Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

Do you walk in Awe?

A few days ago, a resident handed me an “invitation to an Awe Walk.” He had picked it up from a nearby park. He thought I’d be interested in the topic and brought me a copy. This was my first-time hearing about Awe Walking, so I was intrigued! The document invited me to not just simply focus on the present, it was deeper than that.

So, how does one take part in an awe walk? It’s as simple as choosing to walk in awe. It’s the intentional decision to focus on things around you rather than yourself. Instead of focusing on your to-do list or exciting weekend plans, choose to shift your attention externally to the beauty around you. The word awe can be defined as a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder. Of course, it may not be the first time you’ve seen the leaves change from green to deep orange and red, but the beauty and mystery can still be stunning.

Why walk in awe?

Choosing to walk in awe shifts our attention to things outside of ourselves. This change has big mental health benefits. An 8-week study facilitated by the University of San Francisco showed that choosing to walk in awe had the following benefits: increase in daily compassion and overall well-being, a decrease in anxiety and daily negative emotions.

While you become more distracted from the stressors in your life, you’re making room to notice and pay attention to things other than yourself and your own concerns. When we look away from our wants and needs for a moment, it can improve one’s love of life, relationships, and worries. Decreased levels of stress can lower blood pressure, improve sleep and digestion, and decrease muscle tension. Although an Awe Walk can be done in all settings, natural, indoor, urban, there are added health benefits of being in nature. Walking in awe can be a good reminder of how small we are in this big world and vast universe. It’s a great way to help us improve our perspective on certain things or life overall.

Invitation to Walk in Awe

Consider attending or attempting your own Awe Walk. Take note of the nature and happenings around. Be enthralled in it almost like a child would. Take a moment to feel the warm sun on your face and touch the flowers growing nearby, how do they feel? What do you hear? Can you find the animals that are making that sound? Have you found the water that is trickling nearby? Don’t just notice the nature around you, experience it. Intentionally. Fully. Try these prompts on your next walk!

1. Begin your walk by bringing attention to your breath. Take nice slow and deep breaths - let your belly expand more than your chest.
2. Notice your steps on the ground. Do they make a soft sound? A loud crunch? Do you feel anything? This warms up your awareness to the sensations that are easily forgotten on an unintentional walk.
3. Be open to experience an Awe Walk. Allow things to spark your curiosity. Do you notice something that gives you a sense of pleasure or surprise?
4. What catches your eye? Is it the wispy clouds in the sky? The windy path or maybe the comfort of a path you’ve traveled before? The color or smell of the flowers?
5. Allow this sense of wonder, excitement, inspiration carry on into the rest of your day and further.

Try an Awe Walk! Tell us about your experience!

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When you were a kid, going out to play was something you likely did every day. No matter if it was riding a bike, skipping rocks at the pond, or running around the neighborhood with friends, it was just fun! Moving came naturally and easy and was not considered “exercise” to the adolescent mind even though it was most certainly keeping your body healthy. The reason I bring this up is because I want you to think about those times. They were a lot of fun, weren’t they? Sometimes in our fitness center, we will hear a member say that exercise isn’t very fun. We get it! Exercise isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but as a fitness professional, my goal is to find a way to make it fun for you. Another thing we will often here is “I’m not as young as I was!” or “I can’t do that type of movement anymore.” It is true, with the play you did as a child, there was probably a lot of falling, bumps, and bruises and that can make a person apprehensive to get started in “play” again. But that is why we are here, to explore with you and find a form of fitness that you enjoy. Yes, the several number of changes that tend to happen to the body as it goes through the stages of life can make some things more difficult, but we want to help keep it from being the reason you decide to play less.

A regular physical activity regimen allows older adults to maintain independence as they age and navigate their way through life. The recommended goal for older adults is at least 150 minutes a week (that’s only 30 minutes of movement each day!) of moderate intensity aerobic exercise with two of those days being some type of muscle strengthening activity to improve muscle and bone health. All exercise is beneficial, but when we start aging, the most beneficial type of program would be one consisting of balance, flexibility, strength, and endurance. An equal mixture of all four and over time can provide drastic improvement in your everyday life activities as well as the overall health of your body.

Think back to younger years when stretching before and after physical activity wasn’t a thing, what were some of your favorite activities? Did you play cops and robbers with your friends, jump and splash in the pool with siblings, or play sports with friends? What are similar alternatives?

Did you really love running cross country track because it allowed you to get outside and see nature, that could now be substituted for going on weekly peaceful hikes with your family or friends. Explore local nature reserves and trails!

