Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

When it comes to athletic performance and recovery, one advancement in recent years has been compression clothing. From professional athletes to fitness enthusiasts, compression garments have become a staple in many wardrobes. But what exactly is the science behind compression clothing, and how does it impact our bodies during exercise and recovery? Let's dive in and explore the world of compression wear.

The Science Behind Compression Clothing

Compression clothing works by applying pressure to specific parts of the body, typically the limbs, to improve blood circulation and lymphatic flow. This increased circulation can have several benefits for both performance and recovery.

1. Enhanced Blood Flow: During exercise, muscles require a steady supply of oxygen-rich blood to perform at their best. Compression garments help to improve blood flow by constricting blood vessels, which in turn increases the velocity of blood as it circulates through the body. This enhanced blood flow can lead to improved endurance, reduced fatigue, and enhanced overall performance.
2. Reduced Muscle Oscillation: Compression clothing has an ability to reduce muscle oscillation, or the small vibrations that occur in muscles during movement. By providing external support to muscles, compression garments help stabilize them, reducing the amount of energy expended during exercise and minimizing muscle fatigue.
3. Improved Recovery: By increasing blood flow and reducing muscle oscillation, compression garments can help to speed up the recovery process following intense exercise. This can lead to reduced muscle soreness and stiffness, allowing individuals to bounce back more quickly and continue training at a high level.
4. Temperature Regulation: Some compression garments are designed to help regulate body temperature during exercise. By wicking away sweat and moisture from skin, these garments can keep the body cool and comfortable and prevent overheating during intense workouts.

Selecting Compression Gear

When selecting compression clothing, it's important to consider factors such as fit, material, and intended use. Compression garments should fit snugly against the skin without being uncomfortably tight, and they should be made from breathable, moisture-wicking fabrics to maximize comfort during exercise.

Different types of compression clothing may be better suited to specific activities. For example, compression sleeves or socks are often used during running or cycling to improve circulation in the legs, while compression tops can provide support to the upper body during activities like weightlifting.

Compression clothing offers a range of benefits for athletes and fitness enthusiasts, from improved performance to enhanced recovery. By understanding the science behind compression wear and choosing the right garments for their needs, individuals can elevate their training and optimize their health and fitness. So, whether you're hitting the gym, pounding the pavement, or simply looking for a more comfortable way to recover after a tough workout, consider incorporating compression clothing into your routine.

You’ve probably heard some fitness myths floating through the gym, the internet, or from friends and you may even believe some of these myths yourself! It’s important to understand the facts from fiction to protect yourself from injury, and to make sure you are exercising properly. Let’s dive into some popular fitness myths that we hear daily in the gym and explain why they are just that: myths!

“No Pan, No Gain”

Pain and soreness should never be used to measure a good workout. Nor should you ever push through pain when exercising. Pain or soreness during exercise can either indicate delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), or an injury. If you ignore the pain you feel, repetitive movements can worsen the pain, resulting in a more serious issue over time. DOMS is normal, and usually lasts up to about 48 hours after exercise, and just means your body wasn’t used to the movement you performed. However, give those muscles a chance to recover before exercising them again to make sure that is all it was. Remember, listen to your body, it’s telling you something hurts for a reason.

"Spot Reducing Fat Exercises"

As a fitness professional, I have been asked several times what exercises a member can do to lose fat around the tummy, arms, backside, etc. Unfortunately, it is not possible to pinpoint certain areas of the body to lose fat. To lose fat, you need to burn more calories than you eat because this causes a calorie deficit. The body also does not burn fat only from the area you are working, because it uses energy from your body, leading to total body fat loss. Also, your body can be stubborn, and fat can be lost from different areas at different rates that you weren’t expecting. But please don’t let that discourage you! Know that the exercise is still beneficial and will increase strength and endurance in that area and sometimes give that part of the body a more “defined” appearance you are looking for!

