Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

What Makes Cycle So Great?

Ready to switch up your cardiovascular fitness routine? Give indoor cycling a shot. A cycle class has the capability to give you an intense workout while keeping the impact on your joints at a minimum. The group environment of a cycle class allows you to feed off the energy in classroom and the instructor, while motivating your fellow participants.             

Indoor cycle is a great workout for all fitness levels. Each participant can determine their own desired difficulty based on the instructor’s cues.

For Your First Cycle Class

If it has been a while or your first time in a cycle class, arrive 10-15 minutes early to get assistance from the instructor setting up your bike. The instructor will be able to tell you how to adjust your bike and what cue the form so you can be set up for success before class has started.

During the class, the instructor will remind of this proper form we must maintain even during challenging portions of the ride. Along with this, you will be guided on how challenging the ride should be and what you are looking to achieve during the ride. This gives a teamwork feel to your indoor cycling ride, while pushing to be better during each segment of the class.

Hydrate! Make sure you bring plenty of water to cycle classes. Even with the use of fans, indoor cycling gets sweaty. Don’t be afraid to use active recovery portions of the ride to take a moment to drink some water and wipe of the sweat. You are working hard; you deserve a breather!

You should wear something that you feel comfortable in for cycle class. Due to the intensity of the workout, it tends to be a sweaty one. Wear a top that is made of a sweat wicking fabric. Tank tops can be great for temperature control and comfort. For bottoms, workout tights/leggings, biker shorts, or athletic shorts can all be suitable options. If the bottoms are comfortable and not loose enough to get caught on the indoor bike, you are good to go. Normal gym shoes are fine for cycle class, and you can strap into the cage pedals. If you attend cycle classes, more regularly, bike shoes that clip into the pedals are also an option.

What do you enjoy most about cycle classes? Share in the comments! 

When waking up early in the morning, it can be extremely difficult to make it through a morning workout by yourself or perhaps you may not push yourself as hard through the last round of squats as you power through alone. There is a quite a bit that can be said about exercising in a group and how it births motivation.

Group fitness classes are not a new concept, but there has been a major increase around the corporate fitness center I staff with the rising numbers of group strength training, Tabata, core, stretching and HIIT style classes. Research has shown us that the healthy actions of our peers tend to rub off on us. It has also been proven that people who are trying to lose weight tend to spend quite a bit of time with their friends who are on the same trajectory towards similar health goals. Working out tends to be more enjoyable and communal when you are a part of a pack.

Group fitness classes allow individuals to increase their commitment to a fitness routine. Working out with a group has been linked to enhanced consistency, motivation, longer duration of being able to work out, amazing conversation and feeling inspired by others. Working out with a group of peers or friends drives consistency in such a way that when there’s someone who hasn’t shown, there’s accountability and positive peer pressure to help swerve against quitting or skipping a class. One study done by the National Library of Medicine showed that 95% of individuals who started a weight-loss programs with their friends completed them vs 76% of individuals who tried to tackle the goals themselves.

Group fitness allows you the benefit and advantage of being able to diversify your workouts. There are only so many exercises that you can perform alone and sometimes you may hit a point where you are doing the same exercises, which tends to get boring. Throwing other participants into the mix with a dynamic exercise instructor allows your workouts to get creative and reduces the urge to feel lonely from working out solo all the time. Having multiple individuals to exercise with opens up the catalog to be creative when it comes to partner resisted exercises, adding in exercises that others have recently learned or trying new things together.

Last but not least, group fitness permits one to capitalize on endorphins. Group workouts brings so much more benefit to your mental health rather than trying to always tackle a workout solo. When you’re a part of a great fitness classes with a bunch of good people, this kind of community and team effort makes you feel great outside of just the temporary boost you may experience after one small workout.

Whether you are just getting started with exercising or you are looking to change things up in your fitness routine, consider group fitness classes to learn new exercises and get some extra motivation along the way!

While many may have feelings of uncertainty come to mind with everything we’ve endured thus far in 2020, we’ve also experienced inspiration from the dedication of our healthcare workers and educators and witnessed innovation in how many industries are adapting to remote workforces and revised service models.The corporate fitness industry included and that is why NIFS has adapted our HealthYou programming to accommodate our clients’ needs while their fitness centers remain closed and their employees are at home.  

We have long stated that it's our amazing staff that makes our business-model thrive and our hiring practices help us recruit some of the best professionals in the industry. The relationships our staff build with their members are key to our successful corporate fitness centers. One thing the current pandemic has taught us is those relationships don’t need to be nurtured within the four walls of a fitness center. As our clients’ workforces were sent home and access to typical fitness amenities became limited, our staff got to work finding opportunities to support their members’ health and wellness needs to maintain engagement.

