Are you getting the most from the cardio equipment in your facility? Are there products for everyone? Do you have products for those members who may have a temporary lower-body injury, or have simply overworked their legs? There has never been a better time to consider adding upper-body cardio to your cardio mix. There is a wide range of choices in this product category and more reasons then ever to make the leap to upper-body priority cardio.
1. Create a Focus on Upper-Body Exercise: If you are like most, over 90% of the cardio equipment in your club is lower-body priority and the other 10% is likely total-body exercise. Your total- body equipment is usually a lower-body driven exercise with the arms simply going along for the ride. Educate your clients on the benefits of upper-body exercise. Did you know your heart has to work two-and-a-half times as hard to pump blood through your arms as it does to pump the same amount of blood through your legs? The blood vessels in your arms are smaller and offer a greater resistance against the flow of blood.
2. Lower-Body Injury and Membership Retention: Provide an exercise solution for your members who have incurred a temporary injury to a lower extremity and may wish to freeze or stop their membership. Do not lose this member; offer them an upper-body cardio and strength workout until they have recovered from their injury. Keep their exercise habits alive! Not to mention, your cash flow. Several products offer both strength and cardio on the same machine and are ideal solutions for those with short-term injuries.
3. Strengthen Shoulders: Most shoulder injuries are not serious enough to stop members from training or playing recreational sports, but they do inhibit optimal results. Many are due to weaker under-trained rotator cuff muscles. This is often because we train primarily with linear movements. Your members can best strengthen and rehabilitate the rotator cuff tendons and associated muscles with a rotary exercise movement. Some equipment companies offer internal/ external rotation attachments specifically designed to strengthen the rotator cuff.
4. Attract New Members: Offer upper- body cardio equipment for prospective members who have lost the use of their lower extremities. Look for upper-body exercisers that offer swivel seats, for easy transfers, and with wheelchair platforms, for maximum ease of accessibility.
5. Appeal to Cyclists and Runners: Many of your members ride a road bike, run, or jog for the majority of their lower- body conditioning. These members often fall victim to local leg fatigue and would gladly use an upper-body cycle for supplemental upper-body exercise.
6. Keep Them Coming Back. How many members have you lost because they walked on a treadmill, but did not feel comfortable in your weight and machine area, and decided to walk at home? Using an upper-body cycle can help integrate them into other parts of your facility and would give them a reason to come back.
7. Alternative Strength Training: An upper- body cardio machine with isokinetic resistance can provide primary strength training for the most deconditioned member and supplemental strength training for the strongest athlete. Strength training with Isokinetics is not intimidating and is safer for individuals new to strength training workouts.
8. Cut Down on Treadmill Use: Dividing cardio time between upper body and lower body will significantly cut down on your treadmill usage. Remember, treadmills are the most expensive pieces of equipment in your facility, to both purchase and maintain.
9. ADA Tax Credit: Many upper-body exercisers are wheelchair accessible and approved by the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA). Take advantage of the ADA tax credit. If your facility qualifies, a 50% tax credit is available. That is a tax credit, not just a deduction.
10. Cross Training: Cardiovascular cross training provides benefits that are not attainable from any other method of training. Focusing on upper-body-only cardio for at least 1/3 of an individual’s workout is logical because the human muscular structure is approximately 1/3 upper body and 2/3 lower body. This blend of exercise is crucial to the balance of major muscle groups.
Upper-body cycles are not just for people with lower-body injuries or disabilities. Upper-body cycles should be a part of every person’s cardio workout. Simply stated, your cardio area should have a mix of at least 15% upper-body-only with another 15% all body. If your cardio area does not have this blend, your member retention rate may be significantly less than it should be, and your closing rate with the deconditioned members is also probably lower than it should be.
Denton Smith is the President of SCIFIT Systems, Inc. He can be contacted at 800.278.3933, or by email at dsmith@scifit.com.
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