“Lifting weights makes you bulky”

This saying could not be falser. Many think that heavy weights will make you bulky and light weights will make you lean. The type of weights you are lifting does not necessarily contribute to muscle growth, as most of the adaptations that make you stronger occur in your central nervous system. It is true that lifting weights will promote muscle hypotrophy leading to a size increase, but not “bulky” in appearance. In fact, to become the type of bulky you might be picturing, it takes a lot of time, hard work (and sometimes steroid use) to become “bulky”. In fact, for females, hormones prevent excess muscle mass. Muscle tissue is a lean tissue, so when paired with a good diet, strength training can help build a lean physique. Lifting heavier weights can offer several health benefits in your bones, muscles, ligaments, and brain, to name a few.

"Carbs make you gain weight"

Recent health trends have led people to believe carbohydrates are horrible for your body and cause excessive weight gain. This has mostly started to rise because highly processed carbohydrates are high in calories and sugars, leading to fat gain if eaten in excess. Complex carbohydrates like fruit, whole grains, and veggies are a valuable source of fuel used by your body and your brain to keep you alive. If you were to cut out carbs completely this would lead to weight loss, but not a healthy long term weight loss. It would also cause extreme lethargy, headaches, dizziness, and low blood sugar among some more mild side effects. The takeaway? Limit processed carbs and keep the whole foods!

"Lactic acid causes muscle soreness"

Lactic acid or lactate causing muscle soreness has been a fitness myth floating around for decades. While this myth was debunked in the 80s, many people (including some fitness professionals) still believe it to this day. Lactate doesn’t stick around in our muscles long enough after exercise to cause the soreness that we feel for the next day or two. Lactate clears out of our system about 30 to 60 minutes after exercise to be recycled into energy. The soreness we feel after exercise is the result of microtrauma (microscopic tears) in the muscle and connective tissue, leading to DOMS (mentioned above). There is a lot more science that goes into it, but this hits the basics.

Is there other information floating around the gym (or magazines) that you wonder has any truth to it? If you have access to a reputable source such a fitness professional, start there! Or, of course, the internet is full of answers, but you need to know that the website cites its findings and isn’t the thoughts of one individual. Regardless, we are glad you have interest in learning more to improve the work you do for your health every day!

It’s Random Acts of Kindness Day!!! The “pay it forward” movement stems from this day of kindness helping to incorporate it into our schools, workplaces, homes, and communities. A random act is not premeditated and an action to offer kindness to the outside world. Choosing to perform acts of has many benefits to our health – emotional, mental, and physical. Let’s take a closer look at how choosing kindness benefits our health.

Emotional Benefits:

• Makes people feel helpful and optimistic
• Boosts self-esteem
• Increases oxytocin, a hormone making us feel connected to each other
• Creates a sense of belonging therefore reduces feelings of isolation
• Releases positivity – we feel better and those that we are kind to feel better leading them to pay it forward

Mental Benefits:

• Reduces levels of the stress hormone, cortisol
• Decreases overall anxiety
• Helps improve feelings of depression
• Reduces negative emotions such as anger

Physical Benefits:

• Lowers blood pressure
• Boosts immune system
• Improves cardiovascular health
• Provides a positive outlook on life which can help you live longer
• Decreases health problems due to the increase of oxytocin which reduces inflammation

Practicing random acts of kindness is not just about how we treat others, but also how we practice these behaviors on ourselves. We are sometimes so quick to be negative and hard on ourselves. If we change our mindset to being more positive, we can be kinder to ourselves. Act and choose kindness today: Don’t overthink it, kindness is a simple act. Check out these options as simple ways to allow someone to feel kindness.

• Put other’s needs before your own
• Leave an inspirational message for a friend or co-worker
• Send a card to someone
• Give someone a compliment
• Hold the door open for someone
• Practice gratitude
• Be kind to yourself
• Send someone flowers
• Volunteer in your local community
• Donate to a charity
• Run an errand for somebody
• Be kind to a stranger
• Help an elderly person
• Make someone laugh
• Leave an extra tip
• Donate food to the food pantry

Practicing random acts of kindness increases a person’s sense of happiness. Kindness is contagious and something we should all want to spread to others.  What act of kindness will you perform today?

When people think of the word “healthy,” they typically have a vision or an expectation in their heads. We equate “healthy” with having the perfect body (which, by the way, means something different to everyone), making the perfect food choices, getting a certain amount of exercise each week, getting a certain amount of sleep each night, and having very little stress.

