Facilities: Page 619

Integrating Mind/Body Instructors into the Fitness Center

Every staff member and instructor must be on the same page when it comes to teaching sound exercise and health principles to your members. Many fitness center operators have certainly seen evidence to support these statistics. The challenge for fitness managers appears to be integrating staff, whose knowledge of their disciplines may be traditional and non-Western -- as in the case of yoga, or based on the empirical observations and intuitions of Pilates founder Joseph Pilates -- into the fitness center environment.Variations in the educational backgrounds of different types of instructors may cause problems that are not immediately evident to management. Interest in mind/body programs originated more in the New Age market than in fitness facilities. Yoga, tai chi and meditation classes are outgrowths of Western interest in Eastern spirituality. Although this does not compromise the validity of these disciplines, it may influence how mind/body teachers present them. Instructors who are hired from outside the fitness industry may present their programs as panaceas rather than one activity among many complementary ones. There also seem to be certain fallacies, or at least dubious claims, that are part of several mind/body teachings. Some yoga teachers claim to be able to resolve certain medical conditions, and some Pilates instructors claim to create longer, leaner types of bodies, despite the limitations of genetics.Fitness managers should cultivate careful diplomacy when addressing issues with mind/body instructors, so that attempts to get staff on the same page do not degenerate into passionate debates. The customer will be marginalized by a facility seemingly at war with itself. Degreed and/or certified fitness professionals feel that they have the weight of scientific research behind them, yet mind/body disciplines undeniably have something extremely valuable to offer clients -- needs that are not met solely by traditional fitness center offerings.The time to address these issues is when staff is first hired. Certainly, a corporate statement of purpose made when first hiring staff can include a fitness philosophy dedicated to sound and scientifically verifiable principles, and the blending of varied disciplines with the common goal of creating a total approach to fitness and a healthy lifestyle. Staff must be mutually supportive of each other's efforts in this direction, no matter how disparate the disciplines in which they are trained. Instructors who do not feel integrated into a facility that has a common purpose are the most potentially troublesome. They may feel that they have carved out their own little universe within the larger universe of the fitness center, and that their own laws of physics will prevail, even if they run counter to the larger system.

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Why Didn't I Catch That?

Five sharp thinking standards to continuously monitor and improve the quality of your thinking.In his book, Why Didn't I Think of That, Charles McCoy suggests using Socrates as a model to ask questions. These questions will challenge you to clarify your thoughts, eliminate inaccuracies, think more comprehensively, make better sense and achieve intellectually honest results. Run-of-the-mill thinking fails to apply these vigorous standards that lead to the question, "Why didn't I catch that?" or "Why didn't I pay attention to the quality of my thinking?"Is it clear?Is it accurate?Is it comprehensive?Does it make sense?Is it intellectually honest?

Clients Who Exercise Too Much

What begins as a commitment to a healthful lifestyle gradually develops into an unhealthy, and even dangerous, obsession. Learn more about exercise addictionUnderstand how much exercise is too muchTalk to your supervisor or staffAre there policies at your fitness center that you need to follow? For example, at a university fitness center, you may be told to call the dean of students if a student has a health problem.Express your concern in a supportive, tactful mannerCheck medical clearance formsREFERENCESGriffiths, M.D., A. Szabo and A. Terry. The exercise addiction inventory: A quick and easy screening tool for health practitioners. British Journal of Sports Medicine39(6), June 2005.

