penalties for not playing, and they’re pushing back on programs that brand failure for anyone who doesn’t achieve arbitrarily selected thresholds for biometric markers. They’re growing intolerant of workplace cultural norms that scream hypocrisy in the face of company wellness policies.  

As someone involved in the world of corporate health, you’d think I would land squarely on the side of gathering the data and using it to capture ROI. But I don’t; it’s just not that black and white.

Why All the Numbers All of the Time?

What I’m seeing in the industry is that corporate wellness providers bow to the number-focus of the CFO or the CEO and communicate in ROI-speak that uses words and phrases like engagement and human capital. To the untrained eye, you’d think “engagement” and “human capital” would have something to do with…well, humans. But it turns out, most of the time they have more to do with participation quotas, biometric thresholds, and productivity benchmarks than with the actual people who need tools, resources, and support to make healthier choices.

Wellness vendors position and market themselves by spouting figures and “facts” (and I use that word loosely), quoting studies and experts (should I use that word loosely, too?). They put into print ridiculous statistics that have ridiculous consequences—all in the name of numbers, data, and ROI.

Raise Your Hand If You Launched a Career in Corporate Wellness to Calculate ROI.

Accountants are passionate about numbers. Fitness specialists are passionate about people. Seriously, most of us got into this business because we were passionate about forming relationships with people so that they would trust we had their best interest in mind when we suggested resources that would help them make healthier choices. As an industry, we’ve largely forgotten our roots, which grew from wanting to help people.

So who’s to blame? Maybe this isn’t the CEO’s fault; maybe it’s just the way of the world. Maybe it’s the almighty dollar we should be blaming. (I predict a comment that blames the government.) Who knows, maybe it’s my fault. I don’t know where the blame goes, but I don’t think it really matters at this point. We’ve simply swung the pendulum too far onto the numbers side of the equation and we forgot about the people.

You know, the people—the individuals who have complicated, busy, overwhelming and typically unhealthy lives. Like the 56-year-old woman with high blood pressure and back pain who is raising her grandchildren and who has no time to take care of herself. Or the single working parent who works by day, goes to school by night, and who is doing everything he can to ensure his daughter has a better life. He struggles to find time to grocery shop, not to mention cook a meal. And then there’s the hourly call center employee who feels hovered-over by her supervisor, who smokes (though she wants to quit but isn’t sure where to start), and who is pregnant with her first child.

These Employees Need Our Help.

They need a relationship with a wellness professional who cares more about the individual accomplishments of the few than the participation quota of the company. They need someone to stand up and say, “I care about you, and I am here to listen to you, to help you find the tools and resources you need. I’m here to help you celebrate your successes and pick you up when you falter on your path to better health.”

Because at the end of the day, if we don’t move the needle on the health of the individuals, then the corporate strategy means nothing. If the only behavior we incentivize is for people to go get their wellness forms signed so they can “get cash for doing it,” we’ve missed an opportunity.

If you are a super shopper and out and about shopping all day getting the best Christmas gifts, you are burning some calories as you walk store to store carrying all those shopping bags.  If you are an online shopper, you’re missing out.  Set up a standing ordering station with your computer so you are at least up on your feet!!!  If you prefer to stay at home whether it’s to online shop or simply stay in due to weather here are a few exercises that could help you get that workout in without leaving the comfort of your home! 

Don’t forget, you don’t want to work a cold muscle.  You can warm up simply by marching in place for a few minutes to get your blood pumping and then find some space to complete the following:

25 Jumping Jacks – piece of cake you’ve done these since you were 5.  Don’t cheat yourself and make sure you fully extend your arms over head.

15 Squats – your body weight helps provide resistance.  Be sure to sit your hips back and keep your chest up as you lower into the squat.  As you stand up, drive through your feet and
make sure your knees never go past your toes.

Drop and give me 10 (20 if you are advanced) – strive for 10 pushups; if you need to do a modified push up on your knees get to it! Keep your body in a straight line and lower your upper body toward the floor making sure the hips stay down maintaining that line. Push through your hands, chest and shouldersto push yourself up.

