Equipment Articles

According to industry definitions, “multipurpose” health clubs have fitness facilities and racquet courts. “Fitness-only” health clubs have fitness (group exercise and/or a fitness center with equipment), but no racquet courts. Either type of club may have a swimming pool or a gymnasium. Respondents wer...

Bacteria. Germs. Superbugs. These are some of the countless terms for the hazardous micro-organisms that can be found in your business at any time. The fact is, any crowded communal space is a breeding ground for microbes. The club environment is at increased risk owing to the unavoidable dynamics, from dripping sweat to locker room moisture to the normal hygiene challenges associated...

The stability ball has been used by physical therapists for years, and the fitness industry has fully embraced this tool for group exercise and private training. The stability ball creates an unstable surface and can be used for strength, balance, coordination, agility, core work and flexibility. Some of my favorite exercises challenge both balance and core strength. For review purposes,...

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San Diego–based exercise equipment manufacturer and IDEA World Fitness® exhibitor efi Sports Medicine has been lending its muscle to men and women in the armed forces by donating more than 150 of its Total Gym machines to troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Luke Paulino, Private First Class with the U.S. Army 2nd Platoon, 792nd Chemical Comp...

Synergistic Systems By Kay L. Cross, MEd Operation Organization Don't wait for spring to make a clean sweep of your working environment! If someone peered into your car, file cabinets, kitchen pantry, laundry room or closet, what would they assume about you? Would they guess that you are always in a hurry, loaded down with too much stuff and barely holding your act together in the public eye? Or ...

Trainer Survey By Patricia Ryan, MS IDEA Data Show Business Is Booming New data reveal the expansion of training into new skills and new opportunities. PERSONAL TRAINING GROWS INTO SMALL GROUPS % of respondents offering program Total of All Respondents Health Clubs and YMCAs PFTs in Client Homes PFT Gyms n (number) personal training (one-to-one) personal training (2 clients share) personal trai...

By Carrie Myers Smith and Amanda Vogel, MA buyer How to evaluate fitness equipment be before you sign on the dotted line. I wary waited with anticipation for the newest, self-proclaimed, next-best-thing-in-fitness fandangle to arrive on my doorstep. Being a health and fitness writer, I often get to try out the latest fitness products, from videos to balls to gizmos and gadgets. When this curr...

equipment Brokering the Best Deal HOW TO NEGOTIATE A PRICE THAT GIVES YOU THE BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK. By Amy Boone H aving learned how to determine your club's fitness equipment needs (see the January issue of IDEA Fitness Manager), you are now in a position to negotiate a deal with the manufacturer that will best suit the needs of your staff and club members. Many fitness facilities use on...