Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

Extra, Extra... Read all about it! The National Institute for Fitness and Sport (NIFS) has been providing Fitness Management Services in senior living communities across the US for over 20 years. In that time, we have hired some of the best professionals in the business catering to the health and fitness needs of older adults and developing great content and programs to enrich the lives of residents. We see the benefits of empowering seniors with education and choices for safe exercise to champion their health and we are proud to partner with communities who make resident wellness a priority.

At the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) Conference this week in Raleigh, North Carolina, we were thrilled to unveil a new service to senior living providers making NIFS expertise more accessible to more communities with NIFS Wellness Companion! For the first time, communities can take advantage of a subscription-based service to receive NIFS expert content and programs to enhance their lifestyle programming.

Residents have been loving our content and programs written by our team of senior fitness specialist and registered dietitians for decades. If wellness is a priority for your organization, NIFS now has more solutions to support your community either through our professional staffing in Fitness Management or by your own wellness champion having an array of fitness, nutrition, and health-focused content and programs at their fingertips every month with NIFS Wellness Companion.

As communities have experienced the ease of participating in free events with us the past couple of years with Pump it for Parkinson’s, it’s left many asking, “Do you sell any of your programs because this was so easy to implement, and our residents loved it?” While NIFS Wellness Companion won’t be the full arsenal of NIFS programs and services, it does infuse a level of professionalism, consistency, and creativity into the monthly programs and education communities provide their residents without the frustration of trying to brainstorm what to do, or more importantly finding the time to sit down and develop the content. We know residents thrive on consistency and fitness coordinators, lifestyle directors or life enrichment directors will have the convenience of expertly curated content at their fingertips to plug into their monthly calendars and resident engagement apps.

According to a recent survey by the ICAA, 90% of CEOs in the senior living sector believe that providing wellness programming is vital for business growth. Current residents are engaging more than ever before, and prospective residents are making decisions on where they choose to move based on wellness offerings that will help them live independently for as long as possible. With NIFS Wellness Companion, communities can demonstrate their commitment to supporting resident wellness by partnering with a national organization who specializes in senior fitness.

As a nonprofit organization with a mission rooted in enhancing healthy living through the lifespan, we are thrilled that Wellness Companion will help us reach more seniors with education and exercise options to help them live well while making the jobs of busy wellness professionals that much easier!

Want to learn more about our new subscription-based service, Wellness Companion? Click below for more information!

Every senior living community offers group fitness classes.  If you want to stand out from the competition, you have to offer more.

Good is no longer good enough.

So much in senior living is evolving, except for fitness.  The fitness industry itself is evolving, and rapidly, but many communities aren’t progressing to adopt new exercise equipment for older adults, updated staff-led services that increase resident participation, or smart data from the fitness program that can inform future decision making.

What about your community?  It’s likely that you are offering at least some group fitness classes that the residents choose from each week.  These classes in senior living, especially formats that specifically address balance training or brain health, are a must for any senior living community.  There’s a decent chance that your residents love their group instructors, and the report from your life enrichment director probably notes that the classes are well-attended and well-liked.

There’s also a strong likelihood that you haven’t looked closely at your exercise program recently as a place where the community could position itself as a leader in your market.  Good is no longer good enough.  Good is a starting point; it doesn’t mean the exercise program for your members is complete. 

It’s time to do more than group fitness.

When prospective residents walk into your community for a tour, they see a welcoming, warm lobby area with social nooks for sharing a cup of coffee and the latest gossip or viral YouTube video.  On the tour, you show them contemporary dining venues with menus that make their mouths water. You talk about updated apartments, technology tools that help them stay connected to their family and the larger community.   

As the tour progresses through the community, you eventually arrive at the exercise room. (Or maybe you skip the exercise area because it doesn’t contribute positively to the lifestyle you’re selling.) And it looks old, maybe like an afterthought. The equipment is donated or dated, the artwork is original to the wall, the small collection of dumbbells have cracked vinyl or rusted edges, and the information on the bulletin boards is no longer current.  Worst of all, it’s a ghost town; no one is in there.

It’s a disconnect for the individuals on the tour.  And while that disconnect is real for your prospects today, it will be even more jarring for future prospects and adult children who are the savviest health consumers we’ve seen to date. Certainly, you can’t update all areas in your community at the same time, and there are many priorities ahead of the fitness space(s).  But that doesn’t mean a revitalization of the exercise program should be entirely off the table. 

You don’t necessarily need massive capital budgets to make improvements in your community fitness center.  And you don’t need to blow your operating budget to provide vibrant exercise-related programming to community.  But if you want to start using elements of your senior living programming to combat someday syndrome at your community, you absolutely have to do more than offer group fitness classes.

