Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

You wake up one day, and something feels "off." You helped your friend move into their new apartment yesterday, so you expect to be a little sore. As you take your first step out of bed, a jolt of electricity shoots up your leg, and your knee buckles. You stay down on your bad knee, staring at the ground in shock. It's happening.

I call this the "Awakening." Simply put, you are realizing that your body is feeling the wear and tear of life to this point. It’s that realization that at 40 years old, you shouldn't move through life like you're 20. The point at which an individual becomes self-aware of these aches and pains varies from person to person. Some people don’t have substantial damage to their body and can probably make it well past their 20s before being bothered. My experience, like a lot of other athletes I've talked to, is one where we start to feel the damage a bit earlier than expected. It's like a car that is supposed to be driven ten thousand miles a year but is instead driven twenty thousand. The good part of the awakening process is that it is your call to action!

Awareness is often the first step in meaningful change. If we can acknowledge that we aren’t getting any younger and that our bodies are going to break down as we age, we can start to put a plan together to at least slow down the process. I am a firm believer that movement is medicine, so in the rest of this post, I will address fitness regarding aging. Here are three key principles to help you combat the wear and tear on the body as you age through health and fitness:

1. Warmups and Mobility Work Are Your Best Friends
   Just as a newer car can heat up quickly, an older car might need a few minutes to warm up. The same applies to our bodies. If I went to play soccer without warming up like I was a teenager, I would need a stretcher back to my car. Be sure to include a solid dynamic warmup before any form of exercise. Mobility drills, especially for the shoulders and ankles, can also really help with injury prevention and aging gracefully.
2. Be Honest with Yourself
   You wake up and look in the mirror every day. For the most part, we all can at least generalize what fitness level we are at. If I had a scale of 1-5, with 5 being a professional athlete-caliber workout, why would I try those at level 1? Be real with yourself and scale the intensity and exercise selection to your current fitness level.
3. Consistency Is the End Goal
   From my experience working at a retirement community, the people who were in the best physical condition at seventy-plus years old were those who got their exercise in daily. Whether it was group fitness, individual time on the stationary bike, or walking the dog, they made sure to make it work for them. Consistency trumps all because it will allow the body to build strength and resiliency to combat the inevitable weakening that comes with time.

While becoming aware of one’s own limitations may seem discouraging, a slight shift in perspective can help. Imagine having the freedom to move through life without restriction. Ultimately, I believe we desire freedom. Our body is something we have control over, so take matters into your hands and liberate your future self today.

Beginning in the early stages of life, everyone is told to drink water, water, and more water. With everyone instructing individuals to consume more water, what are some methods to increase our water intake? Staying hydrated is vital for the human body to continue to perform activities that we wish to engage in. The human body is roughly fifty percent water, which may emphasize the instruction to consume more water even more than before. We are going to discuss three tips to increase the overall consumption of water so that everyone can reach their desired goals. I encourage you to implement one of the three tips and analyze whether your daily water intake increased. To determine that optimal amount of water your body may need daily, reach out to your primary physician for guidance.

Three tips that may help in increasing water consumption:

• Flavored Water – Drinking plain water on a consistent basis may result in an individual getting “bored” of drinking water. A fantastic method to increasing water intake may be to invest in flavored water. Depending on the individual, the individual may want to change the flavor of water they consume daily or even weekly. This is a method to keep your choice of water nice and fresh to stay consistent. As an example, an induvial may desire to consume “grape” flavored water one week and then the next week, they may want to consume “lemon” flavored water.
• Utilizing a Labeled Water Bottle – Water bottles made via certain companies include reminders on the side of bottles regarding the time of the day. As an individual consumes water, the bottle will have the next time slot with the recommended amount of water to have consumed by that time in the day. As an example, one water bottles with labeling may encourage an individual to consume 16 ounces of water by 9:00 AM. This method has become popular for many individuals as the importance of water intake continues to grow across the nation.
• Reminders – Utilizing technology in the form of smart phones or smart computers, an individual has the capability to set electronic reminders throughout the day to consume water. This is an alternative method available in the event an individual does not have a labeled water bottle as previously discussed. With this method, individuals also have the capacity to set the amount of water to consume daily at their own desired pace throughout the day. This method is perfect for individuals who want to be in complete control regarding the management of their water intake.

Which of the three tips will you continue to practice, add, or share with a friend? Let’s all stay hydrated together!

