Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

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

Like most people, have your resolutions fallen to the wayside, or have you simply forgotten them? It’s no secret that it is easier to be more active during the warmer months. The ability to get up off the couch and get outside is motivation from the sun! Start the month off right by reevaluating your current lifestyle habits and commit (or recommit) to be fit!

Here are some simple ways to commit:

• Set a goal. Having something to strive for can help keep you on track to achievement and success. Consider what you enjoy and set a SMART goal.
• Schedule time. If you plan ahead and incorporate physical activity into your schedule, you may be more apt to stick with the plan. Pack your gym bag the night before.
• Walk at lunch. Motivate your coworkers to commit to be fit! Let others know you plan to walk at lunch and ask them to join you. Worksite wellness programs are a perfect place to learn how to incorporate exercise into your day.
• Engage your family. After dinner, strive to get the family involved in a bike ride or a walk through the neighborhood.

How do you make time for physical activity, or what does your company do to encourage employees to have healthier lifestyles?

This blog was written by Bethany Garrity. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

I’m not an Indianapolis native and I didn’t grow up around racecar driving. I’m a Buckeye―I’m all about the football. For me, baseball, hockey, and golf are sports. They're not sports I love, but I do view them as athletic pursuits (though I’ll admit, it took me a while to come around to golf as a “sport”). Racing is a different story. Unless we’re talking about racing on foot, it just doesn’t resonate with me as a sport.

What's the Physical Challenge of Driving Around in Circles?

I originally chalked up that “it’s not a sport” mentality for racecar driving to the fact that I simply wasn’t into the hype. I don’t know anything about racecar driving, and to be honest, I didn’t see the physical challenge in driving a car in circles. So I started researching the Indy Racing League (IRL) to see what I could find out about stock-car racing.

I started seeing the term “land rocket” in my search results, and I noted that the drivers sometimes maintained speeds of 200 m.p.h. for four to six hours and in high heat. My education in exercise science and my experience in corporate fitness began to kick in and I realized that those physical demands had to have some kind of traditional exercise component, and thus, perhaps stock-car racing really was an athletic pursuit. There has to be something “fitness-y” about drivers expected to produce under those conditions.

Racecar Drivers Have High Levels of Exertion

My conclusion: It turns out racecar driving is a sport! I found quite a bit about training regimes both on and off season. But what hit home most for me was a press release from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) for a December 2002 article in the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise journal. It noted that drivers reach levels of exertion similar to those athletes playing basketball might attain.

They also noted that the work level for a driver is comparable to someone running at an eight- to ten-minute-per-mile pace. Now that is something I can relate to. I’ve trained for the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon with a nine-minute-per-mile pace group. It’s hard for me to imagine maintaining that pace for four to six hours with temperatures in the high 90s to over 100 degrees.

Go NASCAR, go IRL―race your hearts out! I can’t promise I’ll watch with enthusiasm and follow like a true fan, but my appreciation has grown. Now, if we could just get more sports fans to adopt a piece of the exercise routines from their most beloved drivers, pitchers, shooters, goalies, defenders….

This blog was written by Dan Walker. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

Last time we looked at three of the top benefits of utilizing your company’s corporate fitness center: cost, convenience, and the environment. Today we will look at three more reasons why you can’t afford to pass up what your company has to offer in its fitness center.

Expertise

This isn’t entirely universal, but most corporate fitness center staff members are college educated and certified through a reputable organization such as the ACSM, NSCA, or NASM. This ensures a high level of expertise in helping you to exercise the right way and reach your goals.

Guidance

Many gyms have thousands of members and simply aren’t able to do much more for you than take your membership dues each month. But in corporate fitness centers, programming, classes, and education are top priorities with the goal being to get as many members as possible plugged into what is offered. Your company really sees a return on investment only if your health is improved through what the facility has to offer. You can rest assured that you are their top priority, not making money off membership dues.

Stronger Relationships

Working out with your coworkers gives you a chance to spend time with them in a new and different way. Taking group fitness classes together, working out with someone, or buddy training with someone else are all great ways to build teamwork and rapport outside the office. Often enough, different incentive programs and friendly competitions take place throughout the year, giving you yet another way to build a bond with those you work with.

The health benefits of regular exercise, which you can get at any gym, are well documented. But corporate fitness centers offer much more than your average commercial gym membership. Among those benefits are a better price, a more convenient location, a professional environment, expert staff, more guidance in your fitness journey, and a chance to build better work relationships.

If you aren’t already experiencing all the benefits your company’s corporate fitness center has to offer, go check it out today!

This blog was written by Penny Pohlmann, MS. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

Why have group exercise classes remained popular since their introduction in the '80s? I don’t think it’s the leg warmers and leotards, but I could be wrong. Perhaps it is the motivation and social interaction that come with exercising with a group. Or it could be the time-efficient solution in our time-stressed culture.

Whatever it is that continues to draw people to participate in group exercise classes, this area of the fitness and exercise world goes through trends and fads much like other areas in life. Here are some trends you can expect to see in 2011.

Zumba

This Latin-inspired dance class is exploding right now. The Zumba motto, which is “Ditch the Workout; Join the Fun,” is a perfect way to describe how its participants feel about the class. “It’s so fun you forget you’re working out,” one of my members said to me. I think the bass-thumping music has something to do with it, too.

Boot Camp

You guessed it: This military-style class attracts both men and women for the no-frills approach to working out. Boot camp groups have been growing in popularity for the last several years, and they are still on the rise in 2011. Instructors lead their recruits through pushups, jumping jacks, lunges, and sprints before the sun rises.

Early mornings aren’t for you? Because of their popularity, health clubs and gyms are offering many indoor boot camps at all times of the day.

Yoga

This slow paced, gentle exercise class known for its stress-relieving style of mind and body exercise is especially popular in corporate fitness centers. In addition to the traditional style of yoga, called hatha yoga, look for other forms to emerge in 2011, like power yoga and hot or bikram yoga. 

Group exercise class offerings can be a key factor in the success of a corporate fitness center. If you don’t already offer group exercise classes in your wellness center, they may be the best motivation to get your employees to get on board with exercise.

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?