Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

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. 

CLICK HERE

Every senior living community offers group fitness classes.  If you want to stand out from the competition, you have to offer more.

Good is no longer good enough.

So much in senior living is evolving, except for fitness.  The fitness industry itself is evolving, and rapidly, but many communities aren’t progressing to adopt new exercise equipment for older adults, updated staff-led services that increase resident participation, or smart data from the fitness program that can inform future decision making.

What about your community?  It’s likely that you are offering at least some group fitness classes that the residents choose from each week.  These classes in senior living, especially formats that specifically address balance training or brain health, are a must for any senior living community.  There’s a decent chance that your residents love their group instructors, and the report from your life enrichment director probably notes that the classes are well-attended and well-liked.

There’s also a strong likelihood that you haven’t looked closely at your exercise program recently as a place where the community could position itself as a leader in your market.  Good is no longer good enough.  Good is a starting point; it doesn’t mean the exercise program for your members is complete. 

It’s time to do more than group fitness.

When prospective residents walk into your community for a tour, they see a welcoming, warm lobby area with social nooks for sharing a cup of coffee and the latest gossip or viral YouTube video.  On the tour, you show them contemporary dining venues with menus that make their mouths water. You talk about updated apartments, technology tools that help them stay connected to their family and the larger community.   

As the tour progresses through the community, you eventually arrive at the exercise room. (Or maybe you skip the exercise area because it doesn’t contribute positively to the lifestyle you’re selling.) And it looks old, maybe like an afterthought. The equipment is donated or dated, the artwork is original to the wall, the small collection of dumbbells have cracked vinyl or rusted edges, and the information on the bulletin boards is no longer current.  Worst of all, it’s a ghost town; no one is in there.

It’s a disconnect for the individuals on the tour.  And while that disconnect is real for your prospects today, it will be even more jarring for future prospects and adult children who are the savviest health consumers we’ve seen to date. Certainly, you can’t update all areas in your community at the same time, and there are many priorities ahead of the fitness space(s).  But that doesn’t mean a revitalization of the exercise program should be entirely off the table. 

You don’t necessarily need massive capital budgets to make improvements in your community fitness center.  And you don’t need to blow your operating budget to provide vibrant exercise-related programming to community.  But if you want to start using elements of your senior living programming to combat someday syndrome at your community, you absolutely have to do more than offer group fitness classes.

Find out how to do better for your residents.

Your prospects expect more than just classes on the calendar, your current residents deserve better, and NIFS can help you get there.  Find out more about how the right staff, the right services and the right equipment can positively and profoundly impact the exercise program you're offering your residents. Click below to find out more.

As the festive season draws near, the anticipation of joy, celebration, and connection fills the air. Yet, for many of us committed to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the holidays can also bring a sense of unease. The abundance of indulgent feasts, tempting treats, and busy schedules can pose challenges to our well-established routines.

But fear not! Setting healthy goals can be the compass that leads us through the festivities with balance, mindfulness, and a genuine sense of well-being.

What are goals and why should we set them?

Goals help us envision what our future will look like, it’s an intentional plan or activity we set out to achieve. We can use our goals to decide where our priorities lie. Goal setting provides focus and increases motivation. It is also important to limit the number of goals we have at one time, so we do not get overwhelmed. If this is something you are struggling with, it can be helpful to set smaller or short-term goals leading up to a larger or long-term goal.

Adjust behaviors to meet your goals.

For every goal you set, you will need to change your behavior to achieve the goal. It may help to think about the consequences of not changing the behavior vs. changing the behavior to keep motivation to continue working towards the goal at hand.

SMART goals and getting started.

People are more likely to achieve goals that meet the SMART criteria: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound. We can use this information to get started setting our next goal. Start with writing the goal and what makes this goal specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound. Once you have all these answers, you can put it all together and begin working towards achieving this new goal!

Transform this holiday season into a time of self-discovery, growth, and joy. Are you ready to set sail on a path that honors your well-being? Let's embark on this adventure together and emerge from the holidays not just unscathed, but stronger and more connected to our health goals than ever before.

Share your healthy focus this holiday season in the comments! 

