Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

Starting your fitness journey can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. The key is to start with the right mindset, focus on the fundamentals, and to build long-lasting habits. Fitness isn’t a quick fix; it’s a long-term commitment to yourself that takes time but comes with great rewards when done properly. Setting S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) can help you stay focused and motivated throughout your journey.

Individuals can get held up by the numbers on the scale, and for good reasons, but it's also important to consider the changes in mood, energy, and strength along the way. These changes are often overlooked, yet they are often the first signs of progress and can be just as important as the numbers on the scale.

When it comes to exercise, keep things simple. Having a balanced routine of strength training to develop muscle and support bone and joint health, include cardio to improve heart health and endurance, and flexibility and mobility work to keep the body moving and reduce risk of injury. Fancy equipment or advanced techniques aren’t necessary in the beginning; start with the fundamentals and build from there. For example, begin with a bodyweight squat, and once you feel comfortable with form and technique, add resistance with a kettlebell or a dumbbell. Once you understand the basics, there are plenty of progressions to keep progress moving upward.

 Burnout, overtraining, and injuries are important things to avoid when starting out. These issues are common among beginners, but even experienced athletes can fall into the same trap. The good news is that they’re preventable. When you begin a new routine, it’s always better to start slow and build gradually. Your body needs time to adapt to the new stressors that exercise places on it, and pushing too hard too soon increases the risk of overtraining and injury. A smart starting point could be 20-30 minutes per session, 2-3 days/week. Focus on proper form; it might feel repetitive at first, but mastering technique pays off. Good form not only makes your workouts safer, it also makes them more effective because you’re able to control your body and any external resistance with confidence.

Nutrition and exercise are important, having a solid foundation of both is important to reach the goals you have in place for yourself. Stick to balanced meals that include lean protein, complex carbs, healthy fats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Stay hydrated with water being your go-to drink. Avoid extreme diets, for example, having a regular daily calorie intake of 2,500 and cutting it down to under 1,500 overnight is often hard to maintain, unhealthy, and should be progressive if needed. For workout recovery, prioritize protein and carbs to replenish energy and support muscle repair.

You don’t need a gym membership to start. Although it can help with consistency, it’s not necessary when starting. Try simple bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups, and planks. Add some low-impact cardio such as walking, cycling, or swimming. If you have access to dumbbells or resistance bands, basic strength movements like rows, lunges, chest press, and overhead press are all great options.

Consistency will be the secret to your success. Try to create a routine where workouts are around the same time and same day. Over time, these habits will turn into second nature. Also remember that fitness isn’t just about how you look; it's about feeling the improvement in your mood, energy, and sleep on a day-to-day basis.

As you begin your fitness journey, watch out for common mistakes. Be careful with overtraining, which can lead to burnout and injury, and avoid comparing your progress to others, it can be discouraging. Everyone is built differently, which makes everyone’s journey different and unique. Rest and recovery are just as vital to the workout itself because your body will need time to adapt to grow stronger.

Your Fitness journey is about progress, not perfection. Keep things simple, stay patient, and celebrate every small win along the way. The habits you build now will set the foundation for a healthier, stronger future.

During long breaks like Thanksgiving, we adopt a different rhythm. We sleep in, move a little less, stop by the refrigerator a little more, and enjoy our unplanned days. That is normal and healthy. When the time comes to return to work and restart healthy routines, the change can feel rough. It is not about willpower—it is about habits. Once we have stepped away, our routines need time to rebuild.

Here is the good news: you do not need to do everything at once. Big goals can feel overwhelming, especially after a long weekend or traveling. Instead, focus on one small step at a time. Go for a short walk during your lunch break. Pack a healthy lunch instead of grabbing fast food. These small wins help you rebuild momentum and confidence. Over time, these small wins will add up to substantial changes.

Make things easier for yourself by setting up your environment for success. If you want to move more, keep a pair of walking shoes at your desk. If you are trying to drink more water, keep a reusable bottle next to your computer. If you want to bring healthy snacks, stock your desk drawer with nuts or fruit instead of chips. When your surroundings support your goals, good choices become automatic.

It is also helpful to reconnect with your “why.” Ask yourself: Why do I want to get back to my routine? You want to have more energy for your family after work. You feel sharper and less stressed when you eat well and stay active. Whatever your reason, keeping it in mind may help you push through those first few sluggish days.

Taking a break does not mean you have failed. Breaks are part of balance. What matters most is not how perfectly you restart, but that you do restart. Progress comes from showing up consistently, even in small ways. So today, take one small step that points you in the right direction. Go for that quick walk. Stretch between meetings. Choose water instead of soda. Getting back to it is not about being perfect… it is about progress. One step, one habit, one day at a time.