Find out how to do better for your residents.

Your prospects expect more than just classes on the calendar, your current residents deserve better, and NIFS can help you get there.  Find out more about how the right staff, the right services and the right equipment can positively and profoundly impact the exercise program you're offering your residents. Click below to find out more.

The National Institute for Fitness and Sport (NIFS) is thrilled to have the support of the Brio Pledge as part of Pump it for Parkinson’s on World Parkinson’s Day! This nationwide event is promoting the benefits for exercise for those living with Parkinson’s Disease and 140+ senior living providers across the US are participating. Brio Living Services has committed a pledge of 60,000 steps on the NuStep Cross Trainers which their communities will track on Tuesday, April 11.

Participating Brio locations will be Chelsea Retirement Community in Chelsea, Michigan, The Cedars of Dexter in Dexter, Michigan, and Porter Hills Village and Cook Valley Estates both in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Communities will enjoy learning more about the second most common, age-related neurodegenerative condition at the Parkinson’s Education Station and employees and residents will be able to contribute steps on the NuStep Cross Trainer to go towards the Brio Pledge. NIFS is grateful for the support and collaboration of all four communities working together towards our larger goal of one million steps. This is a strong example of how not only residents can unite within a community to raise awareness but how a network of communities can unite for an even bigger impact! The Brio Pledge is a testament to the strong leadership in Brio communities and their commitment to creating healthy programming and vibrant living options for their residents.

Nicole Maag is Chief of Residential Services with Brio supported the Pledge! Brio Living Services is delighted to join the National Institute for Fitness and Sport (NIFS) and NuStep to celebrate Pump it for Parkinson’s on April 11. NIFS is a valued partner of Brio, providing wellness instruction for our residents at Chelsea Retirement Community, Cook Valley Estates, The Cedars of Dexter, and Porter Hills Village. Our residents and team members are honored to join in NIFS’ challenge of one million steps for the one million people in the U.S. who are living with Parkinson’s Disease. We hope to promote awareness for the important benefits of exercise for all of us as we age.

NIFS Fitness Manager Tyler Forbes is pumped for the event at his communities! On behalf of the fitness department here at Porter Hills Village and Cook Valley Estates we are beyond thrilled to team up and participate in the upcoming Pump it for Parkinson's event. We see the value in overall awareness of this disease and how support for those dealing with it can make such a huge impact. We are ready to ROCK!

NIFS Fitness Manager Tylene Costello has big plans for a successful event! Chelsea Retirement Community is very excited to participate because it has brought our AL, IL, memory care, and rehabilitation areas together to collaborate on this program.  We have the same goal which is to bring awareness of the benefits of exercise for those suffering from Parkinson’s.  This will be a fun way for our residents and team members to exercise in this social assembly.

NIFS Assistant Director Lindsay Knox was honored to help The Cedars of Dexter plan! The beauty of Pump it for Parkinson’s is how creative we can be to make it fun for the residents and fit the needs of the community. I can’t wait to see what the residents at The Cedars of Dexter accomplish!

NIFS wishes Brio communities the best of luck for a successful and fun event with your residents and employees and we thank you for participating!

If you are an operator or network of communities looking for a collaborative event, competition, or challenge to unite your communities and spark engagement, contact the senior wellness pros at NIFS Fitness Management.

I recently had a resident from one of our client sites in Illinois contact me wanting to know which senior living communities in greater-Indianapolis NIFS was partnered with as she would soon be relocating to be closer to her daughter. She wanted to refine her search to communities where NIFS was similarly providing a robust health and fitness program to what she had come to experience in her current community. She had done some exploring on her own and quickly recognized that communities simply having an onsite fitness center with some weekly exercise classes did not measure up for her.

Think about that for just a minute, she was making visits to communities and spending time on websites; a fitness center walk-thru during a tour or clicking on some pictures of amenities on a website were not showing her enough. This informed consumer understood the value and distinction of a professionally managed fitness program and she wanted to narrow her focus to where she knows NIFS helps communities deliver on their brand promise of supporting residents in living well. A couple of observations on her part that she loved about her NIFS program:

• Amazing Staff: she commented on how much she enjoys and appreciates the knowledgeable and degreed NIFS staff at her community. She shared how much she valued the relationship with the staff and the creative and engaging ways they keep her motivated.
• Robust Programming: she loves a good challenge and finds that NIFS exercise challenges, incentives and educational programs keep her motivated. She likes the regular schedule of NIFS initiatives and is always asking what’s next!