A vacation is great to “get away from it all.” It is up to you if that includes your normal exercise routine. Most of the research indicates that one week off from exercising will not take away from the progress you have made. In some instances, a week off can increase your performance by allowing lingering injuries time to heal. More than one week off can lead to declines in cardiovascular and muscular ability. During your vacation take these steps to not lose the progress you have made.

Staying active is the best way to avoid losses in physical ability. This does not have to be the same intensity as your usual workout, all movement counts. Try to do something most days of the week, it can be as simple as taking a walk or playing beach games with family and friends. If you are wanting to keep your progress and do not have access to a gym, set a goal for the week. For example, on the first day of vacation see how many pushups you can do in a row. Every day after that try to increase that number. Do the same thing for the number of squats you can do.

Stay mindful of what you eat. A couple of nice meals are a great change of pace. Try to limit the number unhealthy snacks. Extra salt and sugar are known to increase water retention and add extra pounds. Keeping your diet in check will make it easier to get back into the routine when returning from vacation.

Your vacation is a great get away but that does not mean you have to abandon all things fitness. Plan and you will be able to rest recover and set yourself up for the next round of post vacation goals.

3 tips to keeping active on your summer vacation:

1. Explore new places. Renting kayaks is a great upper body and core workout. If water isn't your think, climbing to the top of a lighthouse will engage leg muscles you may not have used in a while.  
2. Keep it simple. Bodyweight exercises like pushups and squats are great to keep the muscles moving.
3. Make it Fun. Play games, incorporate family and friends, bring a ball and be a kid again.

On the Go Workout:

20-minute get moving routine

Speed walk 5 minutes

10 Squats

10 Standing knee raises per leg

10 Pushups (incline pushups on a bench)

10 Triceps dips (on bench)

Repeat 2-3 times

Are you striving to accomplish a new health goal this new year? Whether it is eating healthier, exercising more, or beginning a new health routine, you will need to create habits to help you achieve your goal. When deciding on which habits you want to form heading into the new year, you may want to first consider WHAT a habit is. A habit is a behavior that is repeated on a regular basis whether it is an action, routine, or lifestyle and often we don’t even think about it.

So, why do you want to form that habit? How will it help you accomplish your health goals? Finding the motivation to form healthy habits can sometimes be the most challenging part of accomplishing that New Year’s Resolution you’ve been promising yourself. To be successful in forming that healthy habit, you first need to understand what motivates you and how that will impact the outcome. To find your motivations, first ask yourself:

What are you motivated by internally and externally?

• External Motivations:
  • Seeing physical results – weight, circumferences, toned muscles, mileage
  • Paying for a service to help you in achieving your goals
  • Receiving a discount for striving to be healthy – going to the gym, attaining healthy lab results
• Internal Motivations:
  • Boosting your confidence and feeling good about yourself
  • Feeling better – more energy, stronger, healthier

Every individual is motivated differently. We can identify those external motivators easily, but really homing in on the internal motivators will help you stay on track and maintain motivation for longer. On the days that motivation might be hard to find, there are a few tips you can follow to really help put your best foot forward towards accomplishing your goals.

• Include Others or Find an Accountability Partner – This will provide not only accountability but a support system as well. You will be more likely to follow through if you know there are others counting on you.
  • Examples: attend group fitness classes, work with a personal trainer, partner up with a friend or family member for workouts, meals, or whatever health habit you are trying to form!
• Visualize Your Success – Imagine what your life will look like once you are following this new health habit.
  • Keeping the positive picture in mind can motivate you to turn that vision into a reality.
• Keep Track of Your Progress – Find a way to track your results so you can visually recognize your hard work.
  • Set up check points for yourself to create accountability.
  • Celebrate your successes and reflect on your setbacks.
• Be Patient and Give Yourself Grace – Remember that changes take time and not every day will be full of huge strides forward.
  • Embrace the changes and be patient with your results.
  • Recognize the little wins each day that you work towards forming a new health habit.

 Finding motivation to form new health habits can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. Keep the above tips in mind, and your chances of success will improve. This is your year; share your habit you are focusing on in the comments!

Do you drink enough water throughout the day? The body and all of the systems in it require a certain level of water to preform everyday activities. Staying hydrated can help move waste out, maintain a normal body temperature, and cushion your joints. Here are six tips to make sure you stay hydrated throughout the day.   

Carry a water bottle. A reusable water bottle is a fantastic way to increase fluid intake while reducing plastic waste. You are going to be more likely to drink water if you have it with you than you would if the water fountain was right down the hall. A water bottle makes water readily available to you whenever you feel thirsty. You could even personalize your water bottle to make it an accessory, like a purse or watch.  

