| Safety in gyms is a key issue to encourage people to exercise. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the compliance of the American College Sports Medicine`s (ACSM) safety standards and the Department of Recreation and Sports' (DRD) regulations by the Puerto Rico`s western area gyms. The secondary purpose is to compare the client's responses with those of the managers regarding safety in gyms. The study was conducted in 19 gyms in the Puerto Rico western region. Nineteen managers were interviewed (M=14, F= 5) and 229 customers were surveyed (M= 155, F=74). Standards related to orientation, education and supervision, and operational practices reflected the best compliance (> 80%). In contrast, the standards related with pre-activity screening, emergency procedures, and design and construction reflected the lowest level of compliance (< 50%). About 50% of the gyms do not comply with the DRD regulations of conducting a pre-activity screening, require a medical release to clients with risk factors, have an emergency response plan, nor have their staff certified in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). These findings suggest that the gyms priority is to provide personalized and supervised service, but are not prepared to prevent and handle emergencies or to meet the needs of people with disabilities. |