Community leadership or life enrichment staff in senior living communities might not even see the distinction the way this resident does. After all, fitness is only component of an overall wellness program and/or community to operate. Or perhaps you are thinking other seniors wouldn’t make such an astute observation in a fitness program.

When NIFS first begins staffing services at a community and offering creative programs to engage residents, one of the common pieces of feedback we hear from clients is, “We didn’t even know what we were missing or that you would be able to get as many different residents engaged.” They knew they wanted to do better when bringing us in, but how quickly we’d make an impact regularly takes them by surprise. It’s always one of our favorite moments in a client relationship!

Here are a couple of examples of that program growth at NIFS client locations:

In particular, take a look at the Total Members, Classes Offered/Month and Class Participants/Month. There are not a significant number of new classes added to the calendar at either community but through our ability to recruit and engage more residents in the fitness program, overall class participation increased by 46% across these two communities. If you think your group fitness participation is strong now, how would it look with an increase of almost 50%? What about a 34% increase in the number of one-on-one appointments conducted during the month? What kind of message would that participation convey to current and prospective residents? Is that a distinction your community needs?

This holds true with many residents as well. Once they see and experience the distinction, the fitness program becomes one of their biggest areas of pride in the community and something they vocally champion to visitors, guests and family members. Over a decade ago when I was still managing a NIFS fitness center, it was always interesting to hear the oohs and ahhs of guests of residents who joined them for a class or came into the fitness center to exercise with them. They would often tell me how it compared to the fitness center in the community in which they lived or in comparison to the resources available to them aging in place at home. Again, they had to experience it to see the distinction.

Perhaps it’s time to evaluate the quality of your wellness program to discover opportunities for your community to create distinction in the active lifestyle of your residents. It may also be time to consider your marketing message and how you are positioning your fitness program with prospects.

Evaluate the quality of your wellness program, download our quick read below!

With NIFS non-profit mission rooted in research and helping people age successfully through the lifespan, we are excited to support a new research study from Johnson and Johnson, in collaboration with Apple. Heartline is a heart health study for individuals 65+ with the goal of helping participants understand and directly engage in their heart health and improve health outcomes.

As NIFS is currently partnered with dozens of senior living communities across the country and our residents love to learn about a variety of health topics, current research, and trending technology, we reached out to Heartline to learn more. What we discovered is that NIFS is uniquely positioned within the senior living industry to help support this study while also inspiring our residents with their desire to learn, contribute and be active.

Check out the website at www.heartline.com/NIFS as they do a great job describing the intentions of the study and how to get involved. Anyone residing in the US who is 65+ with an iPhone 6s or later and who has Medicare coverage is eligible to participate. Hello huge boomer population, we are talking to you! You don’t have to be personally invited or residing within a senior living community to get involved. If you meet the criteria above, you can visit the website to get started.

Here are a few things that I took away from our first discussion together that I really liked about Heartline and the helpful folks from Johnson and Johnson.

• Ease of use: The study first launched in early 2020 giving them opportunity to gather user feedback on the Heartline app. If we were to introduce the study to our members, we knew that many would have questions on the ease of participating and using their iPhone or Apple watch. The Heartline app is in the app store and is currently rated at 4.6 stars with many positive reviews on not only how easy it is to participate but how individuals have increased their physical activity levels as a result of participating. Win #1.
• Participant perks: By joining the study, individuals are not only contributing to medical research but they receive heart health education and have an opportunity to earn rewards. Again, reading some of the reviews within the Heartline app is a great showcase of how beneficial some participants have found the educational aspect to be in making positive lifestyle choices. Win #2.
• Getting started: The knowledgeable team members from Johnson and Johnson made it easy for NIFS to get started in promoting Heartline by providing us with marketing collateral to help spread the word to our members. Not only did they provide flyers and newsletter article content we could use, but they helped us tailor it in a way that aligns with our messaging to our members while meeting their standards. Win #3.

NIFS is now promoting the Heartline study within the fitness centers we manage in senior living communities to be an advocate of research, heart health and technology in the realm of physical activity and older adults. You can be an advocate too by sharing the website with local senior centers, senior living communities, church groups, or the seniors in your life.

The individualized exercise prescription continues to be a strong driver of resident engagement in fitness programming in the senior living communities we serve. The approach is highly personalized and we have helped residents prepare for vacations with the grandkids, train for an upcoming golf season, focus on balance training, and condition for mountain hiking trips. The unique motivations for residents to begin or adapt their exercise routine are always inspiring. I have been working in fitness in the senior living industry for almost 20 years and the resident success stories we hear never get old and always bring a smile to my face. Hearing about individuals reclaiming their independence, achieving new goals, and gaining confidence is powerful and we are fortunate to work in a field that allows us to play a role in these accomplishments.

