How Healthy is Your Health Club?

With more and more insurance companies offering discounts on health and fitness club memberships, now may be a good time to join a health club, get into shape, and improve your overall health. But if your health club cuts corners when it comes to safety, sanitation, and staff training, you may actually be jeopardizing your health by working out there. Here are some signs that your club puts the health and safety of its members first.

Club members are instructed on the proper use of equipment and facilities

When you join a health club, a member of the club's staff should ask you to fill out a health history questionnaire. If you have a serious health problem (e.g. a heart condition or a bad back), the club should require that you obtain medical clearance before beginning an exercise program. Then, you should be invited to a new member orientation session (usually a one-on-one session) in which you learn club rules and find out how to properly use the exercise equipment. Staff members should work with you to design an exercise program that meets your needs, taking into consideration any health problems or physical limitations you might have.

Staff members should test your fitness when you start an exercise program, then check on you periodically thereafter. Even long after you've joined, they should be readily available to answer questions and teach you proper exercise techniques. This may be possible only if there is an adequate instructor/member ratio. If only a few staff members are on duty, they may not be able to give you the personal attention you need to exercise safely.

Staff members are qualified and well trained

All staff members should be knowledgeable about health and fitness issues, and most should be trained in CPR and first aid. In addition, exercise instructors should be certified by a nationally or internationally recognized organization such as the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America or the American College of Sports Medicine.

Equipment and facilities are clean and safe to use

Check out the condition of the equipment and the cleanliness of the facility. Although health clubs must be licensed by state and/or local governments to do business, they may not be closely regulated. However, they may be certified by a national organization (such as the International Health, Racquet and Sports Club Association) that requires members to maintain clean, safe facilities and adhere to a code of ethics.

Regulated or not, your health club should be well maintained. Dirty locker rooms and broken equipment can sometimes signal that the club is in financial trouble, especially if the condition of the club has recently taken a turn for the worse. Look for the following signs that your health club is adequately maintained:

• The club should have routine sanitation procedures--find out what they are
• Members should be instructed to clean off machines after use (look for adequate paper towels and spray bottles of disinfectant)
• The facility should be spacious enough to accommodate members even during peak periods--find out if the club limits membership to prevent crowding
• Exercise equipment should be relatively new, not outdated
• All equipment should be clean and in good repair--worn or torn equipment may be a safety hazard
• Instructions for use should be attached to each machine
• Mats and flooring should be clean and resilient enough to protect against injury
• Showers and locker rooms should look and smell clean (no mold or mildew)
• The pool and hot tub should be adequately sanitized--signs of inadequate sanitation include pool water that burns your eyes or foam in the hot tub
• Rules of use should be posted in the pool/hot tub area (e.g. shower before entering the pool, limit use of the hot tub to 15 minutes)
• First aid kits should be well stocked and readily accessible

Security in and around the club is adequate

Health clubs often post signs warning members not to leave valuables in their lockers. Because lockers are notoriously easy to jimmy open, petty thieves often target them. This doesn't necessarily mean that the health club has lax security, but it does mean that you should find out if the health club is going the extra mile to protect you and your possessions. Determine whether the club you belong to has:

• Security measures in place to ensure that only members or their guests can enter or leave the building (e.g. membership cards, surveillance cameras, gates)
• Well-lit parking areas
• Security guards if the area is especially dangerous
• A well-attended child-care facility if the health club offers it

What if you find problems?

If you feel that your health club is not as clean or safe as it should be, talk to the club's director. If your concerns aren't resolved or if serious health violations exist, contact the local or state authority responsible for monitoring business and/or sanitary practices in your area (e.g. the Attorney General's office, Health Department).