NIFS Healthy Living Blog

Training Services and Personal Guidance

NIFS offers several services to help you take your fitness to the next level. Here’s how you can get started:

Schedule a free Strategy Session with one of our trainers to receive your free yearly BodPod and NIFS 3D scan. These assessments provide insights into your body fat percentage and measurements, helping you set realistic fitness goals. A trainer will explain your assessment results and use them to create a personalized workout program tailored to your needs. Your trainer will guide you through the initial workouts and provide ongoing accountability. After 6-8 weeks, you can update your program to stay motivated.

For one-on-one guidance, NIFS offers personal training sessions in 30- or 60-minute increments to ensure you stay on track. You can also enjoy closer guidance in a supportive group setting with Small Group and High-Intensity Interval Training, making your fitness journey more engaging and affordable.

Group Fitness Classes

Your NIFS membership includes unlimited access to our group fitness schedule! Join a variety of classes led by our expert coaches, including boxing, yoga, and Pilates. These classes cater to all fitness levels, making them perfect whether you’re discovering a new activity or enhancing your current routine. Working out in a group also adds a sense of community and extra motivation.

Specialty Training Programs

Looking to focus on a specific goal or event? Explore these exciting options:

The Mini Marathon Training Program offers a community-driven approach to race training. No matter your pace, you’ll find support to prepare for the big day. Launching in 2025, the Powerlifting Program is perfect for members who want to get stronger and master their squat, bench, and deadlift. The DEKA Training Program helps you conquer all 10 stations of this unique challenge with guidance from our training staff.

Our training staff and group fitness coaches are here to help you determine which services, classes, or programs best fit your needs. Meet with us, explore your options, and start achieving your fitness goals today!

Hope to see you soon!

Setting a routine requires a blend of creativity, discipline, and intentional planning. A healthy routine aligns with your long-term goals and fosters self-fulfillment. To build a lasting routine, start by envisioning your happiest and most successful self. What does your ideal day look like? How do you feel? Who are you with? Visualizing this future can provide clarity and inspire you to take action.

Envision Your Best Self

Begin by imagining where you want to be—not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. Consider the actions you’d be taking, the environment you’re in, and the people surrounding you. Connect an emotion to this vision. For example, if you want to feel energized and confident, let this feeling drive your goals and decisions.

Set SMART Goals

Once you have a vision, establish goals to bring it to life. Start small with 1- or 3-month goals that are realistic and specific. For example, instead of saying, “I’ll work out more this year,” try, “I will train with resistance exercises three times a week to improve my mile run time and increase my squat weight by 5-10 lbs each month.”

Goals should be:

• Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve.

• Measurable: Include metrics to track progress.

• Achievable: Ensure they’re realistic within your current capacity.

• Relevant: Align them with your overall vision.

• Time-bound: Set deadlines to create urgency and accountability.

Turn Goals into Daily Actions

Break larger goals into manageable steps. Think about 1-5 actions you can take weekly to move closer to your objectives. Focus on your strengths first. If you already maintain a great sleep schedule but want to exercise more, think about how your well-rested energy can fuel consistent workouts. Building on what you’re already doing well creates momentum.

Address Barriers to Success

Identify obstacles that have previously hindered your progress. Are there environmental factors or habits that derail you? For example, if eating late prevents you from exercising, plan to eat earlier or prepare meals in advance. Sometimes small environmental changes—like placing your alarm clock across the room—can set you up for success. By anticipating challenges, you can create strategies to mitigate them and stay on track.

Celebrate Progress and Build Momentum

Tracking your achievements is essential. Whether it’s hitting a milestone or completing a daily task, take time to acknowledge your efforts. Celebrating wins—big or small—keeps you motivated and reinforces the positive behaviors that lead to long-term success.

During my work with clients ranging from 20 to 90 years old, I’ve seen how setting concise, measurable goals leads to sustainable success. Clear routines evolve into habits, and those habits become part of your lifestyle. By envisioning your success, setting goals, and addressing obstacles, you can establish a routine that supports your happiest, healthiest self.

