Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

There are several health-related observances through the year and NIFS staff enjoy finding ways to use these to bring attention to important topics. One of those is Falls Prevention Week in September. As a fitness management provider for senior living communities, fall prevention is a hot topic so older adults can live vibrantly for as long as possible. But you might be wondering how can you make something that doesn’t sound so fun be engaging for residents? We have found that there is a love/hate relationship everyone has with any program labeled “Fall Prevention” because residents are certainly interested in learning about how to prevent falls but have a healthy fear of falling. What better way to face a fear than head on and in a practical way, right?

That’s what NIFS fitness managers do during Falls Prevention Week, and you can too with some tips for the basics of planning a robust program:

Get other departments involved. Falls Prevention Week may be okay without any other staff support, but we think you have a better investment from the community and from the residents when other departments get involved. The first department that comes to mind for this topic is physical therapy. Many rehab departments are happy to work with fitness staff in bringing presentations, device checks, and even home safety checks to residents. It goes without saying that partnering with food & beverage is always fun because who doesn’t like to have snacks? Fortunately, many of our communities also have a dietitian on-site and can take it one step further with an event centered on balancing nutrition along with balancing the body. The possibilities are endless with the collaboration.

Have a mix of interactive and educational events. One of the most popular events we host is the Getting Up from a Fall Workshop. During this presentation, NIFS staff members discussed ways to avoid falls in the first place, but they also took the time to demonstrate how to safely fall and (where appropriate) how to get back up off the floor. Participants then have the option to work one-on-one with staff and learn how to safely get themselves onto the floor and back up into a chair without falling. Residents appreciate the chance to learn and then to try things themselves.

Follow up with participants. A key element to Falls Prevention Week is making sure you know who participated so you can reach out to them afterwards. There’s always a “next step” available so it’s nice to be able to personalize that according to the needs of the specific participant. For some people, it’s a balance evaluation, for others it might be a 1-on-1 exercise prescription, and for others it’s simply going to be a class recommendation. No matter what the recommendation is, following up with each individual makes the week more personal and gives them more buy-in to continue working on their own fall prevention skills.

Offering these examples remind me of feedback one of our fitness staff received from a Falls Prevention Week participant. He came to us, letting us know he had experienced a fall. It was a simple situation where they thought there was a sturdy spot to lean on, however, it wasn’t. He reported that having just completed a Fall Prevention event that day, he remembered the tips and tricks provided that can lessen the injuring that could result from a fall. Fortunately, he didn’t experience an injury and shared the news with everyone exclaiming “You do not want to miss out on this program! It really works!”

How is your community programing around health initiatives, involving the community staff, and engaging your residents? We encourage you to evaluate how you can enhance these opportunities so your residents can get more bang for their buck! For expert insight on how to make balance programming a cornerstone in your fitness center, check out NIFS Balance Redefined programming.

It isn’t a secret that as a person ages, there is an increased risk of falling. While there are a few different reasons this risk can increase, we will focus on what impacts a person’s ability to keep or put themselves in a steady position. One goal as a senior fitness professional is to introduce exercise as a tool to decrease your risk of falling. And we like to do that with a variety of exercises including a balance exercise focus. What is great about balance exercise is that it can be snuck into other favorite exercises or individual exercises to address a particular balance weakness. And often, the number one challenge that the aging population faces is their fear of falling which becomes their barrier to participating in the exercise in the first place.

Cue adding balance into your exercise routine! A wise person once said, “Practicing balance doesn’t make perfect; practicing balance makes permanent!” Our fitness professionals will say the same thing. It doesn’t have to be perfect; it doesn’t have to take a long time; you just have to do it consistently to reap the benefits!

Not sure what balance exercises to start with? Consider the following when you add balance into your routine:

Already Exercise? You’re a daily exerciser and you are wondering where balance fits in. My first question to you will be “what type of exercise are you currently engaging in?” Do you walk? Do you do resistance training? Do you play sports/recreation? The great part of this is that any exercise contributes to better balance, but now the key is to evaluate how to challenge yourself (we will talk about that more later)! Since you engage in a type of exercise, consider adding in balance specific exercises for 10-15 minutes 2-3 times per week. A few examples could be:

• Standing heel raises and toe raises.
• Stand with your feet wide and shift your weight side to side.
• Single leg stands.
• Side steps (step out to the right and bring feet together and then to the left)

Prepare for balance! Remember, all the exercises in the world will not do any good if you don’t follow these simple safety rules:

