The Importance of AEDs in Gyms & Fitness Facilities

It’s safe to assume that the members of your gym or sports team are likely part of your organization because they want to stay active. We all know that exercise is good for your heart and overall health. But did you also know that exercise can increase risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)?

SCA is the leading cause of death among people over the age of 40 in the United States and tragically claims the lives of more student-athletes than any other condition. If left untreated, people suffering from SCA will die within minutes. Learn more about Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

Fortunately, there is a simple and effective treatment. Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) provide life-saving defibrillation shocks to patients whose hearts have stopped beating due to SCA. For athletic facilities and sports teams, having an AED nearby is proven to save the majority of people who go into SCA in the gym or on the court. Keep your members, staff, athletes, fans, and community safe by obtaining an AED for your organization!

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Happens And AEDs Save Lives!

Although gym-goers and athletes are often presumed to be some of the healthiest people, they are still at risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest. In fact, athletes are estimated to be 3x more likely to suffer SCA than non-athletes. Learn more about the risk of SCA in athletes. Fortunately, Automated External Defibrillators can save the lives of athletes and gym-goers who suffer SCA. In fact, Sudden Cardiac Arrest victims are over 9x more likely to survive in a gym with an AED than in a gym without an AED!

Health Club AED Laws by State: 

Strenuous physical exercise, the kind that happens at gyms and health clubs, is associated with an increased risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). In fact, compared to others with a similar age and risk profile, athletes and active individuals are estimated to be 3 times more likely to suffer SCA.

Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) programs involve the placement of AED machines in easily and publicly accessible places to protect the community from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Given the risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest among athletes, PAD programs emphasize the placement and availability of AEDs at athletics fields and exercise facilities.

In the United States, some states have created legislation guiding – and mandating – that athletic venues make AED units available to their patrons. State laws also have recommendations or requirements that athletic facilities train all their staff in CPR and AED use.

Several states and the District of Columbia have mandatory requirements for AED placement in health clubs and gyms. The following states have comprehensive laws and recommendations relating to AEDs in gyms and health clubs.

State AED Laws For Gyms and Health Clubs

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• Arkansas: Every gym, health club or fitness center is required to have at least one AED on site. Also, there must be an employee who has completed a course in operation of AEDs and CPR.
• California: As of July 2007, California requires all gyms and health clubs to have at least one AED. The law also required the training of one staffer per AED in CPR and AED use. If the establishment has more than 5 AEDs, one person per every 5 extra AEDs must be trained.
• Connecticut: Effective October 1, 2022, all health clubs throughout Connecticut are required to have at least one AED on-premises. The new law also imposes training, maintenance, and EMS notification requirements on health clubs.
• District of Columbia: In D.C., health clubs are among the premises that must have at least one AED at all times. In addition, they must train a designated user in AED use and CPR, and have certification from the AHA, Red Cross or other relevant organization.
• Illinois: In Illinois, fitness facilities are required to have one or more AEDs on their premises. As is common with laws of this nature, the establishment should also have one trained AED user staffed during business hours.
• Indiana: Every health club in the state must have an AED in their facilities and it must be easily available to staff and members. The facility must also employ at least one person, during business operating hours, who is trained in CPR and AED use to a standard that is satisfactory with national guidelines.
• Iowa: All physical exercise clubs (including gyms) must place at least one AED on their premises and it must be accessible to all people present during business hours. The facility must also have at least one employee who is trained in CPR and AED use.
• Louisiana: In the state of Louisiana, gym owners are expected to maintain a well serviced and registered AED on the premises. The law, however, does not specify any guidelines regarding the presence of a trained lay responder.
• Massachusetts: MA general law states that all health clubs must have at least one AED on their premises. The law also requires that at least one employee or volunteer must be trained in AED use, and present at the gym during business hours
• Michigan: The proprietor of every health club is mandated to avail at least one AED on the premises, placed in a convenient and accessible location for every person on the premises. Additionally, the facility must employ at least one person who is certified in basic first aid, CPR and AED use.
• New Jersey: All gyms and health clubs in New Jersey must have at least one AED on their premises. The AED must be registered with emergency services and maintained on a regular basis. During business hours, at least one staffer trained in CPR and AED use must be present.
• New York: Updated with 2023 legislation, every gym or health club with more than 50 members must have at least one AED on their premises. In addition, at least one employee or volunteer who holds a valid certification in CPR and AED use must be present during business hours.
• Nevada: AEDs are recommended but not legally required for health clubs. For facilities with an AED the device must be inspected and maintained regularly and any employee who will use the defibrillator must complete training in basic emergency care.
• Oregon: Health clubs and gyms throughout the entire state must have at least one AED on their premises at all times. There is no stipulation on training of employees on using the AED or CPR.
• Pennsylvania: All health clubs that have services during non-staffed hours must be equipped with an AED, along with an array of other emergency equipment. During operation hours, there must be an employee with standard training in CPR.
• Rhode Island: requires every registered health club to have an AED located centrally and conveniently for all members, staff and guests. During each shift, there must be one or more employees with AHA certifications in CPR and AED use.
• *All other states to not have AED laws for gyms and fitness facilities 

Best AED for Gym & Sports

Finding the best Automated External Defibrillator (AED) for a gym or health club can feel overwhelming. First, it’s important to note that there is no “bad option” when purchasing an AED. All defibrillators work and will save lives.