Did you like heading to the community pool or pond for a day with friends? Join your nearby fitness center and check out aqua classes or invite a friend to water walk!

Did you enjoy tennis? Consider taking up pickleball! A very similar game to tennis with less court to travel requiring less intense hits to get the ball across the net.

Did you belong to a bowling league? Believe it or not, virtual (Wii) bowling can be just as fun and competitive while also challenging your balance and stability!

Of course, we also suggest starting with your fitness professional! Talk to them about what you enjoy and what you don’t about exercise. We can help find ways to make it fun while increasing stamina and strength to enjoy “playing” more! Don’t forget that physical activity over time can improve quality of life and can increase longevity while decreasing other conditions that may come up. If it has been a while since you have exercised, that is okay! If you can make exercising social and fun, it can become something you love doing which helps to stay motivated instead of feeling like a chore.

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The prevalence of Parkinson’s Disease is on the rise. Previous numbers indicated that 60,000 Americans are diagnosed each year and new research from the Parkinson’s Foundation indicates a steep 50% increase with 90,000 Americans now diagnosed annually. For senior living providers if you aren’t seeing Parkinson’s amongst your resident population yet, it is on the horizon as diagnosis is directly associated with increased age. This may result in less than a dozen or so residents living with Parkinson’s in your community at a time, but if you consider how Parkinson’s may also be impacting spouses of those diagnosed, the impact is deep. In addition, there is a good chance you have employees and residents with loved ones impacted as Parkinson’s remains the second most common age-related neurological disorder behind Alzheimer’s Disease.

Much like Alzheimer’s, there is no cure, and the treatment path is to control symptoms. One of the best treatments to not only manage symptoms but also delay the onset is through exercise. In NIFS work supporting dozens of senior living communities across the US, I shared previously how we were receiving requests from our clients for quality exercise resources to support residents with Parkinson’s and NIFS development of our signature program Bold Moves.

As April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month, many communities are looking for resources to provide Parkinson’s education to their residents and staff as well as options for quality fitness programs to cater to the unique training needs of residents with Parkinson’s. This is why we are pumped to host Pump it for Parkinson’s!

This event on Tuesday, April 11 will unite the senior living industry for a common cause. The National Institute for Fitness and Sport (NIFS) and our partners at NuStep, ICAA and Wellzesta are inviting communities to join us for this education-based fitness event. Pump it for Parkinson’s is a day-long NuStep-a-thon where we accumulate steps from senior living providers across the US with a goal of achieving 1 million steps to honor the 1 million Americans living with Parkinson’s. NIFS will be providing communities with a packet in the mail of promotional items as well as a digital resource library that can help them customize an event unique to the interests of their residents. With informative resources for your Parkinson’s Education Station, employees, residents and families can learn more about Parkinson’s, grab exercise resources and healthy recipes while also contributing steps on the NuStep!

Registration is free and a great way for a community to introduce wellness resources for Parkinson’s or celebrate the hard work of residents who are already fighting back against the disease! Take advantage of this opportunity to demonstrate your community’s commitment to being an industry leader in helping residents live well!

Every step counts and we would love for your community to join us and contribute to our goal of one million steps. Participating locations will have a chance to win a NuStep T6 Cross Trainer and will also receive a digital toolkit of Parkinson’s fitness resources including exercise videos, handouts and tips from NIFS registered dietitian. 

Get Registered

We work on a lot of build/design projects in retirement communities where the project is either new construction for a new community, or the plan is part of a repositioning that includes enhanced wellness spaces and services.  If you follow industry trends, you see it all the time in press releases, RSS feeds and other media avenues:  ground breakings for projects that include a state-of-the-art wellness wing, indoor/outdoor pool complex, etc.  Communities are  serious about folding resident wellness into their broader business strategy to remain viable in the market. Over my years at NIFS, I’ve had the pleasure of working on dozens of fitness center builds.  As you can imagine, I’ve learned quite a bit along the way. Below are our top five recommendations (in random order) on pitfalls to avoid during your design journey.

#5 – Don’t let your design team talk you out of consulting with an expert who is used to programming fitness spaces. 

NIFS Expertise Makes Our Approach Unique

We have designed dozens of client fitness centers to maximize function and flow in the space with diverse equipment options that meet the needs of active older adults. Check out our case study on how we took the guesswork and the legwork out of a large scale project for a client in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Find out more about NIFS consulting services by clicking below. We can help you bring the best programming, fitness center design and staffing to your community.

Find out more about NIFS Consulting Services >

In sharing the many benefits of living in a senior living community with seniors, I often receive the response “I want to live in my home as long as I possibly can”. Making sure you are active and healthy can improve your life to maintain that desire to remain in your home. Below are 4 tips to consider before making that important decision.

