In our conversations with club owners and operators, everyone is in agreement - an injury check must be done at some point before the session.

This is a fitness industry fundamental, and is one of the first things taught in all fitness certifications.

So we know we should be doing it... but are we?

London clubs, by and large, understand the importance of a clear injury check in, and most have built it into their processes and training, with 3 out of 4 clubs checking in with clients.

Singapore has some work to do, with 58% of clubs asking about injuries.

In New York clubs, it's more the exception than the rule, with just 28% conducing an injury check.

Need some help improving this? Here are three tips to help you get this right every time in your club.

Educate Your Team

Once instructors and coaches fully understand the importance of an comprehensive injury check, it more easily becomes second-nature to them. This culture starts from the top, and at the beginning - build in the important of an injury check into your initial training, and repeatedly practice the introduction to include it.

Bring The Front Desk Team In

We get it - sometimes it's very busy and the instructor can't realistically connect with everyone thoroughly before the class. Often people run in exactly on time, even if it's the first time at the club.

Getting the front desk involved in the process will help, by simply asking "do you have any injuries or anything our coach should know?" The last part is important, as clients could also be pregnant or have other health issues that aren't an 'injury'. If yes, the front of house team can alert the coach. This is not done often, but will leave an impactful impression of caring and attentiveness.

Offering Verbal Permission

When you have a small class, it should easy - and a total non-negotiable - to check in and connect with everyone in your session.

If it's a busier session, it's a little harder to connect with everyone and some people won't want to tell you about their issues in front of everyone. A good approach is to give verbal permission for anyone to approach you at any time. Here's an example...

"If anyone has any injuries or there's anything I should know to help deliver you a great session, just shout my name out at any time or raise you hand and I'll be there to help!"

This lets clients know it's OK to talk to you and ask for help, and some people need that to feel confident enough to raise things that may be very important, such as carrying a baby!

Try these out in your training sessions and in your classes and, if you're in New York, let's help to make that 28% much better next time we visit!

Need help improving your service, processes or training? Connect with us today.

Each week, we highlight a five-star fitness experience with one of our award-winning clubs.

New York's Aarmy was founded by superstar trainer Akin Akman, and was one of the city's standout experiences.

During our anonymous evaluation, our instructor created a pulsating atmosphere and an overwhelmingly positive sense of community.

These elements, along with the music selection and lighting design, made for an exceptional indoor cycling experience.

“The class experience exceeded my expectations on every level.”

“The class was advanced, but the coach had an incredible energy that would make any beginner feel 100% included and empowered.” 

London is launching soon, with fifty of the leading boutique fitness experiences showcased.

Like New York, five clubs have received our highest accolade, The Fit Guide 5-Star Award.

Tune in next week for all the details.