Putting People First

Club Fitness CEO and President Eric Schreimann oversees an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) business that is also a community hub.

Member Exclusive
CEO Fireside Chat Ignites Excitement for IHRSA 2024
Successful health and fitness industry leaders provided market insights, growth opportunities, and strategies that improved business the past few years.
16 Recruiting Best Practices for Hiring & Leading Great Staff
Your employees can mean the difference between a successful and a failing fitness business. Ensure you are following these best practices for hiring, training, and developing your staff.
Navigating the Great Talent Migration in the Fitness Industry
Solve staffing problems by getting to know your current staff’s desires! Alex Castro, J.D., and Adam Sloustcher, J.D., from Fisher & Phillips, LLP, share a few ways to solve staffing shortage challenges in the fitness industry.

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- Facilities
- Staffing
14 Best Practice Guidelines for Aquatics, Pools, & Hydrotherapy
While aquatic facilities can be a huge asset and an important way to differentiate your business from competitors, it is important that all facilities be well-run, properly supervised, clean, and appropriately maintained.
Talks & Takes: Retaining Your Team, Human Connection, & More
This month’s episode discusses hot topics surrounding the fitness industry including retaining good team members, what Americans look for in a new gym, and more.
Talks & Takes: Abbreviated Fitness & Staffing Shortages
Hosts, Brent Darden, Bill McBride, Blair McHaney, and Sara Kooperman, shared their thoughts on abbreviated fitness, the Olympic impact, fitness as a lifestyle, and more!
9 Key Considerations for Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives
Developing a strong diversity and inclusion strategy for your health club can help boost team performance and innovation.
- Legal
- Staffing
Vaccine Policy Considerations for Health Club Staff
As more Americans receive their vaccine doses, club operators will have to consider a number of issues around the vaccine for both staff and visitors. This article collates insights and perspectives, things to consider in determining whether to mandate versus encourage vaccines.
Coronavirus Resources for Health Clubs
A comprehensive list of all IHRSA resources created to help health clubs navigate the coronavirus outbreak. This page will be updated regularly.

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We’ve put together a list of key questions to consider as you begin to navigate your operational strategy when opening your business following COVID-19 closures.

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Group exercise specialist and industry leader Ingrid Knight-Cohee answered user-submitted questions live on the IHRSA Forum about group fitness operations during the coronavirus pandemic. Here are our top five takeaways.

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Fitness industry expert on standards, Paul Eigenmann, sat down with us to discuss how clubs can operate most effectively during and after a global outbreak.

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We have more answers to your cleaning & facilities, staffing, and membership questions.

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These strategy and finance webinars, e-books, and articles are designed to strengthen your staff’s knowledge and strategic thinking during these uncertain times.

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A selection of resources on employee hiring, training, and retention designed to help your human resources team keep their skills sharp while your club’s business is disrupted.

Coronavirus Conversations Using Tech to Engage SEO

Technology can keep your club’s community alive during the pandemic. In this webinar, SC Fitness’ José Teixeira shares tech strategies to engage your members and staff.

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Check out our selection of sales and marketing webinars, e-books, and articles that your staff can use to strengthen their skills while your health club’s doors are closed.

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We’ve put together our top webinars, e-books, and articles on health club member retention so your staff can strengthen their skills while your doors are closed.

As payrolls take a hit, explore your options before planning your health club’s path forward.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act includes mandatory employer-provided emergency sick pay and emergency paid family leave for certain circumstances related to COVID-19. Learn about the law that takes effect on April 1.

Two industry experts address legal, operational, and staffing concerns health clubs are facing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Michelle P. King, director of inclusion at Netflix, will discuss gender inequality in the workplace at the 11th Annual IHRSA Women’s Leadership Summit, sponsored by Club Automation.

Give your health club trainers the tools they need to recruit and maintain clients.

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Take a look at the trends sweeping the country. These changes to employment law are impacting health clubs and businesses in every industry.

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The secret to building a group exercise “dream team” is by turning the “winners” into “warriors.”

Many health clubs rely on IHRSA’s newest research to gain insider knowledge on employee compensation and benefits. Here’s how the report has helped gym owners make the perfect hire.

A motivated personal training team can boost sales revenue and membership at your health club—but creating and fostering such a group can be a challenge.

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Your gym’s welcome desk staff plays a vital role when it comes to customer experience. Here’s how you can train your employees to turn members into raving fans.

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Clubs need to think carefully about how to structure the compensation for group exercise instructors.

By promoting an entrepreneurial mindset, you’ll empower your team to build relationships and boost sales.

IHRSA and CBI are pleased to introduce 22 of the industry’s most accomplished and promising young fitness professionals.

Finding and keeping personal trainers isn’t easy. Newtown Athletic Club’s Kate Golden shares insightful tips on how to set up new trainers for success.

Happy and engaged employees can reap benefits for your club in many ways. Here’s how to build a foundation for staffers’ success.

In-Shape CEO Francesca Schuler is here to challenge your preconceptions about fitness industry employees, career paths, and leaders.

Many health clubs don’t understand how to properly classify and compensate their group exercise instructors. Often it comes down to how much autonomy the instructors have.

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How close is too close? Keep your trainers and clients safe by following our guidelines for building and maintaining professional working relationships.

When an employee’s behavior requires corrective action, progressive discipline is crucial.

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Member Exclusive

Learn how to take the pulse of your gym and jump into building a fierce people culture.

Understanding how you, and your employees, communicate is vital to your success as a leader—especially in the fitness industry.

We asked five fitness industry leaders (who just so happen to be women) to share their thoughts on how gyms can foster a supportive environment for female employees.

At Healthtrax Fitness & Wellness, personal trainers are educated about the importance of member experience and its impact on the bottom line.

Wondering where your club stacks up? These findings from the IHRSA Health Club Employee Compensation & Benefits Report will give you an idea.

Every person on your staff plays a role in customer service, but some positions—like fitness instructors—are more important than others.

The extra time it takes to develop your team's talent pays off dividends. And it starts during the hiring process.

“Payroll is one of the largest expenses among health clubs, as hiring and investing in staff plays a critical role in serving and retaining members."

One thing top employers—including fitness businesses—excel at is learning the needs of their employees. And once they know what benefits, services, and perks their employees are looking for, they take the necessary steps to meet those needs.

How many of your health club’s employees are truly engaged at work? Unfortunately, it may be fewer than you’d think.

No club operator looks forward to conducting an exit interview, but they can provide invaluable feedback that you can use to improve staff retention.

Your health club manager sets the standard for the rest of the team. Make sure you're hiring someone with the right attributes.

When interviewing a candidate, you should consider person-to-job fit and person-to-organization fit. Our HR expert explains how to do just that.

It's always difficult when a beloved instructor leaves your club. But there are some steps to ensure a smooth transition for members and staff.

Many independent clubs take an all-hands-on-deck approach to roles. While that works for some positions, it's important to select a point person to run your Facebook page.

You work hard to recruit and hire the best staff for your club. But if you don't have a strategy to engage and empower staff once they're on board, employee retention will suffer.

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Putting People First

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