Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

Why the NIFS Fitness Pros Love the NuStep

DSC_5849We have talked about the versatility of the NuStep recumbent trainer in senior living both for convenience in the fitness center layout and overall function for the population we serve in this environment. We have also provided great insight in programming a workout on the NuStep recumbent trainer and how you can creatively boost strength, endurance and aerobic function for users. That's why NuStep equipment has been a top choice for senior living communities for over 25 years. And that's why NIFS fitness pros look to NuStep.

Hear from the fitness pros at NIFS on why they love NuStep for their residents.

“We love working with the NuStep because it is an excellent option for all abilities and skill levels. The fact that it is a match for everyone, provides a safe and effective method of exercise makes it a go-to for building strength and endurance in the active aging population” – Josh, Phoenix, AZ

No matter whether you have difficulties with your hips or joints, or have almost any other mobility difficulties, the NuStep can accommodate you. The adjustable resistance level gives all fitness levels a great workout. The hand grips and seat are adjustable to fit an incredible range of individuals in different height and weight ranges. NuStep will help to keep your muscles strong and improve blood circulation throughout your body.” – Kayla, Towson, MD

 “The NuStep is a great piece of exercise equipment when it comes to people with limited range of motion and lack of mobility. The upright posture accompanied with arm and leg movements at the right intensity can prove to be an effective cardiovascular exercise for anyone.” – Davion, Stone Mountain, GA

““I love the NuStep due to how beginner friendly it is for our residents of all ages and backgrounds. The NuStep considers all individuals with varying capabilities when being utilized.” – Michael, Terre Haute, IN

“NuStep is great because it’s easy to use and beginner friendly. Residents love using the NuStep to get their movement in, especially if the treadmill or bike is too difficult.” – Stephanie, Baltimore, MD

“I love the NuStep, because it is very user friendly! The residents are not intimidated by it, like they are with some other equipment. It’s super easy for them to adjust on their own, and they don’t have to press a lot of buttons to get it started.” – Michelle, Baltimore, MD

“Our residents love the NuStep.  It is the most popular piece of equipment in our Fitness Center.  As a fitness professional, I love the features that it offers.  The ability for people to exercise both the upper and lower body.  The ease of getting in and out, the adjustable swivel seat, the familiarity of the equipment as many people transition from rehab to general fitness.  The NuStep gives wonderful back support and is simply a terrific piece of cardiovascular equipment.  You can pump up the resistance and have a challenging workout too!” – Jane, Palm City, FL

“I love the NuStep because it is easily accessible, which is an important factor in a senior living setting. A wide variety of residents can operate the machine safely and get an effective workout as well.” – Adrian, Indianapolis, IN

It’s a no-brainer on why we chose NuStep for Pump it for Parkinson’s as we considered exercise options that would accommodate ranging abilities. This free event will provide education on the benefits of exercise for those living with Parkinson’s during Parkinson’s Awareness Month and communities can engage both their residents and employees together. Whether your participant is a newbie to exercise or very fit, the versality of the NuStep is sure to give them a great workout! We invite your senior living community to join us in this free program to help us achieve our goal of completing a million steps to honor the one million Americans living with Parkinson’s! One location will be the lucky winner of a free NuStep T6 Cross Trainer!

Learn More: Pump It for Parkinson's

Topics: senior living fitness center nifs fitness center management nifs staff Pump It for Parkinson's NuStep

NIFS High Five: Andre McCormack

We say it with pride quite regularly, our amazing staff in corporate and senior living fitness centers are what help us serve our clients so well. Their strong educational background in health and fitness helps us set the bar high while their exceptional creativity and relationship building skills allows them to keep their members engaged and asking what’s coming next. Since we have the privilege of getting to know our staff across the country, we thought our followers might like to as well. Join us monthly as we throw a different NIFS team member a High Five.

