Just 10 years ago, the gym at an apartment complex consisted of free weights and a treadmill. The industry is changing to meet the needs of potential renters and that means bigger and better fitness centers with even more perks.

The New Fitness Centers

Today’s potential renter demands a better standard of living that includes connectivity and flexibility. Millennials, which are the bread and butter of rental communities, are looking for complexes that offer resort-like fitness amenities. They are non-traditional and tech-savvy and driven by engagement. To accommodate them, what was once a closet with some free weights is now the onsite fitness center. The fitness center is a large space with training areas with both cardio and strength equipment. There may be a seperate space for everything from fitness classes to yoga to meditation. As multi-family complexes have to compete more and more, they are finding ways to engage potential renters and a functional fitness center gives them an edge.

The Demand for High Tech

Many fitness centers focus on integrating technology into the fitness environment because of modern renters:

Adding high tech features takes fitness centers up a notch but what’s next?

The Wellness Center

The next step in multi-family housing is the wellness center. A survey conducted by the National Multifamily Housing Council found that 40 percent of respondents didn’t use the onsite fitness center because they wanted to work with a trainer. Management companies can look to bring in concierge trainers who are there on demand for residents. Respondents in the survey stated they also wanted virtual/on-demand classes and classes with instructors like yoga and high-intensity training.  Wellness centers are not fitness centers, though. They move beyond exercise to wellness amenities:

Related Midwest’s One Bennet Park tower in Chicago features:

The real estate industry is taking wellness by the horns to create luxury amenities for renters to the tune of 134 billion dollars. It’s not just a gym anymore. Today, multi-family rental communities are integrating wellness into their fitness centers to stay competitive.

For more information on multi-family fitness centers contact Opti-fit, 888-601-4350

The smoother a multi-family fitness center runs the more value it offers. How do you get to that level, though? Programming your fitness center is about getting the most value out of it. Here are some suggestions.

Hire a Management Company

The organization is an absolute in the fitness industry but not that an easy thing to accomplish. A multi-family fitness center management company can help a several areas.  They can provide social programming, group exercise class, staffing and operational hours, pool operation and more.  These additional services will enhance the residence expierence and increease retention. The management company also understands the local regulations and how to follow them.

Personal Trainers

Why would someone consider joining a gym instead of using your fitness center? Two words: personal trainer. Once upon a time having a personal trainer was a luxury but today’s fitness consumer expects it.
Adding one or two personal trainers to a fitness center is just one more amenity that stands out. If they can save money and get the added benefit of a personal trainer, they will throw away the gym pass forever.
Consider partnering with personal trainers. They provide their clientele and use your space for the workout. They generate revenue for the business without adding to your labor costs.

Take it Online

Online apps like More Active , My Fitness Pal, Fitbit and more, provide fitness centers with everything they need for success in one place. Set residents, frequent travelers and center members up with a personal online fitness plan. They can access nutrition plans and workout guides, too.

Apps will offer business tools, as well, like website design and a full array of marketing tools. Set up an email campaign and center newsletter. Create class schedules and event notifications. Build plans for training and fitness that target your audience. Access a content management tool that will have you blogging in no time. While you are at it, create a new logo fo the center that makes the brand stand out and use it on all your marketing material.

Take a multifaceted approach to programming your fitness center try all three. Individually or in combination, they will give you what you need to build, run and grow your facility efficiently and effectively.

For more information concerning multi-family fitness centers contact your Opti-Fit professional near you.

Healthy cities have healthy people that create a healthy economy. Obesity costs money directly and indirectly. Influencing people to want to take better care of themselves will lower costs, create a more vibrant population, and increase tourism.

The Cost of Obesity

Direct Costs

The direct costs of obesity are medical treatments and examinations that people receive directly due to their condition. This will cost the city when municipal workers are being treated for being overweight. It will also cost the city when people need emergency or ambulatory care due to their obesity and are unable to pay for it.

Indirect Costs

Insurance 

Insurance for the municipality will cost proportionally more the larger the number of obese people. Local businesses will also have to pay more in insurance costs, which is less money they have to put into their establishments and give their employees.

Wages

Wages in areas with large obese populations tend to be lower than in areas where more people are fit. This has to do with insurance costs as mentioned above, as well as lower overall productivity due to missed work and premature death.

Lost Work

Obese employees miss more work on average than employees that are not obese. They also use more short and long term disability. Overweight workers are also said to have higher rates of presenteeism, resulting in lower productivity.