20 Alternating Lunges (10 on each side – cake!) – with hands on hips, step forward with your right foot and lower your body straight down bending both knees keeping your chest and head up making sure to not lean over that front leg.  Keeping your right knee in line with the ankle, push through your foot standing back up in the starting position.  Repeat by stepping forward with your left foot.  If alternating is difficult, do 10 lunges on the right and then switch to the left.

PLANK! – hold the plank position on your forearms or up on your hands like a push up for 30 seconds (strive for more if you can).  Engage your core and maintain that straight line.  Don’t forget to breathe; you never want to hold your breath when performing exercises. 

Repeat these five exercises 3-4 times and then grab that wrapping paper and get busy, I suggest standing at your kitchen table to burn a few extra calories! 

Fact:

Generating reliable and accurate ROI on a corporate wellness program (I mean the whole thing--biometric screenings, absenteeism, presenteeism, HRA, wellness programming/activities, EAP, etc.) is really, really, really challenging. It requires lots of money, and lots of really smart people who’ve done that kind of work more than once or twice.

Fact:

Piecing out the impact of your corporate fitness center as a standalone element and then determining reliable and accurate ROI from that single piece of your overall strategy is, well, about as likely as spotting a unicorn.

You may be thinking to yourself, “But wait…I just saw an article on ROI for corporate fitness and that said 3:1 or 5:1 or 7:1 returns were possible. What’s with the unicorns and the impossibility of calculating ROI for corporate fitness?” It’s true that there is a continuous stream of articles about wellness ROI, and I suspect that there are business development teams for corporate wellness vendors who are armed to the gills with literature that “proves” why their service/product generates the best ROI for said client.

You see, there’s a lot of posturing in the corporate wellness market. The industry boasts some very powerful vendors--some of whom have the money and smarts to do the work required in order to generate reliable and accurate ROI. The industry also has a lot of other vendors who don’t have those tools, but who are still competing against those who do. Of this second group, there are two types: the vendor who reports ROI that is neither reliable nor accurate (unicorn anyone?), and the vendor who doesn’t report ROI.

Honestly, it’s time for employers to stop beating the ROI drum. (And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Read this article, or this one, or this one.)

ROI is hard to capture because corporate wellness is complex. There are a lot of moving parts, and to date, the industry has not been able to come together on metrics that are consistent. While this is true for most of the agreed-upon elements of a corporate wellness strategy, let’s just pull out corporate fitness to get a sense of the level of complexity we’re dealing with overall.

There are a variety of data points that can be captured for corporate fitness programs:

Membership:

Any vendor worth its salt will have some kind of prescreening process in place that, once completed, will allow the employee to join the fitness center. (Don’t just take my word for it; check out the standards provided by the American College of Sports Medicine in its Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines text.) Some vendors skip this process and everyone is instantly a member because they are employees. So the organization with this process instantly reports higher membership (100%!) than the vendor who requires a responsible process be completed prior to gaining membership.

Fitness assessments:

Field tests to assess the fitness level of a participant are highly variable and the chosen tests can sway the results depending on the population. It’s the nature of a field test; they aren’t as accurate as in the lab.

Visit data:

By now, software to track utilization is widely available at fairly minimal cost. However, if the business isn’t willing to pay for the software, fitness staff are left to track visit data with a manual tally. In either case, software or sign-in sheets, there are issues that can result in significant errors in data collection. Even if we forgive those errors or find a way to account for them, vendors count visit groups differently. “Frequent visitors” might be represented by members with at least one visit per month for vendor A, but vendor B may determine that at least one visit per week is required to achieve “frequent visitor” status.

Mixing those variables quickly creates a lot of inconsistency from one program to the next, making it exceptionally hard to compare apples to apples. Then you have other related data to consider—like gym membership subsidy and how to count employee-users of that benefit against or with your corporate fitness center users. Similarly, how do you capture the value, health benefits, and cost of employees who never step foot in the corporate fitness center but maintain their own exercise regimen at home?