As you approach your later years in life, exercise and movement can help combat some of the unpleasant effects of aging. There are many ways that you can exercise your body, but as you get older, how do you know what kind of exercise is the best and safest? The short answer is it depends. There is not just one kind of exercise that is the best. In general, incorporating aerobic exercise, strength training, flexibility, and balance work into your exercise routine will give you the most well-rounded benefits. Having the knowledge of the benefits of each type of exercise can help you determine what to prioritize based on your own individual needs.

Effects of Aging

As we age, we all know that our bodies experience wear and tear. A decrease in muscle mass, balance, and flexibility are inevitable with age, regardless of how active you are. Muscles and bones become weaker, joints become stiffer, and overall functionality declines. After the age of 30, you start to lose 3% - 5% of your muscle mass every decade. This rate increases once you reach the age of 60. Luckily, there are ways that you can reduce this rate of decline.

Exercise Recommendations

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults 65 and older should aim to get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity every week. When you break it down, that’s only 30 minutes each day if you exercise 5 days in a week. This can be as simple as walking the dog, gardening, or playing catch with your grandkids. Older adults should strength train, stretch, and work on balance at least twice a week. Yoga is a great way to incorporate flexibility, core strength, and balance into your weekly routine. There are several different types of yoga, and this practice can be done seated or standing, so no matter your experience or ability level, anyone can participate.

It’s easy to overcomplicate or feel overwhelmed with these recommendations. If you are currently inactive, start with exercising just one or two days a week, then gradually increase. If 30 minutes all at once feels like too much, you can split up your exercise into 10-minute bouts throughout the day. Find an activity that you enjoy doing and stick with it. As long as you stay consistent, you will notice an increase in stamina over time. Building up stamina and strength will help you improve the overall quality and quantity of your life.

It may be beneficial to seek help from a fitness professional if you are unsure of where to start. A personal trainer can help tailor an exercise routine to fit your specific needs and goals. They can also ensure proper technique to reduce risk of injury and maximize benefits.

Benefits of Regular Exercise

The benefits of exercising regularly are plentiful! Let’s break down the specific benefits for each category of exercise.

Aerobic Exercise

• Improves heart health, lung function, and circulatory system
• Prevents illness and diseases
• Increases stamina
• Lowers blood pressure and heart rate
• Regulates blood sugar
• Improves sleep
• Weight management
• Improves mood and reduces stress

Strength Training

• Strengthens muscles
• Increases muscle mass
• Increases metabolism
• Reduces risk of falls
• Prevents osteopenia and osteoporosis

Balance

• Prevents falls
• Improves posture, coordination, and stability
• Reduces risk of injuries
• Improves quality of life

Flexibility

• Increases range of motion and mobility
• Prevents injuries
• Improves circulation
• Reduces pain
• Promotes relaxation

Building an Exercise Routine

Each individual body is unique and there is no one size fits all exercise routine that everyone needs to follow. There are several factors that may come into play when deciding what to prioritize, including age, medical conditions, current activity level, and personal preference. For example, someone with osteoporosis may want to focus on strength training and balance to increase bone density and decrease fall risk. While someone who has arthritis might want to prioritize stretching to improve joint flexibility. An individual with hypertension should probably work on aerobic exercise first to decrease blood pressure and heart rate.

Following a holistic approach to exercise by incorporating pieces of aerobic exercise, strength training, flexibility, and balance into your exercise routine is your best bet for staying fit and functional as you age. Using the CDC’s exercise recommendations as a guide can be helpful, however, you have the freedom to prioritize what you think is best for your own individual needs.

We work on a lot of build/design projects in retirement communities where the project is either new construction for a new community, or the plan is part of a repositioning that includes enhanced wellness spaces and services.  If you follow industry trends, you see it all the time in press releases, RSS feeds and other media avenues:  ground breakings for projects that include a state-of-the-art wellness wing, indoor/outdoor pool complex, etc.  Communities are  serious about folding resident wellness into their broader business strategy to remain viable in the market. Over my years at NIFS, I’ve had the pleasure of working on dozens of fitness center builds.  As you can imagine, I’ve learned quite a bit along the way. Below are our top five recommendations (in random order) on pitfalls to avoid during your design journey.

#5 – Don’t let your design team talk you out of consulting with an expert who is used to programming fitness spaces. 

NIFS Expertise Makes Our Approach Unique

We have designed dozens of client fitness centers to maximize function and flow in the space with diverse equipment options that meet the needs of active older adults. Check out our case study on how we took the guesswork and the legwork out of a large scale project for a client in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Find out more about NIFS consulting services by clicking below. We can help you bring the best programming, fitness center design and staffing to your community.

