Designing the layout for commercial fitness equipment in a Health Club can be difficult if you haven’t done it before. Knowing a few tips beforehand or seeking advice from a commercial fitness equipment dealer is a good idea since they’ll have previous experience and knowledge about the optimal layout for the fitness equipment. Here are five tips to keep in mind when setting up a Health Club.

1 Make sure to have enough Cardiovascular Equipment in a convenient location within the facility.

For a lot of gym users the cardiovascular equipment is the most important and the fitness equipment that they will use most often. Make sure you have enough equipment to accommodate multiple users at a time. A medium sized club should have 3-5 Treadmills, 2-3 Elliptical Trainers, 2-3 Exercise Bikes and 1 Stair Climber and/or Rowing Machine. Ensure that there is enough space around the equipment so that users can comfortably get on and off the machine without impeding users on other machines. Cardio Equipment should be facing an open space and not a wall. All the cardio equipment should also be kept in the same general area and preferable with easy access so members don’t have to trek though the strength equipment or weight lifting stations to get to it, as that can be pretty intimidating for some members.

2 Space is key for Strength Equipment and Free Weights.

When clients are lifting weights or working on strength machines they need to have enough space to use the full range of motion. If space is limited in your facility than choosing multi-station gyms is a good option. They allow users to work on different muscle groups all on one piece of equipment. For safety reasons there should be a rubber floor in the strength area of the club with enough space in between machines or stations that if a weight is drop it will not hit a user nearby. There should also be an area for free weights and benches, preferably near a wall so the weights can be put away safely. Gym users also like a mirrored wall in the strength area so they can check on their form.

3 Don’t forget about stretching.

It’s important to remember a cool down, stretching or sit up area for clients as well. This area should be away from the dangers of the strength equipment in a relatively quiet part of the facility. Mats should be provided for floor exercises and a few yoga and Pilates balls are great too. There must be enough floor space for members to lay down and stretch out without hitting walls, equipment or other members.

4 Classes should be held in a separate room

Whether it’s a yoga class, step class or strength class any instructional classes need their own space and one with a closed door is best. Members who partake in classes don’t like being watched by the members who aren’t taking part. Not only is it a distraction to other users but when classes are held in the open area of the gym, clients in the class will not be working to their full potential usually due to embarrassment. There is also the potential for injury on other pieces of fitness equipment if the class isn’t held in its own dedicated closed space.

5 A women’s only area is hugely beneficial.

There is a large number of women who will not join or use a Health Club purely because they are intimidated by the idea of working out amongst men. Men lift heavier weights, make more noise and often sweat more than women and this can put people off joining. Having an area dedicated only for women is a huge selling factor to a lot of female club users. The women’s only area should have one or two pieces of cardio equipment and a circuit of resistance machines that cover all areas of the body. This area should be convenient to get to from the changing rooms and the women should not have to parade past the weight lifting area to get to it.

Following these simple tips will help create an optimal layout of commercial fitness equipment in a Health Club. Although it’s not an exact science there are certain things that can be done to make your club more appealing to the users. More knowledge can be gained by speaking with your fitness equipment representative or other gym owners. As they say "knowledge is Power".