The health and fitness club industry is seeing exponential growth across all areas- from the number of fitness facilities to the revenue generated and consumer growth. In a report published by Statistica, the global health and fitness club industry was worth over $ 87 billion in 2017, up from $67 billion in 2009. Similarly, the number of fitness center memberships will continue rising. This upward trajectory is set to carry on as more consumers place value on their well-being, which means fitness investments will keep booming. However, facilities designed with the user in mind will enjoy a larger market share and client satisfaction and retention.

Investing in a professional design before setting up your fitness facility is one of the most effective ways to ensure high usage and efficient traffic flow. Read ahead to learn exactly how a great design contributes to the success of your fitness facility.

Visualize your project in 2D and 3D

Creating an ideal fitness training space requires you to work with professionals who can turn your vision into reality. It all starts with creating top-down 2D and 3D designs that simulate your complete project. This allows you to visualize how the facility will look like before embarking on the actual construction and equipment ordering. At this stage, you can redesign or make changes to the existing layout until it meets your requirements. With high-quality 2D and 3D designs in place, you’ll have an easier time executing your plan.

Use space efficiently and improve client flow

It is vital for fitness facilities to maintain a clear, well-structured, and organized space. Professional design ensures proper use of space such that users are comfortable and have plenty of room for training. In an ideal design, all unnecessary items such as cupboards are moved to provide more floor space. The available space is then creatively used for essentials such as storage and wipes, water coolers, weight racks, and other vital accessories and equipment.

Good designs also take into account how typical workout routines function. With this in mind, you can arrange training equipment and accessories in a way that facilitates most activities, thus making it easier for users to move through their workout sessions. The bottom line is setting up the facility in a way that feels less cluttered so that users can freely move around while avoiding lines forming at certain equipment.

Determine where to place equipment

Getting the most out of your available space is all about considering how the facility’s design impacts user experience. For this reason, ease of use and accessibility should always be the hallmark when laying out the equipment. A good idea would be categorizing equipment by type – such that specific sections of the facility are dedicated to weightlifting, cardio exercising, group training, mobility/stretching, or any other kind of workout. It makes sense if all cardio machines are placed together or if dumbbells are kept close to the free weight machines. This demonstrates how investing in a professional design for your project can help create the ideal training environment- safe, comfortable, high-performing, and motivating.

Electrical and WiFi needs

Modern fitness facilities have now stepped up their game from the traditional “warehouse feel” to designing for user satisfaction. One such trend is the increased adoption of self-powered training equipment, which is great for the logistics and overall safety of the users. Despite these advancements, electrical needs are still required in most fitness centers. While most gym owners tend to overlook this point in their planning stage, a professional design will take into account all mechanical, electrical, and internetrequirements. This includes planning power outlets for your training equipment, WiFi, visuals, audio, and any other accessories that require power within the facility.

Is your equipment meeting ADA requirements?

A fundamental requirement for all fitness training centers is to remove all barriers that may limit accessibility by people with disabilities. ADA compliance in a fitness facility covers all structural domains like parking, exterior entrances, elevators, doors, bathrooms, locker rooms, customer service desk, accessibility around training equipment, and all building accessories. Professional designs take into account ADA guidelines and standards for fitness facilities pertaining to equipment set-up and installation. Adhering to these regulations is a way of helping safeguarding your facility against future liability.

Summing it up

Investing in a professional design will have much positive impact on your fitness facility.  If people are satisfied with the space they are in, there’s a much better chance for them to stick to their exercise routines. This will lead to the advancement of the facility’s overall status and higher client retention, thus helping your business achieve continuous growth and success.

In days of yore, all you needed to amp up your fitness was a wooly mammoth to run away from. Exercise was a part of daily life for hunters and gatherers, so hominids didn’t need kettlebells to carve out their abs. Nor did the Ancient Greeks—they acquired their biceps in the military centuries before the first book about physical pursuits was written by Cristobel Mendez. The fitness industry as we know it today began when a muscle-bound guru named Macfadden invented the first wall-mounted “muscle developers.” In the disco era, jogging and jazzercise were trends du jour.  If the burgeoning gym sector could make exercise fun, surely the entire world would join the dance party. Exercise trends are wont to pass, so as the Nineties dawned in all their pleather splendor, fitness centers were revolutionized yet again.

