ACSM's Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines

ACSM's Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines, Fourth Edition, presents the current standards and guidelines that help health and fitness establishments provide high-quality service and program offerings in a safe environment. This text is based in large part on both the work that has begun through the NSF international initiative to develop industry standards to serve as the foundation for a voluntary health and fitness facility certification process and the third edition of ACSM's Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines. The ACSM's team of experts in academic, medical, and health and fitness fields have put together an authoritative guide for facility operators and owners. By detailing these standards and guidelines and providing supplemental materials, ACSM's Health/Fitness Facility Standards andGuidelines provides a blueprint for health and fitness facilities to use in elevating the standard of care they provide their members and users as well as enhance their exercise experience.

The fourth edition includes new standards and guidelines for pre-activity screening, orientation, education, and supervision; risk management and emergency procedures; professional staff and independent contractors; facility design and construction; facility equipment; operational practices; and signage. This edition includes these updates:

•Standards and guidelines aligned with the current version of the pending NSF international health and fitness facility standards

•New guidelines addressing individuals with special needs

•New standards and guidelines regarding automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for both staffed and unstaffed facilities

•Revised standards and guidelines to reflect changing directions and business models within the industry, including 24/7 fitness facilities, medically integrated facilities, and demographic-specific facilities

•New standards and guidelines to better equip facilities that are dealing with youth to ensure the proper care of this segment of the clientele

With improved organization, new visual features, and additional appendixes, the fourth edition offers a comprehensive and easy-to-use reference of health and fitness facility standards and guidelines. Readers can readily apply the information and save time and expense using over 30 templates found within the appendixes, including questionnaires, informed consent forms, and evaluation forms. Appendixes also contain more than 30 supplements, such as sample preventive maintenance schedules, checklists, and court and facility dimensions. Included in appendix A is Blueprint for Excellence, which allows readers to search efficiently for specific information regarding the standards and guidelines within the book.

Health and fitness facilities provide opportunities for individuals to become and remain physically active. As the use of exercise for health care prevention and prescription continues to gain momentum, health and fitness facilities and clubs will emerge as an integral part of the health care system. The fourth edition of ACSM's Health/Fitness Facility Standardsand Guidelines will assist health and fitness facility managers, owners, and staff in keeping to a standard of operation, client care, and service that will assist members and users in caring for their health through safe and appropriate exercise experiences.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) advances and integrates scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

ACSM, founded in 1954, is a professional membership society with more than 20,000 national, regional, and international members in more than 70 countries dedicated to improving health through science, education, and medicine. ACSM members work in a wide range of medical specialties, allied health professions, and scientific disciplines. Its members are committed to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of sport-related injuries and the advancement of the science of exercise.

Its members' diversity and expertise make ACSM the largest, most respected sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. From astronauts and athletes to people with chronic diseases or physical challenges, ACSM continues to seek better methods to allow people to live longer and more productive lives. ACSM is leading the way in exercise science and sports medicine.

James A. Peterson, PhD, and Stephen J. Tharrett, MS, bring much experience to this text. They were editors for the 2nd and 3rd editions and contributing authors on the 1st edition, which published in 1992.