So if your CFO isn’t going to sniff out ROI on your corporate wellness strategy or any of the individual elements like your worksite fitness center, what should you be looking to for data and outcomes you can believe? Rest assured, I’m not suggesting we revert back to all fluff and feel-good for employee wellness. As an alternative to traditional ROI, consider shifting your thinking toward value. To find out more about what I mean, check a two-part blog I wrote about a year ago where I outlined some ways to think about value from your corporate fitness center. You can read part one here and part two here.

If you're looking for how to build the very best corporate fitness center you can for your employees, consider our short webinar series:  The Guide to Successful Corporate Fitness Centers.

Happy Thanksgiving!!  Some of you have already been active by participating in a Turkey Trot or Drumstick Dash, others may be enjoying some morning coffee while watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, or on the road traveling to see family, and those extra special individuals are busy cooking today’s feast.  We all celebrate differently and have family traditions and things are thankful for.  We are thankful for our amazing staff and the hard work they put in year round.  We asked them to share what they are thankful for, what their favorite Thanksgiving dishes are, and about their family traditions.

Thanksgiving has always been an important holiday for the entire family to get together. When I married my husband at first we had to split Thanksgiving between the two families. After the first two years of doing this, my husband and I asked to hold the entire day’s events at our place and invite all family from both sides. We also invited family friends. This was turned into a wonderful tradition that allowed everyone to get together and not run from one place to another throughout the day. This leads to my thing I am most thankful for, which is my WHOLE family and that we do not have a division of "my family" or "your family."  -Cathy Hampe

We have some competitive people in the family, and they do a lot of “trash talking”.  We usually have some sort of dodge ball, kickball, or bball game….which is hilarious in itself because not all of us are athletic! I have one aunt that brings board games every year and no one ever wants to play, so that’s usually another funny episode because she’s trying to talk anyone and everyone into playing with her.  -Lisa Larkin

This probably started when we were teenagers, but my brothers and I would set a plastic trash can a certain distance from the throwing line. Then we would throw a football at the trash can to try to hit it. If we hit it, the trash can was moved farther away. If you missed, you were out. Very simple, but always a good time with my bro’s.   -Michael Boyle

My favorite part is introducing healthy options to my boyfriend’s family.  This is the 3^rd year I will be cooking with his mom, it’s really fun to watch them devour the healthier options that they would have never imagined liking. I’m also thankful for the loving family I have supporting me, near and far.  –Sarah Johnson

My dad’s entire family started the family reunion type Thanksgiving back in the 1980’s with my grandfather having seven siblings. We used to rent out an old farmhouse and since have moved to various churches. The entire meal is a pot luck and having family coming from all over the world there is an amazing selection of food... Greek breads, German desserts, Asian salads, the best part of this meal is the homemade ice cream!  -Amy Briggs

My favorite part of the holiday is just getting to spend the day with my family.  It is so nice to be able to relax, enjoy each other’s company and be thankful for one other.  I am most thankful for my children, family, friends and health!  -Shawna Kendrick

I am thankful that a have the most amazing family, a wonderful job, my house, and my two awesome dogs!  After dinner, our entire family crowds into the living room to watch the Dallas Cowboys play football.  -Diana Price

My oldest son served in Iraq and missed Thanksgiving with our family for 4 years in a row.  Thanksgiving is so important to us because we feel so thankful that he is home and is able to spend Thanksgiving with us again! He has been home for the last 5 Thanksgivings, but I never forget the importance of being blessed when I look across the table and see him among us!  -Ruth Reyna

I enjoy waking up Thanksgiving morning to do a local 5k Turkey Trot with my family- no better way to start the day than with some exercise!  My favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal is pie, pie, and more pie. Did I mention pie?  -Stephanie Parsons