Here are a few examples of how our staff is keeping our clients’ workforce connected to healthy lifestyle resources utilizing their customized HealthYou portals and our licensed exercise software integrated with Zoom:

• Virtual Health Coaching: if you have tried to purchase fitness equipment in the last several months, you’ve likely experienced home-based cardio equipment on backorder, dumbbell racks empty in the stores, and the basics for building your home gym difficult to come by. Our staff have been routinely connecting with their members via phone calls and email and finding innovative ways to support their members’ evolving needs. For some, it may have been relaxation techniques while kids were home with distance learning, for others it may have been working through a new exercise program within the scope of what equipment and space a member has available at home. The gratitude and thanks our staff have heard from their members in maintaining that connection has been inspiring.
  
  
• Group Fitness: we’ve been host morning, noon, and night virtual group fitness classes since the pandemic started and it’s amazing to hear just how much our members love to see THEIR fitness staff and still workout with them. They’ve also enjoyed getting to experience classes with other NIFS staff across the country for variety. Not only do they have live classes available but they have a video library of recorded classes at their fingertips which have 1,000’s of views.
  
  
• Programming: let’s face it, those early weeks of the pandemic, in particular, were rough. Stress and anxiety levels were high and many fell into the groove of day-long snacking followed by evening binge-watching of our favorite shows. Wellness programming like NIFS Commit 21, Fitness Bingo, and NIFS Stress Relief Calendar has helped employees establish personal goals and self-care routines to get back on track.
  
  
• Nutrition Services: NIFS Registered Dietitian has been hosting Healthy Lifestyle sessions on Zoom each week where everything from weight loss, to pre-and-post workout nutrition, to family meal planning, is discussed. There is also a Facebook group in which healthy recipes are shared and some great discussion continues throughout the week! As the frequency of cooking at home has increased, these nutrition resources have been a great option to break out of those menu ruts and explore new healthy choices.

We are already hearing requests and interest for our HealthYou resources to remain available to our members once fitness centers reopen. The landscape of many industries post-pandemic will likely look different and we are glad that members are inviting more options to exercise onsite when their fitness centers reopen as well as requesting the continued accessibility of virtual resources.

NIFS HealthYou programming is a great solution for organizations looking to broaden their employee wellness offerings. Whether you have an onsite fitness center or your employee-base works remotely, our amazing staff and virtual tools can connect them to the resources they need to live well. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation to explore opportunities for your employees.

The fitness industry has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Fitness has gone through many transformations throughout history, with plyometric-based activities being the first main form of staying in shape. People trained for functionality and usability of techniques and strength in general. Today, we have become much more personalized and have many driving factors behind why and how we work out.

Fitness Fads vs. Classic Methods

Today’s fitness industry is wildly different from even 10–15 years ago. We have had many fads in the industry that have peaked and disappeared. Some of these were deserving of such a fate, but there are some staples that have seemed to stand the test of time. These types of fitness methods include standard weightlifting/bodybuilding style, pioneered by the generation of Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as the marathon runs that started centuries ago with Olympic athletes. In my opinion, some people stick to traditional methods, and others like to go with what is new and fresh in the industry.

Group Fitness Trends

Group fitness classes are adapting to changing wants. These wants have gone from the likes of Tae Bo and Jazzercise to Boot Camp–style classes, CrossFit, hot yoga, immersive spin classes, and a mix of different styles like PiYo and others. This has shown that classes are becoming more varied, and are allowing people to be more specific in the type of class they want to participate in. I love this adaptation, and I hope it continues to grow for people who like the group environment. (Look here for more of what NIFS is offering in Group Fitness.)

The Impact of Technology on Fitness

Today’s fitness industry is quickly incorporating technology to improve not only the experience of working out, but also the data available afterward. People are becoming more educated about the effects of exercise from a physiological standpoint, and are tracking metrics normally not available to people even a few years ago. Wearable technology allows people to track their heart rates and performance in real-time, which provides an intrinsic motivation to continue on their workout routine. This is just one part of the industry that is quickly seeing changes.

Fitness equipment seems to be smarter and smarter by the day, with machines getting larger TV screens that give many options in real-time data, as well as entertainment like video games controlled by the exercise performed (such as with spin bikes and rowers).