1. Decide exactly where you want to live.

The ultimate goal of aging in place is to maintain your independence and avoid moving. But if your current home has too many stairs, you live far from public transit, or you’re located too far from emergency help, consider a senior living community. After all, isolation is a major issue for older adults, and maintaining social connections should be a priority when considering where you will spend your golden years. Weigh your options carefully for considerations like dining venues, activities and outings you enjoy and whether it has fitness amenities and professional staffing to help you remain physically active.

2. Adapt your home.

If you chose to stay at home, you need to make sure it will be suitable for you. A safe environment is critical to healthy aging. Home modifications can easily make a living space more accessible and comfortable. Plan ahead so modifications will already be in place when you need them such as extra handrails, walk in shower access, removing trip hazards, etc. 

3. Explore technology solutions.

Technology can be a key tool to keep you connected with the wider world. And there are many computers, tablets and cell phones suitable for older adults that can be made more senior-friendly with a few adjustments.

Voice-controlled assistive devices like Google Home and Amazon Echo can allow you to set medication reminders or control your home's temperature or lighting with simple verbal commands. Such devices can also place phone calls, read books aloud, or play music. Video doorbells that enable you to see who’s at the door without opening it and sensor systems that can detect falls and alert emergency contacts can be very handy for older adults who live alone.

4. Consider hiring a companion or in-home caregiver.

You may need extra support to remain in your home, such as help with household chores or personal care. Companion care can be a good solution for seniors who need more social interaction or require help with tasks like cooking, cleaning, getting to appointments, or shopping for groceries. And home care services can assist with bathing, dressing, taking medications, and more. Using these types of services can give you the support you need to remain in your home safely.

Aging in place is all about optimizing your environment in a way that lets you live where you want as long as you possibly can. Healthy aging doesn't necessarily mean avoiding physical challenges, but it does mean being prepared to deal with those challenges by making the necessary modifications to your lifestyle or living space. You can help ensure that you are well-positioned to enjoy your golden years in comfort by planning ahead.

All these tips can also be beneficial while living in a Senior living community. They are going to make your daily activities and routines easier, more attainable, and safer.

How will you plan for your future?

Read our senior living case studies

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful. It is showing appreciation for giving and receiving acts of kindness. Performing acts of kindness has many benefits to our health, both mentally and physically. When we practice gratitude, we improve our daily wellbeing and overall happiness. Gratitude helps us with our mindset. We learn how to be more positive and be kinder to ourselves and others. We want to treat other people the way we want to be treated. This increases everyone’s sense of happiness which in return improves our health.

Some examples of how you can practice gratitude:

• Donating to a charity or cause
• Saying hello to a stranger
• Complimenting others
• Saying thank you more
• Volunteering
• Make someone smile or laugh

Acts of gratitude can improve our health in many ways and has benefits to both our mental and physical well-being. As you start incorporating gratitude regularly in your routine, here are some benefits you may experience.

 Mental Benefits:

• Reduces negative emotions and thoughts
• Decreases anxiety and stress levels
• Increases self-esteem and self-confidence
• Releases positivity toward ourselves and others
• Decreases depression symptoms
• Increases sense of belonging

 Physical Benefits:

• Lowers blood pressure
• Increases immune system
• Improves cardiovascular health
• Reduces inflammation due to the increase of oxytocin
• Recover quicker from injury or illness
• Improves our sleep habits

 Get started with implementing gratitude daily with these 5 actions:

1. Start a gratitude journal
2. Each day think of 3 things you are thankful for
3. Meditate or recite gratitude affirmations
4. Focus more on other’s intentions
5. Thank someone new every week

Gratitude is very powerful. According to psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. It helps people to become more positive, create and build stronger relationships, and improves our overall health and well-being. Start your acts of gratitude today!

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The upcoming season can be hectic, and we often let our routines fall off track. Let’s keep you motivated into the cold months with 7 ways to stay motivated while starting or continuing your exercise program.

Tips to Stay Motivated:

Set Goals - Make sure you set realistic and attainable goals for yourself. For example, going to the Fitness Center three times a week for 30 minutes or taking a 15-minute walk three times a week.

Eliminate Barriers - Create an accessible, safe, and simple exercise program or ask your trainer to create one for you. Pick a day and time that most suits you.

Be Creative - Make an exercise routine that is different and fun. Stay away from doing the same thing all the time to avoid exercise becoming boring. For example, walk outdoors on a nice day to enjoy the scenery, switch your exercises up (reps, sets, order or even the exercise), or try adding a sporting activity. The old saying that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks needs to be ignored in favor of exploration and creativity.