  • Name: Andre McCormackAMcCormack
  • City, State: Kalamazoo, MI
  • Years with NIFS: 8 months
  • Position: Fitness Manager
  • What brought you to NIFS: I enjoy working with the active aging population!
  • What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: The most impactful moment so far was when a resident stopped me to tell me that the motivation they consistently received led her to losing 10lbs and helped her get back to the weight she was used to being at. Other moments are similar, I get a big smile on my face whenever I recommend something and the person comes back telling me how much it helped.
  • What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: The difference with a NIFS Fitness Pro is that they have a great ability to adapt and excel with all levels, interests, environments, and situations that may come up.
  • What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: The best part of my role is interacting with the residents. They truly do become a second family to you. Most of the residents are hungry for new knowledge and that creates great discussions on a number of topics. On top of all that, the residents show their appreciation more than any other population and it means the world to know you are doing a great job helping.
  • What motivates you: I want to be able to have an impact on as many people as I can. There truly is nothing better than helping flip the direction of someone’s afternoon, day, week, or better yet…life!
  • What is your favorite hobby: I love to travel to places with amazing sights and love to learn about new cultures, foods, history, and more. In addition, I absolutely LOVE sports. There nothing better than watching or playing in a good competition.

Interested in learning more about our staffing services? Click below for what best fits your needs.

ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS

Topics: nifs fitness management staffing nifs staff

Staff High Five: Kelly Stinnett

We say it with pride quite regularly, our amazing staff in corporate and senior living fitness centers are what help us serve our clients so well. Their strong educational background in health and fitness helps us set the bar high while their exceptional creativity and relationship building skills allows them to keep their members engaged and asking what’s coming next. Since we have the privilege of getting to know our staff across the country, we thought our followers might like to as well. Join us monthly as we throw a different NIFS team member a High Five.

  • KStinnettName: Kelly Stinnett
  • City, State: Terre Haute, IN
  • Years with NIFS: 2.5 years
  • Position: Per Diem Health Fitness Specialist
  • What brought you to NIFS: I was already in the community teaching other exercise classes and I was happy to come on board with NIFS for staff coverage and greater opportunities to grow.
  • What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: I see a lot of little moments as the most impactful "moment" with not just one but a handful of individuals. They appreciate what I do and take the time to walk up after class and say "good job" or "thank you for being here". The majority of members I get to see on a regular basis treat me like a friend and may pop their head into the office just to extend another sincere thank you. These are little things that I cherish and consider most impactful! 
  • What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: The NIFS resources and network allow program managers to bring new, creative, and thoughtful ways to keep incorporating much needed movement and activity into everyone’s lives who are recipients of a NIFS pro.
  • What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: Relationships with members and the wonderful sense of fulfillment I get with this position.
  • What motivates you: Knowing that every exercise class/program provided is creating a better quality of life for members but also for myself as I get to enjoy the exercises and socializing that is so important for aging adults.  
  • What is your favorite hobby: A favorite is hard to choose. Everything outdoors, especially in the sun, would be on the top of the list. Hiking, biking, running; playing with a frisbee, football, or volleyball. Thankfully my husband and step-daughter are the same in this way and whenever we get a chance to take a trip to the park, we pack ALL of the things into the car (even a hammock, book, and guitar), never actually able to do everything, but we have them just in case!
     

    Interested in learning more about our staffing services? Click below for what best fits your needs.

    ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS

Topics: nifs fitness management staffing nifs staff

Staff High Five: Kelsey Devereaux

We say it with pride quite regularly, our amazing staff in corporate and senior living fitness centers are what help us serve our clients so well. Their strong educational background in health and fitness helps us set the bar high while their exceptional creativity and relationship building skills allows them to keep their members engaged and asking what’s coming next. Since we have the privilege of getting to know our staff across the country, we thought our followers might like to as well. Join us monthly as we throw a different NIFS team member a High Five.

  • KDevereauxName: Kelsey Devereaux
  • City, State: Indianapolis, IN
  • Years with NIFS: 6 months
  • Position: Fitness Manager
  • What brought you to NIFS: I was in between jobs and needed to find something more stable. I found the opportunity with NIFS and went for it.
  • What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: Working with the residents in senior living is impactful in itself. They make you want to better yourself no matter where you are in life.
  • What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: The ability to transform into whatever we need to be for our client. 
  • What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: Connecting with members helping them with their fitness and health goals.
  • What motivates you: Being able to share new knowledge of the fitness and health industry to help clients accomplish their goals.
  • What is your favorite hobby: Riding my bike through the woods for a lot of hours.....and petting dogs.

    Interested in learning more about our staffing services? Click below for what best fits your needs.

    ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS

Topics: nifs fitness management staffing nifs staff

Tips from NIFS to Help Your Staffing Struggles

staffDaily headlines remind employers of what they are already feeling with the squeeze to find qualified candidates to fill the record-setting job openings across nearly every industry. And for HR professionals responsible for hiring in senior living or corporate fitness centers, it may already be challenging enough to recognize the necessary skills when hiring a fitness professional who can cultivate the engaging onsite fitness center you desire. In the past couple of months, I have heard from multiple fitness management clients that they are grateful that they are partnered with NIFS to manage their fitness center personnel as its one less department they have to worry about as time, resources and candidate pools are stretched thin with staffing struggles.

It isn’t through luck that NIFS is able to recruit some of the best in the fitness industry to manage our corporate and senior living client fitness centers. We have been recruiting, vetting, and welcoming talented fitness professionals to our team across the country for over three decades. That experience has helped us build a foundation and a reputation that attracts degreed and passionate staff. If you are struggling to hire the right talent to create an engaging fitness space, consider how you might apply these factors in your organization’s hiring practices that have elevated NIFS recruiting efforts:

  1. Create a following: we have a careers page on our website where hundreds of followers have opted in to receive notifications about vacancies NIFS has available across the country. We regularly update our website when a position becomes available and followers receive a notification right in their inbox. Even if they aren’t regularly visiting our website, our position announcements are delivered right to them! In addition, candidates can submit their resume to NIFS to house in our database so we regularly have qualified candidates to comb through as positions become available.
  2. Partner with local universities: doing business in 16 states across the US puts us in proximity to some of the best exercise science and kinesiology programs, many of which are the alma maters to our staff. This has created opportunities for us to attend job fairs and post on university job boards to recruit new grads and more experienced alum. I remember hearing about NIFS in one of my first undergrad classes in the exercise science program at Ball State University (chirp chirp) and NIFS was one of the first employers I looked into upon graduation…and I’ve been here ever since. We recently hired a candidate who told us about admiring the work NIFS does in fitness management from the strong reputation she heard it carry in her master’s program at her university in southern Indiana.
  3. Network of amazing staff: our staff come to us from a variety of backgrounds working in commercial gyms, rehab settings, athletic training, sports performance, nutrition, and health coaching. From that experience brings a broad network of connections to spread the word about NIFS vacancies with former peers, classmates, colleagues, etc… Talent attracts talent and we love when our team helps us find the right fit for a client!

If you are tired of the turnover, lack of coverage support during staff vacations, or simply need time freed in your busy schedule from staffing struggles, contact NIFS for a conversation about fitness management services and let us champion the fitness staffing piece for your employees’ onsite fitness center or for your senior living fitness center.

Finding the right fit may only be half the battle when staff retention also comes into play. We recently had an applicant who works for a senior living community. He shared with us that he’s looking for other work because he feels like he’s on his own and has little connection and support from community personnel. He likes his community and loves his residents, but feels like there is missed opportunity to elevate his program or his own professional growth. We’ve written about networking opportunities for fitness staff before – check out these ideas here! Don’t go through the pains of recruiting, hiring, and training a great candidate just for them to quickly be searching elsewhere. Even though NIFS team is geographically stretched from coast to coast, we are strongly connected. NIFS team member Candace in Virginia recently shared the following with me, “I truly love being a part of the NIFS community, it has absolutely been my favorite company to work for throughout my career. I always feel appreciated with this company.” That is truly music to a director’s ears as loyal and appreciated employees take exceptional care of our clients.

Click below to find out more about our staffing services

Staffing your fitness center with NIFS

Senior Fitness Management Corporate Fitness Management

Topics: nifs fitness center management staffing nifs staff staffing struggles

Staff High Five: Candace Montgomery

We say it with pride quite regularly, our amazing staff in corporate and senior living fitness centers are what help us serve our clients so well. Their strong educational background in health and fitness helps us set the bar high while their exceptional creativity and relationship building skills allows them to keep their members engaged and asking what’s coming next. Since we have the privilege of getting to know our staff across the country, we thought our followers might like to as well. Join us monthly as we throw a different NIFS team member a High Five.

