Facilities: Page 622

Fitness Equipment Health

To keep your members happy, your equipment must be working and maintained. TreadmillsMechanical wear leads to electronic component wear. When walk belts become rough, friction increases and motors have to work harder. The electric current through the drive board increases to the point where the weakest component breaks under the strain, and the treadmill grinds to a stop.Technicians say that most fitness centers do not clean their treadmills properly. Someone may clean around the product, and even wipe off the display and the landing strips, but what is not visible is usually left untouched. "The top of the machine might be clean, but underneath there's an inch of dust," says Patrick Rollings, a service technician for Wellspring Fitness Equipment in Waukesha, Wis. "Most [fitness centers]clean what they see, but not anything you don't see."A good technician might spend 40 minutes on one treadmill. Tasks include inspecting motor brushes for wear, cleaning and waxing walk decks, inspecting the walk belt, adjusting drive and walk belt tension, checking electrical connections, lubricating lift motors and inspecting roller bearings for wear. For a more detailed list of regular maintenance tasks, and for product-specific information, visit your treadmill manufacturer's website.Compared to treadmills, cycles are easy to maintain. For starters, they don't have the friction of the treadmill walk belt and deck, they don't have a high electrical current going through the drive board and they don't have to pull a 200-pound body on a belt that's dragged across a stiff, wood deck. A cycle can last a long time without the care required of a treadmill.Elliptical trainersAs with cycles, elliptical bearings require inspection, and idler pulley springs and belts tend to loosen with age and use. The ramp, track or rail of the elliptical, depending on particular product design, should be cleaned thoroughly because gunk that collects here makes for a bumpy ride for the user, and it might cause unnecessary wear on bushings and bearings.Strength equipment is a different matter altogether. There is usually nothing electronic -- only mechanical parts to wear. Belts and cables require inspection for safety. And nuts and bolts might loosen up, especially if they're situated in a stress area.

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Don't Be Floored by Flooring

Use the following guidelines to help you choose the right flooring for your fitness center. DIN standardsThe type of flooring you choose is critical to the success of the activities you hold. For instance, basketball floors need less shock absorption so the balls can bounce, but group exercise floors need to be slightly softer to take more impact. The wood surface area may look the same, but what's underneath is completely different.Flooring manufacturers will install the floor for you, and this is always a smart move if you can fit it into your budget. Many flooring companies, for instance, will not honor a warranty if it can be proven that the flooring was not installed properly, or the subfloor was not prepared properly. Depending on the type of flooring, installation is a huge job.Chase also says that the subfloor should be level, with no dips, and that the building's foundation should be structurally sound.Moisture is a big issue for flooring, because humidity levels can play havoc with a floor's stability. Summertime's heat can cause floors to expand or buckle, and winter dryness can cause floors to separate. Remember, it is not the outside humidity that is the real problem, but the inside. Put a bunch of sweaty people into a room and the humidity level will surely change. Chase recommends a year-round humidity level of 40 to 60 percent, with no significant swings. A humidifier and dehumidifier can prevent swings. Remember, if your floors buckle or separate due to your building's humidity, the expense for repair falls upon you.Sohow do you decide what type of flooring to put where? One way is to check out some high-end fitness centers in your area to see what those with a bigger budget chose. Decide what you like and why, and then talk to flooring suppliers to find out what might work for you.Wood provides traction, and the pocket of air underneath floating wood floors protects the body's joints. However, hardwood floors are expensive and challenging to lay, and Lowell suggests purchasing your wood flooring from a company that has expert installers.Randy Meyer, national sales manager of Magnum Fitness Systems, South Milwaukee, Wis., echoes that sentiment: "From my experience, many people incorrectly try to save money on flooring by choosing carpeting, but it just doesn't [last long.] Plus, it's not that inexpensive. You can pay three times the price with carpeting than you would with rolled rubber flooring."Many types of flooring for the locker room are easy to install because they consist of interlocking tiles. Lee Dees, president and CEO of Kendall Products, does not recommend using tiles individually, but rather in sufficient quantities so that it is safe. "A 1-by-1-foot square weighs only 1 pound, but an 8-by-12-foot section, for instance, weighs over 100 pounds, and will stay stable," says Dees.Making a good first impressionPlanning is the keyLastly, have fun with your floors! With so many companies offering so many options in colors, surfaces and prices, you can make a great statement and set your facility apart from the rest.