Reach Out – Connect with you onsite fitness staff or your local senior center. These are amazing facilities that offer a lot of different physical activities. Some centers/senior living communities have an available trained staff like NIFS to help, so ask your Wellness Coordinator, Health Fitness Specialist or Personal Trainer what they have to offer. Find classes or groups to join. Different types of exercise classes, dances, walking groups and water aerobics provide fitness and fun entertainment.

Have Fun - Pick exercises that are beneficial but ones you enjoy doing. Do not chose an exercise that you dislike, or you will dread doing it. Add humor, work out with people that make you laugh or that you can make them laugh. Listen to your favorite music or watch your favorite T.V. show while you exercise can help you complete your daily exercise goal.

No Excuses - Never make excuses for not exercising, avoid these excuses:

• Lack of time and interest
• Having an illness or being disabled
• The fact that exercise is expensive
• Dislike of exercise activities
• Lack of friends or people to do it with
• Lack of convenience
• It hurts
• It’s not fun
  Nonetheless, the importance of exercise surpasses any excuse given. With perseverance and creativity, you will be able to get started. Once you get started and start noticing all the benefits and results you will want to continue and maybe even exercise more often.

Be Focused on the Facts - Know the strong link between exercise and stable physical condition and health. When we begin physical activity or an exercise program, we feel much healthier and happier. Being physically active will make your daily activities easier and more attainable. The harder activities will become easier, and the not so hard will become simple. Not even mentioning the fact that you will be more independent.

 What will be your first step to staying motivated with your exercise routine??

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Exercising in the pool is great way to get in a workout! The water helps support you and allows you to challenge yourself! You can safely push the limits of your balance or get a thorough strength workout without putting too much stress on your joints compared to working out on land. Have you ever considered taking your flexibility workout into the pool? Increasing the range of motion within your joints and developing flexibility in major muscle and tendon groups can keep you mobile, promote better posture, and help prevent injuries. All these combine to reduce stress on your body!

People of any age can improve their flexibility and range of motion by practicing flexibility exercises! Seniors can start to see their flexibility grow within a month if they consistently practice two to three days each week, although stretching is most effective when done daily. Older adults should try to hold each stretch for 30-60 seconds and repeat each stretch three times. You don’t have to try to twist yourself into a pretzel to get a good stretch. Small movements or static stretches that help maintain or increase flexibility for each muscle group will do the trick. When you hold a stretch, you should never feel pain and you should breathe throughout the stretch. Hold a stretch until you feel tension in your muscles, but don’t pull so hard that it hurts.

When you first get into the water, be sure and warm up before you start stretching because flexibility exercises are most effective when the muscle is warm. Start by walking a few laps around the pool to loosen up. If you are exercising in a heated pool, that’s a bonus for stretching!

Take advantage of all parts of your pool. Do you have steps leading down into the water? Use the bottom step as an extra level while stretching! A safety bar along the shallow end of your pool? Perfect! Holding onto the bar can help you pull closer into a deep calf stretch. A bench seat along one wall? This way you don’t have to get your hair wet while doing seated stretches.

Try a few of these stretches in the water! Take deep, slow breaths, and stretch both sides of your body. Be sure and stay hydrated even when exercising in the water! If your pool is outdoors, don’t forget your hat and sunscreen.

• Stand at one end of the pool and face the wall. Hold onto the wall for balance. Position your toes and the ball of one foot on the wall. Keep your heel of the other foot on the floor. Straighten your legs, stand tall, and use your arms to pull your hips toward the wall until you feel the stretch in the calf of your front leg
• Extend one leg out in front of you propping the heal on the floor, straighten your knee as far as you comfortably can, and pull your toes up towards the ceiling. Stretch your arms straight ahead until you feel a stretch along the hamstring of your front leg.
• Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and rest your arms on the surface of the water. Slowly rotate your torso side to side while keeping your hips facing forward.
• Try to clasp your hands behind your lower back and straighten your elbows. Lift your chest up towards the ceiling and raise your hands up behind you as far as you comfortably can.

The pool is a great addition to your fitness routine. Take your flexibility workout in the water and see what you can do in the water!

Throughout my career in the health and fitness industry, I am constantly asked “what’s the best” cardio equipment, snacks, health bars, time of day to exercise, etc. Hopefully I can shed some light on some simple but important questions and answers.