What steps will you take today to create a healthier routine? NIFS has a program for you: We Win Together, starting January 20th. Your NIFS Coach will connect you with the right tools and resources to ditch bad habits and focus on your new self in 2025. Let’s work together to make this year your best yet!

Gathering inspiration from the Greeks’ history of gamification and pushing oneself to their physical and mental limits, DEKA, meaning “ten” in Greek, was created to be a staple of the popular Spartan Races. As an indoor fitness test, DEKA has impacted peoples’ lives because it forces them to go out of their comfort zones (physically and mentally) and face the challenge most people won’t. In this blog, I will share the significance and popularity of DEKA internationally, and within our NIFS facility.

What Is the DEKA Challenge?

DEKA consists of ten zones and serves as a test of one’s functional abilities that simulates lifting, pushing, pulling, kneeling, rowing, biking, and more. The DEKA website states, “Think thousands of years ago when it wasn’t called exercise, fitness, or training. It was survival…” (DEKA Philosophy, 2022). The exercises that make up this challenge are the following:

• 30 RAM ALT. REVERSE LUNGE
• 500M ROW
• 20 BOX JUMP/STEP OVER
• 25 MED BALL SIT-UP THROW
• 500M SKI ERG
• 100M FARMERS CARRY
• 25 CALORIE AIR BIKE
• 20 DEAD BALL WALL OVER
• 100M TANK PUSH/PULL
• 20 RAM BURPEES

Why Should You Compete?

I don’t view DEKA, or any Spartan race for that matter, as a competition. Instead, it’s an opportunity to become an improved version of yourself both physically and mentally. In addition, DEKA provides a benchmark and significant milestone for your fitness journey because it will show you how you could improve your functional fitness going forward. For example, if the TANK PUSH/PULL is a significant challenge for you, improving your muscular endurance and leg power will be beneficial for the next fitness test.

Where Can You Compete?

NIFS has recently become a DEKA affiliate, meaning that we can host DEKA competitions within our facility. With the success of our first event in November, we’re excited to not only continue hosting but also to provide a training program for the events. For specific dates and descriptions of the various training sessions, visit our DEKA website here.

For more information regarding DEKA, detailed zone descriptions, and additional DEKA locations and hosts, visit the official DEKA website here.

This blog was written by Deveon Martin, NIFS Health Fitness Specialist. To read more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

The Go Girl Triathlon at Eagle Creek Park is now in its 14th year. NIFS’ Go Girl Tri-training Program is the city's longest-running training program for that race. Will you join us for this year’s training? Here are some good reasons for you to tri.

Running, Biking, and Swimming Coaches

The coaches for our program have experience in each discipline of the race:

• Run coaches train you to be faster and injury-resilient.
• Bike coaches teach the techniques to ride fast and strong.
• Swim coaches build confidence and determination to tackle any body of water.

A Different Discipline Each Week

The training sessions are broken down into a specific discipline each week. Some weeks we will be doing “bricks," which are two disciplines back to back. These are great for building fitness and confidence going into race day. The work is challenging, which pushes your fitness to another level.

More Open-water Swimming Practice

There are extra open-water swim opportunities on the weekends and occasional weekdays. These prepare you for the challenge of the open water, which is often difficult to get in the pool. The dark and irregular water is a different test than the clear pool with a line at the bottom. The sighting drills in the open water make the race day swim easier to manage for a nervous race-day mind.

More Hills

The training at Eagle Creek will prepare you for all the race-day hills and undulations. You will be changing gears and cruising by your fellow racers because you will know every section of the course in the park, including in the demanding first hill you will climb as you get on your bike. You will have traversed this hill many times in training. On race day, the final run-up will be a piece of cake.

Help with Transitions

Did you ever consider the fourth discipline: transitions? We will hammer home many fine details to make that part of your race a strength, and you can chuckle at your fellow racers who can’t find the rack where their bike was placed.