Everyone Makes Health and Wellness Mistakes

But this isn’t always reality. It’s not uncommon for people to begin making healthy lifestyle changes and developing healthy habits, only to give up once they realize how incredibly difficult it is to maintain "perfect" nutrition and exercise. In fact, I would argue that this level of perfectionism is impossible to achieve.

Your journey to health will not be perfect. And your efforts to maintain your health will not be perfect. We’re all imperfect. You won’t always make the healthiest food choices. You won’t always get 150 minutes of moderate to high-intensity exercise each week. You won’t always dedicate enough time to stretching, or practicing meditation on a regular basis. Wouldn’t it be a dream if we could all get eight hours of sleep every night? And we all have different body types; we come in all different shapes and sizes.

What Does It Mean to Be “Healthy”?

Everyone has expectations, and being a fitness coach and personal trainer for the last 15 years, I’m no exception to this rule. Even I have struggled with finding my healthy. So what does healthy mean? What does healthy look like

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines healthy as

“The condition of being sound in mind, body, or spirit; a condition in which someone or something is thriving or doing well.”

The World Health Organization defines healthy as

“A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

What’s truly important when becoming healthy is how you feel mentally and physically. Healthy people tend to have more energy; feel well rested, have fewer aches, pains, and illnesses; and just generally feel good about themselves. And that right there is, by definition, healthy. Healthy really doesn’t mean you always make perfect choices or have the “perfect” body; it means you feel well.

My healthy means I occasionally eat chicken nuggets with my kids for dinner so we have time to go outside to play basketball before it gets dark. My healthy is going to bed at 9:30pm and waking up at 5:30am to get some work done, so once my kids go to school I can work out. My healthy means I have wrinkly, stretched out skin on my belly from having two kids, but I’m at a weight where I feel great. I’m not perfect, but once I stopped trying to be perfect, and just was healthy, it made life and achieving mental and physical health so much easier.

At the end of the day, being healthy is not about fitting into a certain mold. It’s not about following the latest diet or exercise trends. It’s about finding your definition of healthy that allows you to thrive physically, mentally, and spiritually. Practice healthy eating as often as possible, get exercise whenever you can, go to bed when you’re tired, and try not to compare yourself to other people’s definition of health. Remember, each individual is different and healthy looks different to everyone. Focus on feeling well!

Daily stress can make you unhappy and irritated, which in turn affects your overall health. Meditation is a simple addition to your daily activities that can help improve your quality of life and put you in a more positive mindset.

How Meditating Helps You Emotionally

Although you may feel like there is no time to meditate because of everything on your plate, it actually helps you become more focused and productive to get those things done and feel more calm while doing it. You can correct your thoughts from a more negative mindset to a positive one and understand why you feel the way you do.

Your mood will fluctuate and meditation can keep things on a more even keel to prevent anxiety. You can then handle outside situations that arise without feeling out of control. Just a few minutes a day will help reduce overall anxiety, stress, and even depression.

How to Get Started

Here is a step-by-step guide to start a simple meditation practice.

1. Take a comfortable seat with your legs crossed and ensure your posture is proper.
2. Place your hands in your lap with both palms facing up.
3. Let go of tension in your back and soften your jaw.
4. Keep your eyes slightly open.
5. Focus all your thoughts on your breath. As you breathe in, imagine it is all positive blessings that surround your life. As you exhale, blow out all negative thoughts and distractions.
6. Continue until you feel relaxed and peaceful.

Meditation doesn’t need to take a large chunk of time. Even 10–15 minutes daily can make a big difference in your health and wellness. Try it first thing in the morning to start your day off right, at the end of the day to de-stress, or in those moments when you feel the most overwhelmed—whatever works best for you!

When a corporate fitness center isn't possible, how do you get your employees to move more?  Check out our free download for tips for adding exercise, click below!

It is safe to generalize and say the majority of people put a lot of trust in their doctor and admire them simply for their level of education. After all, they did go through many years of extensive and exhausting studying and training in order to earn the title of “Doctor.” They even have a decent health grade and framed certificates around the office, but does that mean we should put all of our faith in them and make them 100% responsible? Well, not exactly.