• Wear proper shoes. Your ankles and feet need good support. No sandals or fancy shoes!
• Utilize your strong muscles first. Get to know where your current balance is by using your strongest muscles. For example, a NIFS staff member wrote a great blog on starting from the ground up. The feet and ankles are our main support and knowing if the strength is there, is a good place to start. For example, single leg stands are challenging! And if your legs aren’t up to it yet, keep the opposite foot’s toes lightly resting on the floor for support.
• A mirror is helpful. Look at yourself when you attempt to balance, check your posture, and note what your limitations are (such as knee replacements or back issues).
• Stand on good flooring. Do your exercises on stable and level ground. If one side is higher or more unsteady than the other, you will be the same.
• Use stable support. Make sure that there is a stable chair or counter available. As you practice, you will need occasional support when you feel unsteady. The main goal is to prevent falling.
• Avoid fast movements and position changes. Slow down! Learn to turn and react with deliberate patience. Incorrect weight shifting is the number-one cause of falls. So, when you go to move or turn, remember to be as cautious as possible. What’s the real hurry? Let your body catch up with your mind’s intent.

Practice balance by challenging yourself! Just like with most exercises, your body becomes used to the movement (hopefully anyway!) After you have become comfortable with certain exercises, the next step is to practice exercises that force the body to feel unsteady and this will help the body become steadier. For example, if you’re capable of supporting yourself while raising both arms out and holding them for 10 seconds, next you can incorporate holding on with one hand and lifting one leg out to challenge yourself. Over time you can regain better balance.

These are just the basics when it comes to adding balance into your exercise routine. Keep in mind, these start with someone who has a basic understanding of exercise and balance, so if you are new to exercise NIFS highly recommends connecting with your primary physician before beginning new exercises and if it is available to you, working with a fitness professional to guide you along can keep you on track and challenging yourself.

Interested in learning more about how NIFS Fitness Management helps seniors across the country incorporate balance in their routine? Learn more about our signature program in our client locations by clicking below.

Most folks who have ever participated in balance training know that most exercises seem to involve only the legs. While it is important to focus on our lower extremities during our training, it is important to incorporate the use of our arms for more functional and effective training. Why? Because this will have more real-world applications! For example, practicing single leg stance is important for improving balance but most of us are not going to be in a situation where we must stand on one leg for an extended period of time. We will, however, be shifting our weight from one leg to another, swinging our arms like we do when walking, taking the stairs, dancing, or cleaning the house in real world daily activities.

So here we hope to provide you with a few balance exercises to consider for a more functional exercise for day-to-day fitness!

• Weight shifts with rotation (golf)
  • Stand with feet shoulder width apart with right hand on a chair or balance bar.
  • Raise left hand overhead with slight bend in knees.
  • Slowly hinge at the hip and bend down, bringing your left hand to the right knee.
  • Slowly rise back up, raising left arm overhead, rotating your shoulder, head, and hips, pivoting the right foot. Most body weight should now be on your left leg. This movement should almost mimic a golf swing.
  • Repeat 10 times, and switch sides.

• Step/lunge with rotation (walking)
  • Stand 6 inches or so away from a wall, facing the right.
  • Step forward with the left foot initiating a step or lunge.
  • Extend right arm forward, turn to the left, and touch the wall.
  • Rotate back to facing forward, stepping back to the starting position.
  • Repeat 10 times, and then switch sides.

• Hip hinge with overhead reach (stocking shelves)
  • Stand behind a chair with feet slightly wider than hip width.
  • With slight bend in the knees, hinge at the hip forward until hands are at or just below knee level.
  • Stand back up slowly and bring hands to your chest.
  • Press both hands over head as if you were putting something up in a cabinet.
  • Bring hands back down and repeat.
    • Use a weight or a ball for a more realistic experience!

• Single Arm Standing resistance band rows (walking the dog)
  • Attach a resistance band to an anchor point (balance bar or door handle)
  • Stand back to put tension on the band and set feet just wider than hip width.
  • Maintain posture keeping your shoulders down and elbows in as you row. Make sure to avoid trunk rotation.
  • Repeat 10 – 12 times and repeat on the other side.

• Farmers carry (carrying groceries)
  • Grab 2 heavy dumbbells (heavier than what you would normally use for biceps curl).
  • Stand tall with good posture, shoulders back, core engaged, and a dumbbell in each hand.
  • Walk at a slow and controlled pace around a room or down a hall with a flat even floor, and nothing in the way.
  • Perform this exercise for laps or for time (20-30 seconds for beginners and up to 1 minute or more for advanced).