Add flavor. I get it, water can be bland, flavorless, and not all water tastes the same. Give your water a touch of flavor by adding produce. There are water bottles that are made for fruit infusions! Citrus fruits, berries, cucumbers, mint, or rosemary added to your water can bring delicious flavors to your drink. Water flavoring packets like crystal light or electrolyte water additives can be a low-calorie way to add flavor to your water. You will be more likely to drink it if the water is not bland. 

Make it part of your routine. Become attached to your water bottle just like a cellphone. When you wake up in the morning, grab your water bottle and take a drink. You can add sips of water into your day after something you do often throughout your day. If you answer phones all day, take a sip of water after you hang up. This will become a habit if you stick to it. Soon you will catch yourself taking a drink of water because your desk neighbor’s phone rang. Just remember to refill the bottle when it is empty.

Alternate your drinks. You do not have to give up your juice, smoothie, coffee, or favorite tea. These drinks do have water in them although not enough to keep you hydrated. Try having a glass of water the next time you go to fill up you cup. A cup of water every other drink can help keep you hydrated without you craving tea or juice later. This method can also help you cut back on the caffeine and sugar intake. 

Eat your water. Hydration does not always come from drinking water. Certain fruits and vegetables contain high levels of water that can aid in hydration. Melons, cucumber, apples, lettuce, and others can help keep you hydrated if eaten throughout the day. When drinking water gets bland or you are in the mood for a healthy snack, give fruits and vegetables with high water contents a try.

Try sparkling water. If soda has become the first thing you reach for when you are thirsty, then flat water is not going to appeal to you. Switch out your soda for a can of sparkling water to quench your thirst. Sparkling water has less sugar and less calories than soda. Regular water does not contain the carbonation your body is so used to from drinking soda. Sparkling water contains that carbonation and comes in different flavors to satisfy your thirst while keeping your taste buds happy.

Have you wanted to create a healthier lifestyle, but don’t quite know how to get there? Maybe you have tried before, but haven’t been able to stick to your goals? Or life has thrown you a curveball (hello COVID-19 lockdowns) and you got knocked off track. It can be hard to keep yourself motivated to make good decisions every single day. Instead of relying on self-discipline to make these changes, studies have found that taking those healthy goals and turning them into habits might be the most efficient way to enact the changes you want to see! Do you have any habits you want to add to your routine?

• First things first, start slowly! No matter how good your goal is, no matter how much you want to achieve it, working slowly helps ensure your new habit will stick. All behavior change comes with its highs and lows but working slowly helps keep you from losing your focus when things get hard. Embrace each level of success when developing a new healthy habit!
• Be sure your goal is clearly defined. Did you lose your exercise routine during the COVID-19 pandemic and now want to exercise more? Exercising more is a vague goal. You’re more likely to make progress towards your goal if you have a clear goal post. Think about how often and what kind of exercising you want to do.
• Break goals into smaller, more actionable steps. Creating a new habit can be intimidating. See if there is way to reduce your goal into smaller pieces. Maybe exercising more means you need to start with staying hydrated. Start carrying a water bottle around with you, so you’re reminded to drink water throughout the day. I like to make a pitcher of fruit infused water and leave it in my fridge, so I always have a refreshing drink at hand! As you adjust to these new, small habits, you can move on to the next step towards your goal.
• Try to make it easy for yourself! Decrease the barriers that slow you down, so good habits can become automatic. Do you find it hard to get up and go to a morning exercise class? Try lying out your workout clothes before you go to sleep. When you wake up, you know you’ve already committed to going to your exercise class, so it’s easier to get up and go.
• Give yourself cues to remind you of your new healthy behavior. Are you trying to add lateral exercises to your daily routine? Habit stacking is a great way to incorporate new behaviors. If you make coffee every morning, you can stand at the counter and take lateral steps back and forth while your coffee brews. That way you are working towards your larger goal of exercising more without even having to think about it.
• Get a friend on it with you. Having a partner to help encourage you to reach your goals can help them become that much easier to reach.

New habits are hard to form; that’s a part of life. Keep going and set yourself up for success. Healthy behaviors don’t have to be about will power. Take the effort out of healthy living and make healthy lifestyle decisions into habits. What new healthy choices are you working towards making a habit?

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.

Do you remember your childhood? I’m sure most of us can say we were pretty active as children and looking back we can see how important that was for our continued physical well-being. Without the distractions from electronics and television options, what else could we do but get up and move? We all know that kids should be active, but when kids want to go beyond traditional activities like riding bikes and playing tag, how can we safely challenge them? Check out the exercise descriptions below to get started with your kids. We've also provided a video at the end of the blog that you can use to start family workouts at home.

