Q: I’ve been hearing a lot about the importance of AEDs in health clubs. Does my club need one? And what do I need to know before I buy?
A: AED stands for Automated External defibrillator and is a portable lifesaving device. The American Heart Association notes that at least 20,000 lives could be saved annually by prompt use of AEds.
Ultimately, with broad deployment of AEDs among trained responders, as many as 50,000 deaths due to sudden cardiac arrest could be prevented each year.
Currently laws in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, new Jersey, new York and Rhode Island require health clubs to have at least one AEd. Also these states have legislatively mandated that health clubs and fitness centers meeting a specified membership threshold, not only maintain an AEd, but also provide training to employees on how to use the AEd in case of an emergency.
The gradual acceptance of AEds as devices that are meant to be operated by laypeople has helped legislatures with mandates. AEdS are no longer viewed as sophisticated medical devices that require extensive or specific training. All 50 states have enacted Good Samaritan laws protecting the AEd providers and users.
If you are in a state that does not require your club to have an AEd you still may want to think about supplying your facility with an AEd and training your employees on the proper way to use it in the event of a heart attack. If a member suffers a heart attack, your club potentially runs the risk of being viewed as acting with indifference to the safety and welfare of its patrons and either negligent or grossly negligent for any deaths that may result from a cardiac related incident. Cook County Circuit Court in Fowler v. Bally Total Fitness strongly suggests that the way the courts are viewing such incidents have changed. The court ruled that Bally’s refusal to maintain an AEd demonstrated intentional indifference to the welfare of its patrons and rose to the level of gross negligence.
It is better to be safe than sorry. Plus, by obtaining an AED and the proper training, your members will feel more comfortable and you will be demonstrating to them your level of commitment to their potential health and well-being.
Q: My club only has a limited amount of floor space. What can I do to squeeze the maximum workout experience into a tight square footage?
A: No matter what the size of your facility, trying to select the right amount of space for each type of activity is a constant balancing act.
You’ll likely want areas for strength, cardio and perhaps group exercise. While group exercise areas typically aren’t occupied as continuously as other areas, each participant requires only 36 to 40 square feet, and you can have as many participants in there as space will allow,several times per day. Group exercise typically has a fairly loyal following so it encourages participants to return to the gym time after time.
For cardiovascular, it’s been shown that people are most comfortable with bikes, treadmills and ellipticals, with treadmills being the most popular since they are easiest for even a neophyte to understand. These machines are easy to line up and don’t need a lot more space than the footprint of the machines themselves.
As for weights, most manufacturers say that 6 to 10% of the gym space should be dedicated to free weights. But depending on the level of sophistication of your clientele, participants may not be familiar enough with how to use free weights to use them comfortably or effectively. Selectorized machines are much more user friendly if this is the case, and perhaps a circuit from one of the selectorized manufacturers is the way to go. talk with manufacturers’ representatives, and they will be able to suggest how many machines to put into the space that you would like to allocate as a weight area.
While it’s tempting to forgo a locker room area in order to create more space, most facility owners will tell you that some small area with showers is necessary to accommodate your early morning and noon exercisers. You’ll also need to plan some space for storage and offices for your team. try ACSM’s Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines, which does an excellent job of not only illustrating how to plan the offerings in your space, but also addresses many of the guidelines and requirements pertaining to running a fitness facility. Their website is ASCM.org.
Steve Chase is General Manager of Fitness Flooring
Q: I have an employee who I suspect is alienating many of our members because of his attitude. What can I do to get him on track? And if I can’t get him to clean up his act, what steps do I need to take before I let him go?
A: Ask to speak to this particular employee because you would like to get her feedback on something. Let her know that you are concerned about her well-being and that you have noticed a change in her attitude. By doing this, you will not put this particular employee on the defensive but rather have a greater chance of maybe getting to the bottom of her attitude problems. It gives you an opportunity to demonstrate that you care. Let this particular employee know that from what you have observed you have noticed that her attitude seems to be negative and you want to make sure that it is nothing that the club or management has done. ?is is a great way to bring it to that particular employee’s attention without attacking her and putting her on the defensive. ?is also allows you to mention that other club members have expressed concern about that particular employee’s attitude and that you want to make sure that everything was OK. Let the employee know that you care and want to make sure that she is happy with her job, because happy employees create a friendly and warm atmosphere for all members. ?is technique should go a long way with resolving the issue. However, in the event this does not get anything out in the open and the employee continues to be a problem and ignores your plea for change, you then will have to make a decision whether to let her go because of the problems he or she is potentially creating for your other members. The last thing you want is to lose members due to one employee’s attitude. You also do not want this employee affecting the mind set of other employees. ?is would be detrimental to your business.
