The “Formula” for Fitness Success

Take the guesswork out of designing a fitness center by starting off on solid (square) footing.

by Laura Watilo Blake (editor@clubandresortbusiness.com)
June 2007
 

The space you designate for a fitness center will depend on how many people are going to be using the facility at a particular time of day, in addition to the types of equipment and group exercise classes you plan to offer.
Once you’ve determined how many people will use the facility through a member survey and analysis of future use, fitness experts suggest budgeting approximately 50 square feet of space for each piece of cardio or strength equipment, and the same amount per group exercise participant.

Cardio Equipment
“If you think you’ll need 30 pieces of cardio, you multiply that by 50,” says Herb Lipsman, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Health Club Company, based in suburban Houston. “And you’d need 1,500 square feet of space.”
Lizanne Brandt, Sports Center Director at the Dallas Country Club, recommends a mix of treadmills, Stairmasters, elliptical trainers, recumbent and upright bikes for cardiovascular training.

Strength Equipment
Manufacturers generally offer up to 20 pieces in their full lines of circuit-training equipment. “But you don’t need everything,” Lipsman says. Dallas Country Club has 14 machines—”one piece for every major muscle group in the body,” says Brandt. She also recommends cable-cross machines that people can adjust. “In a country club, we have a lot of golfers and tennis players who want to do the full range of motion to mimic the activities in their sports.”

Group Exercise
“Most private club managers have no experience with group exercise programs and therefore undersize the studios,” says Lipsman. “If a group exercise program and instructor are popular at a club, it is not unusual to attract between 15 and 30 participants.”

As a result, a larger aerobics studio should be around 1,200 to 1,500 square feet, Lipsman says. But most facilities would also need a second, smaller 800-sq.-ft. studio for yoga or spinning classes, he adds.

Ultimately, the size will depend on each individual club.

“I don’t like classes to be huge,” says Brandt, who likes to limit classes to no more than 20 participants. “We try to keep classes more intimate by offering a large variety. We have yoga different times in the morning and evening.”
See also “Les Mills: Develop the Best Studio You Can Afford” for specific design instructions for exercise studios using Les Mills-branded group fitness programs.

Extras
Beyond the basics, the size of your fitness center will grow as you add additional features and amenities, such as stretching, free weights and personal-training zones (“We need an extra couple hundred square feet for a personal trainer,” says Joe Bendy, General Manager of River Oaks Country Club). Locker rooms, saunas, whirlpools, reception desks and offices also come with their own individual space requirements. And if you choose to include personal-care services (“You can’t afford not to do this,” says Chris White, Senior Vice President of WTS International), add 120 square feet per treatment room.

See related stories:
Feeling the Burn
Les Mills: Develop the Best Studio You Can Afford