Interview with Dr. JoAnn Eickoff-Shemek, “Dr. JES,” professor emerita, University of South Florida, expert fitness and law witness, and national spokesperson. Podcast: “The Power of Control: Dr. JES Returns” We’ve dedicated the last two blogs to avoiding gym negligence lawsuits. How to steer clear of legal landmines, and training staff to properly guide members on their fitness journey. Now we are at the final leg – scope of practice. Here, we discuss that wafer-thin line between offering good nutritional advice and stepping outside one's field of expertise. When too much good advice lands you in hot water. In one case Dr. JES recalled, a personal trainer [...]
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Operating a gym within a set of rules creates structure for both club owners and members. Whether your gym rules are created for safety purposes or just to build a harmonious, fitness-first experience, they are a significant asset to any well run health club. 1. Gym rules define your club’s culture. The fact is many gyms do not post or enforce any rules. Recently, I trained as a guest at a national chain. This company has a reputation for indulging power lifters and gym rats. Although I knew this, the facility’s condition shocked me. Heavy weight sets were left on abandoned. [...]
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Insurance advice on what to do when things go wrong by Bill Coons, Sr. Loss Control Specialist Club owners often reach out to us and ask the question, “What do I do if someone says they got hurt in my club?” Another common question in follow up to this is, “How will I know if I’m supposed to report an incident to the insurance company or not?” The answers to these questions may vary slightly depending on the type of incident, but creating an incident response policy and training employees will go a long way in protecting your health and [...]
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