Tips for Designing a Gym or Fitness Center

There are a lot of factors to consider when deciding to start or update a gym, wellness studio, or corporate fitness center.  Not only do you need to keep the health and well-bring of your clients’ in mind – but you also must keep your eye on safety and the bottom line. There are several things you should keep in mind when designing your fitness facility.

• Type of Users – What type of clients are you catering to? If you have a primarily geriatric population, you should consider the step-up heights of fitness equipment you purchase and each piece’s ease-of-use. If you have a large body building clientelle, you’ll want to consider purchasing heavier free weights and strength equipment that has a high max weight capacity. The type of client your fitness facility caters to should dictate the type and style of equipment you purchase.
• Number of Users – The more users you have coming through your doors will not only change the quantity, but also the type of fitness equipment you need to purchase. If your fitness equipment will experience a high volume of use, it’ll have to be sturdy enough to handle it.
• Ceiling Height – What is the overall ceiling height? Are there any areas where the ceiling is lower than others? Some pieces of equipment require a high ceiling. For example, a power rack may be 7′ tall but it also requires 2′ of additional clearance above for users doing pull ups.
• Flooring – Is the flooring you have going to stand up to the abuse of free weights or gym equipment? Is your fitness facility permanent or do you need the flooring to be mobile? Will there be a lot of plyometrics or sports training taking place at your fitness facility? The thickness and durability requirements of the flooring you install will vary depending up on what type of fitness training will take place.
• Equipment Power Requirements – Fitness equipment has different power requirements, whether it’s 110v or 220v, battery operated, self-generating, etc. There are many green options for fitness equipment that will save money on electric bills. Those pieces of fitness equipment that have a cord, will need to be placed in such a way that they don’t cause a trip hazard.
• Equipment Grouping – How will your users move from machine to machine? A bodybuilding gym might group strength machines by body part whereas a corporate gym might mix cardio and strength together to encourage users to make use of every piece of equipment.
• Entertainment Options – Will you place TVs around the room? Or will you have personal TVs with each piece of cardio fitness equipment? Fitness equipment entertainment options can vary – some with personalized remote controls, others that are smart-device compatible, and more.
• Work Stations – Are you putting together a corporate fitness center? Many cardio fitness machines now have optional workstations on which laptops can be placed during the workout.
• Physical Therapy – If you are putting together a rehabilitation center, you may want to consider equipment with medical rails, low step-up heights, small speed increment adjustments, or step-thru designs. Access to fitness equipment is important to users with limited mobility.
• Certified Pre-owned Fitness Equipment – If you’re on a tight budget, certified pre-owned fitness equipment is a great way to go. If you are interested in commercially rated fitness equipment options for your facility, CLICK HERE TO VIEW AVAILABLE INVENTORY.

Our Fitness Exchange Professionals are available to help guide you through your fitness equipment options as well as laying out your space and discussing power, entertainment, and flooring. CLICK HERE TO CONTACT US.