These are exercises that can be done with little access to fitness equipment, but we still recommend connecting with your fitness professional to make sure you are completing them safely. All these mentioned can be modified to fit your abilities and what is more important is that all these exercises can be translated into real life activities.

Keep in mind, this is all about “functional” balance. While not all exercises are labeled as functional, they are still beneficial. For example, leg presses are great for building strength in the lower body, but they do not address balance specifically. Knowing why certain exercises are functional is also a great way to keep your fitness routine engaging, because now you know why you are performing a certain movement, and how it will apply out outside of the gym!

Interested in learning more to help your residents stay fit with functional fitness? NIFS Fitness Management includes 1-1 services and group programming that can help make sure your residents fitness program keeps them engaged in the things they love to do! Contact us for consulting opportunities.

Anyone and everyone can benefit from having better balance. From professional athletes to the active aging population, balance plays a critical role in everyday life. Whether a professional gymnast is flipping on a beam, or a senior is simply trying to lower their risk of falling, improving balance starts with two things: identifying muscle imbalances and follows up with corrective exercise. The skeleton is put together in a way that encourages a steady base and equal weight distribution. This allows a person’s center of gravity to be right around the belly button. If a person has no muscle imbalances, their weight and center of gravity would be sitting directly above the pelvis. The hip bone then distributes that weight to each of the legs. In a perfect world that would mean the person’s knees would be directly below the hip joint and the ankle would be straight below the knee joint. The perfect world hardly exists, and muscle imbalances are the reason.

Every moving joint has a muscle origin point on either side of it. For example, the shoulder joint holds the origin points of the biceps brachii and triceps brachii muscles. If the biceps muscle is stronger or tighter than the triceps muscle, the shoulder joint will be pulled and rotated forward. Any muscle imbalance will cause a change in mass distribution, ultimately resulting in a new center of mass. The body will compensate for this by changing gait or shifting other joints into a position that will feel stable. Unfortunately, this new position is usually one that the joint is not meant to be in. Until the initial imbalances are corrected through training, more imbalances will occur. The longer someone waits to begin corrective exercise, the harder it will be to correct, and the likelihood of injury or sustained damage will increase.

When the skeleton is completely in balance, all the joints are aligned, and the body is in its most stable position. Recognizing these imbalances are important, especially with the active aging community. The most common shifts in the skeleton are:

• Anterior Pelvic Tilt (when the pelvis is rotated forward)
• Excessive Kyphotic Posture (rounded back/shoulders)
• Internal Rotation of the Shoulders (which can cause shoulder injury)

And all these deviations will not only cause pain, but a shift in someone’s center of balance. Being mindful of these imbalances and working on correcting them as soon as possible are very important. Corrective exercise will allow someone to achieve better balance while also relieving the pain caused by the skeletal shifts. With every muscle imbalance, there is a tight muscle and a weak antagonist muscle. Both issues should simultaneously be worked on to correct the imbalance.

Ways of releasing the tight muscle temporarily include:

• Soft Tissue Massage
• Foam Rolling
• Stretching

Ways of strengthening the weak muscle for long term correction include:

• Moving the Joint
• Isolation Exercises
• Isometric Contractions

Including any combination of these in an exercise program will help alleviate those muscle imbalances, providing pain relief and better balance. Consider scheduling an assessment with a fitness professional to have these possible imbalances identified and exercise prescribed to help!

Fall prevention programs and services have been a cornerstone of NIFS programming for our senior living clients across the US with our signature Balance Redefined program. Whether joining our agility workshop to condition for the next pickleball tourney or bridging into a balance class after being discharged from therapy, residents of all abilities should have access to fall prevention programs that help them stay dialed into their life’s passions.

Off the heels of our successful Pump it for Parkinson’s event this spring, NIFS wants to bring the senior living industry together once again during Falls Prevention Week in September to empower seniors across the country. One of our most popular fall prevention programs is our Empowerment Workshop. This hallmark program is run on repeat a couple of times a year at several of our client communities because residents gain so much and continually ask for it.

During this program, we empower residents through education and the realization that the floor doesn’t have to be a scary place to be. We provide them with step-by-step instructions on how to safely get up from the floor, demonstrate it for them and then allow them a safe place to try it for themselves. In addition, insight is shared that if you find yourself in the predicament of falling, there are ways you can do so more safely to minimize the risk of severe injuries. We also empower residents with education on tools in their senior living community like pendants, pullcords and assistive devices that can help them feel more comfortable in their surroundings.