There are a lot of checks and balances in place when it comes to health care. You have nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physician’s assistants, physicians, surgeons, and more, but what if all of these fail? Though it may be rare, it does happen. So who should ultimately be accountable? You. 

Too often, patients sit in a doctor’s office and are given loads of information, which might as well be told in a foreign language, all wrapped up in 5 minutes. The patient sits, smiles, and nods, thinking (or pretending) that they followed every detail that was spilled out to them. We assume the medications and dosages we are being prescribed are necessary and safe.

Kelly’s Story

A friend of mine, who we will call Kelly, was not feeling well and had arrangements to fly later in the week. To avoid being uncomfortable during her travels, Kelly reached out to her doctor. Kelly’s doctor was out of town, but the partnering doctor was available to see her. Without hesitation, the partnering doctor prescribed Kelly an antibiotic, and, without any questions, Kelly picked it up at her local pharmacy. A week later, Kelly felt extremely foggy-headed and enormously sluggish, and started developing rashes, painful headaches, very achy joints, and more. 

Kelly put her week on replay, trying to figure out what she had done differently that could cause such a major downward spiral in her physical health. Then it hit her: the antibiotic. She quickly started searching for answers and within seconds, from a simple Google search, she found it. Kelly was prescribed a sulfa drug, which is the number-one drug that should be avoided if you have lupus. Because the doctor seemingly did not even glance at Kelly’s files, the pharmacist did not pay attention to her log of current medications, and Kelly did not think twice about a doctor’s advice, she had the worst lupus flareup she had ever experienced.

How to Advocate for Your Own Health Care

Why do we assume all instructions are best for us because of a health professional’s level of education and authority? It is our body, yet we blindly and mindlessly do as we are told. Why is it difficult to be vulnerable and admit that we do not understand the information we are given during our visits? When did we lose our curiosity or stop asking “why?” You are at the office seeking medical advice, so seek it! Here’s how:

• Ask questions.
• Have logs and questions written down before you walk into the office.
• Make the doctor or nurse write down information for you.
• Ask for the doctor to explain what the lab results mean, not just rattle off numbers that you can read yourself. Then ask for copies of the lab results.
• Remind all health professionals involved of your medications and lifestyle changes.
• Request print materials related to your diagnosis. If your doctor is not willing, it may be time for a new doctor.

Remember, you are part of the team that makes decisions toward improving your health and wellness. Be involved, be informed, and be okay with asking for help when you don’t understand. Be your own advocate.

Your health is important, check out our quick read to see why exercise is important in aging well, download it below!  

If you work in fitness, you know that for some members, the only way to engage them in regular exercise is through a group class setting.  Some people love the energy of a group effort, others like that they can blend in, and still other participants like group classes because of the ease of simply following real time instructions from a motivating teacher. 

For Sheila Dropscho, it’s the group atmosphere that keeps her coming back to NIFS-led classes at Broad Ripple Park in Indianapolis. She also walks and rides her bike for exercise, but when I talked to her about her experience with the classes she’s been attending for the last several years, the enthusiasm in her voice was palpable and she couldn’t say enough about the positive impact the Indy in Motion classes have had on her life. 

Indy in Motion is a partnership between the Marion County Health Department, Indy Parks, and NIFS.  The group fitness classes, held at a variety of Indy Parks, have been available for years and are offered at no cost to participants.  The formats and locations have evolved over time to meet the interests of the attendees at each site.  The program is a fantastic resource for people across the city to have access to free group fitness classes taught by some of the best instructors in the area.  To get a better idea about classes and formats available through Indy in Motion, click here.  Be sure to call the park to confirm that the information on the site is current.

Sheila learned about the Indy in Motion program through an article in the paper several years ago. When her youngest daughter went off to college, Sheila found herself with more time to commit to her personal health and she decided to give the program a try.  While Broad Ripple Park is her home base, she also takes Indy in Motion classes at Washington Park on the city’s east side. 

Sheila’s favorite class at Broad Ripple is Zumba^® on Tuesdays and Thursdays; she tries not to miss it.  Sheila loves being around the other participants and watching their progress, but it’s the instructor, Nicole, who provides exactly the motivation Sheila needs to keep coming back. Nicole’s healthy tips, her intensity with the music, and her genuine concern about the participants are all part of what help Sheila feel great about the exercise and keep her coming back. 

