Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

This blog was written by Sean Holbrook. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

Does winter still have you feeling blue? Need a boost for your self-esteem? Regular exercise can improve your mood and sense of well-being; doing it outdoors can give you an extra lift!

Green exercise refers to exercise or physical activity that is performed in nature, which has shown an ability to create a calming effect as well as having a positive effect on your mental well-being. With spring just around the corner, you probably feel a bit like I do: you're ready for the fresh air, green leaves, and warm sun. Green exercise is a simple and free way to get all that and more.

You may ask yourself, how much time do I have to spend exercising outdoors to see the benefits of green exercise? Surprisingly, it takes only five minutes a day, according to a recent meta-analysis of 10 studies involving 1,252 participants. The study by Barton and Pretty (2010) showed improvements in self-esteem and mood for the overall population of the study.

Looking for ways to green your routine?

• Take a five-minute walk during your lunch break.
• Start a garden in your yard.
• Try stretching outside on your deck or patio.
• Plan a nature hike or bike ride on the weekend.

Gather your coworkers for a walk at lunch! Green fitness is one of the many ways your company can get on the corporate wellness bandwagon!

This blog was written by Kimm Thiel. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

An exercise a day helps keep the doctor away! Ever notice how physically fit people seem to seldom catch that bug that’s been going around the office? Well, it's not just good luck; there’s actually some scientific basis for it.

Some new (and some not-so-new) research is showing that people who get regular aerobic exercise have milder flu symptoms and for fewer days than their couch-potato counterparts. It’s no wonder various workplace health promotion programs are dedicated to this exact idea. Decrease absenteeism and up goes productivity. What a concept!

And, as if you needed yet another reason to get and stay active, here are a few more. In one study, men who walked just three to six hours a week decreased their risk of prostate cancer by almost 67 percent over sedentary men. On another note, being regularly active can reduce the risk of injury. Typically, if a muscle is strong prior to injury, the rehabilitation time following such an incident is shorter and easier.

There are a few different reasons exercise has these immune-boosting effects. The basics are that it speeds up circulation of white blood cells, your front-line bacteria and virus fighters, so they get to infection sites more quickly. Exercise also releases endorphins, those fantastic neurotransmitters responsible for decreasing stress and making you happier. In turn, this helps strengthen the immune system.

So what are you waiting for? Get moving today for a healthier tomorrow!

This blog was written by Kara Gootee. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

Bike racks! One simple way for companies to encourage worksite health is by providing bike racks for their employees. As the warmer months approach, consider this investment. If employees are biking to work, they are reaping the benefits of physical activity, making for a healthier workforce.

Biking is not only a joint-friendly exercise; it is a great way to work the heart and lungs. Following are just a few of the physical benefits of opting to bike to work:

• Increased aerobic fitness
• Improved muscle tone and strength
• Weight management
• Increased energy levels
• Reduced stress and anxiety levels

May is National Bike Month. This is a great way to promote the implementation of bike racks in your corporate wellness program. Plan and promote a small event around your investment to encourage employees to consider biking to work. Consider having your health and wellness team put together flyers, bulletins, or even a small ribbon-cutting ceremony to create some hype.

Meanwhile, it is important to remind your employees about bicycle safety to ensure their overall well-being.

Is your company promoting corporate health and wellness by encouraging biking to work?

This blog was written by Kara Gootee. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

With spring around the corner, everyone is itching to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. After being cooped up all winter long and stuck on the treadmill, it’s time to change your workout and take it outdoors.

When considering your workout, why not take into account the activities you enjoyed as a kid? Here are five activities that will not only have you acting like a kid, but will also burn those calories!

