Another benefit of this partnership is additional promotional opportunities. The Spa and the entire Cooper Aerobics Center campus now have a strong relationship with a key retail force in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Says Latronico, “The Spa has been able to assist all Cooper Center entities with an invaluable sponsorship source.” This includes fundraisers, such as Cooper’s annual Octoberthon, for which Crest was the lead sponsor and donated a year lease for a Cadillac, valued at $10,000.

The Spa’s alliance with the car dealerships has been successful for all involved. The dealerships can bring in potential customers with the offer of a free gift certificate, and The Spa receives a new pool of potential clients. Says Latronico, “The spa industry traditionally does not cross promote with retail agencies that do not [share] the same goals for their clients.

By establishing an alliance with Crest Auto Group, The Spa has gained access to an entirely new clientele.” Since spas are traditionally used by individuals who have a large amount of disposable income, this promotion with high-end car dealerships fits well.

The goals for this ongoing promotion have already been met: to cross promote The Spa with another local business, to create a greater awareness of The Spa’s business, to increase revenue and to increase the current referral base. With fitness consumers’ increase in knowledge, says Latronico, “spa services are becoming widely accepted as a necessity [for] developing overall health and a sense of well being.” This cross promotion will help bring those well-informed people to The Spa, instead of to another spa business.

That said, alcohol and pregnancy don’t mix. Up to 10 percent of Americans have a problem with alcohol abuse, and some are pregnant women. Alcoholism cuts across all social, racial and economic lines.

Fetal alcohol syndrome was first described about 30 years ago and there is a huge amount of scientific data showing alcohol’s potentially damaging effects to the fetus. Consuming a little bit of alcohol on a single occasion is unlikely to hurt your baby. However, drinking a small amount every day or repeated binge drinking throughout pregnancy carries a high risk of damaging your baby.

The amount you need to drink to hurt the baby is not exactly clear, so it is better not to drink while you’re pregnant, or even when you’re trying to conceive. Certainly, having two or more drinks a day carries a great risk. That number is an average, so daily drinking is as bad as a 14-drink binge every weekend.

Remember, a drink is a drink, whether it is a shot of 80-proof vodka, a 12-ounce beer or a glass of Chardonnay. Each contains the same amount of alcohol.

Let’s look at what alcohol can do to a developing fetus. The potential effects of alcohol are far-reaching. Babies whose mothers drink may have:
Small head size due to stunted brain growth.
Abnormal facial appearance — a thin upper lip, a large distance between the upper lip and the nose, an abnormal growth of some of the facial bones.
Holes in the heart.
Small fingers, a weak grasp and poor eye-hand coordination.
Low birthweight.
Learning disabilities and behavioral abnormalities that continue throughout life, such as poor impulse control and hyperactivity.

It’s estimated that the average IQ of a child with fetal alcohol syndrome is 63 (the mean IQ is 100). Alcohol exposure accounts for up to 20 percent of children with low IQ (50 to 80). Fetal alcohol syndrome occurs in as many as 1 in 300 births. With 4 million births in the United States, 13,000 babies are affected each year.

The effects of alcohol persist through the pregnancy and cause various problems depending on the trimester of pregnancy. If you were drinking in the first trimester, stopping now for the duration of the pregnancy will certainly help your baby.

If you have not consumed alcohol in the first and second trimester, don’t start drinking in the third trimester. The baby is not fully developed and alcohol exposure could harm his brain.

If you need help stopping drinking, talk to your doctor or midwife, and call Alcoholics Anonymous or another support group. Your baby’s well-being depends on it.

For many women conceiving a baby may be illusive and frustrating. On the our site you’ll get a lot of easy and effective ways to get pregnant fast and naturally.

Your current members are a great revenue source, and sometimes they can get ignored in the search for the ever-elusive prospect. One way to promote your products and services to your current clientele is with a newsletter.

A newsletter is an excellent way to keep in touch with your members and clients. One facility that sends out a bi-monthly newsletter is Highland Park Hospital Health and Fitness Center in Buffalo Grove, Ill.

Its newsletter, titled Workout Shorts, allows the center to “keep in constant communication with our membership base,” says Robyn Kove, director of marketing and community relations. I spoke with Kove, and also browsed newsletters from other facilities, to let you in on how a newsletter can benefit your facility.

Placing lead boxes in supplement stores or participating in local health fairs is as far as many health clubs have gone to promote their business outside of the usual advertisements and promotions. The Spa at the Cooper Aerobics Center, however, has taken cross promoting one step further with its alliance with Crest Auto Group, and has increased its referral base and revenue because of it.

