Fitness Equipment: Page 92

Field House at Chelsea Piers; Provena St. Mary's Wellness & Fitness Center; Liberty Fitness

These innovative programming ideas motivate members to exercise using all offered programs and products.K.I.D.S.S. Get Fit in N.Y. Field House at Chelsea Piers, New York, N.Y.TEAM SPORTS AREN'T for all kids, but, without them, there are few activities that keep children moving, instead of sitting in front of the TV and computer. So, as part of a continuing effort to keep New York's kids active and healthy, the Field House at Chelsea Piers launched K.I.D.S.S., or the Kid's Individual-Development Sports Series. K.I.D.S.S. offers classes that are specially designed for children who want challenging individual physical activities and structured skill development.The K.I.D.S.S. classes are designed to be fun, interactive and action-packed (without focusing on traditional team sports) for children ages five to 13, and are held during after-school hours, and on weekends. Examples of class types include Gymjitsu, for ages five to seven, which incorporates the strength and coordination of gymnastics with the speed and concentration of martial arts; Sports Adventure, for ages six to 10, a multi-sport class featuring soccer, gymnastics, rock climbing, basketball and baseball; Fun Fit, for ages five to 13, which uses innovative, kid-friendly exercise equipment to encourage and motivate children while introducing them to fun new ways to stay fit; and Advanced Rock, a program for children ages eight to 12 who have knowledge of climbing or have previously taken a rock climbing class at the facility.Partnership Provides Exercise for Disabled Provena St. Mary's Wellness & Fitness Center, Bourbannais, Ill.According to Wellness Coordinator Kelly Hull, "Groups of six to 15 are able to meet with an instructor two times per week for 45 minutes of fitness instruction. This includes cardiovascular exercise and strength-training exercise." Most of the center's staff have college and higher education degrees, and are certified by various national organizations, making them better able to deal with the population. And, participants are accompanied by a nurse from KCTC who informs the fitness center staff of any changes in medical history, health status or medication. Light System Helps Deaf Get Fit Liberty Fitness, Riverside, Calif.The light device consists of two signs mounted on each side of the Liberty Fitness circuit that direct women through their 30-minute workouts. One sign, lit by a blinking green light, is synchronized with the circuit voice prompt that notifies women to "change positions now." The second sign, with a heart shape lit by a red light, is synchronized with the circuit voice prompt that states, "please stop exercising and get ready for a heart rate count." The sign blinks twice to indicate it's time to check their heart rate, and then glows steady for the heart check's 10-second count.

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Gym Relies on Carefully Developed and Packaged Programs

Monster Gym relies on carefully developed and packaged programs, called Signature Programming.