This isn't really a tradition, and it only happened last year. But my wife and I were trimming our turkey in one of those disposable tin foil turkey pans. Our dog was right under foot waiting for something to drop. After about 5 minutes we look down to see our dog's head soaking wet. Apparently the pan sprung a leak and the turkey grease was running off the counter right into our dog's mouth in what I can only imagine was pure bliss. Surprisingly not a drop touched the floor and I'm sure this goes down as one of the greatest days of our dog's life. So from now on, we'll probably give our dog some turkey grease with her food. (the turkey was good too!)  -Doug Trefun

My favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal is the dressing.  I only eat dressing once or twice a year and I ask my mom to make it.  She uses my grandmother’s recipe that I loved so much as a child.  -Matt Reeves

Our family tradition is getting in circle all holding hands telling what we are thankful for, toasting to them and then we do a gobble off. Whomever has the best turkey gobble gets to take the traveling turkey home for the year. For some reason the turkey has never made it to my home.  -Sheila Heavin

What is your favorite non-food related way you spend this holiday with your family? Every year we do a “Turkey Bowl”. My dad’s family gets together at the local college and plays flag football on the field. Last year we had over 50 people play from ages 4-65. We do a traditional tailgate in the parking lot after the game. It is a great way for us to get together before we go our separate ways to other relatives houses for thanksgiving dinner. It’s also a great way to be active before all the holiday treats.  -Mistie Hayhow

I’m thankful for our healthy girls and to not be pregnant and nauseous this Thanksgiving.  –Emily Davenport

My personal fav is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. But my grandmas pumpkin pie always has a strong family presence.  -Bethany Garrity

My family always participates in the Galloping Gobbler, which is a 4 mile race back in my hometown. My entire family dreads it but we all do it because it is something that my mother loves to do! She gets so excited every year, that she wakes us all up around 6 am to the Rocky Theme Song blaring!! It’s an interesting way to start Thanksgiving! -Margaret Allgeier

I am thankful for family.  -Christy Monday

My immediate family gets up at the crack of dawn and drives to Ohio where my great aunt and extended family gather for Thanksgiving lunch.  Afterwards, we take a walk around the farm to get in some activity after the big meal.  The rest of the visit is spent catching up with family, watching the Macy’s Day Parade and football.   -Melissa Cusick

What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving traditions?

In part one we discussed ways to keep your members active throughout the renovation
project.  Now it is finally here, the moment you and your members have been waiting for (drum roll please…) The Fitness Center is reopened!  People are excited, expectations are high and there are lots of questions.  How do you use this new machine?  What settings are correct for me?  Etcetera, etcetera!  Your next steps are imperative for ensuring that members know how to use the new machines safely and are satisfied that their wait was worth it!  Breaking down the process into three sections will set you and your fitness center up for success.  Start off with general information about the new equipment and gradually get more specific by offering the following:

1. New Equipment Orientations

Begin by offering new equipment orientations to small groups.  The goal of the New Equipment Orientation phase is to provide a general overview of the new equipment to the small group by indicating where adjustments can be made, how to modify the amount of weight, safety features along with any other bells and whistles that apply.  Offering an overview of the new machines with specifics on how to use them can be a great resource for members that are interested in trying out the machines independently after gaining preliminary information.  The New Equipment Orientations could be paired nicely with an informational presentation where members have the opportunity to engage in a Q and A session. This is still the general information phase.  Residents wanting individualized instruction can register for a one on one appointment in which the machines can be adjusted specifically for them.

2. One on One Appointments

It is time to make the sessions personal by going one on one.  Begin by taking a member around to each new piece of equipment and adjusting the setting and weight resistance correctly for that individual.  Record the settings onto a program card that the member can then access each time he/she visits the Fitness Center.  Keep in mind that you could be reviewing a lot of information at one time…and this could become overwhelming to the member.  If this is the case then offer to meet with the member again in the near future to review the machines again.  Between the follow up sessions to review the new equipment and the member having access to his/her program card to practice setting the new equipment independently, each member’s comfort level with the new equipment should significantly improve.