Developing Signature Spa Services

To set your spa apart, develop a concept and approach that will be appealing, and keep your customers loyal to your business. Your spa will most likely be competing against other fitness center spas or local day spas. To set your spa apart, develop a concept and approach that will be appealing, and keep your customers loyal to your business. At resort and destination spas, it is common for the spa to take on a unique quality. A spa that is located at the beach may develop a spa concept that is marine-based, and that incorporates elements from the sea. A spa that is closely affiliated with a community or business may take on attributes that are consistent with that community or business. These attributes extend to design, interior furnishings, art, staff uniforms, marketing approach and the spa menu, to name a few.In most fitness center spas, a substantial amount of income will come from massage services. A variety of additional services should be offered, if possible, such as facials, wraps, scrubs, manicures, pedicures and waxing.The creative processIt is not unusual to create more than one signature service. For example, you may create one massage signature service, a facial signature service and a wrap signature service. You may even develop a package that is a signature package.Signature services also provide you with an opportunity to sell more retail products. The majority of your retail sold will come as a result of facial and skincare services; however, depending on the type of signature services you offer, there may be an additional retail opportunity.

Who Is Liable When an Employee Is Negligent?

Assuming the personal trainer was negligent, who is liable -- the personal trainer (employee), the facility manager or the fitness center? In this case, it seems that the personal trainer was negligent. The inexperienced plaintiff was left unsupervised on a dangerous piece of equipment with no instructions as to how to operate it. Assuming the personal trainer was negligent, who is liable -- the personal trainer (employee), the facility manager or the fitness center?Generally, employees are individually liable for their own negligent conduct. In the Corrigan case, the employee might be found negligent for failing to properly supervise, or for failing to instruct the plaintiff on the operation of the treadmill, in which case, the employee could be liable for any damages awarded by the court.Management5. Direct the services in a proper manner.Fitness facilityNote that in this case, Corrigan sued the fitness center and not the personal trainer or the club manager. Frequently, the suit names the employee, management, fitness center, equipment manufacturer and others as defendants. But the fitness center is almost always named because it generally has more money than an employee or manager. It is also important to know that had the personal trainer been an independent contractor and not an employee, the fitness center would probably not be liable, and the independent contractor would be the target of the suit.

Getting to Know Your Members

Without real knowledge about members, cannot improve marketing efforts and cannot significantly improve member retention levels. Key questionsThe same is true when new members are asked about their goals -- this information is almost never saved or combined. More importantly, if it has been some time since the member joined, no one has asked them for their current goals or their current level of satisfaction with the facility. This is critical if the member is thinking about quitting.Fitness centers often do not know if members are married unless they are part of a couple or family membership. They do not know if the spouse ever tried the fitness center, or was a member in the past. Also, information about whether the member has children and of what ages is not recorded. This could have led to registering them for youth programs, birthday parties or a family membership.It is also useful to know the history of members regarding bringing guests to special events and providing referrals -- and then tracking these leads to see if they actually joined. Obviously, a successful referrer should be reinforced if identified over the years.Understanding what members do at your facility, how often they come, when they visit, etc., is critical information for helping them to use your fitness center fully. Typically, no real information is known about whether a member uses a certain type of cardiovascular equipment, uses a certain line of strength equipment, stretches at the end of a workout, sits in the sauna, showers, etc. If the routine is regular and known, there is an opportunity to introduce the member to other types of cardiovascular equipment; to vary the workout with the use of free weights, exercise balls, balance boards or a group exercise class; to suggest other activities such as basketball, swimming a few laps, sitting in a coed whirlpool or participating in a racquet sport. This could lead to more flexibility for them in activities, the days of the week visited and the timing of club visits.Keys to communication

Teaching Employees Customer Service

Suggestions on teaching effective customer service to staff members. The importance of good serviceInstitute a comprehensive training program for all new employees, and then test their knowledge of equipment, facility procedures and other essential information before they have any contact with members. To make sure that an employee is ready, role playing can be revealing. Play the role of a new member and ask employees-in- training questions. Can they answer all of them?What are employees authorized to do in the event of a problem? Can they give a refund? If so, under what circumstances? When does a manager need to be called in to resolve a problem? Anticipate the sorts of issues that your employees may face, and give them the tools and information they will need to deal with them, including any procedures for documenting the problem and the resolution. Having clear protocols for situations gives employees the confidence and security they need to deal with problems efficiently and effectively.Since you can't be there at all times, consider creating a comprehensive employee manual that contains fitness center procedures, emergency contacts and frequently asked questions about your facility. To do the best job for your members, your employees need to not only be knowledgeable, they need to be able to demonstrate their knowledge on demand to inspire trust and confidence from your members.Resist the temptation to consider training a costly, one-time event. Training is a dynamic process that involves building on existing skills and knowledge to achieve higher levels of expertise and ability. Seminars, workshops and conventions are ideal places for employees to not only learn new things, but to recharge their enthusiasm and energy.REFERENCESLe Clair, J. "Take the Time to Train Your Customer Service Staff." www.inc.com/articles/2000/04/18227.html.