Pre-participation Health and Fitness Assessments

Exercise testing, according to ACSM standards, should be part of all members' initial assessments upon joining your facility. Following is a step-by-step review of the health assessment procedure according to American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) standards, along with how to interpret test results and strategies for more effectively incorporating the health assessment process into your facility.Pre-test instructions and the test environmentWhen possible, testing should be conducted in a quiet, private area to reduce anxiety and improve concentration. Practically speaking, it may be feasible to only complete the questionnaires, and height, weight, resting heart rate, blood pressure and body composition assessments in such a place. The remaining tests, including cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular fitness and flexibility assessments, will most likely occur on the facility floor.Components of the health screening6. FlexibilityThe initial steps in the assessment process are aimed at obtaining a comprehensive understanding of your new member's health and lifestyle. Central to this information is completion of all necessary health/facility forms, and the determination of resting heart rate and blood pressure. Members should complete the forms (e.g., ACSM/AHA Questionnaire or PAR-Q, questions regarding past and existing health conditions and risk factors for cardiovascular disease, informed consent, etc.) that will provide information regarding whether it is safe to test them in your facility prior to scheduling a fitness assessment appointment. If a red flag, such as frequent chest pain, arises in your pre-test evaluation, now is the time to recommend physician intervention.The informed consent should be approved by your legal counsel to determine the appropriate language and consent process for your facility. Forms to evaluate medical history and lifestyle behaviors should also be considered, and can easily be developed.Determination of resting heart rate (RHR) and resting blood pressure (RBP) should, ideally, be conducted after the member has been allowed to sit quietly for five minutes. Practically speaking, members may complete health/fitness assessment forms during that time, if they haven't already. The most common method for determining RHR is the radial palpation technique. While the subject is seated, palpate the radial artery at the base of the thumb (lateral to the mass of wrist tendons) using your index and middle fingers. Count the pulse for a period of 10 seconds and multiply by six. Record the results in beats per minute (bpm).Values < 120 mmHg for SBP and < 80 mmHg for DBP are considered normal Values between 120 and 139 mmHg for SBP or 80 and 89 mmHg for DBP are categorized as prehypertension SBP values between 140 and 159 mmHg or DBP values between 90 and 99 mmHg is stage 1 hypertension SBP values 160 mmHg or values 100 mmHg for DBP places an adult in stage 2 hypertensionBody composition describes the relative proportion of fat to fat-free mass. Excess body fat places an individual at increased risk for development of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, stroke and hypertension. A number of laboratory and field techniques have been developed to assess this important component of physical fitness.* Rotate through measurement sites to ensure the skin has time to return to normal.ACSM also recommends measurement of waist circumference, since body fat distribution, particularly in the abdomen, is an important predictor of a number of health risks. Measurements should be made with a flexible yet inelastic tape measure placed lightly (avoid compressing the skin) at the narrowest part of the torso above the umbilicus and below the xiphoid process. This process should be repeated until duplicate measures are within 5 mm. Waist circumferences

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Fitness From Every Angle

Nutriformance offers fitness, massage and nutrition therapy, as well as performance training for sports or personal training services.The fitness center, which has two additional facilities (one for personal training and one for sports training) provides something it calls "edutainment" to its clients. Huff explains that this "is providing a little education [to clients] ... and also making it fun at the same time."