I had the pleasure of receiving the following feedback from Ashlie Burnett, our client contact at the Heritage at Brentwood in Brentwood, Tennessee this fall regarding our fitness manager, Tim Parrott and his work with a resident.

“Earlier today I walked past the Group Exercise Studio and noticed a resident was dancing with Tim. (Not actively, but Tim was present and nearby.) In conversation, I asked Tim and he said this resident has started and stopped a fitness routine every few months. He finally asked her specific goals and she said to dance. He decided to turn her exercise prescription into dance! Tim said after dancing for a couple of minutes she loosens up and her balance improves slightly. This is such a great example of functional fitness! Tim is a great addition to The Heritage and resource for residents.”     – Ashlie

According to resident Mrs. Nona Jane Kroha on her exercise prescription, “It has given me an impetus to move forward!”

NIFS active aging staff across the country provided a focus on self-care programming for the senior living residents we serve with an emphasis on a variety of avenues to practice gratitude. While 2020 may have left us feeling restricted with so many variables outside of our control, practicing gratitude as a component of a well-rounded self-care routine empowered residents to reflect on the positive aspects in their life and enhance their well-being. After all, research has proven that people who practice gratitude show more positive emotions, demonstrate more kindness, and even have stronger immune systems.

Here’s a little bit what our staff are reporting from those offerings:

NIFS Wellness Director, Candace - Newport News, Virginia

“We provided an Emotional Wellness Presentation focusing on education and self-care practices to enhance emotional well-being. Residents were very thankful for this presentation as most have felt their mental health has suffered during COVID-19. We also hosted a Gratitude Workshop where residents created Gratitude Pumpkins. They wrote all of the things they are thankful for on the pumpkin. They were also given “gratitude exercises” and thank you cards to write to those they are most thankful for!”

NIFS Wellness Coordinator, Meredith - Raleigh, North Carolina

“We hosted a speaker here that is a psychiatrist and he spoke on aging with grace (specifically during COVID-19) and so much of what he reflected on was taking time to express gratitude especially in the times when we feel we have the least to be grateful for.”

NIFS Fitness Specialist, Jennifer - Lakewood, New Jersey

“For our Health Center, family members recorded a short video wishing their loved ones a Happy Thanksgiving with well wishes. This was displayed on Touch Town on Thanksgiving Day. The excitement and wishes that the family members expressed were breathe taking. I have to say, that the programs and exercises that we provide, the residents are extremely thankful and appreciative.”

NIFS Fitness Manager, Miles - Bridgewater, New Jersey

“To deal with the toll the year has taken on resident’s mental and physical health, I ran a two-part presentation discussing the importance of stress management and mental health as we approached the COVID affected holiday season. The residents attended enjoyed the material and we were able to have great discussions after both presentations. In fact, hearing their concerns inspired me to begin a meditation class in December.”

NIFS Wellness Coordinator, Becca - Indianapolis, Indiana

“We ran a Tree of Gratitude program where we watched a tree grow full of gratitude leaves filled out be residents. The tree grew and filled in with more and more leaves as the month went on as a strong visual representation of what individuals and our community as a whole has to be thankful for.”

NIFS Wellness Director, Miles – Richmond, Virginia

“Residents were thankful for the self-care material as it was really needed here during this time period. The chaplain gave us recognition for the program, promoting each self-care week offering during her weekly bible study that is streamed.”

Self-care continues to be more important than ever as we not only ride out the challenges of the pandemic but also through the seasonal changes ahead where many have difficulty being as physically active and struggle with seasonal mood disorder. Additional offerings NIFS team members provided residents over the holiday season included deep breathing exercises, laughter yoga, Chi Tea and Tai Chi events, mindful meal planning, mindfulness practices and healthy sleep tips. Adopt a daily practice of identifying three things you are grateful for and consider these additional self-care tips from NIFS to show yourself and others a little love.

Evaluate your wellness program using our Quick Read: How to evaluate your Wellness Program, click below to download!

September is a busy month with national health observances which are geared to bring awareness and resources to individuals or caregivers for issues ranging from childhood obesity to senior independence and just about every chronic health condition in between. For many, the health observance may be one of the only times during the year in which they have access to these additional resources.