Upon completion of this workshop, the resident commentary is amazing to take in and listen to how they are feeling.

• “I didn’t know I could do that.”
• “Taking a minute to breathe and not panic makes a big difference.”
• “Wow, having a plan and knowing the ways to move my body safely makes me more confident.”
• “I never would have thought to actually practice how to get up from the floor, but it feels great knowing I can do this!”

As the fear of falling is a risk factor for falls, this workshop will equip residents with improved awareness, knowledge, and skills to build their confidence while empowering them to take our Fall-Free Pledge with thousands of seniors across the US. Participating communities and their residents can be featured in a fall prevention video shared by NIFS on Friday, September 22!

Participation is FREE and easy. Register your community on our event page and we’ll train up your fitness staff on how to host the program for your residents. Your community will receive all the great promotional content, flyers, brochures, etc., to plan the Workshop for your residents and you’ll have a chance to win a free Step and Connect balance training tool and a free fall prevention consulting package from NIFS to help your community customize your own fall prevention program.

Communities and senior living operators are welcome to contact Emily Davenport for more information on how to bring this best-in-class fall prevention experience to their residents for free.

Talk to almost any senior about exercise and physical health and it likely won’t be long before they talk about a fear of falling. Falls become a major risk with every year one ages. For exactly this reason it is vital to prioritize balance and stability when training the senior population. Without the ability and confidence to walk comfortably, get on and off the floor, and move safely into and out of a seated position, seniors sacrifice a certain quality of life. On the contrary, improving balance and stability can dramatically increase the quality of life in senior populations. It’s easier to participate in more activities and socialize more if one is not nervous of stumbling or falling on the way there.

I have found appropriate strength training to make a huge difference improving balance. Several regular attendees of our group fitness classes have remarked that they feel more stable while walking, that they feel more confident getting out of chairs or off of the floor, and that they feel their hips and leg muscles working more to stabilize their body while standing or walking. This improves confidence and allows them to walk further, perform more advanced exercise, and remain more active in their daily lives. Strength can be a life saver! Check out these four tips for seniors to maintain and improve balance:

1. Use your hips!

The entire lumbopelvic complex (core and hips) is helpful for full body balance. The more one improves their core and hip strength, the more these muscles can contribute to full body stability. In our group classes we perform sit to stands (standing up out of a chair), one leg balances (supported against a wall if necessary), seated leg extensions, seated or standing hip abductions, seated or standing marching, and many more exercises that strength train the hip complex to improve balance.

2. Walk more (as long as it feels good)

If you can walk comfortably and without pain, it won’t hurt to add a little extra walking to your daily routine. Every time we walk, we are training our balance as every muscle of our lower body has to constantly be stabilizing as we shift our weight from one foot to the other. Walking is one of the best and simplest exercises to perform and requires no equipment.

3. Stand when possible

Many exercises can be performed seated or standing. As long as you feel comfortable to perform exercises standing, you will be working your balance. Even exercise such as overhead presses or bicep curls will help improve balance as the hips and core need to be active while standing.

4. If you don’t use it you’ll lose it

One of the worse things we all witnessed during the strict COVID lockdown was the loss of physical ability. Daily physical movement that people took for granted was suddenly severely limited. Without a regular daily schedule it becomes very easy to pass the days with little to no physical activity. Many found that their strength, balance, mobility, and endurance had decreased over the course of the lockdown. The best way to avoid this is to find ways to practice balance throughout the day. We have already mentioned walking more, but practicing getting in and out of seated positions, practicing getting on and off the floor, and practicing exercise that help you improve balance will all be critical for maintain these abilities for as long as possible.

Let us know if you have any enjoyable or interesting ways to maintain and train balance! Is your community in need of balance programming? Check Balance Redefined below.

We hear a lot about stability, but how do you accurately incorporate it into a client’s program? Understanding how to incorporate stability training will help keep your clients functional, independent, and healthy regardless of age.

Here are five ways to incorporate stability training.

