Fitness centres to be classified by star ratings

Dubai Sports Council has approved the criteria and indicators of the fitness centre classification system, the first of its kind, according to the number of stars, the highest being five.

This was accomplished in cooperation with international fitness experts, under the best international practices for fitness centres and sports medicine, to enhance professionalism in the fitness industry and raise the service quality of Dubai’s fitness centres.

The classification criteria and special indicators were adopted while evaluating Dubai’s fitness centres and considering all aspects of work.

The evaluation has begun, and the Council will announce the results, which include the classification of centres meeting the requirements, in October. The plan is to continuously improve the quality of services for the best and motivate those with the lowest classification to raise their work levels and facilities to the quality of services and life in Dubai, according to scientific standards.

The classification system includes 17 criteria and 82 sub-indicators through which qualified teams evaluate all fitness centres. The system was presented at the Middle East Fitness Summit in October 2022. At the Summit, it received praise from more than 1,000 participants and specialists from different nationalities.

The criteria included the quality of the facility, the quality and variety of devices used, the number and qualification levels of trainers at each fitness centre, the percentage of trainees under each trainer, the safety procedures used, insurance for the facility and the trainees, competence and experience in dealing with emergency injuries during training and applying the trainees’ safety requirements. Anti-doping awareness is a priority, in addition to the centre managing the development of each trainee’s condition and the presence of medical and physical files on each member.

The Council has developed a guide for fitness centres that contributes to the development of work in this sector and clarifies to the owners and management the specifications of the model centres, the criterion and indicators through which the evaluation process is conducted. This is to be a reference for workers in this sector while achieving increasing growth in centres and registered members, whether as trainers or trainees of both genders and different nationalities. It also raises the level of services provided to the participants, which contributes to enhancing the health, vitality, and activity of trainees, their happiness, and their participation in the community movement, as well as strengthening the relationship between the various components of society.

The evaluation includes 17 criteria; types of equipment; equipment maintenance; sports facilities; cleanliness; insurance and safety; recovery features; ratio of instructors/ members; certification of instructors; personal training services; retention rate & membership racking system (membership renewals vs leavers and membership access system); group fitness classes; community and anti-doping awareness; physical activity readiness questionnaire; nutrition; parking availability; general satisfaction for members and staff; and speciality services presented to members.

Indicators

In the guide, the indicators for each criterion were identified and explained, which qualify any fitness centre to receive a category of five stars or less according to the approved standard indicators after applying the appropriate model for each criterion, only after they were studied and ensured they could be applied. These would be employed in the current work environment for the health and safety of each trainee and to achieve the greatest benefit for registered members and the community.

News Source: Emirates News Agency