• Biking is not only easy on the joints, but is also a good way for the less active to get back into exercise. An hour-long leisurely bike ride can burn up to 290 calories while working the legs and glute muscles.
• Softball leagues are getting ready to start, so grab your co-eds or create a corporate team and join a league! A one-hour game of softball will have you working your shoulders, back, arms, legs, and core while burning up to 360 calories.
• Tennis works your back muscles, shoulders, arms, legs, and core while increasing your cardiovascular endurance. A one-hour doubles match can burn 300 calories, whereas playing singles can help you burn nearly 450 calories while covering the court!
• Basketball is another great cardiovascular activity that will provide you with a full-body workout as your run up and down the court shooting your best jump shot. Grab your buddies for a pickup game to burn 420 calories during an hour-long game.
• Volleyball is a great family and friends game that can burn up to 250 calories for an hour of recreational play. Volleyball is another great league activity. Grab your coworkers and join a league for some fun outside of work!

Look for events in your area in which you and your coworkers can take your skills to a friendly competition. The Indiana Sports Corporation puts on the Corporate Challenge in Indianapolis every year, encouraging 4,000 + employees of approximately 100 local companies to train for different events. Much like field days we had as kids in school, there are a variety of events that promote corporate wellness and encourage employees to obtain healthy lifestyles.

*All calories are estimated based on a 160-pound individual.

This blog was written by Mechelle Meadows. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

Little did we know when the iPhone was introduced that it could one day transform our total body fitness. Robert Jay Martin has attempted to do just that with his new app, the iLog1, available for iPhone, iPad, or iPod.

iLog1 Tracks Health Stats and Reports Trends

I’ve come across several phone apps and online tools that can track both diet and exercise, but the iLog1 goes a few steps further to enable the user to record their sleep habits, body mass index (BMI), daily mood, and even housework or other chores. The best feature is that the iLog1 charts all of this data to display trends. In any scientific research, or even an individual’s lifestyle change, it’s the trends that are the most telling.

The iLog1 also offers enough customization to be used by skilled athletes, fitness newbies, or even a large company looking to track how many employees participate in corporate health incentives.

Introducing iLog1 into Corporate Wellness Programs

Corporate fitness management has, in the past, used systems of handwritten food journals, paper exercise logs, or maybe certain computer programs to track diet or exercise progress. How could we introduce applications like these into our corporate wellness programming?

While we are not pushing any certain product or brand on our clients, as you’re doing a one-on-one consultation with a member, it could be worth asking whether he or she already owns an iPhone. If so, the iLog1 could be a valid solution to helping the client manage and track his or her fitness goals.

In the corporate world, I believe employees value the convenience of needing only one hand-held device to quickly enter their health stats throughout the day. One quick glance at the iLog1 could tell the user how many calories are left in the day’s budget before going out for a lunch meeting. As busy employees are checking e-mail on the iPhone or iPad, they could also check their iLog1 and be reminded to fit in those 30 minutes of cardio before they go home.

Survival and success of corporate fitness programming depends on offering impactful information and guidance in a technologically savvy, gadget-loving world. Convenience sells!

The numerous benefits of strength training for the musculoskeletal system are well documented, but could it provide additional benefits? Besides leading to increased strength and muscle endurance, better balance, and improved health of the muscles and connective tissue, what effect could it have on cognitive function, if any? Researchers in Canada recently set out to determine just that.

Strength Training Sharpens the Mind 

While we all could use a little more brain power, it is crucial for older adults to maintain a high level of cognitive functioning to keep their independence. Regular strength training can help them do this from a physical standpoint, but maintaining their cognitive abilities is equally important. Interestingly enough, a loss in cognitive abilities is a risk factor for falls.

Fortunately, though, the “Brain Power Study” found that progressive resistance training improved executive cognitive functioning (which is needed to maintain independent living) in women ages 65 to 75. And even one year later, the benefits were still notable. This makes for just one more reason for grandma and grandpa to hit the weights!

Take Advantage of Senior Wellness Programs

Many retirement communities now have a fitness center available, complete with onsite fitness center management specializing in senior fitness classes, senior wellness programs, and senior fitness management. Balance classes, strength classes, and aqua aerobics classes are just a few of the many ways to get in regular physical activity during the golden years.

It might be a little intimidating at first, but encourage the loved ones in your life who are getting older to begin a regular fitness routine that works for them. It will not only help maintain their physical health, but evidence is emerging that it can do just as much for their cognitive health.

What are some of the other ways you or your loved ones have found to keep moving, even as time goes on?