Cross Training for Fun, Fitness and a Total-Body Workout

Cross training can help members and clients improve health and fitness, and prevent workout boredom. In cross training, two or more types of exercise are performed in one workout, or used alternately in successive workouts. A distance runner in training, for example, may also lift weights twice a week, perform daily stretching exercises and perform high-intensity bicycle sprints every Tuesday. Even if you have clients who are indoor athletes, these examples can be modified to work for them.Although cross training seems to make perfect sense, not all experts agree on its benefits. Cross training contradicts the time-honored principle that training should be limited in scope and closely aligned to the performance your clients want to improve. This is know as task specificity (typically referred to as the SAID principle: specific adaptation to sport-specific demands), and it means that, if your clients want to be good distance runners, they need to run mainly long distances. According to this principle, non-specific activities for runners, like weight training or swimming laps, are a waste of effort because they do not make someone a better runner. However, recent research demonstrates that a well-balanced periodized program will enhance the primary activity. Besides, the typical fitness enthusiast is interested in total-body conditioning, rather than sport-specific training.The cross-training edgePlanning a programTo improve aerobic fitness, for example, clients can cycle for 30 minutes. To increase strength, they can lift weights for 30 minutes. Both can be done on the same or separate days. Depending on the level of fitness and the desired result, varying the frequency, intensity and duration will provide optimal outcomes. If performed on the same day, clients should change the order in which they are performed.Tailor cross training to the needs and interests of the clientele. Select exercises from each of the types in Table 1 as an example, but don't limit the program to the activities listed. Then build a program. (See Cross-Training Sampler.) When working with competitive athletes or experienced exercise enthusiasts, be sure to consult them on their previous experiences and workout schedules. This will keep the program consistent for them, and show efficacy to their program.Benefits of specific sportsCycling. Cycling works running-related muscle groups, such as the quadriceps and shins, both of which don't develop as rapidly as the calf muscles and hamstrings. Cycling also strengthens the connective tissue of the knee, hip and ankle regions, thus reducing the risk of injury. After a stressful run, cycling also loosens fatigued leg muscles. Key points to remember: Since it's much more difficult to run after cycling, have clients run first before getting on the bike (unless they are duathletes/triathletes, and even so this change can be a welcome relief from the usual). Be sure they spin easily as opposed to grinding the big gears.Deep-water running. Deep-water running is just what the doctor ordered for rehabilitating many injuries. Because there is no shock from foot strike, water running is a great alternative to dry-land walking or running activities. For either purpose, it should be based on the client's current level of ability and present dry-land program. While it is possible to run in the water without floatation aids, these devices (e.g., vests, belts, etc.) make the workout easier.Nordic Track ski-simulator machine. Cross-country ski machines provide a challenging workout that is effective in building and maintaining aerobic conditioning and endurance, while strengthening the muscles of the upper and lower body. Because the exercise requires the ability to balance and coordinate dual-action movements of the upper and lower extremities, proper form must be used. This is a great workout for individuals interested in supplementing their training.VersaClimber. Using a VersaClimber provides a total-body workout because all the major muscles of the upper and lower body are fully engaged and, thus, strengthened. Because of the coordination required by the arms and legs (climbing against gravity, similar to the motion of ascending a ladder), it can be a challenging machine to learn to use correctly. Again, be sure clients learn proper technique.Cross training and strength trainingIncrease in muscle mass. The increase in lean muscle mass that results from strength training is the key to the body's ability to metabolize glucose and thus "burn" fat. This occurs because muscle cells require more energy (and also use more calories) than fat cells.Bone protection. Weight training helps protect bones. This is an important benefit, particularly for women (though men can get osteoporosis, as well), as decreased estrogen production causes bone demineralization. This, in turn, increases the risks of osteoporosis and the additional risk of incurring stress fractures. Muscles tugging on bone structure as a result of weight training facilitates bone regeneration.Final thoughts

Personalized Client Programming

Bridging the gap between science and fitness can drive your facility's competitive edge and grow your profits. A personalized client program is a fully integrated testing, training and nutrition system grounded in science, attention to detail and quality assurance. The program is driven by technological advances, fitness science research, assessment, follow-up training and a nutrition program.While personalized client programming can operate as a stand-alone profit center, it is specifically designed to function as part of a total training continuum, in which testing results are part of a greater whole.Personalized client programming helps to pinpoint individual needs through a personal fitness profile, which consists of more than 50 predictive measures of health, fitness, performance capacity and biological age, known as biomarkers. These measures include a cardio profile (the heart, lung and muscle energy systems' response to exercise); body composition and type based on plethysmography (air displacement technology) and computerized somatotyping; a comprehensive blood biochemistry, including proteins, lipids, plasma vitamin/minerals, hormones, advanced cardiac risk panel and overtraining/ stress panel; muscular fitness functional analysis; extensive nutrition profile and nutrient prescription based on thermodynamics, diet composition and blood chemistries; and a series of proprietary inventories to assess quality of life, stress/recovery capacity and longevity.Once a personal fitness profile is created, fitness professionals must then lay the groundwork for the follow-up nutrition and training programs, establish a baseline physiological blueprint for each client, prescribe follow-up strategies, monitor responses over time and modify strategies based on those responses. This is not a one-time, one-size-fits-all approach, but rather a system for life based on sequential testing and follow-up over the years.Facility and client benefitsFor clients, the results of these tests will not only identify individual goals, but will also help chart a roadmap to reach those goals. The results identify their physiologic blueprint -- exactly where they are relative to where they should be and, therefore, what impact their current lifestyle and genetics have on their physiology. The results not only identify individual strengths but, more importantly, critical weaknesses that may be blocking your clients' paths to reaching their goals. The program's results arm trainers and nutritionists with the information they need to design follow-up training, nutrition and lifestyle strategies, and ensure the safety of exercise participation.Test results are also used to monitor progress, determine whether the desired goals are reached in a timely fashion and, if not, why. This will help staff address any roadblocks encountered along the sometimes winding path to reaching client goals. These tests will also make clients aware of factors that influence their overall health, fitness and well-being, so, therefore, they function as an important educational tool. The results presentation serves as an educational opportunity to discuss what clients have to do to reach their goals. Finally, monitoring results over time helps identify problem areas, and continue with motivation.