The Spa’s alliance with Crest Cadillac and Infiniti Auto Group, both local car dealerships, is an ongoing promotion. Anyone who test drives or purchases a car through these car businesses receives a gift certificate for spa services at The Spa. Two different gift certificates are offered: one is for people who only test drive a car, and is good for lower-priced spa services. The other is for people who purchase a car, and is good for more expensive spa treatments. Some of the treatments offered are a 50-minute massage, an osage rub, a deep-cleaning facial, a remineralizing back facial, a traditional manicure and pedicure, or a Dead Sea fango (a mud body-treatment). On a weekly basis, the auto dealerships provide The Spa with a list of clients who received the gift certificate. Then, spa salespeople call the recipients to answer questions, set up an appointment and introduce their services. Laura Latronico, spa director for Cooper Fitness Center, says, “This initial phone call gives The Spa the opportunity to introduce and suggest additional services of interest to clients.”

Since names, addresses and phone numbers are exchanged between The Spa and the car dealerships, The Spa made sure that the alliance contract prohibits selling or sharing client information to other businesses. This protects both the consumers and the reputations of the c.

In addition to a weekly list of potential new customers, The Spa also receives free advertising through its alliance with Crest Auto Group. Crest includes The Spa’s logo in all of its weekly print advertising, and dealerships have marketing displays for The Spa at their businesses. The Spa also gets mentioned in Crest radio announcements. In addition, all direct mail and advertising promotions that Crest commissions over the course of the relationship will mention The Spa. This cross promotion with a high-end auto group has “given The Spa access to advertising venues that have previously been cost prohibitive,” says Latronico. “In terms of value, this promotion will generate close to one million dollars in free print advertising,… as well as free local radio air time.”

Benefits of the HGH Supplement

Many benefits can be obtained with ingesting the HGH Supplement. Most people take HGH in the form of a tablet. Once, you could only get it by injection, which turned off potential users. These days, it is possible to take HGH supplements safely, and many people take them at least once a day for health enhancement and to retain their youthfulness.

Individuals using The HGH Supplement are saying they’ve had good results. For example, it has proven to be a great aid in weight loss schemes. Additionally, including a human growth hormone supplement to your routine has been shown to raise stamina and energy, letting those who like to work out and strengthen their muscle growth. In fact, The HGH Supplement can help avoid cell deterioration – in effect, putting the brakes on the natural degeneration of the body’s muscles, offering everyone the opportunity to maintain their youthful musculature for much longer than they normally would.

How The HGH Supplement Works

Simply put, The HGH Supplement acts where your body slows down or stops working. When a person is young, he or she produces a vast quantity of HGH naturally; this is what gives the person his or her youthful appearance. Once we hit 30 years of age, our HGH levels reduce significantly – as much as 16% annually. When used the right way, the HGH Supplement can fend off this decline and also can assist someone to raise their HGH levels to numbers of those who are young.

For many researchers The HGH Supplement is considered to be something of a medical fountain of youth; because the human growth hormone is responsible for helping us maintain our youthful health, maintaining high levels of it in your body can actually slow down – and even undo – many of the more unpleasant effects of aging. Taking into consideration the extra benefits of tremendous weight loss characteristics and a boost in sexual stamina, The HGH Supplement can really be a valued part of anyone’s health regimen.

Who are the Consumers of The HGH Supplement?

It is without any surprise that most professional athletes and bodybuilders consume the HGH supplement considering the benefits it provides when it comes to enhancing a sports routine or performance. When weighed against the inconvenience of taking the supplement by injection as was done in the past, The HGH Supplement of today is quite easy to take and make a part of your daily health routine.

While you might think athletes and bodybuilders are the only people who take The HGH Supplement, in fact many people who you wouldn’t even think of use it to boost their general physical and mental well being. Indeed, today the human growth hormone is much more widely accepted as being mainstream, as word of its ability to undo the negative effects of aging reaches more people.

Is The HGH Supplement effective?

HGH has been the focus of many a research study. Studies reveal that The HGH Supplement – one that has the right amount of the human growth hormone in its make-up can be quite useful. This HGH supplement took years to develop, and the benefits have been enjoyed by millions of people who have taken it.

The one caution with HGH Supplement is that it does not give immediate results. Evident results may not show up for up to a month as it takes time for the hormone to build back up. It takes the HGH Supplement longer to achieve results the older a user is. That is due to the fact that as we age, our HGH levels drop. It takes time to stimulate your body into producing more natural HGH, but the results can be well worth it.