Planking: What better way to challenge your kids than by asking them how long they can hold a plank? Start with elbows and toes on the ground, keep your back straight, abs tight, and all in one straight line. Body should be parallel to the ground. Strengthen core, upper body, and even lower body by starting with a 30-second plank.

Squats: Squats are just like sitting down in a chair, so if your kids have nailed that, they can get the hang of a squat. With feet shoulder width apart, slowly bend the knees as if you are sitting down on a box or chair. Make sure the knees don’t extend past the toes when lowering down into the squat position. Aim for 15-20 reps to start. Add a hop at the end for a little extra challenge!

Pushups: This is another exercise to test overall body strength. Start from a straight-arm plank position and bending at the elbows, slowly lower the chest to the ground. Make sure the body lowers as one unit versus a form that looks like “the worm."  Aim for 15-20 repetitions. Drop your knees to the ground if a modification is needed. 

Lunges: All legs here! Take a step forward with one leg and slowly lower the back knee down towards the ground. Step forward back to beginning position and switch legs. Make sure the front knee doesn’t extend past your toe, and that the chest stays upright. Shoot for 20 lunges to start, but make sure your form doesn’t weaken as you increase the repetitions.

Burpees: The ultimate test! If you really want to challenge your kids and maybe expend some of that extra energy, ask them to do a few burpees. These will really get the heart racing. Start by squatting down, putting the hands on the ground and either hopping or walking the feet back to a high plank position. Add the optional pushup from here and then walk or hop the feet back up towards the hands, followed by a hop straight up in the air. That, my friends, is one burpee. Shoot for 5-10 burpees and see how they feel. Increase repetitions as strength and endurance improve. 

Repeat all for a challenge!

If you've been considering a New Year’s resolution, "starting a regular exercise program" may have been on your list.  And why not? Starting an exercise program is a healthy choice that can help you feel better physically, mentally and even emotionally. In this blog we'll discuss four simple fitness tips that can help you stay on track with becoming more active.

First, start with an exercise plan and write it down on your calendar. This simple step of asking yourself to make a commitment can provide a regular reminder to keep you on track with your schedule and goals.  Ask yourself a few questions before solidifying your plan to ensure your fitness routine is maintained.

When and how will I exercise? Reserving the same time to exercise on a weekly basis will ensure you make your new fitness program a priority. Make sure the times to exercise are suitable for you and can be repeated without interruption. Choose activities you will enjoy to increase the likelihood that you'll keep coming back to your routine.  If you think exercising alone might make it hard to stick to your plan, then consider group fitness classes. Also, be realistic about your capabilities. If you can only exercise for 10-15 minutes then work within that time frame.  Some movement is better than none.

[Read More: 4 Fast Exercises For When You're In A Hurry]

Let's talk about some tips for ensuring success, staying on track and most of all making sure you continue to enjoy your healthy choices. Exercise doesn't have to be a pain or a nuisance. If you can find enjoyable activities, set reasonable goals you're much more likely to succeed and make this a lifestyle change, not just a New Year's resolution. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you go. 

Slow and steady wins the race. See your resolution as a lifestyle changer. You will be less likely to continue in the long-term if you are too hard on yourself and increase the intensity without proper preparation. Starting off with a low intensity program for only 10 minutes a session, 3 times a week is a good way to prevent injuries, avoid burnout and make your new routine a healthy habit. Keep your eyes on the prize and only worry about your capabilities. Comparing yourself to others physical abilities may discourage you and we all had to start somewhere!

Set the bar low (at least initially). When creating a healthy resolution focused on adopting regular exercise, set a goal that isn't focused on body weight. Becoming regularly active isn't an end game; it's a lifestyle choice and your goals should reflect that.  Life is busy and things happen that may modify our exercise program throughout the year. Setting a goal such as walking a 10k by June is more achievable than simply focusing on weight. As you feel good striving towards your goal, other achievements will be gained along the way. Remember you can also modify your resolution as long as it’s initially a reasonable expectation.

Bring a friend. Working out with a friend or partner can be the push you need to stay consistent. Consistency is key to achieving your goals and having a friend or partner is added support. Friends keep us accountable, motivated and in some cases a dose of healthy competition!

No matter the goal, remember that a fitness resolution is taking a step in the right direction to improve your quality of life. Keeping your eyes on the prize will reap benefits such as increased energy, healthier bones, and a positive attitude! Cheers to a healthy and active year!

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!