If you think about it, older adults who reside in senior living communities have access to these types of resources every single day. As NIFS partners with senior living communities across the country in managing their fitness programs, we see firsthand the impact that the vibrant lifestyle has on enhancing the lives of seniors. The scope of resources from health services to socialization to robust physical activity programs help seniors thrive and are built into the lifestyle 365 days per year opposed to a week or month-long health campaign. It’s not just about increasing awareness, the lifestyle provides the tools and resources for older adults to effectively manage their health and maintain their independence. We witness minds put at ease from the convenient access to exceptional dining, medical care and amenities and lives lived to their fullest.

Let’s look at some examples for September’s health observances that align with the lifestyle that residents in senior living communities have at their fingertips every single day:

• Healthy Aging Month: well that’s a gimme with the month-long focus on the positive aspects of growing older and bringing inspiration to improving the physical, social, mental, and financial well-being of those 45+. These types of enrichment opportunities fill the lifestyle calendars every single month in senior living communities.
• National Yoga Awareness Month: brings awareness to the benefits of yoga and its attributes in living a healthy lifestyle. Yoga classes are a senior living staple on the group fitness calendar as the research behind the gentle poses and stretches bring flexibility, strength and balance gains to the participants as well as enhancing the mind/body connection.
• National Fall Prevention Week: We know that fall prevention is a year-round priority for seniors and NIFS Balance Redefined program brings a comprehensive service model of balance training and fall prevention programming to the communities we serve. Balance classes and rehab departments are commonplace services within senior living.

Just like any industry, some senior living communities have an edge with the scope of amenities and quality of services available to their residents. If you are exploring how a senior living community measures up in fulfilling these lifestyle goals, ask these questions:

• If you are motivated to become more physically active, does the community have a fitness center with professional staffing and a robust service model of classes, appointments, and programs? Most communities have a fitness center, but the staffing makes all the difference!
• If you are interested in gaining more socialization, how do the activities, outings, and dining experiences align with your personal passions and interests? How many new offerings are on the calendar each month to keep things fresh?
• If you are looking for intellectual enrichment, how do the programs engage participants and spark conversation?  There is a difference in the lifelong opportunities available between attending “sit and listen lectures” and events that truly foster new life experiences.

Of course we support initiatives that help connect people with additional resources for any health condition they or a loved one might be experiencing and the national health observances do a nice job with that. For more information on other observances, check out this link from the US Department of Health and Human Services. In closing, we’ll consider the lifestyle available to residents within senior living communities a yearlong health observance for the best of both worlds.

In February, you may have read about NIFS Legacy Program which was run at a number of our senior living client sites across the country. Many fitness centers were considering programs to promote cardiovascular health for Heart Health Month and this initiative had its own way of tugging at the heart strings. As I was reviewing the monthly reports that our staff were submitting highlighting their program offerings and participation in the month of February, I was touched by this quote from our Wellness Director, Candace Montgomery, at The Chesapeake in Newport News, Virginia, a LifeSpire of Virginia community. NIFS has been partnered with LifeSpire since 2016 to manage their Vibrance program across three of their communities. As you read below, you’ll understand how the resident response to this program exemplifies how LifeSpire is committed to creating joy, purpose, growth, and community in daily living for their residents and we are honored to help create these experiences.

“We took part in NIFS Legacy Project which was a huge success for our Independent Living, Assisted Living and Healthcare residents with 74 participants. It was very interesting learning about residents lives and memories that they jotted down during this project. This project was also very touching for many residents who live in Independent Living but have spouses in Healthcare. One resident in particular came to our fitness office in tears of joy about the heartwarming conversations she had with her husband in Healthcare regarding their life and their children and all of the happy memories that occurred. This is truly what the Legacy Project was all about!”  - Candace Montgomery, NIFS Wellness Director

Candace is absolutely right. That IS what it’s all about and I see and feel so much from reading her summary.

• I see a compassionate and creative wellness professional who values the stories that her residents have to share and a team-oriented approach that was needed to make this program a success.
• I see 74 residents across all continuums of care participating in a program that gives them purpose and warms their hearts (all of our hearts frankly).
• I see a couple reminiscing about the beautiful life they continue to share because they are receiving the care and support they need in a nurturing environment.
• And I see family members receiving a keepsake that will be cherished for generations to come.

All four of these bullets shine a spotlight on the impact that quality wellness programs can have on your staff, residents, and their families; all were enriched by this program.

While many know us as a fitness management company, our staff are regularly offering holistic programs of this nature to support the overall well-being of the residents we serve. In addition, we strive to bridge programs and services throughout the continuums of care to benefit all residents. Here are a few tips to help carry programs that are offered to your IL residents over to your licensed areas with a little creative planning and teamwork.

Thank you to Candace and the team at The Chesapeake for enriching lives of the residents in your community and for enriching us from afar with your story.