Sheila’s consistency at class hit a snag when she was diagnosed with breast cancer recently.  She progressed through a mastectomy as well as a course of chemotherapy.  And she’s proud to say she is cancer-free.  But she credits her hard work in the group fitness classes and her good health going into the diagnosis for the relative ease with which she handled the challenging cancer treatment so well. 

Sheila said, “People were stunned that I was able to work my four 10 hour days during my chemo.  I don’t know that I would have been able to do that without that foundation.”

After recently undergoing reconstructive surgery and dealing with a complication from that process, her doctor has advised her, for now, to simply walk for exercise.  Sheila has been compliant with the doctor’s orders, but she confided that she’s more than a little bit eager to get back to her Tuesday/Thursday rhythm with Zumba^®.

When Sheila’s ready, her class, and her instructor Nicole, will be there to help her get her groove on again.

Ready to bring group fitness classes to your Indianapolis audience?

Throughout 2015, we’ll be blogging about our dreams for corporate wellness, fitness, and aging well. Some of the content will represent a gentle “poking fun” at the industry, but it’s all written to stimulate thought about what really could be if we put our heads together and started mapping out what’s really possible in the realm of individual wellbeing. We hope you’ll join the conversation by commenting on the blogs, giving us additional ideas about which to write, and/or by finding us on Twitter at #wellnesswhatif.

You’ve heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child,” right? The idea is that a child needs a whole village worth of support, influence, education, and diversity to be raised as a healthy and vibrant member of society. If we look at individual wellbeing through a similar lens, I would say that it takes a team to help an individual be well. 

When I think about the generally poor health (admittedly, I tend to focus on physical health) of adults in the U.S., specifically preventable issues, I wonder how much is connected to adults simply not knowing how to choose better health and how much goes back to adults making unhealthy choices even though they know better.

Let’s face it, there are a lot of external players who influence an individual’s health. I can’t get into all of those factors here, but I do want to focus on the potential for a better relationship between health care providers and exercise specialists. What follows are some of the historical challenges, as well as some what if ideas for working better together to take a team approach to individual wellbeing.

When I was working in corporate fitness several years ago, it wasn’t uncommon for me start talking with a new member about her goals for exercise and learn that she came to see me because her physician recommended she start exercising. In further conversation, I would learn that either the doctor provided no guidance on how often, how much, what intensity of exercise would be best; or (sometimes worse) the physician provided recommendations that were not practical for the individual.

It was always so helpful, when working with individuals who had a complicated health history, to get a physician recommendation that took into account that complex health picture. With more information from the doctor, I was able to write a more effective exercise prescription. But more often than not, the physician is hurried, and filling out one more form isn’t top on their list, so I’d get an almost blank form returned with little more than their signature. 

What if physicians had more time for discussion with patients about preventive health?

I think at least some of the barrier, though I’ve never heard anyone actually articulate this, is the image of the personal trainer. The certifications available for personal trainers are many and varied in terms of their rigor, and it leaves a lot of question about credentials. Licensure has been debated for years in the industry, and although the discussion varies by state (currently Louisiana is the only state with licensure requirements for clinical exercise physiologists), I think the reason licensure is even on the table is because requirements for certification are so widely varied, it’s tough for even a well-educated individual to get to the bottom of what “certified personal trainer” really means.

What if all certifications had to meet a specific standard that raised the bar for education and experience?

The American College of Sports Medicine released an Exercise Is Medicine campaign years ago with the goal of having physicians make regular exercise a part of their recommendations for practitioners to their patients. The program includes guidelines for health care providers as well as for exercise specialists to interact in the best interest of the public. While some progress has been made on the partnership between the medical community and exercise professionals, there is much work to be done to bridge that professional relationship for the improved outcomes of the patients.

What if health insurance supported visits with a certified exercise specialist as part of a prescription for better health? (This would not be unlike counseling from a registered dietitian that accompanies a diagnosis of diabetes.)

What if general practitioner offices hired exercise physiologists to counsel patients right in their offices?

