Health Club Management July 2009

TALKBACK katie barnes • assistant editor • health club management
everyone’s talking about . . .
over-exercising
Exercise is good for us, but overdoing things in the gym can be harmful. Should clubs intervene when
a member is doing too much, or should the individual take responsibility for their own health?
U
sually the problem is exercisers will have eating disorders rules really the answer, or is this just
getting people into the such as bulimia or anorexia. When taking us one step closer to becoming
gym. However, getting combined, under-eating and over- a nanny-state industry?
carried away with ﬁ tness exercising can be potentially dangerous: Not only that, but spotting someone
can be detrimental to our health. bones, heart muscle and kidney function who’s obsessed with ﬁ tness might not
Short periods of intense exercising, can all be seriously damaged, and the be easy – especially if they hide their
particularly after months of inactivity, harm can be long-term or even fatal. addiction, only going to a gym for part
can cause injuries, while excessive That’s why the UK eating disorder of the time and exercising in secret
exercising can also weaken the immune charity, Beat, recently called for elsewhere. So what warning signs
system as the body is using all of its ﬁ tness centres to “acknowledge their should operators look out for?
energy to work out, leaving little responsibility for the health of their Then there’s the difﬁ culty of
power to ﬁ ght off disease. customers” and help people who do a approaching someone about such
There’s nothing wrong with dangerous amount of exercise. a sensitive subject. How should an
exercising a few hours a day to keep At present there are no industry operator go about tackling this? Do
ﬁ t, yet over-exercising is also linked to guidelines dealing with compulsive staff have the right to intervene and,
people with eating disorders. Doctors exercisers, although Beat has been more importantly, should health clubs
say that 75 per cent of compulsive in talks with the FIA. But are written even be accountable in the ﬁ rst place?
SHOULD HEALTH CLUBS INTERVENE WHEN PEOPLE OVER-EXERCISE? EMAIL US: HEALTHCLUB@LEISUREMEDIA.COM
susan ringwood mario pederzolli
chief executive • beat managing director • fitrooms
“T
here are clear behaviours to
look out for, including someone “T
he fitness industry already
has policies and safe working
who continues to exercise even when practices to deal with this issue. This
injured or ill, signs up for every session includes giving members advice on the
or several gyms, has dropped out of frequency, intensity, duration and type
team sports to exercise alone, or of exercise most appropriate to their
becomes agitated or panicky if they can’t current level of physical health.
work out. Gyms should also realise that That said, a client has the responsibility
it’s not just about being underweight: to follow that advice. In extreme cases
anorexia nervosa only makes up 10 per cent of eating disorders. of overtraining, I agree we have a duty to highlight associated
Other sufferers are likely to be of normal weight. risks and intervene where appropriate. However, the fitness
While females aged 12–25 are most at risk, eating disorders industry cannot be held ultimately responsible for an individual’s
can affect anyone at any age. Men are more likely to use exercise actions, particularly if they’ve chosen not to follow advice. It’s
to control their body shape and size than to diet excessively. also incorrect to assume that compulsive exercisers train in one
Gym members already complete health questionnaires. We’d place. They may exercise alone or in more than one gym to avoid
like to see extra questions such as: Do you continue to exercise attracting the attention of others, including trainers and gym staff.
when you know you’re ill? Do you exercise to compensate Specific questions on compulsive exercise are not necessary:
for eating too much? Do you feel very anxious if you don’t well-written pre-screening questionnaires and inductions
exercise when planned? If people answer yes to two or more, it already enable members to highlight all relevant aspects of
would be good practice to ask for a GP’s approval to exercise, their lifestyle and physical condition. Terms and conditions
as is the case with other medical conditions. We’d also like of membership should also ensure that the member has a
to see training for fitness staff in identifying the early signs of responsibility to inform the club of any condition that may be
compulsive exercising and in giving appropriate support.
”
detrimental to his/her health.
”
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