My Predictions

All this advancement in technology has inspired my predictions on the future of the fitness industry. I believe the introduction of DNA-based fitness testing and performance measurement will make its way into the mainstream industry soon, as well as augmented-reality–based training, allowing individuals to escape the standard gym environment and become fully immersed in a new experience. It seems that social media is a large driving force for these new technologies and workout types, and I can see these being popular for people who want to try the newest and greatest technology in their workouts.

If you ask me, I will stick with the simple workouts: run and lift some metal. Call me old school, but with the advancement of fitness technology and equipment, the same task needs to be accomplished at the end of the day, and if I can simplify that process, I will go that route. However, I still look forward to what the future holds!

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.

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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.

You might have heard that yoga is great for flexibility and a great opportunity to meditate. Beyond those benefits, there is much more to yoga than one might think. As a yogi myself, I have been consistently practicing this exercise for 9 months and have seen great changes in my mental health as well as physical changes. This form of exercise challenges me to tap into my inner strength and capabilities each time I step onto my mat. This practice pushes me to become the best version of myself, both physically and mentally.

Practicing yoga is great for overall mental and physical health, and when you practice it consistently, it is easy to see those changes not just in your physical capabilities, but also your mental awareness. Science and research show how yoga improves health, heals our muscles, and relieves joint aches and pains. Let’s dive into some of the benefits that yoga offers to someone who incorporates this practice into their life.

Increases Strength

Yoga is a great form of exercise for strengthening and building muscle, as well as increasing endurance. Yoga increases whole-body strength, but especially in areas we tend to neglect, like the core, lower back, and glute areas. When these areas of our body are strong, it protects us from injury and pain.

Improves Posture

Sitting at a desk all day and having a career that might put a strain on your neck and back can cause poor posture. Different yoga poses may reverse the effects that day-to-day activities may have on our bodies.

Relaxes Your System

Yoga encourages slow breathing and relaxation, all while focusing on the present. As our system slows down, the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the “rest and digest” system, turns on. This decreases blood pressure while increasing blood flow to all the major organs in our bodies. In addition to yoga encouraging your body to relax, it can also ease the mind, slowing down daily stressors, fear, and worries. In time when you practice shutting off your racing mind, you are more likely to live a healthier and longer life.

Regulates Your Adrenal Glands

Yoga is known to lower cortisol levels. When a person has too much cortisol in their body, it may affect memory, cause depression, worsen osteoporosis, and cause high blood pressure. When cortisol levels spike up, people crave foods when they are angry, tired, stressed, or upset. This causes an increase in the amount of calories people consume, as well as weight gain.

Local to Indianapolis? NIFS offers yoga as a group fitness class. Read this blog to learn more about choosing the right class, see the Group Fitness Schedule for times, and join us for a workout that brings many physical and mental benefits.

There are many reasons to work with a personal trainer from NIFS, and in this blog we cover the top five: forming habits, fun, accountability, comfortability, and safety.

F: Forming Habits

One of the many benefits of working with a NIFS personal trainer is forming healthy habits. When you decide to start personal training, you and your trainer will being with some goals by picking a set number of days and times to meet each week. Your NIFS personal trainer will encourage you to stick to this schedule every week in order to develop a habit. By sticking to this new habit of “every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 1pm, I will work out with my trainer,” you will start to develop the habit and some consistency. Eventually you will feel more energized (and hopefully excited) around that time every week and look forward to the health benefits that you are gaining.

F: Fun!

Going to group fitness class and exercising can be fun as well, and it is something that many people prefer. Your NIFS trainer will ensure that your workout is educational, appropriate for your goals, safe, and enjoyable! When doing any kind of physical activity, it is important that you are doing something that you enjoy. When you are having fun with your workout, you will more than likely perform better—and most importantly, come back for another session!

A: Accountability

Having a NIFS personal trainer also provides a sense of accountability. Your trainer can help you stay on top of your appointments by sending reminder cards and personal phone calls. It is also encouraging to know that someone is counting on you to be there, which increases the sense of accountability. We do, however, know that life happens and things pop up. When this happens we are willing to work with your busy and ever-changing schedules and life scenarios. Your trainer will be empathetic and flexible to your needs and can reschedule as needed.

C: Comfortability

It is also our job as NIFS personal trainers to provide an environment where our residents are comfortable. This entails many aspects. During the exercises themselves, we want to avoid any exercise that causes you pain either during or after your workout. We will ensure a strong line of communication throughout our sessions in order to avoid painful experiences. We also strive to create an environment where you feel comfortable with us as your trainer. For every session and with a smile, we will explain what we will be doing for the day, educate you on our focus and how it helps you, and maintain a positive and encouraging attitude.