Arthritis is an increasingly common condition that refers to 100 different types of diseases, affects all age groups and affects 1 in 4 adults, equating to 80 million people in the United States. The most common form seen is osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease and we see these conditions impacting the lives of residents in the senior living communities we serve every day. Studies have shown that half of adults living with this condition do not believe anything can be done, but in fact there are many strategies that can be employed in daily living and in exercise that can provide a better quality of life for those affected.

Everything starts with your feet so investing in shoes with adequate cushioning and stabilization should be a top priority. Sneakers with extra cushioning should be your choice for most athletic activities, New Balance are great for different width selection and are very durable. Hoka provides excellent cushioning and a ‘rocker’ shaped sole for easier propulsion. Some trial and error is required to find a brand and style that will work best for each individual. Ensuring you are at your healthiest weight will also relieve stress on the joints and associated pain. Speaking of pain, use the 2-hour rule which is if a joint is still hurting from an activity after that duration of time it is a sign that you are most likely overexerting yourself. Next, learn how to move with efficiency and purpose using the best posture and techniques possible. That means reducing range of motion on movements that cause sharp pain and avoid exercises with heavy heel strikes like running or stairs. Low impact is always better, exercising in water, exploring yoga and tai chi and choosing an elliptical vs a treadmill are all savvy decisions.

Another important factor to note is exercising with joint replacements which have general and specific guidelines depending on the joint that was replaced. A general rule is to decrease the range of motion and speed of movement for all replacements as well as avoiding contact sports. Total hip replacements should avoid flexion greater than 90 degrees or 70 degrees with a history of dislocation and crossing the midline of the body in the front or back. Total knees should look out for rotational stress and begin with closed chain work such as a bicycle before progressing to open chain exercises with heel and toe strikes such as pickleball. Total shoulder replacements should avoid contact sports like basketball, heavy, repetitive lifting and chopping motions.

A rest day in between every bout of exercise is recommended with 3 days a week being a great goal for most exercisers. Respecting pain and prioritizing recovery are essential for adherence as well as adapting extra rest days when your body is calling for a long, less active weekend.

Finally, rest and relaxation are essential to managing arthritis with flexibility done at the end of sessions to ensure adequate blood flow in the areas being stretched. In addition, meditation and guided imagery are helpful in focusing on areas that are tense and can be relaxed through isometric contraction and relaxation such as Jacobson’s progressive technique.

As you can see, there are numerous considerations to improving or maintaining joint health and our qualified fitness staff in senior living communities across the US are developing customized exercise plans helping residents move more with less pain.

When we think of aging, some think about wrinkles, aches, and pains and the negative associations of the aging process. Yet there is so much more to aging! No, we cannot stop the aging process, but we can choose to live a healthy lifestyle. This is the time to do things you have never done and find enjoyment.   Here are just a few things to consider when aging gracefully and living your best life!

Be nice to your skin

To keep your skin looking and feeling at its best:

• Stay hydrate. On average we should drink 7-8 cups of water a day to keep our skin looking good and our body functioning appropriately. When we become dehydrated our skin can become dry and folded.
• Wear sunscreen and even a hat to keep the sun off your face
• Wear sunglasses when outdoors to protect your eyes from sun damage
• Use gentle skin care products
• Make sure and have a yearly skin cancer screening

Exercise

Regular exercise helps control your cholesterol, blood pressure, body weight, and reduces the risk of hardening of the arteries, stroke, and heart attack. A good fitness program conditions muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones to stimulate bone growth and helps prevent osteoporosis while keeping your body limber and lowering your chances of injury. Exercise is also good for managing low back pain, arthritis, and diabetes. Incorporating regular exercise into your life can help you feel better, sleep better and give you the endurance to enjoy your best life.

• It is recommended to participate in cardiovascular exercise 3-5x/week for 30-60 minutes. Walking, dancing, and cycling are examples of cardiovascular exercise.
• It is also recommended to do strengthening exercises 2-3/week. These exercises can be done with weights or bands.