30 Minutes to Cardio Success; Happy Faces Make Happy Members; Getting Them Fit for Life

Innovative programming ideas aimed at motivating members to exercise with all featured programs submitted by readers.30 Minutes to Cardio Success 30 Minute Fitness, Great Neck, N.Y.30 MINUTE FITNESS in Great Neck, N.Y., knows that it takes both strength and cardio workouts to get their members the results they desire. So, because they are a small, personal training studio that specializes in 30-minute one-on-one weight-training workouts with a certified personal trainer, they needed to come up with some way to encourage their members to perform cardio as well. What they came up with in 1998 is the Cardio Contest that runs each year in February in celebration of National Heart Month.Vice President Jane Levy says the contest "is fairly simple. Members report the time they spend on any piece of cardio equipment each day during the month of February to the front desk staff. Each time the member reports to the front desk staff, their time is recorded in a training log. At the end of the month, whoever has spent the most time working out on our cardio machines is the winner." The facility also rewards the member who is most improved, so that the intimidation factor is removed for those who are either new or not in great shape. The rules are that the maximum amount of cardio time is limited to 30 minutes each day to make it fair to all members at all fitness levels, and time has to be reported immediately after the workout. Any type of cardio equipment can be used in any combination during the 30 minutes. Winners receive free workouts, massages and promotional items, including T-shirts, sports bags and baseball caps.Happy Faces Make Happy Members The National Training Center, Clermont, Fla..As part of Member Appreciation Month, new members receive a free, two-week membership and 50 percent off their initiation fee, as well as a water bottle and koozie when joining. For current members, a variety of activities and give-aways are offered: Punch Card Madness is a program in which members who participate in three out of five activities listed on the punch card can win a chance in a prize drawing. The idea is to motivate members to try different activities and to attract them to less visible areas of the facility. The Fitness Trivia Contest challenges members to answer weekly questions about cardio, strength and nutrition, and those who answer two out of four correctly win a chance in a weekly fitness equipment prize drawing. Member Appreciation Coupons are provided to members for services offered at the center and through local partners. Discounts are offered on personal training packages, massage therapy services and free two-week guest passes for friends and family. Customer Satisfaction Surveys are passed out to members, and those who complete them receive a free pedometer or water bottle. On Member Appreciation Party Day, the facility provides bagels, fruit, healthy cookies and punch throughout the day. And, on Surprise Wednesday each week, the facility provides a coupon or giveaway from a local business -- especially popular with restaurants.Getting Them Fit for Life Detroit Lakes Community & Cultural Center, Detroit Lakes, Minn.Participants must agree to a 12-week commitment during which they attend weekly classes and complete weekly assignments. Classes consist of such topics as water and your meals, journaling and your food, small changes in food and fitness, portions and label reading, etc. The exercise component consists of body composition and fitness testing, and cardio and strength activities. Three groups have been through the Adult Fit for Life program, with 12 participants in the first group who lost a total of 175 pounds, 113 inches and 51 percent body fat; 14 participants in the second group, losing a total of 199 pounds, 107 inches and 73 percent body fat; and 14 participants in the third group, losing a total of 230 pounds, 117 inches and 75 percent body fat.

Placing a Premium on Education

At the University of Arizona Student Recreation Center, proof of its educational ability and ensuing success may be found in several places.* Check out those lines. If you have equipment collecting dust from lack of use, you may be stunned to hear that U of A has to deal with lines of users waiting to use the weight room. "Our facility is extremely popular on campus. We have about 4,000 to 5,000 members use the facility daily. During the semester, we typically have lines of participants waiting to use our weight room, as we routinely reach our maximum capacity," says Mark J. Zakrzewski, U of A's director of fitness and assistant director for the Department of Campus Recreation. Zakrzewski says that all full-time students (35,000) are automatically eligible to use the center. And they sell additional memberships to faculty/staff and university affiliates, which averages about 2,400 members annually. Memberships are not available to the community.And, U of A's 10 personal trainers are all certified through ACE, NSCA or AFAA. In addition to training, they also offer body composition, blood pressure, flexibility, muscular endurance and cardiorespiratory endurance testing. "I think what has made our personal training program so successful is our philosophy of educating the client. As opposed to trying to drive up sales by convincing clients they really need the trainer, we train our trainers to teach clients about what they are doing and why it works. I want our clients to leave us with the confidence and knowledge to be able to work out on their own. With this approach, our clients report a high level of satisfaction, and recommend our services to their friends, colleagues, etc. This word-of-mouth advertising has made our program grow at a very rapid pace," Zakrzewski says.