The Hidden Details

The little details of each discipline may be the most valuable piece to our training program. Did you know you will have to pin your race number on your brand-new tri top? Well, in our program we will show you how a race belt keeps you from putting holes in your nice top.

Tri Training Starts June 28

All in all, it’s a great group of ladies who will sweat, work, and cheer each other on during the race day—from the early-morning jitters to the finish, with medals proudly displayed around your neck. June 28 is our start, mark your calendar and get registered today!

This blog was written by Kris Simpson, BS, ACSM-PT, HFS, personal trainer  and USTAat NIFS. To read more about Kris and the NIFS bloggers, click here.

There’s always an assumption that fitness professionals work out 2 hours a day, 7 days a week. They eat healthy all day long and never have any junk food. Basically people think that we are perfect and never make mistakes. I have been in the health and fitness industry for more than 10 years now and I can honestly say that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Now, before anyone thinks I’m ratting out other trainers or telling you all we don’t practice what we preach, let me explain.

We Are Actually Humans, Too!

I know it’s hard to believe, but we are human; we make mistakes, we have cheat days, we indulge a little, and we even skip workouts from time to time.

Take a look at a conversation I had with one of our trainers at NIFS:

Ashley: How often do you work out?

Lauren: About 5 days a week.

Ashley: How long do you work out for?

Lauren: Anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes. If it’s conditioning, it’s much less.

Ashley: Do you have cheat days? Exercise or nutrition?

Lauren: I try to have cheat meals or situations. I try not to have it be the whole day. In the past, I would have cheat days, but they would turn into a stream of days. So I basically try to allow myself to have something sweet occasionally, so that I don’t fall way off the rail. And there are days where I fail at that, but that’s the goal.

We Aren’t Perfect in the Kitchen

I know this might come as a shock to some of you, but the truth of the matter is, we aren’t perfect when we eat, either. As if the world and our lives aren’t filled with striving for perfection as it is, why would we want to make the kitchen another stressful place?

I say all that to tell you this: it’s okay if you have a little extra of something one day. It’s okay if you have that piece of cake when you are celebrating yourself or someone special. It’s okay to have a “cheat meal.” It’s okay to NOT BE PERFECT.

If it happens, don’t beat yourself up about it. Be aware of it; Learn from it; and move on! The next snack, meal, and day will be better because you came out of the previous situation aware and stronger.

Tips for Staying on Track

Consider the following tips to help you take it easy on yourself, but also keep yourself motivated to stay on track.

Use a Planner

If you are someone who needs to stick to a schedule, plan it out. Write down your meals for the week, plan your schedule around when you can work out, and write down the day and time you will be able to work out. Keep on a schedule!

Provide Rationale

Understanding your “WHY” should be your biggest motivator. I encourage you to write down your reasons why you want to eat healthy and exercise, and keep it someplace where you will see it and can refer back to it for a motivational reboot.

Build Accountability

There is strength in numbers! Try creating more accountability. Tell family, friends, or coworkers about your goals. If you’re out to lunch with them, they can help remind you of what your goals are. They may even join in with you, and you will have created a community that’s trying to become healthier!

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We would absolutely love to see you at our fitness center and set up an appointment with you. There are so many tools to assist in your training, nutrition, weight loss, and strength training goals! We aren’t perfect people, but we do have the tools for greatness and want to share them with you.

This blog was written by Ashley Duncan, NIFS Program and Weight Loss Coordinator. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

You’ve told yourself that it would just be one “cheat meal,” but the next thing you know that one meal turns into everyday meals and you feel like you have fallen so far off the wagon that there’s no getting back on.

I’m here to tell you that LIFE HAPPENS, and it’s okay occasionally to stray from a healthy lifestyle. What’s important to remember is that the tools to hop back on and get back motivated are right at your fingertips, waiting for you to grab tight.

