ACSM's Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines

ACSM’s Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines, Fifth Edition, presents the current standards and guidelines to help health and fitness establishments provide high-quality service and program offerings in a safe environment. Revised by an expert team of professionals with expertise in architecture, health and wellness, law, safety-related practices and policies, and the health and fitness club industry, this authoritative guide provides a blueprint for health and fitness facilities to elevate the standard of care they provide their members, as well as enhance their exercise experience.

The fifth edition includes 35 standards and 38 guidelines on the topics of preparticipation screening; orientation, education, and supervision of members; emergency planning and procedures; professional staff and independent contractors; operating procedures; facility design and construction; facility equipment; and signage. It also addresses the following:

• Developing policies related to the reporting of unlawful discrimination or harassment

• Serving individuals with special needs

• Training for and using automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in both staffed and unstaffed facilities

• Keeping up with changing directions and business models in the industry, including 24/7 fitness facilities, medically integrated facilities, and demographic-specific facilities

• Properly equipping facilities to care for children and young people

This easy-to-use reference will help managers and staff save time and expense with ready-to-use templates, including questionnaires, informed consent forms, and evaluation forms. The appendixes contain supplemental forms, including sample preventive maintenance schedules, checklists, and court and facility dimensions, and they point to sources that offer additional support materials for operating a facility.

Health and fitness facilities play an important role in providing opportunities for individuals to become and remain physically active. To help those facilities establish and maintain an exceptional standard of operation, client care, and service, the fifth edition of ACSM’s Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines should be on the bookshelf of every health and fitness facility manager and owner.