S: Safety

The most important part of having a trainer is their knowledge and ability to train safely. Falling is a risk, but with a NIFS personal trainer, that risk is always considered and mitigated to the best of our ability. Beyond that, we look for exercises to help reduce this risk, and are right by your side every step of the way. No matter what task you are taking on that day, you can trust that your trainer will be there to help keep you safe. We always look for safer ways to perform exercise and are there in case you stumble. Our number-one priority is to help you safely improve your quality of life and provide the tools for you to succeed.

We’re onto something in corporate fitness, and guess what? It involves no commitment. I know what you’re thinking; it goes against everything we’ve always said. You have to commit to a workout plan, commit to changing one thing at a time, commit to your goals, commit to this, and commit to that. No wonder we’re all scared of the “C word”!

Not only do we commit to our health journey every day and do our best, but we also have many other obligations: work schedules, family events, volunteer activities, and more. It’s a heavy load, and many feel lost without their handy planner, online calendar, phone, or other gadget to keep it all together.

We’re a society that loves to feel busy, and some even feel more empowered by the more they do. Newsflash: it’s exhausting! Add one more thing to that calendar and some feel like an overinflated balloon. We get it, or at least we’re starting to get it. How can we continue to help our clients on their health journey without breathing that one last breath of air into their already full balloon? For starters, we don’t want your commitment.

Healthy Habits Should Come Naturally

Now don’t get me wrong, committing to a healthy lifestyle is important and should never fall to the bottom of the list. However, it’s also not something you need to add to your calendar. It’s continuous and ever-evolving; so whether it’s a walk, a salad or smoothie, a few moments to breathe, refilling your water bottle, or getting enough rest, many of these things come automatically. There’s no scheduling these, and there’s no plugging them into a calendar. These are signs of a well-rounded health passage, and reassurance that it’s become somewhat instinctual to take care of your mind and body.

If you feel this way, good for you; it’s an excellent start! But what if you’re not in this boat? What if you do need these reminders? It’s just one more thing to commit to and add to the long list of things “to do.” You’re not alone. Many feel this way, and we’ve found something that alleviates the problem. Are you excited? Me too, so let’s get down to the good stuff.

Join the Impromptu Fitness Fun

Our staff are starting to do impromptu stretch breaks, brief meditation introductions, and mild exercise instruction with no obligation. That’s right, no signing up ahead of time, no paying, no email confirmation required, no Outlook invite—none of that. We’re asking you just to show up if time allows.

When, you ask, do these activities occur? The answer is “I don’t know,” and neither does our staff in many cases. They may have an hour on a Tuesday at 2pm or a Thursday at 10am. We’re looking for any free time possible, just as you are. All we’re doing is sending out and a spur-of-the-moment email to members and associates about the quick activity, and they are actually showing up! In decent numbers, too—usually more than our group exercise class participation.

Why? Well, this is my theory. First of all, we aren’t asking for a commitment. Second, I think people enjoy the element of surprise. Imagine you’re plugging away at work thinking about your schedule, upcoming calls, what’s for dinner, when do I need to pick up the kids, and suddenly you get an email that says, “Join us in an hour for a stretch break in the quad.” Your calendar looks clear, it’s only for a short amount of time, and I don’t have to change clothes, so yes I think I’ll go! Miraculously we’re opening the door to two things that most people enjoy: no commitment and a nice surprise. It seems to be well received, and anything well received is worth pursuing. As long as there is no commitment, of course. 

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Want to find out more about how to make group fitness work for your employees?

Every year the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) conducts a survey across the United States to determine what trends will be seen in the coming year. Completed by over 1,800 fitness professionals, the survey has found the following to be the top 10 fitness trends for 2017. 

10. Wearable technology, such as activity trackers, smart watches, heart-rate monitors, smart eyeglasses, and GPS tracking devices.  Check out this blog post about the challenges with high tech wellness.

 9. Bodyweight training requires minimal to no equipment and can be done anywhere, which makes it an inexpensive way to stay fit.  Check out @NIFSquickfit on instagram for inspiration to use your bodyweight to train at home.

 8. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) involves short bursts of exercise followed by a short period of rest or recovery and can take 30 to 60 minutes, or longer, to complete.

 7. Educated and experienced fitness professionals are becoming more available as the ways to get certified and educated grow. Finding professionals who have gotten certified through nationally accredited programs can help consumers make an important decision more easily.  Looking to staff your onsite fitness center, check out how you can get back to business and let the professionals handle your fitness center. 