What is the best form of cardio equipment?  Very simple, the one you like and enjoy using. If you hate running or walking, the treadmill would not be the best fit even if it is a good piece of equipment. If you watch tv or read while you do your cardio workout, a recumbent bike where you are supported may be the safest option for you. Follow you brain, if you enjoy the activity, let the piece of equipment you use guide your choice of equipment.

What is the best snack? There are many organic options but the simplest with the least ingredients is always the best. Fresh fruit, cut up vegetables, lean protein like Greek yogurt or cheese or good old fashioned air popped popcorn are good choices. If you have a sweet tooth and are craving ice cream, pick up some frozen fruit bars. They are only 100 calories per bar, and some have actual fruit in them.

What should I eat in the morning if I’m not a breakfast person? By now you have all heard the importance of eating breakfast. Think of your body like a car, would you ever let your oil or fluids go low? Same thing with food. Do not deprive your body of food and please do not deny your body carbohydrates. They are the fuel of your body. Some simple ideas include an apple with peanut butter, fresh fruit, or yogurt with berries.

What is the best health bar? This goes back to you, which bar do you enjoy? Choose options that are low in sugar and have at least 10 grams of protein.

What’s the best exercise? I’m a big fan of push-ups! When done correctly, they work your core and are a complete upper body strength movement. Plus, there are a variety of modifications that can be used to maintain proper form by using a wall or countertop versus getting all the way down on the floor. Perform push-ups for the upper body and sit-to-stands for the lower body and you have worked the major muscle groups of the body with those two movements alone!

My balance is terrible - should I not exercise? Yes, you should absolutely exercise! By not actively engaging your muscles your balance will worsen. Start slowly, you didn’t lose your balance in a week, and you will not gain it back in a week. Work with a fitness professional to begin an exercise program customized to your needs that will allow you to safely build your strength and endurance over time.

As we get older, the answers to our questions 30 years ago are not the same answers. With so much misinformation out there, continue to listen to your body and keep moving!

Working with a senior population, the most commonly asked question I probably get is “How can I strengthen my legs/back/core.. etc?” As exercise professionals, we already know how as far as the exercise prescription goes, but with seniors, modality often becomes a challenge. Our clients typically have a whole range of physical issues to deal with including joint pain, balance issues, and overall weakness so the traditional sit-to-stand exercises aren’t always applicable. That’s where the TRX suspension training system comes into play.

The TRX was originally developed for Navy SEALS and other elite level soldiers and athletes, but over the years, it has worked its way into home gyms, rehab clinics, and even senior living communities. The TRX is portable, adjustable for all heights, allows you to control ROM, challenges core strength with almost every single exercise, and has hundreds of possible exercises your clients can enjoy.

When it comes to building strength in seniors, ACSM guidelines and other research will tell us that more repetitions are effective when it comes to older adult populations. But there is also evidence eccentric movements are also beneficial due to its reduced oxygen requirement lowering the metabolic demand, and the fact that muscles can move more weight in the lengthening phase versus the shortening phase (concentric).The TRX allows the use of both approaches to strength building, without any additional equipment, such as free weights.

For example, If I am working with a client who can only perform a few sit to stands by pushing off of their thighs or arm rests of a chair, simply prescribing more sit-to-stands may not be the best route, especially if the clients gets frustrated. Instead, I could place the client in a chair in front of a TRX, and use it for an assisted sit-to-stand! Simply have the client start standing up, and begin the descent down into the chair, making sure the hips are hinged back, the knees are bending and in alignment (as best as they can be) and have them sit as gently as possible. Then, perform the same exercise in reverse to stand up. Since the client already struggle to stand up without pushing, they can use the TRX to help pull themselves up, while pushing through the legs. Once the client has a feel for the exercise and can perform it safely, you could then start modifying the repetitions, intensity, and better yet, progress from sit-to-stand to a TRX assisted squat!

And that was just one example. If you have a client that’s looking to improve posture, a bit of upper body strength and core, the TRX row is a very easy to teach and effective. With the TRX adjusted to the proper height, have the client stand with the straps in both hands, with soft knees, shoulders down, and core engaged. Make sure you are standing behind them for safety purposes. Have client begin to lean back, allowing the elbows to leave their sides and begin to straighten out. Then, once the full ROM has been achieved, have the client drive their elbows back while squeezing the scapula together, returning to the starting position.

With limitless exercise possibilities, portability, and affordability, the TRX is perhaps the ultimate strength builder for seniors. The TRX company themselves have put out hundreds of videos on how to teach the exercises, ques, and progressions, so there are plenty of resources out there on how to use it. They even have their own certification courses! I would recommend any and all senior living communities to invest in the TRX and the education of their fitness professionals.

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