Older Adult Fitness: Understand the basics

Your facility can benefit from offering exercise programs to older adults, but only if you know the basics about the body and aging. The phenomenon of aging Atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis progressively decrease oxygen supply to body tissue. Other tissues change, as well. For example, cross-linkages develop between adjacent collagen fibrils, decreasing their elasticity and facilitating mechanical injury. Keeping these and other factors of aging in mind will allow for the safe development of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal strengthening programs.YOUNG ADULTHOOD. This typically covers the period from 20 to 35 years of age, when both biological function and physical performance reach their peak.LATER MIDDLE AGE. During later middle age (45 to 65 years), women reach menopause and men substantially reduce their output of sex hormones. This gives rise to the potential onset of osteoporosis or osteopenia. One in eight men over age 50 has osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercises are critical for this age group and beyond. The good news is that career opportunities have commonly peaked, and a larger disposable income often allows energy and time for recreation and fitness-related activities.MIDDLE OLD AGE. During middle old age (75 to 85 years), many people have developed some physical disability, and need additional assistance and expertise in the health club setting.Aging and energy consumptionAging and aerobic performanceHeart rateMusclesLoss of strength progressively impedes everyday living, and women are limited by a loss of strength at an earlier age than men. However, muscle strength can be greatly improved by as little as eight weeks of resistance training, even in 90-year-old subjects. Stronger muscles further enhance function by stabilizing osteoarthritic joints, reducing risk of falls and lessening the extent of dyspnea.FlexibilityBone structureRisks of exerciseThe person who begins an exercise program is at a lower overall risk of sudden death than a sedentary peer, and, perhaps because of a less ambitious attitude toward exercise, the relative risks of physical activity (death when exercising vs. deaths when sedentary) decrease rather than increase as a person becomes older.Vision, hearing and balance are all poorer in older adults. The aged person should thus avoid sports where there is a risk of collision with opponents or stationary objects. If there is a history of falls, special care is needed in pursuing activities that require a good sense of balance. Including balance and stability exercises are essential for older adults.Benefits of exerciseREFERENCESDeschenes, M.R. Effects of aging on muscle fiber type and size. Sports Medicine 34(12): 809-824, 2004.* Have clients complete a 10-minute cool-down at 20 beats below AT.

Promises, Claims and Rules Can Increase Liability

Care must be taken in the wording of promises and claims, and in the selection of operational rules and regulations included in a personnel handbook. MOST BUSINESSES AND organizations make promises and claims to their clients and potential clients, as well as establish rules for their personnel. Promises and claims are frequently made in advertisements, flyers and promotional materials. Rules or regulations are found in personnel handbooks and signage.GuidelinesMake certain that the claims and promises in your promotional materials can be achieved. Promises such as "Your child will be supervised at all times," can be interpreted as part of a contract. It would be much safer to say, "Our supervisors are well-trained and qualified." Then be certain that they are. Claims such as "All clients will increase their strength by 50 percent within three months" or, "We guarantee that you will lose weight," may leave you open to litigation. Much safer claims would be, "Many of our clients increase their fitness and lose weight" or, "Lose weight and get fit exercising on modern equipment and in pleasant surroundings."