 6. Strength training has been trending since the first survey was published by ACSM in 2006. Strength training can help many to improve or maintain current levels of strength.  Grab your co-workers and get fit at lunch.  

 5. Group training is designed for participants with varied levels of fitness. Group fitness instructors specifically program these classes for a fun, motivational, and effective large-group experience. 

 4. Exercise Is Medicine is a global health initiative based on the belief that exercise can be preventative as well as a way to treat diseases. This initiative brings health care professionals together with exercise professionals to include physical activity as treatment.

 3. Yoga can be practiced in many forms, including but not limited to Power Yoga, Yogalates, and hot Yoga. Yoga uses specific types of postures to help with flexibility, relaxation, and health.  Can't make it to Yoga?  Take a moment to stretch at your desk.  Making time for a five minute stretch break will help you ease tension and relax the mind.

 2. Personal training has not left the top ten since the first survey was published in 2006. Personal trainers will continue to be an integral part of the professional staff in all areas of health and fitness centers.

 1. Exercise and weight loss combine calorie restriction and exercise programming to control weight loss.

The full list of top 20 trends is available in the article "Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2017.”

Looking to improve the health and wellbeing of your employees this year?  Let us handle your program and you get back to doing what you love to do.  Click below for our quick read to find out how we make corporate fitness easy.

Group exercise classes are one of the top activities in senior living communities nowadays. With the increasing number of activities provided on community calendars, having a good group exercise program significantly impacts the overall resident well-being as they participate in their daily activities.

The initial spark of having a new group fitness class promotes a tremendous buzz throughout the community, and the new activity on the calendar generates a lot of popularity. Participation is high, and residents look forward to this new class to see what’s in store for them at the next session. A month or so down the road, however, you may notice that the residents who were highly motivated to attend a particular exercise class have begun to feel less interested in the routine, potentially causing a decrease in participation.

When people are acclimated to an established exercise routine, there may come a point where they feel tired of doing the same exercises over and over again, or don’t feel challenged enough in the journey to an improved quality of life. If you begin to notice these things in your exercise programs, it might be time to make some minor adjustments. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to turn your group exercise program on its head and start from scratch.  Spice up group fitness routines for seniors and keep them interested.

As an exercise instructor who thinks about these things on a daily basis, one of my primary goals is to encourage participation in our group exercise classes on a regular basis, regardless of their skill level. I actively think of different ways of keeping residents enthusiastic about our classes, while still maintaining their overall purpose. While residents want to exercise safely, they also want to be appropriately challenged so that they don’t lose the benefit of maintaining an active lifestyle.

Following are three different strategies that I have used in the past to keep residents interested in classes.

Mixing Up the Exercises in Your Routines

Adding different exercises into your routines will help keep your residents interested, and can increase cognition as they perform exercises that focus on balance and hand-eye coordination. A good way to map this out is to try one new exercise per class, and see how your residents respond to it. If they find enjoyment in the sequence, you are on the right track! Varying your group exercise sequences every month or two can go a long way in maintaining resident interest.

Another effective strategy that helps in mixing up your routines is to have two or three different formats for one particular class, and to rotate through those formats. I have always found that having a couple routines that I could rotate through on a weekly or monthly basis keeps people more engaged.

Incorporate Music into Your Classes

Whether it’s a choreographed mix-tape that has a variety of upbeat songs for low-impact aerobic routines, or a Big Band CD that is used simply as a background filler for the class, you will notice an immediate increase in residents’ mood in the class, and in some cases they might even get into the groove as the music is playing in class. Having a mixture of upbeat tunes along with songs requested by your residents will keep the excitement going in class. Music can also serve as a motivational factor for residents when they are participating in classes, because exercising to music can have psychological benefits that include improved cognition, reduced anxiety, and many more.

Interactive Exercises

Most people think of group exercise as performing certain routines in a repetitive motion for a certain amount of weight, repetitions, and sets. While in certain class formats that may work, it does not always have to be that way. For most of my exercise classes, I mainly focus on exercises that mirror our activities of daily living (ADLs), and also include sequences that incorporate the mind/body connection. The National Institute for Health (NIH) has an extensive list of various exercises that are both interactive, and ways to focus the class on functionality. Nontraditional balance exercises such as ankle spelling and ball tosses will keep your members guessing both physically and cognitively.

Make sure to use these strategies to spice up your senior living community exercise classes! Keep an open mind when trying out new things in your classes; see what works, and spice things up! 

Start with evaluating your balance classes and maximize your Balance Program by downloading our whitepaper!