Gym owners must follow careful strategies for maintaining the establishment and all their equipment. A common issue that gym owners have is the misuse and abuse of their gym equipment. Even with some strict policies, the equipment will become worn and show signs of frequent use. However, the owners do not have to sit by and allow customers to cause damage because of carelessness or a lack of respect.
1. Fractured Weight Stack Plates
When customers are rough with the weights and slam them down, the cables become worn out and could snap at inopportune times. For gym owners, this could present serious liabilities that may prove costly and cause serious financial losses. For instance, the gym owner may have to purchase a completely new weight set if the equipment is too damaged.
They may have to replace the cables, or a customer could become injured if the weights are fractured because of another party slamming down the weights too quickly. Gym owners can buy custom gym cables that require slow and steady movements, and this stops customers from slamming down the weight stack plates and causing serious damage.
2. Preventing Backward Motions
Stationary bikes move forward, and customers will try to backpedal. This does nothing but damage the pedals and causes issues with the equipment. The gym owner can use additional tools to prevent the pedals from moving in the wrong direction by placing a bolt through the machine and forcing the pedals forward only. Some newer models come with features that apply enough resistance to prevent the customers from damaging the stationary bikes.
3. Install Handlebars on Ellipticals
Too often, gym clients use the visual display for the elliptical machines as handlebars. This causes serious damage, and the customers may use other components for their smartphones. By installing handlebars, the client has somewhere to place their hands and balance themselves on the machines. The handlebars aren’t expensive replacements, but if the customers damage the display, the gym owner will have to replace it. The displays are not cheap, and some machines will require a completely new elliptical machine instead of just a display.
4. Equipment Getting Dirty And Germy
In a busy gym, it is difficult for the owner to keep the gym clean at all times, and the equipment will collect dirt and debris while the customers continue using it. Over time, the debris accumulation causes wear and tear on the equipment and will make it less aesthetically pleasing.
An effective strategy for lower the amount of dirt is to place mats outside the front door for customers to wipe their shoes on, and the gym owner should make it their policy that all customers should wear their shoes the entire time. If customers do not wear shoes, they could sustain injuries while at the gym. If the customers sustain an injury, the customers may file a personal injury claim against the gym owner. The gym owner must place signs outside and inside the gym requiring the customers to wear their shoes.
Gym owners must implement new strategies to reduce equipment damage that is avoidable. Too often customers will slam the equipment down and abuse it because they do not have to replace it if the equipment is broken. Careful strategies help gym owners avoid damage without causing issues with their customers.