Here are 7 tips to get back on track and keep moving forward:

1. Don’t take it so personally. You’re not a bad person or destined always to be overweight just because you slip up here and there. Just think of it as a minor setback for a major comeback!
2. Don’t look for a quick fix. You might lose weight this way, but you’re almost sure to gain it back. This has the potential to set up an unhealthy pattern of gaining and losing. Slow and steady wins the race!
3. Find an accountability partner. This can be someone who is just starting out, or starting back over, or an experienced, never-falls-from-the-wagon person. Finding someone who can provide you encouragement for your efforts will help you continue down the right path. Be sure to be upfront and honest with them about your goals and have them check in on you regularly.
4. Plan ahead. We schedule meetings, and hair and nail appointments for ourselves; why not schedule a time out of our busy days where we can exercise? Even planning your meals ahead can help with overeating and you won’t get too hungry throughout the day.
5. Track your food. Keeping an account of exactly what it is you eat throughout the day helps keep you honest and aware. It will help give you insight on your eating habits and where you might need to give a little.
6. Understand you’re not alone. Thinking that you’re the only person in the world who has fallen off the wagon will achieve nothing but negative thoughts and make it even more difficult to get started again. Somewhere, some place, someone is going through the exact same thing you are or they’ve been through it before. You’re not the first person to have to start back over, and you certainly won’t be the last.
7. One day at a time. This tip needs to be bold, underlined, highlighted, and anything else to grab your attention! Taking this journey one day at a time is so critical to your success. All you need to do is try. By doing your best each day, you’ve put together a chunk of how your future will look.

While it might be tough, it is definitely not impossible to get back on track. If you aren’t sure where to start, come in and talk to us. We would love to get you set up with one of our personal trainers, enrolled into a program like our Ramp Up to Weight Loss, or simply design a program for you to follow on your own. Whatever you feel you need, we are right here to help you!

You’ve got this!

This blog was written by Ashley Duncan, CPT, Weight Loss Coordinator. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

In my last blog, Impact of Exercise on Chronic Disease, I discussed how exercise may help individuals with a major chronic disease. In this blog, I discuss COPD and how exercise can improve symptoms and quality of life for those affected. COPD is an acronym for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It is an umbrella term defined by the CDC as, “a group of diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing-related problems.” This is in contrast to some other pulmonary disorders that restrict lung expansion.

COPD is a global disease, but due to underreporting it is often overlooked. In developed countries it is often associated with smoking; however, its prevalence in many developing countries can be linked to outdoor, occupational, and indoor air pollution. Common symptoms include

• Shortness of breath at rest or with mild exertion
• Difficulty taking a deep breath
• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Excess sputum production

Diagnosis and Treatment

Unlike many other health conditions, COPD is not diagnosed by a single test. Physicians often use a combination of medical history, imaging, and special breathing tests called pulmonary function tests to determine a diagnosis. Lower pulmonary function test scores indicate increased severity of COPD. Home treatment often includes medications such as bronchodilators, mucolytics, or supplemental oxygen. If you have COPD and plan on exercising, I recommend gathering your treatment information for your trainer so that they can determine any contraindications to exercise.

Counteracting the Downward Spiral

Because physical activity makes them short of breath, many individuals with COPD abstain from exercise. This sedentary behavior leads to increased health risks. Their heart becomes weaker, blood vessels are less flexible and more likely to rupture, and muscles atrophy from the lack of use. These physiological changes make it harder to perform physical activity and accelerate the downward spiral many people with this condition face. Because it is an irreversible disease, COPD cannot be cured with exercise. However, exercise can drastically improve the quality of life people experience.

How Exercise Helps People with COPD

The 2019 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) Report states that exercise training can increase physical activity levels outside of the gym in COPD patients. It recommends that they participate in multiple brief bouts of high-intensity work. By doing so, these individuals can stress their cardiovascular system without putting it over the edge. Over time individuals with COPD experience similar cardiorespiratory adaptations to healthy populations, including

• Decreased blood pressure
• Decreased resting heart rate
• Increased blood flow to peripheral tissues
• Improved heart function

Resistance training also enables this population to complete activities of daily living more readily by increasing strength and muscular endurance. However, research shows that strength training does not improve their health status. A specific type of resistance training called inspiratory muscle training has been shown to increase the strength of inspiratory muscles, allowing individuals to take deeper breaths. Flexibility training is also believed to improve posture to allow for easier breathing, but no studies have specifically looked at this area.

