Gyms of the Future: Coming Back Better & Stronger in the Leisure Sector

With the COVID-19 virus sweeping the globe, many businesses are having to rapidly adapt to a changing landscape. One sector that’s particularly affected by the coronavirus outbreak is the leisure and fitness industry, as government enforced social distancing and closures is set to see facilities having to shut their doors temporarily until the effects of the virus subside.

However, if you’re working in the fitness and leisure sector, there are measures you can take during this down time to prepare your business for the post-coronavirus world, ensuring your gym comes back better and stronger. From improving safety, security and hygiene in facilities to becoming more digitally focused, we’ll look at some fresh ways gym owners can take the right steps towards creating a gym built for the future.

Offer at-home workouts

Okay, so we know as a gym owner you’ll be wanting to get people through the doors in order to aid your economic recovery, however, some people may be hesitant to return right away. This could be due to concerns around spending time in crowded public places or they’ve simply adapted to a new fitness routine at home due to social distancing. Either way, it could pay to adapt your fitness services to offer at-home workouts.

Tipped to be a big trend in the fitness arena for 2020 and beyond, incorporating a service that caters for home gym users could give your facility the edge over the competition. We’re already seeing proof of gyms catering to the current ‘stay home’ ethos, providing live-stream workouts for members to take part in at home.

The smart home gym equipment sector is really starting to take off too, meaning many clients can get that gruelling workout at home, at a time and place that’s most convenient for them. To cater for this, including virtual workouts, personal training sessions and progress consultations online could be an effective way to demonstrate you’re ahead of the curve and willing to support all gym members.

Using the latest technology, virtual training sessions and workout classes have the ability to upload progress statistics for participants to a shared screen in real-time, developing a healthy sense of competition and involvement despite not all being in the same studio. This model not only bridges the gap between those non-returners, but can also open up your services to a far wider audience, as geographic location isn’t an issue.

Prioritise safety and hygiene

One thing we have all learned from the coronavirus is that personal hygiene and safety should always be a top priority, particularly in areas like fitness centres. With a multitude of different people entering the building, using equipment, showering and more, gyms need to have effective methods in place for managing germs and bacteria, as poor hygiene and safety standards could cause even the most loyal and laid-back clients could be turned off.

Unsurprisingly, hygiene is going to be a core focus for fitness facilities as people begin to head back to the gym for their workouts, so ensuring you and your staff members are extra vigilant with cleanliness is essential. Not least, it will ensure germs and bacteria aren’t spreading from one user to another, but also it projects the right attitude to reassure your returning clients.

Before you open your doors, carrying out a thorough deep clean of the entire premises is a must. Moving forward, increasing the frequency, and where necessary, cleaning methods of communal areas, gym equipment and changing facilities will help to ensure the space stays spick and span.

You should also include hygiene and safety etiquette into your onboarding process, ensuring all members are adhering to best practice and being considerate of other users. Ideas could include visual prompts and anti-bacterial gels next to gym equipment to encourage users to clean up after themselves, offering a ‘spares’ service for when towels, toiletries or refreshments are forgotten and encouraging members to report potential safety and hygiene concerns right away, such as spillages that could be a slipping hazard.

Prioritising hygiene and encouraging a clean culture with members should ensure you deliver a workout environment that’s fresh, clean and hygienic for every user, all day long.

Up your security

Offering your members a safe place to store their belongings while enduring a gruelling workout is standard practice. But, while your gym doors are closed, now offers the perfect time to look at upgrading your changing room facilities. Equipping your fitness centre with new lockers with strong and secure locking mechanisms demonstrates a proactive approach to improving your facility’s amenities, all while reassuring clients their belongings will remain safe.

However, on-site gym security goes beyond the locker room and with the time to make updates with minimal disruption to your clientele, getting a head start on boosting security measures now will ensure you’ll come back better and stronger than before.

As a minimum, installing CCTV onto the premises is a great way to ensure you have eyes on what’s occurring in real time. Not least, if there are any incidents, you have a visual record to refer back to, but also CCTV can help you identify areas for improvement - a useful tool to utilise during this downtime.

It could also be time to reassess your member and staff signing in methods. Installing up-to-date photo swipe cards for entry and exit to the premises will help you keep track of who’s in the building, what they look like and where they are. This real-time data can not only reduce the risk of petty theft, but it can help to streamline evacuation processes in the event of a fire.

Although we’re all facing levels of uncertainty in the fight against COVID-19, being proactive and looking at different ways you can improve your gym operations, services, safety and security during this time of inactivity is key. With the right preparation, this time could offer the potential to give your gym business a head start when things return to normal - meaning you’ll be better and stronger than before.