Proper Diet

• Eat food high in fiber to help with healthy digestion and to avoid constipation. High fiber foods will also make your belly full!   Men 51+ need 30 grams of fiber and women 51+ need 21 grams of fiber daily. When increasing your fiber intake start slow and work up to the proper daily intake.
• Fill your plate with 50% fruits and veggies, 25% grains and 25% lean protein. Try to use fresh fruits and veggies that aren’t saturated in sugars and sauces. When choosing grains look for items that are whole grain such as bread, cereals, rice or pasta. And when choosing proteins go for the those that are lean in fat such as peanut butter, nuts/seed, bean, fish, or chicken.
• Limit foods high in cholesterol, sugar and saturated or trans fats.
• Refer to myplate.org for more dietary guidelines for older adults

Mental Health and Mindfulness

Being happy and healthy goes a long way when it comes to mental health. Many factors can affect our mental health and some we don’t even realize. Being mindful of our stresses can improve our focus and our memory.

• To keep your mental health in check surround yourself with good people. People who motivate you to be better and give off positive energy. Spend time with family, friends and loved ones.
• Accept your age. Aging is unavoidable so learn to embrace it and live that best life
• Get sleep. Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep a night. Shut off the electronics and let your brain relax and let your body rest. Getting enough sleep can help reduce stress, depression and even lower your risk of obesity.
• Accept and live in the moment. Focus on the present and don’t stress over things you can’t fix. Engage in activities such as yoga or tai chi.

Though aging is inevitable we can influence how our journey goes.   It is never too late to start making healthy choices for a healthier happy future. Now is the time to age with grace and start living your best life!!

Actress Helen Hayes lived by these words, and lived a full and happy life well into her 90’s. So what do we mean by this motto….if you rest, you rust? Simply put, our bodies are made to move and if we become sedentary, our bodies get “rusty” as in our joints become stiff, our bones can become brittle and we lose muscle mass.

Many senior citizens are very active and live by these words, however there are still many that are not on board. I have heard over the years from inactive seniors that their fear is they will be in more pain. They already suffer from osteoarthritis and feel that exercise will make them feel worse. In actuality it is the exact opposite. Inactivity is causing the joints to become stiff and “rusty”! So how do we convince an inactive senior that it’s never to late to get started? How do we convince them that if they begin an exercise regimen that they will have less joint pain? We can start by giving them sound data from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).” Their stance is that physical activity is essential to optimizing both physical and mental health and can play a vital role in the management of arthritis. Regular physical activity can keep the muscles around affected joints strong, decrease bone loss and may help control joint swelling and pain. Regular activity replenishes lubrication to the cartilage of the joint and reduces stiffness and pain.” So now that we have them convinced, what are the best exercises for arthritis? We always want to include the modalities of cardiovascular exercise to increase endurance, strength training to increase muscle mass and prevent bone loss and lastly but probably most important is stretching to increase flexibility. Before starting an exercise program always consult your physician. Once cleared, one of the best places to be is in the pool! Aqua Aerobics, water walking or swimming offer the bouncy of the water to help ease joint pain and many facilities keep the water temperature warm at 78-83 degrees, which is considered therapeutic. Most aqua aerobics classes also offer strength training with aqua dumbbells and stretching at the conclusion of the class. If water isn’t your cup of tea, perhaps try a gentle yoga class, a chair yoga class, a low impact aerobics class or Tai Chi for gentle movement and balance. If group exercise classes are not to your liking, you may want to exercise in a fitness center. Cardiovascular equipment such as the stationary bike or a NuStep are great ways to increase your endurance. You might consider working with a personal trainer for help with strength training and flexibility and working with a trainer also helps with accountability.

The ACSM recommends exercising 150 minutes per week which is 30 minutes a day, 5 times per week. If you’re just getting started, work towards this goal. Just remember that famous line from Helen Hayes, “If you rest, you rust”! Keep moving forward, we’re not looking back!

While practicing social distancing remains a priority for everyone, finding ways to stay physically active should also remain a priority. This is particularly true for older adults who may find themselves feeling increasingly isolated and vulnerable to remain safe. Exercise has long proven to provide numerous health benefits both for your physical well-being as well as your emotional well-being including:

• Improved blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels
• Improved immune system response
• Improved blood circulation and joint comfort
• Improved mood, sleep, and happiness levels
• Decreased feelings of depression, anxiety and stress

The National Institute on Aging has an even lengthier list of benefits if you need more convincing. Truly there is no magic pill or treatment that can provide the combined physical and emotional benefits as exercise. Yet in these uncertain times, it may feel difficult to come by safe and effective exercise options while access to fitness centers, pools and recreation outlets are restricted. Lucky for all of us, that’s the other great thing about exercise in how adaptable it can be. If you feel like throwing in the towel until you can get back to your favorite class or routine, give this some thought:

• Shorter bouts of activity are just as beneficial! You gain the same health benefits exercising at a moderate intensity for three, 10 minute bouts as you do exercising for 30 minutes straight. If you are stuck at home, consider adding in these shorter bouts of activity throughout the day to decrease boredom and maintain conditioning.
• It doesn’t require expensive equipment to get in a good workout. By adjusting your number of sets and repetitions and performing a variety of body weight movements, you can still challenge your muscles and overall endurance very effectively.
• If you’ve been doing the same routine or class for quite some time changing things up with a new at-home workout might be just the thing your body needs for a new challenge. Over time our bodies adapt to the demands we place on it so if you aren’t trying new exercises, increasing the resistance you are working against, etc., your body isn’t getting the same benefits. Utilize this time to experiment with new exercise options to challenge your body and your mind as you learn a new routine.