1. Functional balance. Think advanced balance exercises that are performed with slight movement. Because functional balance is directly correlated to everyday life, performing these types of exercises can be an eye-opener for clients, highlighting their ability to balance. Functional balance can look like marching on foam pads, lunging forward and twisting your upper body, or lightly tapping your foot on top of a cone.
2. Strength. Having muscular strength is good, but can your clients perform exercises like the single-leg Romanian Deadlift and control their shoulders or hips so that they don’t rotate? Strength directly correlates to better balance, and putting the body in positions where the torso needs to stabilize enhances training.
3. Reaction. Every day we react to either verbal or visual stimulus. Why not train it? Training reaction can look like having clients partner up and do mirrored exercises like tandem walk, lateral shuffle, or even marching forward and back or left and right, while mirroring your (or a partner’s) movements. Another fun twist on reaction training with a larger group is to form a large circle and start marching in place. The leader tells the group which way to march and sees how some individuals respond quickly to the command while others have to think about it.
4. Coordination and agility. Training the limbs to move in sync with one another is a challenge. Exercises with an agility ladder provide multiple opportunities to see the exercises demonstrated and make your body do what it just saw. Want to add more of a challenge? Try asking your clients to keep their heads up—and not keep their eyes down on their feet.
5. Central nervous system. Combining the training approaches above either allows for new pathways to be formed in the CNS, or uses old pathways that have not been used recently. We all know the benefit of creating pathways throughout the CNS, but how do we train for this? Envision a difficult exercise, one for which you know what the body needs to do but successfully doing it is another story. Incorporate exercises that require one part of the body to do something separate from the other, for example one of my favorite exercises is Quick Feet, Slow Arms: the feet are going rapid fire, but the slower the arms move, the better.

The fun in training stability is seeing different peoples’ thought processes. What is easy to one person can be hard to someone else, yet for the next exercise it could be vice versa. Our clients enjoy stability training because it’s unlike any class they have experienced, provides a new learning opportunity, and keeps them on their toes.

What are some of your favorite ways to train stability? Click below for more information on how to maximize balance training for your residents. 

This has been the year of design and consulting work for senior living clients who are renovating or building new fitness centers. I think I could give you the dimensions of a NuStep T4r model in my sleep (they are 60 x 27 x 24 inches, by the way). It truly is exciting to see the industry dedicating resources to well-designed fitness spaces to support quality programs and services for residents.

Although getting the right equipment and layout is important, these five design elements come up time and time again and should be considered early in the planning process. They might not be the same level of financial investment as your large equipment purchases, but they can significantly enhance your users’ experience and the program’s success.

• Televisions and entertainment: Determine whether you will pursue wall-mount televisions or the integrated console option on the cardio machines. With some equipment like NuSteps and rowers not having the integrated TV option, you will want a wall-mount TV somewhere in your facility. With wall-mount TVs you’ll have to navigate the channel wars for the lifelong battle between Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC, which individuals have VERY strong preferences for—imagine that! Consider an FM tuner option with headphones if needed, but we generally see residents politely following the first-come, first-served rule.
• Water source: Don’t forget to dedicate space for a water fountain or hydration station in the fitness center and where group fitness classes are held, or within immediate proximity. It’s highly important to encourage hydration during exercise. The more conveniently located the water source, the better.
• Balance training area: When designing a fitness center, most think of cardio equipment, strength equipment, and then a stretching area. Don’t forget about an area dedicated to balance training. This can be as simple as a wall with a handrail and a balance pad. A balance training area can be one of the busiest spots in your fitness center—particularly if you have qualified staffing to provide fall-prevention programming.
• Mirrored walls: Coaching residents on how to perform exercises in front of a mirror can make a significant impact on reinforcing proper form and posture. This can be especially important in group fitness spaces or in areas of the fitness center where residents might be performing balance, resistance band, or dumbbell exercises.
• Exercise chairs: We are big fans of the Resistance Chair for exercise classes, but if you are using traditional chairs, consider these specifications to make them more exercise-friendly. Armrests can be obstructive to a number of upper-body exercises, limiting a participant’s range of motion. Choosing an option without armrests or a slimmer armrest option is ideal. Also consider the height and weight of the chair; many chairs are used as a stable base of support and serve as a handle during standing exercises. Consider a chair with a taller backrest that can help residents maintain a tall, upright posture while performing exercises.

These minor details can make a big impact on the functionality of the space and programming options. We have designed dozens of senior living fitness centers and take these things and much more into consideration when creating the most functional and comfortable space for residents. Check out NIFS’ Senior Living Wellness Consulting page for more insight into how we support fitness center design projects across the country.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR FITNESS CENTER DESIGNS →  

This summer, teams all around the country ironed their bowling shirts, warmed up their throwing arms, and double-checked their TV connections in preparation for the first-ever 10-week session of the NIFS Wii Bowling League.

What started as a little friendly banter between colleagues quickly became a full-blown tournament as NIFS managers from various fitness centers started exploring new opportunities for some variety in recreation programming. After a few group emails had been sent, we finally came up with the idea to host a virtual bowling tournament.