National Reputation, Local Focus

The National Training Center in Clermont, Fla., is known nationally and internationally for its Olympic training programs.Schooler says that customer service and health and fitness expertise is the priority of the facility's staff. "Because we're owned by a hospital system [South Lake Hospital], we know our members expect a higher degree of knowledge and professionalism compared to most local gyms. We bring a level of confidence, due to our high standards for education and certifications [for staff members]," she says.In addition to athletic training, the fitness center offers programs for those less athletically inclined. Its FIRE UP! weight-management program generates about $45,000 per year, says Schooler. This six-week program consists of two 30-minute workout sessions with a trainer per week, one one-hour nutrition lecture/counseling group session per week, body measurements (pre and post), and complete fitness assessment and metabolic testing. "We serve more than 150 members per year in this program, and it is very successful," Schooler says.The facility has an average daily usage of 1,500, with more than 100 children a day in the childcare areas. But the fitness center never feels crowded. "We have a nice balance between our morning participants ... and our evening group. ... Most of that is due to our programming strategies, such as offering swim teams, track clubs and sports programming in the late afternoon and evening," says Schooler.

Cardio Equipment: The Future Is Now

Cardio equipment with entertainment options and new technology helps to keep your members motivated. Manufacturers are making changes and additions to their equipment with the end-user in mind -- your members. "If it is relevant in the never-ending quest to improve the user experience, then we'll investigate integrating it into our products," says Woods. Read on to find out what equipment manufacturers are doing to improve member usage."The days of four TVs on the wall and everyone fighting over the piece [of equipment] in front of ESPN are over," says Quast of Life Fitness. Personalized entertainment on individual pieces of cardio equipment will soon be the norm.And entertainment options will be seen on all types of cardio equipment, according to Bob Palka, president of Jacobs Ladder LLC, North Tonawanda, N.Y.: "In terms of product development, I think you will see an accelerated increase in options on traditional pieces like steppers, bikes, treadmills and ellipticals -- options like increased entertainment and electronics."Personalization will be key. According to Brad Schupp, president of Sportsmith, Tulsa, Okla., "The entertainment aspect will certainly grow -- it will become more personalized, much like a Yahoo homepage where you can choose your interests and categories. ... Moving away from TVs and headphones, users would type in their personal pin number, and their settings would come up. [Information on] interests such as golf, travel or cooking could be displayed." Educational programming could also be an option, says Schupp. Members who travel frequently could learn key phrases in another language, for example.Keeping the end-user in mindCollins from VersaClimber predicts that equipment will allow users to connect a laptop or PDA to download workout stats. And Palka of Jacobs Ladder thinks "we will also see an increased emphasis on using heart rate to condition properly. Products that make heart rate training easier and more user-friendly will become more popular."Many advancements can already been seen on equipment, such as personalized programs created by a personal trainer, and workouts that can be tracked via a pin number or some type of scanner.NICHE MARKETS. This idea of paying attention to how the body works is catching on among cardio manufacturers. Quast of Life Fitness explains that his company has two different types of elliptical cross-trainers that offer different types of motion, since the "feel of a cross-trainer is subjective." Bell of Precor says that manufacturers are keeping the "whole user" in mind when designing products, including experimenting with stride length on elliptical trainers. Collins from VersaClimber says that his company now offers a reduced step height on its products "for a 50 percent easier workout."Palka of Jacobs Ladder agrees that products will be offered to serve specific markets: "I think we will see product development to service the niche markets. Markets like the deconditioned, kids and anaerobic tools for serious athletes need to be served better than they are today."Sarns also explains that cardio equipment is adapting for another market -- users who are pressed for time: "Cardio equipment is trending toward total-body exercise. People are pressed for time, and desire to exercise their entire body in a shorter amount of time."While much of the changes in cardio equipment are designed for the user, fitness center managers will also reap some benefits. Schupp from Sportsmith says that "the changes [in cardio equipment] will deal with the communication of the equipment ... to the manager and to the equipment manufacturer." This means that the equipment could send an email to maintenance personnel, alerting them about a problem, Schupp explains. Or, for preventive maintenance, it could send an email reminding management about replacing parts, etc. This type of information would also help managers with record keeping.And additional revenue may also be in store for fitness centers. Quast from Life Fitness explains that fitness centers could have a promo channel that runs on every cardio TV screen. When members get on the machine, a short ad for personal training or the pro shop could run.Woods of Star Trac sums it up best when he says, "Any of these innovations simply become a tool that clubs and staff will ... manage in order to improve the experience for their members."Quast also says that entertainment and tracking options will increase membership sales. One YMCA that Life Fitness worked with actually increased membership sales by 50 percent after installing cardio equipment with personal entertainment.