  • CMontgomeryName: Candace Montgomery
  • City, State: Newport News, VA
  • Years with NIFS: 2 years
  • Position: Fitness and  Vibrance Director
  • What brought you to NIFS: Originally in the Health Fitness Specialist position and wanted to expand my career in fitness.
  • What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: When working with a member for an extended period of time and they truly begin to see the results of their hard work, whether that be improved balance, gained strength, etc., it is always rewarding for me when they have that confidence boost!
  • What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: A NIFS fitness pro is different from the rest because of the resources available and upper management that is consistently encouraging their team to be their best for the members. The NIFS team is a great sounding board for crafting innovative programming and how to keep fitness fun!
  • What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: The favorite aspect of my role is interacting with the members and many of them become like extended family members, where they genuinely care about you and your own family. This role provides me with the opportunity to not only build members strength, but also build lasting relationships. It is a truly rewarding career!
  • What motivates you: I am motivated by son (3yo) as I am always striving to be the best version of myself to set an example for him. Additionally, the members motivate me! I feed off the energy of the residents, especially during exercise class. Nothing keeps me motivated more than having fun and exercising with our members!  
  • What is your favorite hobby: I love doing DIY projects! We recently moved into a new house and my husband and I are constantly doing a new project. Its so much fun being creative and finding new ways to make a space uniquely yours. I watch a lot of Fixer Upper, haha!

     

    Interested in learning more about our staffing services? Click below for what best fits your needs.

    ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS

Topics: nifs fitness management staffing nifs staff

Staff High Five: Tara VanNess

TVanNessWe say it with pride quite regularly, our amazing staff in corporate and senior living fitness centers are what help us serve our clients so well. Their strong educational background in health and fitness helps us set the bar high while their exceptional creativity and relationship building skills allows them to keep their members engaged and asking what’s coming next. Since we have the privilege of getting to know our staff across the country, we thought our followers might like to as well. Join us monthly as we throw a different NIFS team member a High Five.

  • Name: Tara VanNess
  • City, State: Indianapolis, IN
  • Years with NIFS: 5 months
  • Position: Fitness Center Manager
  • What brought you to NIFS: I was seeking a position to expand my experience in the health and exercise field.
  • What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: Connecting and working with a member that had a relatable injury from a past. It was easy to relate with her and share my experience of areas I could have rehabilitated better or different tools for success. Additionally, reconnected with a previous member who was a patient at my old job, before NIFS. He is hilarious and we constantly connect over his many injuries and training habits.
  • What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: I believe it is our ability to not only train but educate our members regarding our field. We can identify the reasoning behind why we have our members train a specific way or feedback on their training.
  • What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: The ability to build relationships with members. I get to see some of the same faces everyday and connect daily on what’s new in either of our lives. Lastly, I love learning something new every day such as various training styles, traveling, engineering, education, news, etc.
  • What motivates you: Personally, this question is heavily dependent on what goal I’m striving to achieve. However, as for as work the members and my co-workers are what motivate me to do my best and show up with a positive attitude.    
  • What is your favorite hobby: Currently, it is an outdoor light competition in my neighborhood for the holidays. On a regular basis, it’s spending time outdoors exploring with my dogs and boyfriend.
     

    Interested in learning more about our staffing services?  Click below for what best fits your needs.

    ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS

Topics: nifs fitness management staffing nifs staff

Staff High Five: Angelica Patterson

We say it with pride quite regularly, our amazing staff in corporate and senior living fitness centers are what help us serve our clients so well. Their strong educational background in health and fitness helps us set the bar high while their exceptional creativity and relationship building skills allows them to keep their members engaged and asking what’s coming next. Since we have the privilege of getting to know our staff across the country, we thought our followers might like to as well. Join us monthly as we throw a different NIFS team member a High Five.

  • APattersonName: Angelica Patterson
  • City, State: Stone Mountain, GA
  • Years with NIFS: 6 years
  • Position: Fitness Center Manager
  • What brought you to NIFS: a former co-worker who worked for NIFS   
  • What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: During the program Personal Fitness Quest, I worked with a member for 6 weeks straight and to watch the improvement was amazing. Someone who started out needing a wheel chair after recovering from a fall all the way up to walking without assistance while improving overall balance.
  • What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: Their attention detail when it comes to bringing value to different communities.
  • What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: Building relationships with the members, as well as helping in the professional development of the Health Fitness Specialist role. 
  • What motivates you: My family motivates me, I was taught at in early age that with anything you do you want to try your best as well as its not never too late to improve. 
  • What is your favorite hobby: Cheering on my favorite team the Philadelphia Eagles "Fly Eagles Fly".