Integrating Core Training into Workouts

Suggestions from fitness instructors who incorporate core training into their classes and personal training work. Many people seeking physical fitness focus on aerobic activity and strength training, which primarily work the large muscle groups of the limbs and torso. While the core muscles perform some stability work during most aerobic and strength-training exercise, they may not get enough of an overload to prevent the atrophy that occurs with sedentary lifestyles.Create a packageIt's easy to include 10 minutes of core work as part of a group exercise class or strength-training workout. In fact, core muscles have to perform stabilization for many strength exercises, especially with free weights. A variety of exercises for the abdominal muscle group and low back extensors are traditional features of well-rounded workouts, and should be part of an exercise class or personal training session.Stability balls, discs, boards, medicine balls and other equipment that challenges balance provide great training to core muscles. Props also provide variety to keep core work interesting. Many personal trainers make extensive use of these props with their clients.Older adults gain wonderful health and fitness benefits from core strengthening work. Core muscles tend to be more atrophied in this group, especially in sedentary clients. Core work relieves many aches and pains caused by muscle weakness -- pain mistakenly accepted as part of the aging process. Strengthening core muscle groups improves balance and prevents falls in many older adults.REFERENCESCosio-Lima, L.M., K.L. Reynolds, C. Winter, et al. Effects of physioball and conventional floor exercises on early phase adaptations in back and abdominal core stability and balance in women. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 17(4): 721-726, November 2003.Tortora, G.J., and S.R. Grabowski. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. HarperCollins: New York, N.Y., 2003.

Innovative Programming Ideas for Fitness Facilities

Innovative programming ideas aimed at motivating members to exercise.

What's Hot in Group Exercise

Three new group exercise classes can keep your members fit and your fitness program healthy. Mindy Mylrea created Gliding based on a paper plate program she used when teaching aerobics classes. She has been an international fitness presenter for the past two decades, is the 2004 Can Fit Pro International Presenter of the Year, the 1999 International IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year, a National and World Aerobic Champion, and a five-star presenter for IDEA. She is a master trainer for Schwinn Cycling, and on the pro development team for Bosu, Corepole and Body Bar.Cost. For a Gliding program, $199 will buy what you need to start, including 25 sets of discs, a storage box, two DVD instructor training videos and one DVD containing marketing materials. There are no upfront or annual licensing fees. "I've created a complete and simple turnkey package. I also recommend using the discs as accessory pieces to other classes, like stability ball workouts or circuit training. I've [also] seen personal trainers use them when training their clients," says Mylrea. Continuing education is offered by certified master instructors (www.glidingpro.com). Master trainer fees are negotiated on an individual basis.Dana Prietro, group fitness director at Sports Club LA-Beverly Hills, is a fan of Michael Carson's Core Motion class because, "it incorporates all the components of fitness: strength, flexibility, cardiovascular, stability and balance." Carson, a certified personal trainer, began as fitness celebrity Kathy Smith's group exercise director at MezzePlex in West Los Angeles, Calif. Since then, he's become a well-known fitness celebrity himself, staring in numerous exercise TV shows and infomercial campaigns.Cost. Costs for Core Motion include the balls, which are $10 each, with a minimum order of 20. Teacher training is a three-hour workshop that includes a written syllabus. Cost is $750, plus travel expenses, for certified instructors to provide a Core Motion instructor-training seminar at your fitness center. There is a 30-teacher limit for the training. Core Motion hasno annual licensee fees (www.mindbodyseries.com/fitness).Overview. Budokon, which means "the way of the warrior spirit" in Japanese, is the creation of mind/body teacher Cameron Shayne. "The class is a blended and balanced combination of Hatha yoga, martial arts and meditation," says Shayne, who sees this as a union of martial arts and yoga.Cost. Budokon requires no equipment other than yoga mats and blocks. Minimum Budokon-instructor requirements are a certification in yoga instruction and two years of experience in martial arts. (Shayne based his teacher training/Budokon certificationon the Stott Pilates teacher-training method.) Teacher training workshops are one weekend per month for three months ($325 per instructor). Annual fees are $50 for continuing Budokon CEUs (www.budokon.com).

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