3. Exercise Prescriptions:

Now comes the fun part: Add variety.  As the member becomes more comfortable with the new equipment, now is the time to fuse the new pieces with the old.  Create an Exercise Prescription Routine based on the member’s goals that include a variety of machines, bands, dumbbells, body weight exercises…having fun yet?  Well your member’s should be!  Follow up with the member every so often to ask about their exercise routine and be prepared to present a new and fun challenge.

Now your members are familiar with the new equipment and can take ownership of their fitness routines.  They can touch base with Health Fitness Specialists as needed and can move forward into the great services that your fitness center provides.  Before you know it the renovations will be a thing of the past.

Are you considering renovations in your Fitness Center or have you already been through this process?  What worked for you?

It is a time of change and excitement.  Out with the old and in with the new.  Things will be bright and shiny and…different.  During the short or lengthy time that your fitness center is undergoing renovations, how do you gratify your members?   Having a cutting edge  corporate or active aging fitness center is what everyone strives for…but if you don’t have any members waiting for the renovations to be completed, then the doors will close before they can be reopened.  Keep three things in mind during your fitness center renovations to ensure that your members are knocking on your fitness center’s door the minute they are reopened: 1. Keep members active 2. Keep members interested and 3. Use what you have.

1.  Keep members active:

• Equipment Substitutes

  • Is another temporary space available that you can provide a workout area to members in the meantime?  If so, relocate smaller equipment such as:

    • Resistance bands            

    • TRX

    • Resistance Chairs

    • Fitness balls

    • Balance Pads 

These may or may not be items that members have utilized before so seize this opportunity to demo the equipment and provide workouts with the item.  These exercises can carry over with the member’s routine long after the renovations are completed. 

• In addition to the smaller equipment, provide exercises using only body weight.

  • Burpees

  • Lunges

  • Planks

  • Push-ups

…what else?   There are tons!  Create a workout with combinations of the body weight exercises.  Try intervals or time based challenges.  Some members might love to make it a relay in a group setting.  Be creative.

• Group Fitness Schedule

  • Market your Group Fitness Schedule.  This is a great opportunity for members to expand their fitness regimen to include a group fitness class that has caught their interest.  Body Pump, Boot Camp, Circuit, Body Stretch…whatever suites a member’s fancy. 

  • Add a bonus group fitness class(es) to the schedule.  This will provide a nice option for members who are disappointed that their regular exercise routine was thrown off due to renovations.  Implement a group fitness class that you’ve been wanting to test out.  Whether the class is a staple in the schedule or a promotional session, seize this opportunity to promote your group fitness classes.

2. Keep members interested:

• Programming

  • Your plans for programming will most likely differ from the norm.  Keep members interested by implementing an attendance based incentive program to encourage members to keep up with their activity routine then list several options.

• Communicate

  • Keep your members informed by maintaining an open pathway of communication.  Communicate to your members about what is happening in the Fitness Center.  What are their fitness options in the meantime?  Helpful tools: residential newsletters, in-house TV stations with daily event information, flyers in common areas, personal notices and phone calls can all be means used to successfully communicate.

3.  Use what you have:

• What sets your facility apart? Do you have access to:

  • Pathways

  • Trails

  • Recreational sports areas

  • Lakes/water

  • Swimming pools

  • Fields

  • Stairs

As long as it’s safe, the world is your playground.  Target local features and landmarks to mix into the planning. 

Have you found other successful alternatives to exercise while the Fitness Center was undergoing renovations?  Share your best solutions!

Our staff is kicking off our annual Maintain Not Gain program at our client sites.  This program is structured to help individuals maintain their weight through those months filled with tasty food and delicious treats that surround the holidays.  As you gear up for the holiday parties and events stay on track by following our Free Workout Friday blog postings to keep your workouts on track.  We aren’t saying you can’t enjoy the food, we just suggest proper portion sizes and that you don’t skip out on your workouts! 