    Interested in learning more about our staffing services? Click below for what best fits your needs.

    ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS

Topics: nifs fitness management staffing nifs staff

Staff High Five: Keith Ledbetter

We say it with pride quite regularly, our amazing staff in corporate and senior living fitness centers are what help us serve our clients so well. Their strong educational background in health and fitness helps us set the bar high while their exceptional creativity and relationship building skills allows them to keep their members engaged and asking what’s coming next. Since we have the privilege of getting to know our staff across the country, we thought our followers might like to as well. Join us monthly as we throw a different NIFS team member a High Five.

  • KLedbetterName: Keith Ledbetter
  • City, State: Indianapolis, IN
  • Years with NIFS: 12 years
  • Position: Corporate Fitness Manager
  • What brought you to NIFS: I completed my internship with NIFS. I liked the NIFS model and how we are able to deliver our outstanding services to our clients and members. There are other ways of doing what we do, I think our way is the best.  
  • What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: There are many moments that stick out in my mind, from people who achieved a large amount of weight loss to people who recovered from surgery, and gaining confidence after some traumatic life events and achieving their goals. The one that stick with me the most is when a member came down and started with NIFS PFQ program, then transitioned in to one of those “group fitness people.” She continued to see results and became the ignition point for the rest of her family to change some habits and get healthier too.  
  • What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: Curiosity. This trait is expressed in trying to find new ways to deliver programs, exercises, or new classes to our members. Furthermore, curiosity is expressed by asking how will this new thing help my people. We are able to take in all of these “tools” and apply them in the most appropriate way to the correct group of people.
  • What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: My people.
  • What motivates you: My members, I want to deliver what they are asking for in the best way for them. That keeps me looking and trying to find the wrinkle in the wellness world that will connect with them.
  • What is your favorite hobby: I have a few different hobbies, I like to garden, cook, bake, and some low level home DIY (floating shelves, tiling, what the wife sees on Pinterest and what I figure I can’t make it worse by trying). The through line of these hobbies being challenging myself and figuring out how to do something new.   

     

    Interested in learning more about our staffing services? Click below for what best fits your needs.

    ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS

Topics: nifs fitness management staffing nifs staff

Staff High Five: Charles Bartlett

We say it with pride quite regularly, our amazing staff in corporate and senior living fitness centers are what help us serve our clients so well. Their strong educational background in health and fitness helps us set the bar high while their exceptional creativity and relationship building skills allows them to keep their members engaged and asking what’s coming next. Since we have the privilege of getting to know our staff across the country, we thought our followers might like to as well. Join us monthly as we throw a different NIFS team member a High Five.

  • CBartlettName: Charles Bartlett
  • City, State: Atlanta, GA
  • Years with NIFS: 3 years
  • Position: Health Fitness Specialist
  • What brought you to NIFS: If we are being honest, Indeed.com literally brought me to NIFS.
  • What is the most impactful moment you have shared with a member: My most impactful moment was fairly recent. I am working with a client right now who has worked harder than anyone I have had previously, and has been very consistent with her appointments with me (she has even helped me get additional clients). She has continued to improve and can now stand up with out pushing off of her legs. It has taken several months, but it is a real success story.
  • What separates a NIFS fitness pro from the rest: A full time NIFS employee working in a senior living community will always have an advantage over other franchise gym employees simply because of the challenges they face. Every age related chronic condition will be a factor in your daily routines and programming. NIFS employees also aren’t forced to adhere to a sales goal of PT and memberships. You can actually do what you’re supposed to do as a fitness professional, build stronger bodies and instill confidence,  without pressuring and harassing gym patrons with “deals or packages”.
  • What is your favorite thing about working at your client site: My favorite thing about my role is that I get to help those who genuinely want and need help.
  • What motivates you: My motivation is knowing that I actually get paid for something that I love to do. And that’s help others better themselves physically and mentally.
  • What is your favorite hobby: Travelling, Cooking, exercising and watching college football are my favorite hobbies.

Interested in learning more about our staffing services? Click below for what best fits your needs.

ACTIVE AGING   |   CORPORATE FITNESS

Topics: nifs fitness management nifs staff