NIFS Can Help

If you or somebody you know has COPD but doesn’t know where to start, speak with your physician about starting an exercise program. If cleared, come to NIFS, where we have trainers who are educated and certified to work with special populations. The Healthy Lifestyle Program is specifically designed to work with populations who need adaptations to exercise. If you are interested in joining the Healthy Lifestyle Program, stop on by and ask us what we can do for you!

This blog was written by Brandon Wind, ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist. To find out more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

Ramp Up to Weight Loss is a program designed to do exactly what the name suggests: ramp you up to weight loss. It’s a 16-week program that provides various tools to help you get a head start on achieving your goals. These tools include meeting with a Registered Dietitian, attending coaching sessions to help set and manage goals, and meeting with a trainer twice a week to walk you through workouts. As a weight-loss member, you also have access to the facility and group fitness classes every day. These resources are what makes Ramp Up one of the most popular programs at NIFS.

The Goal: To Teach You How to Reach Your Weight-Loss Goals

The ultimate goal by the end of the 16 weeks is to make sure you feel confident in your own abilities to continue the journey that you are on. Whether you are struggling with nutrition, knowing what to do in the gym, sleep, or stress management, this program provides resources to teach you how to handle these situations in ways that will aid you in achieving goals. We start by setting one long-term goal, then break it down into short-term goals to act as stepping stones to get there. After all of the goals are finalized, we look at what action steps can be taken to achieve them. Setting realistic goals is essential for staying on track, and reaching them builds confidence in your abilities.

Weight loss is not always an easy thing to achieve. It can be a very slow process full of trial and error, ups and downs, and frustrations. There’s not a magic solution that will work for everyone. But, by tackling weight loss from multiple angles—including fitness, nutrition, and behavior—we can figure out what works best based on the individual.

After the Program: Long-Term Membership

So, 16 weeks have passed and you’ve successfully attended all your sessions, received nutritional guidance, and mastered goal setting. However, you’re not quite ready to be on your own yet. After Ramp Up, you can opt to become a long-term weight loss member. This program never expires, and you get one session a week with a trainer, assessments every three months, and coaching sessions. You still have access to the facility and all of the group classes. It’s an extra step to help you transition into continuing the journey on your own.

As trainers, we want not only to teach you how to work out safely and effectively, but to help you build the confidence and knowledge to be able to do it on your own. Being able to independently work out and make healthy choices is essential for long-term weight loss and maintenance. By taking advantage of all of the resources over the course of the program, you can discover what helps you live a healthier life.

This blog was written by Hannah Peters, BS, CPT, Health Fitness Instructor. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

Does the idea of swimming in the nice early-morning summer sun excite you? Does riding along the hilly but beautiful road at Eagle Creek get you smiling? Does doing a challenging run through Eagle Creek Park drive up your endorphins? Then you need to think about doing a triathlon this year.

“Why this year,” you ask? I say “Why not?” No one is getting any younger, and IT’S OUT THERE. This is a real comfort zone buster! Life is about challenges big and small, so here’s a great way to get out of your comfort zone. Here’s all ya gotta do.

Get into the Water

Get in the pool or a lake; stop by Eagle Creek, Morse Reservoir, or any body of water you can get into. Go for a swim. If you are awful, keep working, and read blogs about swim drills. Plan for at least 4 to 12 weeks of prep. The longer the race distances, the longer the training.

Get a Bike

Next, find yourself a bike. If you have a really nice bike, this should not be a problem. If you don’t even have one, go to one of our fine bike shops (we have some really good ones here in Indy) and get a bike. Get your tires aired up, oil the chain, and PLEASE check the brakes (and get those tuned up again). Then get on those wheels and ride, enjoying the sun and the spring breeze on your face.