As you can see, the costs of obesity are high to the entire population of any area. Municipalities with large populations of obese citizens should work to help the community become healthier. Doing so will increase productivity and juice up the economy in the medium to long-term.

Current costs are a concern, but another thing to keep in mind is that healthcare costs will continue to rise as they have been. Spending increased 3.9% over 2017 and 4.1% over the year of 2018. These are massive year over year cost increases. Can your city afford not to get healthy?

A healthy population will be less of a drain directly and indirectly on the wealth of a city. A healthy community can help a city to grow and attract more business than a population of people that are not taken care of. Think about the future and encourage health!

Contact Opti-Fit for more information about how they can help your city become healthier.

A 2015 study conducted by ABODO shows that a fitness center is the number one amenity people look for, so it’s something hotels and multi-housing complexes in the luxury capital of the world need to provide. Put simply, on-property gyms attract people and give them a reason to stay.

Go for the Quality

Quality matters when talking about making an investment like a fitness center. Buying state-of-the-art equipment provides a financial benefit beyond just the return on investment in hotels and multi-housing units see from a fitness center. Cheap equipment means increased service calls, constant downtime, the cost for new parts and a shorter lifespan for each machine.

The Marketing Appeal

Ultimately, a state-of-the-art fitness center is about marketing. It’s something you put in brochures and online to showcase luxury. The city of Las Vegas hosts millions of travelers yearly that are looking to maintain their fitness routines even on the road. As they shop for the best hotel, seeing a quality fitness center will seal the deal and keep them coming back with each trip.

Apartment complexes can make the fitness center one of the first stops as they show potential renters around. A well-maintained gym might be the one thing that sets them apart for all the other rental options in and around the city.

Because the Competition Has Them

Gyms and wellness centers are how hotels stay relevant in a competitive market. You see elite facilities all over the country featuring out of this world fitness centers. For instance, website  Travel and Leisure reports that Soul Cycle partnered with 1 Hotel South Beach in Miami Beach to offer guests a 2,600-square-foot facility that comes with a 54-bike studio and fitness boutique.

It’s a Convenience That Makes You Stand Out

It boils down to convenience for most travelers and residents. They save money by not having to commute to a nearby gym or pay for a membership. A fitness center creates a feeling of community and wellness like no other amenity.

There are resident retention rates attached to fitness centers along with return visits for business people and tourists visiting Las Vegas. A quality fitness center is your chance to give your audience the amenity they look for first.

Having a gym located at your facility can act as a keystone of your multi-family community; if it is done right. Whether it be in the workplace, or on the home front; Opti-Fit will help you to create the community atmosphere your users are looking for.

Engaging the participants in your community is a meaningful way to build bonds within the community as well as a sense of belonging. When workers and residents feel like they belong they are less likely to search for new homes, jobs, or communities where they feel accepted.multi-family community

Opti-Fit is the premier fitness equipment dealer in California and Nevada, offering the best brand names in fitness equipment, including Matrix Fitness, Dynamic Fitness and Strength, Start Trac, Atlantis Fitness and much more. Opti-Fit also provides a number of services including design, maintenance, and enhancement products to increase the use of your gym facilities. The special financing options available from Opti-Fit will keep your annual budget in the black when you update or install a new gym.

How It Works

Deciding to update equipment or install new amenity services is a big decision, when you partner with Opti-Fit all of your interests are covered.
• You will first receive a consultation to be sure everyone on the same page as far as vision and expectations.
• From here, specific services, designs, and equipment will be chosen for your facility.
• Next, financing options will be reviewed.
• Last, Opti-Fit will get to work on your project right away.

Why Choose Opti-Fit

Opti-Fit is dedicated to serving communities of all types through the introduction and oversight of health programs. Here are some of the benefits you experience by using Opti-Fit to fill your fitness center needs.
• Experience
– Opti-Fit has been helping organizations with fitness center for over 27 years.
• Dependability
– When you enter into a partnership with Opti-Fit, you can expect comprehensive options with the best price points on the market.
• Reliability
– Opti-Fit provides fitness equipment service and preventative maintenance agreements.

Opti-Fit will help you build a healthy and sustainable community at your multi-family complex or other facility. Opti-Fit will work with you to find the best solutions that fit your vision and budget. Visit the Opti-Fit’s website, or give us a call today at 888-601-4350, to find out about the fall financing options available.