The real estate market has been shifting quite unpredictably, with tenants’ expectations, market regulations, and other factors changing every so often. As a property owner, this can only mean one thing: you will have to work harder to please your tenants. And what better way to do that than to provide practical amenities beyond housing?
If you like this idea, you will certainly love the idea of building a multifamily fitness centre that will not only enhance your property’s value but also make it stand out, as far as tenant experience goes. So, how do you design your fitness centres for maximum appeal and practicality?
We’ve compiled some of the great tips for you:
1. Determine the Ideal Size for Your Facility
Before you can even start designing the fitness centre, the first thing you should do is determine the perfect size for this gym. You don’t want it to be smaller than it should be since that will ruin the overall experience for your tenants. But then again, building an overly large gym will only waste resources, right? This means you want to find the right balance between offering a lovely experience and making good use of your resources.
If you ask us, the greatest way to solve this dilemma would be to team up with companies like Plus One that provide multi-tenant fitness center management, since the experts there have enough experience after working in different facilities. But if you’d rather handle this on your own, consider spacing suggestions from expert institutions.
The Health and Fitness Association, for instance, suggests that you create a fitness centre that has up to 48 square feet per participant for group fitness activities. The Fitness Business Association, in comparison, recommends 4,599 square feet for a group exercise studio and 2,970 square feet for personal or small group centres.
2. Prioritise Safety in Your Facility
A fitness centre design should have safety at the core because there’s no point in providing the good features but then ruining it all with compromised safety. You want the gym members to not only enjoy the experience of keeping fit in the facility but also be safe while at it. Some of the good ways to promote safety include, but aren’t limited to:
- Using non-slip, shock-absorbent materials for the floors
- Investing in durable, low-maintenance materials for great performance and safety
- Ensuring there’s enough space between machines to reduce collisions and guarantee safe movement
- Installing proper lighting for maximum visibility
- Setting up accessible emergency measures like clear exit routes, fire alarms, and first aid kits.
Of course, it will also be a good idea to keep analyzing your safety measures to make improvements where necessary. For instance, checking the equipment regularly helps you identify those that may need replacement of parts or total replacements.
3. Consider the Centre’s Layout for Optimised Workouts
You may think that furnishing the gym with the right equipment based on the users’ needs is enough to provide an unbeatable experience, but have you thought about the layout? You need to have an ideal gym floor plan after considering your tenants’ needs and preferences.
This process should be as strategic as possible, as it will be a great factor in improving engagement and empowering your members to work out. Some of the high practices in this regard include:
- Creating designated activity zones, such as strength training or cardio zones, for more efficient and organised workouts.
- Preventing clutter by placing the huge machines along the perimeter walls. Also, consider grouping similar equipment for easier access.
- Placing the equipment strategically for unrestricted movement, comfort, and safety. You also want to pay attention to accessibility when deciding how to place equipment within the facility.
4. Plan for the Future
There are lots of things you can do to ensure your gym is as effective, lovable, and accessible now and even in the future. One of the good ways to do this is to leverage fitness technology and apps like wearable fitness technology, on-demand fitness apps and workout content, artificial intelligence and virtual reality, smart fitness equipment, and more.
Don’t forget to consider future expansions when planning the floor space. Besides, you may need to change some of the equipment later on, so you must ensure there is sufficient space for that. Remember, one of your high goals is to maintain a modern gym design, and you need proper planning for that.
Get Help Creating the Perfect Multifamily Gym Today
No doubt, a fitness centre will increase the appeal of your multitenant property and help you compete more favourably in the real estate industry. As tenants’ expectations keep rising, investing in such a facility will also help you face the future with greater confidence.
This is a journey that Plus One makes easier for you through much-needed support and guidance as far as designing and maintaining your facility centre goes. So, don’t be left behind. Visit plusoneworkplacewellbeing.com/multiple-tenants to learn more and get started today.