Fitness center use and subsequent achievement of exercise goals. A prospective study on long-term fitness center members

Background Knowledge on the relationship between fitness center use and long-term members’ subsequent goal achievement is limited. Therefore, the aim was to investigate the prospective association between the use of fitness centers during 18 months and subsequent self-reported goal achievement among long-term members. Methods This was a registry- and survey-based longitudinal study of 2851 people who had been members at a Norwegian fitness center chain for more than two years. Fitness center use from December 2016 to June 2018 was obtained from registry data. Subsequent goal achievement was measured in a survey in June 2018, assessed by a 1–100 visual analogue scale, and a score between 0 and 50 was defined as low goal achievement. Results Visiting the fitness center frequently and regularly, and having frequent group activity bookings were associated with higher subsequent self-reported goal achievement. Participants with fewest visits (1–57 days) during 18 months were more likely to report low goal achievement than participants with most visits (118–543 days) (OR = 8.5; 95% CI 6.3–11.4). Fitness trainer bookings was not clearly associated with subsequent goal achievement. Conclusions Frequent and regular long-term fitness center use were associated with higher subsequent self-reported goal achievement.

Implementation of preventive care in a fitness center: Medical and social aspects

Objectives to evaluate the possibility of organizing a preventive care service in a modern fitness center through the analysis of visitor's motivation to attend the center. Material and methods. The visitors of three large fitness centers filled in a questionnaire, the results of the survey were further processed using cluster analysis. Results. In 43.11.6% of cases, the main motive for visiting a fitness center was improving health. The goal of "prevention and treatment of diseases" was chosen by 23.41.4% of visitors. A motive for weight reduction was registered in 29.41.5% of cases. Visitors' ranking of the goals to attend a fitness center showed that in most cases they consider improving health (5.79 points) to be the most important task, in second place keeping fit (5.69 points). Cluster analysis allowed us to divide visitors into 8 groups, the three largest groups can be the target audience for the prevention of noncommunicable socially significant diseases. Conclusion. Some categories of fitness center visitors can be the essential target segment for emphasizing preventive activities against non-infectious socially significant diseases.

Covid-19 transmission in fitness centers in Norway - a randomized trial

Background Closed fitness centers during the Covid-19 pandemic may negatively impact health and wellbeing. We assessed whether training at fitness centers increases the risk of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection. Methods In a two-group parallel randomized controlled trial, fitness center members aged 18 to 64 without Covid-19-relevant comorbidities, were randomized to access to training at a fitness center or no-access. Fitness centers applied physical distancing (1 m for floor exercise, 2 m for high-intensity classes) and enhanced hand and surface hygiene. Primary outcomes were SARS-CoV-2 RNA status by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) after 14 days, hospital admission after 21 days. The secondary endpoint was SARS-CoV-2 antibody status after 1 month. Results 3764 individuals were randomized; 1896 to the training arm and 1868 to the no-training arm. In the training arm, 81.8% trained at least once, and 38.5% trained ≥six times. Of 3016 individuals who returned the SARS-CoV-2 RNA tests (80.5%), there was one positive test in the training arm, and none in the no-training arm (risk difference 0.053%; 95% CI − 0.050 to 0.156%; p = 0.32). Eleven individuals in the training arm (0.8% of tested) and 27 in the no-training arm (2.4% of tested) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (risk difference − 0.87%; 95%CI − 1.52% to − 0.23%; p = 0.001). No outpatient visits or hospital admissions due to Covid-19 occurred in either arm. Conclusion Provided good hygiene and physical distancing measures and low population prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, there was no increased infection risk of SARS-CoV-2 in fitness centers in Oslo, Norway for individuals without Covid-19-relevant comorbidities. Trial registration The trial was prospectively registered in ClinicalTrials.gov on May 13, 2020. Due to administrative issues it was first posted on the register website on May 29, 2020: NCT04406909.

Investigation of Service Quality Perceived by Fitness Center Consumers

Aim: This research aims to examine the service quality perceived by fitness center consumers. Methods: This research, which has a descriptive nature, was carried out according to the survey model. The sample of study consists of 332 people who go to fitness centers in Trabzon. The "Personal Information Form" created by the researchers and the "Sports-Fitness Centers Service Quality Scale" developed by Uçan (2007) were used as data collection tools in the research. The dependent variable of the research is the perceived service quality, and the independent variables are gender, education level and income level. The findings obtained as a result of the data collection process were transferred to the computer environment, and descriptive statistics (frequency, arithmetic mean, standard deviation), t-test and single-factor analysis of variance (One-Way ANOVA) test were used in the analysis and interpretation of the data. Results: As a result of the analyses made, it was determined that the service quality perceived by the fitness center consumers included in the research differed significantly according to gender, education level and income level. Conclusion: Fitness centers appear as businesses that provide services to people both in terms of physical appearance and health. The fact that fitness centers undertake these missions paves the way for the participants to form a sense of belonging to these centers. Therefore, facility managers working in these businesses should strive to meet the demands necessary to ensure the continuity of people, taking into account the intense competitive environment. Based on the findings, although the perceived service quality of the participants is above the average level, it is recommended that public and private businesses that provide sports services regularly apply surveys to their customers that measure the service quality level of the business and take managerial measures by determining their thoughts. Keywords: Fitness Center, Service Quality, Fitness Center Consumers