101 Tips, Tricks and Ideas: 63-68

Nutrition

Tip 63: What’s the Difference?

Many clubs either have a registered dietitian or a nutritionist on staff. But, what’s the difference between the two titles?

Nutritionist: According to Nutrition Ed, unlike dietitians, the nutritionist profession is much less protected under the law. Nutritionists that do not intend to use the titles of “dietitian” or “registered dietitian” are often free from government regulation. And, rules vary from state to state. Some require nutritionists to obtain an occupational license from a Board of Nutrition, while others allow individuals to practice as nutritionists without any previous education, training or work experience.

Registered Dietitian: Per Nutrition Ed, “Only nutritionists that become registered with Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) may legally declare themselves as dietitians, or more precisely, registered dietitians (RDs).”

The good new is that regardless of the title, the job outlook for both nutritionists and RDs is positive. In 2012, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the employment of 67,400 dietitians and nutritionists across the country. By 2022, this figure is expected to climb to 81,600.

Tip 64: Did you Know?

According to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, in 2013, residents of the following states were most likely to report eating at least five servings of vegetables four or more days per week: Vermont (68.7%), Montana (63.0%) and Washington (61.8%). The least likely were Oklahoma (52.3%), Louisiana (53.3%) and Missouri (53.8%). The national average for regular produce consumption is 57.7%. If your club is in a low-performing state, think about how you could make a positive impact.

Trick 65: If You Can’t Take the Heat

Nutrition is one of the most difficult things to discuss with members. To mitigate this issue, Brent Gallagher, the owner of Avenu Fitness, has redefined the conversation by building an in-house kitchen where they can host nutrition seminars and workshops on a monthly basis.

“Typically we talk nutrition in an office room setting, challenging clients to connect the dots between your gym and their eating habits,” said Gallagher. “Creating an in-house kitchen environment communicates the importance of nutrition and opens the door to deeper conversations around lifestyle habits that hold most back.”

Operations

My Largest Obstacle as a Club Operator

Operators share top obstacles, and how they overcome them.

Idea 66: Having it All

“The largest obstacle I’ve had to overcome as a club operator is finding work and life balance. As working women, we are told we can have it all: a career, marriage, family. However, this often comes at the expense of our health and wellbeing. My advice would be to schedule time for yourself to recharge. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of anyone else.” — Cher Harris, Assistant General Manager of The Houstonian Club.

Idea 67: Creating Community

“One of the greatest challenges is creating and maintaining loyalty among members. You have to build real relationships and offer something truly one-of-a-kind. We’ve been able to do this by finding and keeping staff who genuinely care about others, and creating unique experiences for our members both inside and outside the club to further promote a sense of community.” — Jeff Bodnar, Vice President of Operations at New York Health and Racquet Club.

Idea 68: Next Level

“To help overcome the challenge of executing systems across many clubs and markets, I break it down into three levels. The first level is getting everyone to do the systems as designed. This requires great management. The second level is making everyone better at the systems. This requires great coaching. The third level is having 100 percent of the team executing the systems perfectly, 100 percent of the time. This requires great leadership.” — Shawn Stewart, COO of O2 Fitness Clubs.

Click here for Tips, Tricks and Ideas 69-79.