Keep Your Equipment in Great Shape

There are simple things owners and managers can do to avoid problems and keep equipment running. Common mistakesProvide more power. A proper power supply is a must. You need proper power outlets in place before the equipment arrives. For treadmills, each outlet should be a 20 amp, dedicated circuit. That means one circuit per product. Otherwise, one unit will rob power from the next, damaging drive boards. Have an electrician do the wiring before products arrive.Make and enforce rules. Have rules that help you maintain your equipment. One of these, especially in areas with snow and ice, is not to allow street shoes or boots onto your fitness floor. Sand and salt is very corrosive. It follows people into the facility and onto the equipment, where it gets into moving parts and causes unnecessary wear and tear. Even in warm places, similar problems occur: Beach sand gouges out grooves in treadmill decks. And food is a bad ingredient everywhere. Try a little soda or juice on a product to make things sticky and dirty.Send a messageWacker and his staff follow up the good first impression with good examples. They make three inspection runs every day, putting things into place, checking cables on strength equipment, inspecting cardio equipment for trouble. He says people see their attentiveness, and get the hint to keep things orderly. Even the weightlifters take note. "The last thing you want is a weightlifter not putting 150-pound dumbbells away," he says.Stop inefficient cleaning habitsEvery facility owner should either sign a maintenance contract with an outside company, or hire someone on staff to make sure that someone who knows about the products inspects and cleans them. This sort of technician should inspect for loose or damaged parts before the wear damages the machine or endangers members.

Member Initiation Fees

How to set your member initiation fees, and why they can benefit your business. Setting feesThe question of initiation fees is even harder to figure out. There are no formulas to use, and no formal way of deciding how much to charge. The easiest way to set an initiation fee is to look at what other fitness centers in your area charge, and go from there. It's called market-based pricing. Tour other fitness centers, find out what they offer and what they are charging, then price your facility according to how your equipment, services, available staff, etc., stacks up. It's certainly not scientific, but some feel it's a good way to stay competitive.Caro says that the setting of fees is more art than science. "Intellectually, we think price is a higher obstacle than it really is," he explains. "But the higher the fee collected -- in particular, the higher initiation fee -- the more commitment from members you'll get." Consider the fact that country clubs traditionally have very high fees, yet the best clubs frequently have waiting lists. Also, people don't choose to let their membership lapse when they temporarily don't have time to use it or have an injury, etc. Initiation fees are the glue that keeps members committed. (But, remember, people also get excellent customer service and social interaction at country clubs. Do you offer the same benefits?)So, how can you actually determine what your prices should be? Hire a consultant who will perform an independent market analysis. Join a trade organization and network with other fitness center owners who have facilities similar to yours. Do your homework, and talk to others who have been successful and can advise you.One way fitness centers make additional money on top of membership fees and profit centers is the initiation fee. It may even be the primary way a fitness center's sales team earns their salary.Caro says the biggest plus of an initiation fee is the buy-in of members. Of course, the downsideof an initiation fee is that it can turn potential members away, especially if the fees are too heavy. Caro says, however, not to focus on price and fees when comparing your facility to the competition. "When potential members say, 'Gee, I'm not sure I want to join today,' and the sales staff starts comparing your fitness center's price to others as an incentive, it invites that potential member to consider the competition," Caro explains.Waiving feesWaiving fees can also cheapen your business. If your services are worth the fees you charge, why consider reducing them? This practice also encourages people to wait for your fees to be reduced before they join. Keeping fees the same is called price integrity.Facilities that do not use initiation fees at all will surely need to make up that difference somewhere else. One way to add additional profit to a fitness center is to have revenue centers such as beverages, clothing items, towels, etc. This helps to keep the business more stable, since you don't have to rely just on memberships.DIRECTORY OF BILLING COMPANIES

Hand in Hand

For these students in Oregon, exercise is part of their daily classroom routine and their academics are shining because of it.

Photo of students holding Heavyhands

Stadium & Arena

Venue Visuals

Facilities new and old can gain a cutting-edge look through the creative use of court graphics, wall murals and ceiling-suspended banners.

Photo of banners hanging at Wesleyan University

Dream Weaving

Condensing multiple visions into one is an involved yet necessary step in the process of planning outdoor aquatic facilities.

Photo of families floating in a lazy river

Free At Last

Metal building elements are allowing architects an increasing measure of aesthetic liberty in the design of athletic, fitness and recreation facilities.

Photo of students sitting outside of the Chandler-Gilbert Community College Student Center

Save Situations

When members disappear, it takes a delicate touch to bring them back.

Page 619 of 652

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