However, overall the HGH Supplement is really a great inclusion to a proper healthy lifestyle. There is research that supports what the marketers of HGH are saying. Whether you are using The HGH Supplement to increase muscle strength or vitality, or for myriad other reasons, it is a proven means of slowing down the signs of aging.

On the Borg scale, numbers run vertically from 6 to 20. A 6 represents no exertion, while 20 represents the hardest work possible. During exercise, subjects are asked, “How hard are you working?” and given the Borg scale menu of choices. Descriptive phrases help users choose the number that best reflects their perception of exercise intensity. Seven means “very, very light,” while 19 is “very, very hard.”

Why 6 through 20? Borg’s early studies showed that in healthy young men, RPE multiplied by 10 was equivalent to exercise heart rate (HR). In other words, a heart rate of 60 (6 on the Borg scale) was resting; a rate of 110 (11 on the scale) was “fairly light”; a rate of 150 (15 on the scale) was “hard”; and at a heart rate of 200, you fall off the treadmill.

Remember, however, that this relationship only holds on the average for healthy young men. Since the fitness market encompasses a much greater client diversity, fitness professionals rarely use this simple multiplication to predict exercise heart rate.

Studies do show a fairly linear relationship between exercise heart rate and RPE for a given subject, so clients who have RPE values for a graded exercise test may be able to use RPE to exercise in their training zones — at least for the exercise mode on which the test was given.

Since its development, the Borg scale has generated an enormous volume of research that generally validates it as a useful measure of exercise intensity. Interest and research continues today. The scale created by Borg in the early 1960s remains the most popular in clinical settings. A 0 to 10 scale was later devised to adjust for the nonlinearity of increases in perceived exertion during graded exercise, but it is used today primarily for research purposes.

The program appealed to participants because they were encouraged to exercise independently, rather than to join a health club. Participants “were motivated to increase their levels of activity without the traditional insecurity barriers of joining a new club,” says Cheryl Tweet, preventive health services director for Baylor Health Care System, the corporate contract company for the center.

At the beginning of the program, an assessment was made to determine each person’s level of fitness. Individuals completed a questionnaire and, based on their answers, their stages of readiness were determined. (The stages are pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance.) Each participant was then given a stage-specific folder containing a personal assessment, an activity pyramid exercise log and general fitness information.

A contest, which included achieving points and winning prizes, also helped motivate people to get moving. Participants received points for completing everyday activities such as walking or climbing stairs. At the end of the four-week program, those who had logged a certain number of points in their activity pyramid received free T-shirts, baseball caps or water bottles. Since participants worked at their own pace and level of fitness, GEM was a successful incentive program that promoted wellness within the company.

Prior to the program, 27 percent of the participants fell into the pre-contemplation and contemplation stages. After completing GEM, participants in these categories dropped to 14 percent, and moved to the maintenance category, which increased from 42 to 49 percent.

Of the 81 participants, 75 percent were in the action or maintenance stage by the end of the program. “This is a potential cost savings to the company of $4,420 [in health insurance],” says Tweet. Revenues will also increase in company profit centers (pro shop, personal trainers, etc.).

Although membership at the company’s wellness center was not part of the initial plan, several participants joined immediately after the program, while others took home literature about membership. Because of the Get Everyone Moving program, interest was sparked, fitness became a priority and everyone got moving.

Other amenities that tell members you care about service details include:

Swimsuit dryers. If your facility is equipped with a pool or spa, members will love the convenience of leaving with a dry suit (most dryers work in just seconds, allowing for high usage).

Guest telephones. Offering guest phones is a nice way to let members use the telephone without tying up business lines. Plus, since they work as a pay phone, it’s a good way to generate extra income.

Drinking water. This is especially important if your locker room offers high-temperature environments such as saunas or steam rooms. A water cooler or drinking fountain allows members to rehydrate after a workout, or quickly feed their thirst before heading to the juice bar for bottled water, frozen smoothies or sport drinks.

Hair dryers. Some members may bring their own, but more and more people are looking to clubs to provide them. Depending on your membership size, offer at least two dryers in each locker room.

Spray deodorant. Again, many members will bring their own, but for those who forget, it’s a much-appreciated amenity.

Hair spray. Small pump bottles attached to a cord (to prevent loss) offer another savior when members forget their supplies.

Feminine hygiene products. Some clubs offer these gratis via baskets or containers placed inside restroom stalls. If your facility cannot afford to do so, install machines where items can be purchased.