Residents formed teams of two to four people. Each week, teams played their round of bowling and NIFS fitness center managers sent scores in to be tallied. Each Monday, updated standings and a new schedule were sent out to all participating sites. This went on during seven weeks of regular play, and then the single-elimination playoffs began. After three weeks of playoffs, only one team was left standing: The PinStrikers from Lakewood, NJ are this summer’s Wii Bowling Champions!

Thinking of hosting your own Wii Bowling tournament? Here are a few tips to make it successful:

Make it accessible to everyone.

Nearly everyone can learn how to play Wii Bowling. That’s one of the best things about it! Just practice patience when teaching new people and everything will go well. You can even play while seated if balance is a concern.

Be sure the rules are clearly communicated.

Avoid frustration from all parties and be sure you are clear about the rules you’ll play by. For our tournament, we had a schedule and then the standings were set according to win/loss record rather than by scores. It made the tournament aspect much more interesting because there were no clear front-runners or favorites.

Make it fun!

I hope this goes without saying, but fun should be the first priority here. Be sure everyone is clear that it’s just a game and the opportunity is open to everyone!

Have you ever hosted a virtual tournament between teams of people in different communities? NIFS can help you evaluate your program and improve offerings for your residents with NIFS Consulting, click below for more information.

It’s well known that being physically active, especially as we age, yields many physical benefits. Examples include decreasing risk factors for chronic diseases, and preserving many aspects of physiological functions, such as cardiovascular function, muscle strength and endurance, as well as balance and flexibility.

In addition to the many physical benefits that you can gain from regular exercise, there are also many psychological benefits. Some of the benefits associated with regular exercise consist of (but are not limited to) improved quality of life and cognitive functioning.

As a fitness instructor I am constantly hearing reasons why individuals feel as though it makes no sense for them to exercise. One example I have heard recently is “I’m 85 years old. What good could taking part in regular exercise do for me? I am too old for there to even be changes made to my strength or balance.” (Hint: This isn’t true!)

Following are three common “excuses” or misconceptions regarding regular exercise that I hear frequently from older adults, and how you can address these concerns.

I’m Too Old

You might hear: I’m too old to start exercising; its too late to make a difference in my health; it isn’t safe; I don’t want to fall and break a hip; I’m going to get old anyway

To be honest, no one is ever “too old” to start a regular exercise regimen. Many older adults are not aware that regular physical activity has been shown to be beneficial to individuals of all ages, even those well into their 80s, 90s, or older. Besides, inactivity is often associated with the common signs of aging. Older adults often have a fear of falling, especially if they have experienced falls in the past. Thus, these individuals think they are safer or rather better off if they remain sedentary. However, what these older adults don’t realize is that regular exercise is going to help them build strength and stamina, prevent the loss of bone mass, and allow the individual to improve their balance.

How to address this: In addition to discussing how certain exercises are beneficial to oneself especially as we age, instructors should also go over ways to make exercises less scary and thus safer.

I’m Too Busy

You might hear: I’m too busy to exercise; I don’t have time

Many people of all ages don’t realize that exercise does not need to take place at any specific location or at any specific time. Really, exercise is one of those things that shouldn’t be made more complicated than it has to be, and can be made to fit into your daily schedule. Exercises can even be performed in smaller bouts of 10–15 minutes that are repeated a couple times throughout the day, or even simpler exercises that can be connected to certain parts of their routine. Older adults might find exercise to be easier once it is part of a routine.

How to address this: Fitness instructors should guide these older adults on how they can add simple exercises to their daily routines. One example could be practicing a single-legged stance while waiting for their morning coffee to brew.

It’s Too Boring

You might hear: Exercise is boring; exercise is not enjoyable

Most individuals today seem to dread working out and look at it as something that just needs to get done to check it off the to-do list. People often associate exercise with repetitive movements that may be viewed as boring. However, there are a lot of different ways for older adults to make fitness an enjoyable part of their everyday life.

For example, they could take up a sport (such as golf, hiking, or swimming), take a walk with a friend, play with grandchildren, work in the garden, or even take a group fitness class. The key is to at least keep the body in motion, because some movement versus no movement can still be beneficial to their health.

How to address this: Fitness instructors can easily inspire older adults to look at some alternatives that they haven’t considered before but would likely find enjoyable. Instructors can also add components to group fitness classes to make them seem more fun and enjoyable, and less like exercise.

***

The next time you hear one of these excuses from an older fitness client, you’ll know how to encourage them to overcome the misconception and keep moving.