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Fitness Center Management

A Little Prevention Goes A Long Way by Gail Fast

For a fitness center member, there is nothing more annoying than trying to use a piece of exercise equipment only to find a sign on it that says, “Out of Order”. If it happens repeatedly, there is a good chance that the member will find the facility unreliable and unresponsive. Let it go long enough and you will probably lose him or her for good!

Keeping the exercise equipment clean and in optimum working order should be any Fitness Center’s top priority. Staff need to be properly trained to perform preventive maintenance, identify equipment malfunctions, and make minor repairs, when needed.

So how do you spot potential problems and where do you start?

First, begin by creating a Preventive Maintenance Schedule. On it, list each piece of cardiovascular and strength equipment. Determine what preventive maintenance should be done daily, weekly and monthly. If you have it, reference the manufacturer’s manual of each specific brand to help you customize your schedule.

For example, daily preventive maintenance on a Stairmaster requires cleaning the frame and display; weekly maintenance requires inspection and lubrication of the chains; monthly maintenance requires lubrication of the pedals. Some other basic maintenance tips include:

Electronic displays, seats and frames on exercise bicycles and elliptical machines should be cleaned and disinfected daily.
Treadmill belts should be inspected and vacuumed weekly.
Frames and upholstery on strength equipment should be cleaned and disinfected daily.

Next, establish Cleaning Guidelines and the items you need to keep in stock. Supplies such as Simple Green D disinfectant, glass cleaner, chrome polish, and any others recommended by the manufacturer (dry spray lube, 30 wt. Motor Oil, 3-in-1 oil, etc) should be centrally located and available to all staff. A cleaning schedule should also be established. At a minimum, pads and painted surfaces on all machines should be cleaned daily, mirrors should be wiped down weekly and upholstery should be cleaned with a soap/water solution bi-monthly to help prevent cracks and tears.

Make sure you have a well-stocked tool kit. Inside, it should have a variety of screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, and socket sets as well as different size screws nuts, and bolts, to name a few. Check with the operator’s manual or the company you purchased the equipment from to see if any specific tool is needed to maintain their equipment. Also, make sure to allocate money for small replacement parts such as pedals, belts and chains, and keep them on hand.

Familiarize your staff with the cleaning and maintenance schedule. If possible, designate one staff person, who is mechanically inclined, to oversee the preventive maintenance. All staff should, at a minimum, be able to check equipment daily for any unusual wear-and tear, lubricate any moving parts such as shafts and chains, remove any visible, excess grease, clean the weight stacks, tighten any loose bolts and nuts, and check upholstery for rips and cracks. Also, make sure staff records and documents all equipment repairs in an equipment repair and/or maintenance log. This log should include a chart that has space for the date when the repair was reported, the date it was completed, which piece of equipment needs repair, any parts that were used and/or purchased, and who made the repair.

Next, enlist your members to help in the preventive maintenance program. Make disinfectant and paper towels available on the exercise floor, group exercise area and weight room. Encourage them to wipe off the equipment after use. Sweat creates rust that can ruin and/or cause problems for many pieces of equipment.

Finally, if possible remove all broken or unsafe equipment from the exercise floor. If moving equipment is not an option and you have to post an out of order sign, make sure you include the date of the expected repair. Update the sign regularly to keep members abreast of its status.

A little prevention will go a long way. By performing routine preventive maintenance, you will extend the life of your equipment, minimize costly repairs and more importantly, keep your members happy and exercising!

Published with permission from:
Fitness Onsite Magazine Fall 2004

Phone: (703) 204-1355 ext. 30 or (610) 385-3085 Fax: (703) 204-2332 7309 Arlington Blvd. - Suite 202 Falls Church, VA 22042