That being said, there are certainly AED models that have features and capabilities best suited for the needs and budget of your gym, health club, or sports team.

5 Important Factors to Consider When Purchasing an AED: 

Total Cost of Ownership

The thing about AEDs is that the “upfront cost” is not that last expense you’ll have to finance. Essential parts of the device like batteries and electrode pads can expire and must be periodically replaced. So rather than looking just at the sticker price, it is important to consider the real or Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). The TCO = the upfront purchase price + the cost of replacing expired parts over time. We know that gyms, fitness centers, and sports teams often operate with tight budgets, so be sure that the AED you purchase for your facility or organization is on the lower end of the TCO spectrum. This can save you a lot of money over time! The Avive Connect AED® was designed to be a low Total Cost of Ownership device, meant to help ensure the proper maintenance of AEDs and encourage more AEDs in more communities. With Avive's rechargeable battery, there are no AED batteries to buy, replace, or install--ever! Need help securing funding for an AED? Here are some ideas.

Size and Weight

If you are involved with sports or athletics, you’re already lugging around a lot of gear. The last thing you probably want to add is a bulky, 6-pound box or AED. Therefore, you’ll likely want to purchase the smallest and most lightweight device. Having a small, portable AED ensures that it’s actually brought to the places where it is needed, rather than sitting on a wall collecting dust. For gyms and health clubs, there are also significant benefits to having a small and lightweight device. When Sudden Cardiac Arrest happens, you want to act fast. Every minute that a victim suffering SCA does not receive a shock from an AED, their chances of survival decreases by 7-10%. Having a small, light, and portable device makes it easier to retrieve quickly in an emergency.

Connectivity

All AED models need to be checked and maintained on a regular basis. Unfortunately, most AEDs don’t have any connectivity built-in. This means that, at least once a month, you must manually check the device to make sure it is ready for emergency. If an AED is not ready for emergency use, it cannot deliver a life-saving defibrillation shock to a patient in Sudden Cardiac Arrest. This failure to have a maintained AED can also hurt you, the AED owner, in terms of legal repercussions. Manually checking AED devices every month can be a burden and is often ineffective. Maintenance is even more challenging and time consuming if you have multiple devices for your fitness center, gym, or sports league. Even if you have a regular AED maintenance schedule, the device can still become non-functional between those checks. In the video above, Lyndsey Sellers, Director of Employee Training & Development for National Fitness Partners, speaks about the complexity of managing a large fleet of today's AEDs in a health club environment. A defibrillator with “connectivity” can help with all of this! 1 in 5 AEDs are not ready for an emergency – having connectivity will make sure that yours is!

Pediatric Capabilities

All AEDs have the ability to deliver a life-saving defibrillation shock to both children and adults. For children under 55 pounds or between the ages of 1 and 8 years old, the shock is “attenuated” meaning that it is modified to a lower energy level. With most AEDs, you need to insert a separate set of pediatric electrode pads into the device to deliver this attenuated shock to a child. This can lead to burdensome costs and maintenance because you must: Pay for the replacement of two sets of electrode pads when they expire/ Keep track of both the adults pads AND the pediatric pads. For ease of use during an emergency and less burdensome maintenance, sports teams, gyms, and health clubs will greatly benefit from a defibrillator that has a pediatric button and universal electrode pads, like the Avive Connect AED does. With the Avive AED, simply pressing the Child button quickly switches the AED into the appropriate mode for the patient!

Fully Automatic vs. Semi-Automatic:

Semi-automatic AEDs require that the user press a “shock button” to deliver a defibrillation shock to the patient. Fully-automatic defibrillators will automatically and safely deliver a shock to the patient if the device detects that the patient is in shockable heart rhythm. Purchasing a fully-automatic device can remove responder hesitation and error! Delivering a shock to the patient will take less time if you do not need to "initiate" the shock yourself. With a fully-automatic AED, once the device has analyzed the patient's heart rhythm and advised a life-saving shock, it will simply give the user a warning and then deliver the therapy. All of the Avive Connect AEDs are fully automatic devices. Some brands make a semi-automatic AND fully automatic versions, so be sure you know which type of AED you're purchasing before you buy.