Fresh flowers and/or plants. Plants and flowers instantly liven and warm a room. If working on a tight budget, ask a local florist to donate arrangements to your facility in exchange for their business card displayed alongside the arrangement. Many florists have “extra” flowers and may be enticed by the free advertisement.

Clocks. As stated in ACSM’s Health & Fitness Facilities Standards & Guidelines, clubs should provide clocks that are visible from any area where overexposure to heat may cause safety problems (e.g., whirlpools, steam rooms or saunas).

Towel service. If you can afford to have a front-desk person or locker room attendant handing out towels to members as they enter or exit the locker room, it’s a nice service touch. If not, make sure to offer a pick-up spot and drop-off hamper close to the locker room entrance.

Ironing supplies. Many executive locker rooms now offer ironing supplies so members can press their clothes before heading back to the office.

Keyless lockers. Using keyless security systems alleviates the need for members carrying a key during their workout. Access is gained by using personalized member codes or membership cards.

In addition to staff training and proper medical records, acquire and pre-position needed emergency response equipment. Items such as CPR supplies, fire extinguishers, first-aid kits, flashlights and pool safety equipment are not luxuries, they are necessities.

One idea that fitness centers and other organizations are adopting is the creation of an emergency response medical bag. Composed of various emergency medical supplies and identified by its bright orange color and universal medical symbol, these bags can be placed in centrally located or “high risk” areas, such as pools and weight rooms. Consult with physicians or emergency medical personnel (possibly members at your facility) to determine what supplies your bags should contain.

Finally, post emergency response procedures in all highly-visible staff areas (front desk, time clocks). You may even want to create an emergency response card for your staff’s wallets or purses.

Emergency and crisis management

When emergencies do occur, it’s important to stay calm and demonstrate leadership, teamwork and confidence. By your staff demonstrating these qualities, you help make your members feel at ease while maintaining the ability to make sound judgments.

Once an emergency occurs, there are a few important principles and procedures that can help your staff manage a crisis situation:

1) Once staff have arrived at the scene of an emergency, evaluate the scene and the victim. Initiate contact with emergency medical or other emergency services as quickly as possible. When contacting emergency services, stay calm and give the dispatcher all available information concerning the emergency. Call the dispatcher back with an information update if emergency personnel have not arrived and you have additional important information.

2) Begin all necessary first-responder first-aid.

3) Check to see if you have any physicians, police officers or other emergency service personnel at your facility during the time of the emergency. If so, request their assistance immediately.

4) Post a “lookout” at the driveway or entrance of your facility to waive down and direct emergency service personnel to the quickest, most convenient entrance.

5) Retrieve all records and medical history information from your files, and have them ready for emergency service personnel to review.

6) Control the scene. Keep crowds and onlookers out of the way of emergency service personnel.

7) Notify the victim’s contact person, and give them all available information. Do not speculate.

At a fitness facility, emergencies can include member or staff medical emergencies such as heart attacks or strokes, weather-related emergencies such as tornados, flash floods or sudden winds, fire-related crises or even crime-related incidents. These and other emergency situations can occur without warning and require efficient emergency response and procedure.

When developing an effective emergency response program, organizations must analyze their needs and direct their energy and resources into three major components: initial facility review and evaluation, emergency planning and preparation, and crisis management.

Initial facility review and evaluation

To prepare or enhance your facility’s emergency response procedures, begin with your staff.

Initially, conduct a survey to determine your staff’s current level of emergency response training. Survey for CPR and first-aid certification and experience, knowledge of location and use of your facility’s emergency response equipment, and knowledge of location and use of critical facility “cut offs,” such as electricity, gas and water. Once your staff’s training needs are determined, corrective measures such as classes, lectures and facility tours can be organized.

Next, conduct a facility “walk through,” both inside and outside your facility. Inspect, inventory and determine additional needs and enhanced locations of such items as fire extinguishers, first-aid kits, oxygen units, security lighting and other vital emergency response equipment.

You may want to conduct your walk-through with the help of local police, fire and emergency medical professionals. They will be able to volunteer suggestions on how to enhance your facility’s emergency response equipment and program, while also identifying high-risk or problem areas.

Once your walk-through has been completed, act on the recommendations made by your emergency response professionals. Then conduct small, “hands on” group tours for your staff to identify and demonstrate your facility’s new and improved emergency response program.

Evaluate the condition, placement or need for additional emergency response communication systems. These systems, such as “panic buttons” or intercoms, can accelerate emergency response to more remote areas of your facility, such as pools and outdoor tennis courts.