Training in the Eighties

Stair masters, elliptical cross trainers, and exercise bikes targeted muscle groups with razor-like precision. In those days, aerobic fitness and strength training were divided by a giant fitness center wall, and ne’er the two could meet. The approach was as inefficient as it was time-consuming, and gym brands only muddied the waters by designing increasingly complicated machines. If an exercise machine could play movies, count burned calories, and butter your morning toast, the industry sold it.

With time comes education. The more scientific understanding the fitness industry has gained, the better it’s become at toning wobbly bodies. Before 2010 dawned, centers focused on five areas:

These approaches were supposed to be a shortcut to larger muscles, but as the years progressed, scientists discovered that short, intense bouts of movement could target both long and short-term endurance. Fitness fiends could cut their workouts in half without suffering any negative effects. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) revolutionized the modern-day fitness center. Even Olympic athletes were doing it. Studies show that high intensity bursts increased power output by almost 10% while improving movement efficiency.

As HIIT entered public consciousness, the industry sought out inventive ways to pack power into their workouts. Wearable technology was an obvious solution. Tabata training followed closely behind, so pylo boxes became a requisite inclusion in every athletic training center.  Pylo power caught on fast, giving trainers the variety they needed to tone their bodies holistically. Add body weights, box jumps, and split squats, and you’re well on your way to fitness freedom. Pylometric boxes turn the body into a weight, allowing trainers to combine aerobic and strength training in a higher intensity workout. The higher the equipment, the harsher the training. The simplicity of it is elegant, but you can’t achieve stability with a pylo box alone.

The Emergence of the Athletic Training

Unlike Jazzercise, HIIT couldn’t be limited to one room at the back of the gym. It required too much space and had too many enthusiasts for that, so the fitness center of yesteryear transformed into an athletic training center replete with high-tech flooring and every pylo box design you could dream up. The sheer intensity of HIIT demanded a new approach to turf. Non-slip surfaces aren’t enough because the design of the surface determines the kind of strength and endurance achieved. Pylometric training on a firm surface reduces muscle soreness and even damage, but accidents must be reduced as well. Today’s centers must improve explosive power via the most effective surface, and a gym mat simply won’t do anymore. Opti-Fit approaches HIIT as an artform, carrying fitness into a distant future years ahead of its time.

For more information on designing todays fitness centers, contact one of Opti-Fit’s fitness professionals.

Opti-Fit’s outstanding customer service ensures that fitness equipment installation and setup exceed customers’ expectations.

Gold River, CA, December 17, 2018 – Opti-Fit Fitness Solutions, a consulting service that helps its clients optimize fitness amenity spaces through planning, designing, supplying, and maintaining fitness equipment, publishes a testimonial from Los Gatos Swim and Racquet Club in regards to its outstanding customer service.

“The Opti-Fit team listened to my wants and went out of their way to make sure our needs were met. Being a family-owned single club, we never get the deals or the attention that big corporate gyms do when we work with other suppliers. But that wasn’t the case with Opti-Fit. They got us the best pricing and provided exceptional customer service even with our comparatively modest order,” said Brian Schweitzerhof, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, Fitness Director at the Los Gatos Swim & Racquet Club.

“Steve and his Opti-Fit crew personally supervised the installation and stayed until I was satisfied with the job. The outcome went above and beyond everyone’s expectations. Even to this day, Steve follows up with me to ensure that all of our equipment and gym setup is functioning properly. I can’t recommend Steve and Opti-Fit enough for any gym or fitness amenity.”

With over 20 years of experience in the fitness industry, Opti-Fit offers consulting service that focuses on understanding the needs of its clients and recommending custom solutions that help fitness facilities cater to their clientele.

It applies the evolving science in health and fitness to devise full turnkey solutions that take into account the ease of use, aesthetics, functionality, durability, safety, and current fitness trends to create the most cost-effective solution for its clients.

Opti-Fit supplies a full spectrum of fitness equipment, including cardio machines, group training equipment, weightlifting bars and plates, strength training equipment, storage solutions, and a variety of accessories.

By partnering with top fitness professionals, brands, and service partners, Opti-Fit offers a complete range of services including planning, design,  supply, service, and ongoing support to all its clients.

To learn more about Opti-Fit and its fitness solutions, visit opti-fit.com or call 888-601-4350.