As summer arrives, so millions of Australians head to gyms and fitness centres to get in shape, work off some of that pandemic bulk, and get ready for the beach. While we’re in full support of people getting fit and healthy, it’s essential that you are safe at the same time. That’s why every gym should have an AED or two on-site. Here’s why this is such an important part of your facility’s First Aid Kit.

Gyms are High-Risk Spaces for Sudden Cardiac Arrest, Heart Attacks and More

Fitness centres are spaces where we go to put our bodies to work – to sweat off those calories and get in shape. Whatever reason you’re working out, you’re placing your body under physical strain, and that can trigger deadly cardiac events like sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

SCA is caused by issues within the heart’s electrical system that cause the heart to suddenly stop pumping oxygenated blood around the body. Although SCA is more likely to occur in people with risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and hypertension, it can also occur in otherwise fit and healthy people – even kids. Because this condition stops the flow of oxygenated blood around the body and brain, fast action from bystanders is critical to survival. In addition to calling emergency services, bystanders have to start CPR within a few minutes and apply defibrillation to restart the heart as soon as possible in order to limit tissue damage and increase chances of survival. First responders simply won’t be able to reach you in time.

SCA may seem like something that’s fairly unlikely to occur, but the reality is that around 30,000 SCA events happen in Australia each year with a death rate of over 90%. Even more concerning is that SCA can result from other cardiac events that put severe strain on the heart, including heart attacks and strokes.

Does My Gym Need an AED?

At gyms, you have a wide range of age groups and fitness levels coming to improve their health and strength, including people from high-risk groups who are trying to make good lifestyle choices. The combination of high-risk groups and intense, strenuous physical activity means having the ability to treat SCA with an on-site AED just makes sense.

An AED provides protection for your clients and your staff, it’s easy to use (most come with voice and visual prompts), easy to maintain and can even lower insurance premiums while protecting your facility from liability issues. Most importantly, it allows you and your staff the ability to act quickly and save a life when emergency services are out of reach – just another way that gyms can produce heroes!

DefibsPlus is a leading provider of affordable AED portable defibrillators in Australia. We believe that together, we can make community spaces like gyms and fitness centres safer by empowering people to save lives.

In addition to stocking AEDs and replacement parts from leading brands, we also offer defibrillator training through our HeartSmart Program as well as storage and signage for emergency medical cabinets. Contact us today for more information.