The manager of fitness centers

Edited by Doctor Andrea Bondanini

It is known that the type of fitness centers existing throughout the country is very vast, since they range from the small fitness center or gym, in which the owners are also instructors or Personal Trainers and make use of one or two technical collaborators, to the large Center or chain, where the owner exclusively plays the role of entrepreneur and surrounds himself with several professional figures for the various disciplines.

Between these two extremes there are various situations, of small and medium-sized centers, on which the article is focused. Here the gym manager, owner, manager or manager, as the case may be, takes on an important role, since he is at work with a fairly small number of collaborators, from 2 to a maximum of 6 or 7. Interpersonal relationships are very important, and the manager cannot be limited to the sole role of owner and "boss" of the gym but must actively contribute to the good running of the gym. center, intervene often in case of need, replace if necessary some of his collaborators (always if enabled), enforce the various roles.
Seriousness and serenity are needed, and always have a positive attitude.
It is necessary for him to periodically carry out formal meetings with all the staff (therefore also cleaners, receptionists, instructors, Personal Trainers) so that everyone shares the same mission and knows in which direction the center wants to go. A meeting, however, must not only be this: it must also be a mutual exchange of ideas and not a one-sided communication, only in this way is it possible to progress.
But even more important, perhaps, are the "informal" meetings, in which the manager meets one of his collaborators in his break, at the bar, speaks with the staff in an informal meeting, at a Christmas pizza, or in any other place at the outside the gym. In these cases the manager can understand something more about his staff, get to know him better, come to know if there is discontent or other problems within the staff etc ....

He must know and know how to listen to the different needs of the users, in order to solve the various problems; to do this he must be very present in the gym, go around the halls, talk to the members, listen to their problems, thus avoiding that they have to ask for an interview with the manager in case there is a problem.

He must always review and update his technical and scientific knowledge, participate in refresher or training courses of all the disciplines activated in the center, since in order to run a sports company well, it is necessary to know well what is done inside it; being able to correct an instructor must know and be able to do it himself.

In essence, the functions of a fitness center manager's job can be summarized as follows:

1

Setting Goals (Mission)

2

Organize the club

3

Motivate the staff and all collaborators

4

To make people grow and progress

5

Communicate effectively with staff and members

6

Measure and analyze through evaluations

Therefore, the figure of the fitness center manager assumes a "fundamental importance for a small - medium sized club, which as a whole will feel protected by a positive, credible person, who organizes, communicates, motivates and evaluates with the consent of the collaborators. , who in this way feel stimulated to continue an "activity which, conducted in this way, will certainly bear fruit, even in the eyes of customers.