If you aren’t a member at one of our client sites and would like help staying on track, “like” NIFS Fitness Management on Facebook and join our Facebook edition of Maintain Not Gain.  Watch for the links to submit your initial weight November 16 – 22.  Watch your newsfeed for tips to stay on track and submit your final weight in January.  If you maintain and not gain through the holidays you will be eligible for a prize drawing! 

Now let’s get started with a great, easy workout to keep you on track! 

WARM UP with a 5 minute walk or anything to get your muscles warm!

10 squats

15 pushups

20 alternating lunges

25 bicep curls

30 jumping jacks

35 bicycles

STRETCH, you never want to stretch a cold muscle, so always do so once the muscles are warm!

Beginner: Repeat 3-5 times, with short or minimal breaks.

Intermediate-Advanced: Complete as many times as possible in 25 minutes. 

We recently wrapped up our Build Vitality webinar series for 2013 with the fourth and final webinar titled, Build a Better Wellness Program.  The focus was on four key areas - pillars, if you will - that cultivate a compelling living-well culture in retirement communities.  

Your wellness program should be evidence-based.

That doesn't have to be as intimidating as it sounds.  In fact, you probably already have some evidence-based programming built into your wellness offerings.  They are fairly easy to find in physical dimension programming. Administering a senior fitness test?  That's evidence-based. Providing balance training and fall-prevention support?  That's evidence based.  

Your wellness program should be resident-specific.

This really should go without saying, but I can't tell you how many times during my consulting work in senior living communities across the US, when I ask activity directors why they're doing a specific program, they cannot provide me with a sound answer.  When your programming is focused on the residents, on the community, and on the Community (outside your four walls), you can cultivate meaningful, engaging, fulling opportunities for living.

Your wellness program should be data-driven.

How much do you spend on group fitness classes each year?  Have you ever evaluated the impact of that money?  If you host roughly eight classes per week, you're probably spending $10,000 per year on group fitness.   When was the last time you dumped $10,000 on something without asking about the impact of that money?  Get the data you need from your wellness programming so that you understand if/how it's working for your residents and for your business.  

Your wellness program should be story-worthy.

What's the point if you can't capture resident stories of life well lived?  This really is the capstone - if the other three pillars (evidence-based, resident-focused, data-driven) are all aligned, the stories will inevitably follow.  Get creative in how you use the stories both to engage more current residents and to communicate to prospects how they can live well at your community.

To get the details behind each pillar, watch the 30-minute webinar using the button below. To download all four webinars in our Build Vitality Series, go here.  

Thanksgiving is almost here! That means it’s time to sign up for your local Turkey Trot, Drumstick Dash or your own personal Thanksgiving Day 5K! Studies have proven that your metabolism increases for several hours post-workout, so make a priority to squeeze in some exercise and boost your body’s calorie burning abilities before the big feast. If you do happen to be training for a 5K on Thanksgiving Day, see below for a sample training program that starts on Monday, 11/11.  So today, we want you to go for a brisk walk because you need to pick up the pace on Monday!

Note: This an aggressive running plan, as Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. It is highly recommended that you have done some running prior to starting this program, and that you are comfortable running 1+ miles. If you are a beginner runner, make a goal of finishing the 5K through a combination of walking and running.  You can easily just walk through this schedule to help prepare for your event of choice.

11/11: Run 1 mile

11/13: Run 1.25 miles

11/15: Run 1.5 miles

11/18: Run 1.75 miles

11/20: Run 2 miles

11/22: Run 2.25 miles

11/25: Run 2.5 miles

11/27: Run 0.5-1 mile

11/28: Race day! Run 3.1 miles!

On days in between runs, focus on cross-training, for example weight-lifting or non-impact cardio (elliptical, biking, swimming, etc.) Allow for 1-2 days of rest each week.  Check out past Free Workout Friday videos for cross training options.

Happy turkey trotting and drumstick dashing!