Exercise classes are a great way to draw new members, but have you considered how to safely introduce students to these classes? That’s a good question, as many of them arrive either out-of-shape or unfamiliar with the class format. Unfortunately, their enthusiasm may quickly turn into a lawsuit without the right planning in place.
So how can an owner create a safe environment and help students make good decisions? We’ve got some suggestions. They are based on both our own experience and ongoing conversations with fitness law expert Dr. JES. She is formally known as Dr. JoAnn M. Eickhoff-Shemek, Founder and President of the Fitness Law Academy, LLC, and a Professor Emerita, Exercise Science, at the University of South Florida.
Onboard students before they arrive for group classes.
In a perfect world, gyms would be able to direct and guide every new student to the best classes for their skill level. Without that magic wand, though, we rely instead on a comprehensive calendar system such as one offered through Gym Insight.
In order to make it easy for your students to select the right class the first time, try these tactics:
- Provide beginner classes wherever possible and urge new students to take the trial class.
- Use your calendar sign-up system to fully describe each class, its effort and fitness level requirements, and provide suggestions for participants.
- Request new students arrive 15 minutes before class to receive one-on-one instructions.
Train instructors on safe class management.
A well-trained instructor is one of your best defenses against unnecessary and avoidable injuries or liabilities.
To create a safe class experience, require instructors:
- Create and keep lesson plans for each class.
- Provide before-class instructions for new students.
- Position new students in the front of the class so they can be closely monitored.
- Minimize physical interactions between instructor and student.
- Pair individuals of similar capability or size when the class requires it.
- Manage stability moves carefully by encouraging the use of walls for added protection.
- Complete electronic incident forms to document concerns mentioned by a member.
Prepare ahead of time for group classes.
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and nowhere is this truer than when considering the safety of your group exercise class members.
Consider these four safety steps for group exercise classes:
- Require electronic waivers for all members, including guest passes. Use Guest Guru through our Sales Guru software to digitally save the waiver in your system. Even if they don’t become a member, you will still have a copy of the signed waiver.
- Limit class capacity to the number of people your instructor can properly watch.
- Ensure group class instruction align with nationally published standards. For example, the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s kettlebell class requirement is five feet of distance between participants and seven feet in front of and behind each person. If a student is hurt in one of your classes, it is this type of requirement that plaintiff attorneys and judges will use to evaluate your level of responsibility in the injury.
- Keep warning labels visible on equipment and throughout classrooms.
Start out right by hiring skilled instructors.
It’s tempting to skate the details when hiring independent contractors. After all, the onus of liability for injury is on the instructor, correct? Not always. Especially if it can be proven the gym owner failed in their due diligence when hiring an independent contractor or an employee as an instructor.
- Check contractors’ certifications for expiration dates and industry reputation. We’ve always suggested independent contractors hold more than one certification in their field of expertise.
- Prior to hiring independent contractors (ICs), employers should determine if they are credentialed and competent. Once hired, the employer does not have “behavioral control” over ICs as they do with employees. For example, employers cannot train ICs on how to perform the job.
For employee instructors, the following is recommended:
- Evaluate their skills by requiring they teach a mock class during the interview.
- Ask them to apprentice under an established instructor before taking on their own class.
- Use a performance appraisal tool to monitor an instructor’s skills. (You don’t have to create this form alone. The Fitness Law Academy provides free templates on its website under forms and documents, Chapter 8.)
- Present the appraisal form during the hiring process. By doing so, you will determine your applicant’s willingness to improve and listen to feedback.
Keep paperwork in an electronic file.
Gym Insight’s system takes away the burden of managing paperwork by making it super simple to retrieve, fill out and maintain client forms. Keep incident forms, waivers, checklists, evaluation forms and more in the Insight reports module. Then just access the member account, retrieve the form, write it up, ask for a signature and save to their file.
It’s as painless as that.
Wow, do I really need to take all these extra steps?
Remember, unfit members often start their fitness journey in group exercise classes. These newbies are good for business but also a risky population. Dr. JES cites lawsuits stemming from classes as seemingly harmless as yoga and Zumba.
By helping your members make good decisions ahead of time, establishing the protocols for safe class instruction, and keeping good records, you’re in a better position to minimize injuries. And that one move reduces your exposure to lawsuits.
For a full account of this conversation with Dr. JES, go to our YouTube Channel and click on our latest podcast shorts.
Gym Insight
We are a gym management software company known for our easy-to-use and train software. From one fully integrated system you may Improve sales, manage members, schedule classes, process payments, offer 24/7 access, and run your club. Save money, too, by selecting your own merchant provider. Our pricing is subscription-based. And we never access your gym’s accounts. Call us today at 855-FOR-GYMS for a free demo. Ask for Anthony or Natalia. Looking forward to hearing from you soon!