Put on Your Running Shoes

After that, put on your running shoes and hit the road, trail, or track and start jogging. Again, start slow and then go.

Prepare and Have a Plan

AAHH… it seems so simple as you read this, and it can be, but to have a ton of fun on race day you need to prepare. Try to follow a plan to get you to the finish line with a smile. Work backward from your race day. You need to be able to swim 500 meters, ride your bike 10 miles, and then run 3 miles. Plan your workouts for distance or time, the latter of which is often easier to calculate.

This is the 14th year of our NIFS Go Girl TRI-training Program that prepares you for the Go Girl race at Eagle Creek in August. Our training program is the city's longest-running training program for the race. Are you jumping on board this year? Get registered today!

This blog was written by Kris Simpson BS, ACSM-PT, HFS, personal trainer at NIFS. To read more about Kris and the NIFS bloggers, click here.

Getting healthy and losing weight go hand in hand. If your goal is to get healthy and lose weight, I need you to RELAX! No, really! Relaxing is good for you, and managing stress effectively doesn’t only help with weight loss; it makes us healthier overall. So sit back, relax, and read on for more tips.

How Cortisol Plays a Role

Cortisol is a hormone that your body releases when it is stressed. If you only have small amounts of cortisol, there is no problem. But when stress is constant, as it can be in many of our lives, the amount of cortisol in your bloodstream rises and stays elevated. This all leads to weight gain. Relaxation can help prevent overproduction of cortisol.

When cortisol is released, those cravings for potato chips, candy bars, pastries, and so on are what provide a quick energy boost. As if those choices aren’t bad enough, cortisol goes on to store those extra calories as fat, mainly around your abdominal area. There is also the interference with hormones that control your appetite. You will start to find that you are hungry more often and have a hard time staying satiated.

And if that doesn’t make you want to stop stressing, cortisol can also cause decreased muscle mass because it lowers testosterone levels. The lower your muscle mass, the less fat you will burn when working out.

Ways to Relax

Here are five tips for relaxing.

1. Meditate. This is an excellent method for cleansing your mind of all the negative and stressful thoughts. Refresh and think positively. Whenever you feel heavy or burdened, or even when you feel tired of doing work, take a deep breath and allow your body to relax. Really focus on your breathing by using a 5 count: Breath in for a count of 5. Hold your breath for a count of 5. Release that breath for a 5 count. Try this a few times a day.
2. Avoid distractions. To fully relax your lifestyle and live a stress-free life, limit all distractions, such as television, cell phones, or laptops.
3. Become more active. Exercise alone can be the best stress reliever. Try grabbing a friend for a walk/jog outside in the fresh air. Take a new group fitness class like the various types of yoga classes NIFS offers. Join a small group where you can laugh, work, and have fun with goal-oriented individuals, or have a Health Fitness Instructor design a program dedicated to your needs. The possibilities are endless.
4. Eat healthy. Like regular exercise, eating a healthy, balanced diet can make a significant contribution to a less-stressful lifestyle. By making healthy eating choices, you can make yourself both physically and emotionally stronger. Eat vegetables, drink plenty of water, and control your portions. Not sure about where to start with your nutrition? Meet with one of our Registered Dietitians to get you going on the right path. If you want the whole package of eating healthy and exercising, check out our Ramp Up to Weight Loss program.
5. Get enough sleep. The average adult requires between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Not only can lack of sleep lead to increased stress, but chronic sleep deprivation can impair your judgment, reasoning ability, appearance, and performance at work. Start by establishing a daily sleep schedule. Do something relaxing before bed and turn off electronic devices.

It would be wonderful if we could constantly live in a vacation state, but for most of us that’s not quite possible. By utilizing just a couple of these resources, you help not only your body get to a better state, but your mind as well, which in turn allows for weight loss to occur.

This blog was written by Ashley Duncan, Weight Loss Coordinator. To find out more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.