As the seasons change and leaves take on vibrant hues of red, yellow, and orange we are reminded that much like an artist, we can craft our lives in beautiful ways, and what better time to celebrate that reminder with our senior residents than during Active Aging Week? Active Aging Week, celebrated annually, shines a light on the importance of maintaining an active and engaged lifestyle as we age. This year, at NIFS, we’ve decided to focus on “aging artfully” and help the residents in the communities that we partner with age well through embracing their creativity.

As fitness professionals, we are sometimes met with surprise when we step outside of the fitness center and run programs that are more wellness and activity based, but across the country we have a team full of passionate and creative staff, and together we focus on total person health and wellness. We know that aging doesn’t mean there has to be a decline in quality of life, but instead provides opportunities to explore new passions, hobbies, and forms of self-expression. As we hold offerings to promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being this week we will also be emphasizing the role of art and creativity in active aging and bringing light to some of the benefits that come with them:

1. Social Interaction: We know that not all residents in our communities are fitness buffs, so offering programs that are outside of the box gives us the ability to connect with a new group of residents and ease them into participating in other wellness programs and events. For all, joining in on creative groups and classes combats loneliness and isolation and helps to foster social connections while nurturing creativity.
2. Mental Stimulation: Engaging in creative activities and trying new things stimulates and enhances cognitive function and memory while keeping your mind active.
3. Emotional Well-being: Increased happiness, a sense of accomplishment, and stress reduction are all biproducts of creative expression thanks to an outlet for emotions. Participating in creative programs can help reduce stress, improve mood, and provide an avenue for processing emotions and memories.
4. Self-Discovery: Exploring your creative side can help you to better understand your interests, and help you find new hobbies and passions. It’s never too late to learn an instrument, try your hand at painting, or share your wisdom. Your creative work can also become a meaningful legacy!

Some of the programs that our staff have planned for this active aging week include classes in various mediums of art, music, dance, writing, expressive exercise classes paired with music or art, outdoor exercise in nature, active adventures, upcycling projects, collaborative offerings with other departments including food and beverage, activities, physical therapy, and so much more.

Artful aging is about staying engaged in the world around us, embracing creativity and living with intention. Celebrate Active Aging Week with us by embracing the art of aging well.

Learn more about how NIFS programming makes an impact in senior living!

Striving to achieve 10,000 steps a day is a great way to move your body more and improve your overall health. Don't let the thought of 10,000 steps hinder you from trying. Start small and work your way to 10K a day this month!

10 Tips for Walking 10,000 Steps a Day:

1. Get a pedometer or fitness tracker: Wearable devices like Fitbit, Apple Watch, or smartphone apps can help you track your daily steps. These tools can motivate you to reach your goal and provide real-time feedback on your progress.

2. Start small: If you're not used to being active, begin with a lower step count and gradually work your way up to 10,000 steps a day. Set achievable milestones, such as adding 1,000 steps per week until you reach your goal. Try breaking up your activity into manageable chunks throughout the day.

3. Find a walking buddy: Walking with a friend, family member or co-worker can make the activity more enjoyable and help you stay motivated. You can encourage each other to reach your step goals.

4. Make it part of your routine: Incorporate walking into your day. For example, use the stairs instead of the elevator, park farther away from your destination, or take a walk around your neighborhood after dinner.

5. Set reminders: Use alarms or notifications on your phone or fitness tracker to remind you to get up and move throughout the day. This can be particularly helpful if you have a sedentary job. Consider scheduling it into your workday or even ask your team if they would like to have a walking meeting.

6. Choose scenic routes: Walking in pleasant surroundings can make the experience more enjoyable. Explore parks, nature trails, or other scenic areas in your community.

7. Mix it up: Vary your walking routine to avoid boredom. Try different routes, paces, or include some uphill terrain. You can also listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks to make the time pass more quickly.

8. Track your progress: Each day log your daily step count and review your achievements regularly. Celebrate your milestones to stay motivated. 

9. Stay consistent: Consistency is key to achieving and maintaining your 10,000-step goal. Make walking a habit and prioritize it in your daily life.

10. Adjust your goal as needed: Your schedule and fitness level differ from the next person. If 10,000 steps a day feels unattainable or too easy, adjust accordingly to suit your needs. 

Your main goal is to be active daily and make it a daily habit. While 10,000 steps is a common goal, any increase in daily activity can have significant health benefits. What is your favorite app or fitness device for tracking steps?