Getting the Most Out of Your Equipment

Regular inspections and cleaning will help keep your equipment running smoothly and keep your costs down.WHAT'S THE MOST expensive thing in your fitness center besides the building itself? The equipment! With a new, good-quality treadmill running at about $8,000, and a good-quality remanufactured treadmill running about $5,000, keeping your equipment in good working order will save a lot of money in the long run.TreadmillsSweat. "The No. 1 thing that breaks down equipment is sweat," says Hipp.The acids and salt in sweat cause rust to form and parts to wear out faster. If you don't keep up with the cleaning, your equipment will rust and deteriorate more quickly.The areas around your machines have a huge effect on how dust-free they will stay. Cleaning underneath the treadmills definitely helps. Also, the type of flooring your choose for underneath the treadmills makes a difference. "Carpet is probably the worst [flooring]," says Rich Bumford, service manager for National Fitness Consultants, Rockville, Md. Carpet holds onto the dust, and the treadmill's belt will suck it right into the motor and computer boards. "Tile or wood is the best flooring," hesays. Rubber is good, too. If you have a carpeted floor, adding a rubber mat underneath is a good idea.Wear and tear. Roy Greenberg, vice president of Global Fitness, Gardena, Calif., says that keeping up your treadmill is about more than keeping up appearances. "Treadmills generally get the most user traffic and have the most moving parts," he says. "They get the most wear and tear because of this." While preventive maintenance is one key to a long life, replacing certain items that are prone to wear and tear is another. Parts like the belt and deck below the belt, for instance, if not replaced, can create unnecessary strain on the motor and electronics and will eventually cause the machine to fail. "You or your technician can set guidelines on when to replace these based on the amount of use the treadmill gets," says Greenberg.Keep an eye on it. As the belt and deck start to wear, they create friction that, in turn, creates an increased need for amps to run the treadmill, and makes the motor work harder to keep up the speed under the weight of the person using it.You can help your technician by checking out equipment yourself weekly. Take the belt, for instance. Is it worn? Are the seams starting to pull apart? If so, it's time to replace the belt. Lift up the belt and look at the running board underneath. Can you see the wood under the laminate showing through? If so, it's time to change the deck. It's much less expensive to replace the deck or the belt than to replace the motor or the electrical components, so it's a good idea to periodically check these. Always make sure to unplug your electrical equipment before inspecting or repairing it.Equipment placement. Not rotating your equipment can also add to its premature demise. If you find that your members tend to congregate by a certain TV or by a fan, you may want to rotate your equipment so that each piece gets even wear and tear.While treadmills and other cardio equipment get a lot of attention in servicing information, other machines have just as critical a servicing need to keep them in good working order. For instance, strength machines, though generally self-contained, need regular lubricant, and tightening of cables, belts and pulleys.Time to replaceOnce the final decision to purchase has been made, you'll need to decide whether to trade up with the manufacturer you bought it from originally, or trade it in for remanufactured equipment. While there is no such thing as a Kelly Blue Book for exercise equipment, as long as your equipment is one of the top brands, you'll get a fair market value for your pieces that you want to trade.You've heard it all before, but the importance of keeping your equipment and facility clean and free of sweat and dust is paramount to keeping your equipment for a long time. Vacuum above, inside and below to get out as much dust as you can.Your members can help to keep the surface area of your equipment clean, too. Encourage them to wipe down the machines after each use. Good habits are hard to break, and when they learn that cleaning will help to keep the equipment in good working order and their membership costs down (due to high repair and replacement costs), they'll surely comply.

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