AED Placement for Gyms and Sports

Perhaps you’re thinking about getting an AED for your gym, or maybe you already have one. Amazing! You are making sure that your gym, sports clubs, or athletic facility is ready to save lives from Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

So where do you put a defibrillator? Is one AED enough? This guide will help provide you with answers to those questions.

How Many AEDs Does a Gym Need?

The most important thing to consider when placing one or multiple AEDs is Time-To-Defibrillation: the amount of time that elapses between when someone suffers Sudden Cardiac Arrest and when they receive a defibrillation shock from an AED. The more time that elapses between the onset of SCA and treatment with an AED, the less likely a victim is to survive. In fact, every minute that passes without a shock from an AED, the patient’s chances of survival decrease by 7-10%.

It is critical to place an AED where it can be accessed easily and quickly! You want to make sure the AED is within a 2-minute walking round trip of any location where an emergency could occur.

Gyms, athletic complexes, and fitness centers with large facilities should have more than one AED to ensure that a defibrillator can always be retrieved for an emergency within 2 minutes from anywhere onsite. In other words, visitors and staff should never be more than a 1-minute walk away from an AED in the facility.

This is also why portability and size become important factors when deciding which AED is best for your facility. Pro tip: the Avive Connect AED is the smallest and lightest FDA-approved AED available.

Where Should Gyms Put AEDs?

Once you determine where and how many AEDs are needed, it is important to make sure that they are clearly visible and easy to access. Be sure that the height of the AED does not exceed 48 inches to ensure universal accessibility. Defibrillators should be stored in a highly visible and clearly marked location. Pro Tip: Place AEDs near other identifiable objects so that when directing someone to an AED you can say something like “it’s to the left of the vending machine.”

Obscure cabinets, locked offices, and closets are no place for an AED!

Important factors to consider:

• All staff and personnel should know where the AEDs are located. There should be at least one staff member on site at all times who is trained in using an AED. When training new staff or giving tours to new members, show them the location of the AED!
• Place AEDs in high-risk areas where physical activity is performed
• Place AEDs in high occupancy areas where the device is immediately visible to a large number of people
• Consider time-restricting factors such as elevator delays, stairs, and restricted access that can interfere with 2-minute AED retrieval
• Given their background, training, and proximity to athletes who are at higher risk, athletic trainers are important people to respond to cardiac arrest. Check out Avive’s AED guide for athletic trainers.
• The right AED placement combined with the right level of training is what will save lives. Check out some of our favorite AED save stories in fitness facilities by clicking below.

Fitness SCA & AED Facts

SCA affects people of all ages, even athletes who are seemingly healthy and have no known medical conditions. For gyms and athletic organizations, it is important to understand the risk of SCA among athletes and know that Sudden Cardiac Arrest can happen to anyone, especially during exercise.

Let’s Start with the Facts

• SCA is a leading cause of death in the United States that claims over 350,000 lives every year, including over 7,000 youth under the age of 18
• SCA is the #1 cause of death for people over 40
• SCA is the #1 cause of death for student-athletes
• Most young athletes who have a potentially lethal cardiac disorder have no warning signs or previous symptoms before experiencing SCA
• Athletes are estimated to be 3x more likely to suffer SCA than non-athletes
• While regular exercise is beneficial for heart health, physical activity can transiently increase risk of SCA
• Among people with coronary artery disease, there is up to a 17-fold increased risk of SCA associated with 30 minutes of vigorous exercise

AEDs are Proven to Save Lives in Fitness Gyms & Athletics

Given the risk of SCA during exercise, facilities and organizations like gyms, health clubs, and athletic teams have a responsibility to protect the lives of their patrons and participants. Fortunately, AEDs are a safe and effective way to treat victims of SCA. Having an AED at the gym is proven to significantly increase SCA survival and save lives!

Research from an 18-year study presented at the European Society of Cardiology found that SCA victims are over 9x more likely to survive in a gym with an AED than in a gym without an AED!

Another study conducted in the United States looking at 849 SCAs over 10 years found that people were significantly more likely to survive SCA in an athletic facility. Specifically, 56% of people survived SCA at gyms and fitness centers compared to 34% surviving in other public outdoor spaces. Why? Because gyms are more likely to have a lifesaving AED nearby! Immediate response to a SCA with CPR and shocks from an AED dramatically increases the chance that a victim will survive.

Kemoy Campbell: Olympic Athlete and Jamaican National Record Holder

Kemoy Campbell, Olympic athlete and Jamaican national record holder, would likely have characterized himself as a perfectly healthy person. He dedicated his track and field career to achieving peak athletic performance and competing against the best in the world. But one day, while running at New York’s Millrose Games, he collapsed unexpectedly on the track in Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). His heart had stopped and he was clinically dead. Fortunately, bystanders at the facility took action by performing CPR and using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to restart his heart and save his life.

Read the Full Story