We've always experienced it at one time or another - looking around the empty acres of a gym or health club and wondering if there was anyone around to help. Levels of staff supervision in fitness centres vary widely from one fitness centre to another, so it's worth checking this out when you visit a prospective club. Why does this matter? Levels of supervision can affect you on several levels:
Safety - there are two issues here that are relevant to levels of supervision. The first is from a workout point of view - anyone lifting heavy weights needs to have a spotter either directly watching them (for example on heavy bench press), or at least nearby should you get into difficulties. For women, it is also more reassuring in a gym full of men if there are staff around.
Information - sometimes you simply need some help - instruction on how to operate a machine, recommendations on a particular exercise, feedback on your form or technique. These are all things that you should expect to be available to you in any good facility.
Finally, friendly staff can make a huge difference to your gym experience. Getting to know staff members, seeing them around when you are exercising, chatting with them between exercises, all of these can be a part of a positive experience. So when you visit a gym, take the time to look around and see where the staff are.
