NIFS Healthy Living Blog

Each semester, including the summer, NIFS welcomes a new class of fantastic interns to come learn what it takes to work in a fitness center. With each group that we welcome with open arms, there is a point when we must say goodbye. Our most recent group of interns is wrapping up their final presentations and parting ways with the friends, coworkers, and clients they have met along the way.

Rachel Potter interned with NIFS for three months during the summer of 2013, and although we know she has to move back to her home state of Oklahoma to begin her career, we sure will miss her! Here is her perspective about what it’s like to be an intern at NIFS.

If you had told me five years ago that I would move to Indianapolis for a three-month internship, I would have said, “NO WAY!” Having moved to Oklahoma from the San Francisco Bay area, my perspective began to change and I began to realize how open I was to exploring the rest of the country.

Coming to NIFS was one of the best decisions I could have ever made. Sure, it was tough being away from my nice, comfy bed; three months on an air mattress seemed like a great idea in the beginning. The reward is everything I learned from the experience and the confidence I have gained in the process.

I came into the internship with a strong fitness background, so I chose to work with the actively aging community, a setting way out of my comfort zone. It was tough at first knowing that I wasn’t familiar with the population and sometimes feeling like a chicken with its head cut off. I remember the first class I taught. I did about fifty things you aren’t supposed to do! Luckily, I had great instruction from my supervisor and eventually began to settle in to the site.

What was so unique about the internship at NIFS was the option to explore the different departments offered. Because NIFS encompasses multiple facets of their industry—including corporate wellness, active aging, and athletic training—I was able to shadow different areas, which allowed me to see the differences between each place. I also learned how diverse the sites were. Seeing what each position entailed helped me realize the avenues I liked and may want to pursue further and the things I would never want to do in a million years.

Having learned so much more about myself and being able to apply my education to so many different areas, I could not have asked for a better intern experience.

This blog was written by Rachel Potter, NIFS Intern and Les Mills BODYCOMBAT and BODYPUMP certified instructor.

Taking any class for the first time can be terribly intimidating. You aren’t quite sure where to start, where to stand, what equipment you’ll need, if you are fit enough, and so on. What was supposed to be an energizing and stress-relieving workout session is now giving you a nervous stomachache! Here are a few easy steps to ease you into your first class.

1. Introduce Yourself to the Instructor

Introduce yourself to the instructor and let him or her know it is your first class. In most cases, the instructor will probably recognize that you are new and take the first steps. But sometimes as instructors, we can get distracted. The instructor will be able to tell you exactly what equipment you will need and what to expect. Your instructor is key to making the class a success. If he knows it is your first class, he will be sure to cue extra options (both higher and lower intensity) to make sure you can work out at whatever fitness level you are currently at.

2. Meet Your Fellow Fitness Participants

Introduce yourself to someone standing next to you. Group fitness participants are generally by nature social people. The idea of running solo on a treadmill is not our idea of fun, but working out with others, being pushed and motivated by the music and the people around you? Absolutely! Your fellow classmates will have valuable information on how to handle the class, and probably the instructor. They will fill you in on all of the details the instructor left out—like how the day after your first BODYPUMP™ class, your thighs cry a little when you try to walk up the stairs! (Don’t worry, that goes away after the first few classes. You get stronger quickly!) Remember, they had a Day 1 at one point, too, and have stuck with it, so they have the inside track.

3. Try Three to Five Group Fitness Sessions

Try a class three to five times before deciding whether it’s for you. Each group fitness class has its own skill set and its own learning curve. Go in prepared to learn and try something new. For example, if you are taking a cardio class set to music (such as BODYCOMBAT™ or Step), you will have to learn the moves first before you can really rock out. To get the most out of strength-based classes (such as BODYPUMP™, Boot Camp, or other circuit style classes), you will need to learn where you are strength-wise so you can correctly choose your weight selections. These things take time and experimentation. Allow yourself the time to learn the moves ana, or Step), you will have to learn the moves first before you can rd assess your strengths before deciding whether the class is for you.

That’s it! Three easy steps and you are on your way to becoming a group fitness rock star! Check out the Group Fitness Schedule and pick a class to attend this week. Follow these three steps and soon you’ll be as confident as the other members of the class. Then one day, someone will introduce themselves to you as a new participant and you’ll have the opportunity to pay it forward!

This blog was written by Tasha Nichols, Group Fitness Manager and Program Coordinator at NIFS and a Les Mills US National Trainer. Meet our NIFS bloggers.

If you want to increase your fitness level, lose weight, become healthier, or say good-bye to any unwanted fat on your body, you have to work out with a plan. You have already done the hard part: you committed to becoming more fit and you got your butt to the gym, so make the most of your time and work out with a purpose.

Try Group Fitness Classes

This may be overwhelming to you. No worries! It is very simple and affordable. Try group fitness classes! They are highly energetic, effective, and motivating. All of NIFS’s classes are designed by fitness professionals, so you can trust they are safe and effective. Les Mills classes are backed by ongoing scientific research and are always being tested and proven to bring results—and bring results quickly. Let me say that again in case you missed it: scientifically based and proven to work!

Creating an Effective Group Fitness Workout Plan

Okay, so all that info is great, but how can you apply it? Easy! To create an effective workout plan for all-around fitness, you need to combine strength, cardio, and flexibility. Try one of the following plans:

Working out three days per week:

• Two strength classes (BODYPUMP™, Boot Camp)
• One cardio class (Tabata, Cycle/RPM™, Step)

Working out four to five days per week:

• Two to three strength classes (BODYPUMP™, Boot Camp)
• One to two cardio classes (Dance Fitness, Cycle/RPM™, Step)
• One mind-body class (Yoga, Pilates)

By smartly combining the different varieties of group fitness classes, you can create an effective workout plan that will get you the results you want without adding extra cost to your gym membership. Remember, each class will feature some strength, cardio, and flexibility, so use the class descriptions to get a feel for whether it will fall into a strength-based or cardio-based category.

Make sure to check out the NIFS Group Fitness Schedule to see which classes will fit your schedule and help you reach your goals.

Sign up for a free class pass today!

This blog was written by Tasha Nichols, former Les Mills US National Trainer.