Now you might be asking, how do I get started? Where do I find exercise resources? How do I know if I’m doing them safely and effectively?

• Contact your gym or fitness center and see if they have trainers providing virtual fitness coaching. NIFS is proud to continue supporting the residents in the senior living communities we serve with a variety of home-based exercise options to keep our participants moving and your gym might have resources to share as well.
• Get resourceful with items you already have at home to replace the small equipment you use in your normal routine. Canned goods or water bottles can replace hand weights, a bath towel over carpet can replace a floor mat, a chair back can replace a handrail for balance work, etc.
• Explore online resources for “senior fitness” or “senior exercise” on Google, YouTube and Amazon. There may be videos for purchase and free trials you can experiment with in your endeavors at home.

Most importantly, focus on your mindset while you are exercising. Recognize that some movement is better than none each day and always listen to your body. Exercise should never be painful so if you try something new and it doesn’t feel quite right, try something else. Consider this chapter in our lives as an opportunity to try new things, keep your body moving, and play it safe. It isn’t a time to push yourself well beyond your comfort zone and limits. Also consider nourishing your body with proper nutrition. It too has a strong impact on mood, energy, and sleep quality.

Let’s face it, daily life can be very busy and sometimes overwhelming to many of us. Trying to fit in exercise every day can seem like a chore and many times gets put at the bottom of the “to-do” list even though we all know it should be near the top. Just because you can’t fit in a trip to the gym or attend your favorite exercise class doesn’t mean that you can’t get exercise or at least some movement time throughout your day. Your body can even benefit from little bits of movement at a time if that is all you have time for, so there really should not be any excuses not to get some movement or exercise in your day.

Exercise at Lunch

Lunch breaks are a great time to fit in exercise. Bring your tennis shoes to work and take a walk. It can be around the building inside or outside, through a neighborhood nearby, or on a treadmill if that is available to you. Walk for as much time as your schedule allows. If you don’t have time for a shower afterward, just don’t push yourself quite as hard. Walking is great for your body!

Getting in Extra Steps During the Workday

You can fit in exercise in your office! Take the stairs between floors—skip that elevator! Park far away on purpose so you get a 5- or 10-minute walk in and out of your office. That could potentially add up to 20 minutes of movement or exercise depending on how fast you walk. Here are a few other tips for getting more exercise at work.

Move While You’re Waiting on the Kids

If you are a parent, chances are your kids are or will be involved in activities. So many times parents just drop their child off and sit in their cars to wait, or just leave to do something else. Your child is getting their exercise, why not get yours as well? You can take a walk, run, or ride your bike around the area they are practicing in so as to maximize your time. For those days when there are games, the kids usually need to be there early to warm up, so you can use that warmup time to move your body as well instead of sitting in your chair or car for that extra 30 to 60 minutes.

Work Out at the Park

If you frequently take your kids to parks, work out at the park while they play! Park benches are great for pushups, dips, lunges, squats, and step-ups. Monkey bars work well for pull-ups, and running up the steps and sliding down the slides is a little cardiovascular work—not to mention fun! Don’t forget, you can use your kids as little (or big) weights and resistance machines, too!

Plan Active Gatherings

Plan family and friend time as active gatherings. Take walks, go on bike rides, or go swimming (or sledding, ice skating, or skiing in winter) together. You can still talk while doing many of those activities. Join a gym with a friend so your social time also becomes your exercise time.

There is no rule that says all exercise has to be at a gym or that you have to set aside 30 to 60 minutes every single day to purposely do one set workout. You should find an activity that you enjoy doing and incorporate that into your daily life. Everyone has different goals and will have different needs for exercise, but with a few modifications in your daily routine you should be able to start moving more and sitting less throughout the day.

Interested in how you can add exercise to your wellness program?  Check out our whitepaper for tips to be successful.

Many senior living communities across the country are starting to recommend bringing your furry friend from your current residence to your community residence. Pets provide a sense of purpose, calmness, companionship, and security for older adults. Check out this post from Aging in Place about how having a pet can improve the aging process.