Six Ways to Create a Safe and Welcoming Fitness Experience for New Exercisers

By: Christin Everson, MS

A safe and welcoming exercise environment is a foundational element in a quality member experience. For new exercisers especially, it can help ease their anxiety around participating in a fitness facility and be the first step in facilitating their belonging. By focusing more on the culture we create in our facilities, we can provide care to our members and create more successful exercise experiences.

Defining Safe & Welcoming

A safe and welcoming space is more than being greeted with a smile and receiving excellent customer service. It’s not just saying, “Everyone is welcome here,” but rather, it’s the more significant intention to understand the challenges new exercisers experience and mitigate them. It’s about seeing the entire person, proactively identifying their needs, and creating systems that help them feel cared for.

Safe

Emotionally, mentally, and physically safe to arrive as they are, in their uniqueness. To participate in programs without fear of othering or physical injury.

Welcoming

Feeling as though they belong in the space. They are cared for and supported in the opportunity to learn and play without fear of judgment, shame, or a lack of belonging.

The Fundamentals

Consider your Comfort

Your comfort makes it hard for you to see how uncomfortable new exercisers can feel in fitness environments. Work to become more in tune with the feelings and experiences new exercisers have in facilities to better plan for their care.

Be Intentional

A requirement for creating safe and welcoming spaces is that you have the intention to do so. Purposefully plan so that your intention has an impact.

Be Critical

Be critical of the experience you provide. Seek to understand the nuanced details of the comprehensive experience, from branding to operations to programming. This will help you identify areas for growth and make intentional changes.

Six ways to create a safe and welcoming experience:

1.     A Member-First Business Model

Ensure you have a clear business model whose primary purpose is to care for your community's physical and mental health. This is demonstrated in staff recruiting and hiring, operational and communication plans, services, etc. With each decision, ensure the member is the star of the show, not the staff.

2.     Inclusive language

Utilize person-first, inclusive language in your marketing, branding, communication, programming, and with your staff. Inclusive language is the first indication for new exercisers that they are likely to feel safe, supported, and cared for in your space and programs.

3.     Supportive Language

Utilize language that demonstrates your support of each person as they are- creating more space for their autonomy without fear of judgment or shame. In class settings, instructors should encourage all participants to make choices that honor their bodies, celebrate all expressions of movement, and remove any expectation of intensity achievement or skill performed.

4.     Opportunities to Provide Regular Feedback

Asking for feedback not only helps you make informed changes to your business but it also lets your community know that you care about their experience and want to understand their needs. Employ multiple methods for collecting regular feedback from your members: Direct, personal emails, regularly scheduled quarterly, bi-yearly, and/or yearly surveys. Or, always available opportunities like a link on your email signature, website, or feedback box at the front desk.

5.     Clearly Identified and Communicated Policies

Policies demonstrate how you want folks to engage in your facility. It’s important to clearly communicate them, and even more important to enforce them with members. You are responsible for the culture and environment of your facility, and without enforcing your policies, you cannot be sure that you’re creating a safe space for all.

6.     Be Available

Ensure you have a thorough customer service plan: Staff are present, proactive, approachable, and engaged with the members. They are thoughtful about the balance of rapport, providing information and education, and managing the environment for members.

Creating a safe and welcoming environment is a critical element in helping new exercisers continue to participate in your business. Make an intentional effort to develop systems that provide members the care they deserve.