What if medical training provided some insight into exercise prescription, and curriculum for exercise physiologists provided insight into what the doctor has to accomplish with a patient in an office visit?

We have a long way to go to build a strong village that contributes positively to individuals’ health, and this health care + exercise practitioner discussion is only one portion of that village. What other areas are you passionate about? Where do we need to build a better village to help individuals make healthier choices?

Read our case study, how partnering with NIFS and putting a qualified fitness professional in their new facility helped jump start this fitness program.

How many suffer from joint pain and inflammation?  Feel stiff and sore? Deal with lack of circulation, feel tired, depressed or have lack of energy, even have trouble sleeping? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the big question is why are you not getting a massage?!?

Getting a massage is a proven way to reduce some of these issues.  Because we are living longer and keeping much more active, our muscles, joints and bones will develop forms of stiffness, aches and pains.  In addition we start to have limited range of motion or flexibility.  Aging brings about many other conditions that affect our bodies, such as osteoporosis arthritis, back pain and reduction in circulation. Massage therapy cannot cure these issues, but it has been proven to alleviate them.  A good licensed massage therapist can use techniques that focus on areas of the body to gently get to those muscle contractions or knots, making the muscles feel less stiff with more capability to move. 

Feeling down and depressed? Guess what? Getting a massage can actually help improve your mental health.  A regular massage can play an important role in boosting moods by providing that much needed contact.  Sometimes certain oils or creams used in massage therapy are another form of enhancing mood. 

Can’t sleep? Guess what? That’s right a massage can help you sleep better! Massage Therapy has been proven to relax the body, reduce stress and even assist with concentration.  When you get a massage, you can throw away your worries or even think about things as you relax, therefore, not having to think about them when you’re ready for sleep.

So now that you realize how good massage can be follow these helpful tips prior to setting up an appointment:

• Always consult your physician and research your massage therapy options. 
• Look for a therapist who specializes in working with active agers.
• The words gently or soothing in the types of massage descriptions.
• Always get referrals
• Verify that they are licensed.  

The question is not why should I get a massage?  The question should be why not get a massage?

Your community fitness center is more than just group fitness classes, check out our white paper and how you can create a culture of wellness in your community.

Sunshine and summertime is heading our way. With the weather temperatures rising and sunshine beaming down it’s easy to overlook the damaging effects too much sun can have on our health.  You should worry about your sun exposure all year long, not just in the summer months.  Be proactive in your sun protection as the weather warms up and you and your family start spending more time outdoors.  Overlooking the importance of protecting healthy skin can have devastating and lasting effects on not only one’s appearance, but also overall health.  Treat your skin with the care it deserves and stay safe from burns, blisters, and over-exposure with these five simple tips for sun safety.

1. A shot a day! Always apply 1 oz of sunscreen when heading outside for extended periods of time.  Use “broad-spectrum” lotion with a sun protection factor or SPF of 30 or greater. 
2. Apply & Repeat. Be sure to apply sun screen at least 15 minutes prior to heading out in the sun and remember to reapply every 2 hours.  Consider your activities while in the sun.  If you are enjoying some time in the water or dripping from sweat after a hot summer run reapply more frequently.
3. Protect your Eyes.  Sun glasses are to eyes as sun block is to skin.  Don’t just lather up with lotion and be done with it.  Investing in a pair of UV protection sun glasses is vital to your eye health.  Plus, it’s the best way to guarantee optimal vision while playing, riding, running, or relaxing in the sun.
4. Get Dressed to go out in the Sun. So what if its 70 degrees outside, you still need to put some clothes on.  Wear protective clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts, pants, and wide-brimmed hats when expecting to spend a day in the sun.  Unlike sunscreen that wears off in a couple hours, fabric doesn’t just evaporate in the sun.  Dress accordingly to protect your skin!
5. Seek Shade.  Sitting under the shade of a tree or umbrella helps to significantly decrease direct sun exposure.  Although this is one alternative, it is not the only precautionary technique for limiting UV exposure. 

For optimal safety when out in the sun it is best to follow all five tips.  These simple proactive steps could determine how pleasant or miserable your future outdoor adventures are.  Keep that in mind the next time you step outside without adequate skin protection.