Investing in improvements for a fitness facility can sometimes be daunting, especially if you’re on a budget. How do you know which areas of improvement you should focus on for maximum return? Should you go for the highestend equipment, more instructors and classes, or renovations to your club?
One thing’s for sure, when you want an investment that will deliver results across the board, improving air quality for clientele is always a sure deal. And, with tight pockets, the most cost-effective approach is using industrial-sized ceiling fans.
Big fans have found their way into health clubs, fitness centers and athletic facilities around the globe; and for good reasons. Their immense size, ranging from 6- to 24-feet in diameter, not only creates a striking presence, but striking benefits as well.
In the typical health club environment, several problems will always arise due to poor air circulation: hot, sticky and muggy environments and uncomfortable and unhappy clients.
Scientifically engineered big fans combat all these problems. Since the fans are designed to move large volumes of air at low speeds, they create a massive, but gentle, breeze. With the potential to move up to 337,000-cubic-feet of air per minute (cfm) over areas as large as 20,000- square-feet, the fans can continuously circulate the air in a facility making it feel fresher and cleaner.
Steve Lumpee, owner of Aggieland Fitness in College Station, TX, knew all about keeping his members comfortable. That’s why he opted for a big ceilingmounted fan.
“We knew we had to keep air moving,” says Lumpee. “Our facility is 40-feet tall. On the mezzanine, our second level, we have steppers and treadmills. Since heat rises, we were concerned that it would impact our clients doing their cardio workouts.”
The gentle breeze created by the fans is conducive to a cooler client. Big fans can make ambient temperatures in a gym feel four- to 16-degrees cooler during summer months. When a breeze is blowing across a sweaty body, it accelerates Mother Nature’s cooling process by evaporating moisture on the skin.
In a gym without air conditioning installed, the effects will be well-received by all those working hard to stay healthy. And, when customers are comfortable and happy with their health club experience, retention rates stay high.
Even in clubs with air conditioning, big fans work with HVAC equipment to improve air circulation. This allows thermostat set-points to be raised without loss of comfort. Additionally, big fans can lower energy bills up to 48% by reducing the amount of HVAC tonnage needed to cool the facility.
With all these benefits, there is no longer a need for the smaller floor fans in health clubs. High-velocity floor fans often create disturbing noise, safety hazards and very minimal air movement. Big fans are virtually silent, and their ceiling-mounted design brings cords and blades out of members’ way.
Mike Rister, owner of The Fit Club in Shelbyville, TN., chose a big ceilingmounted fan for that very reason. “A lot of clubs have the floor-style fans and they push out such a big burst of air in your face that it is almost annoying. Big fans produce a gentle breeze keeping our members comfortable, not annoyed,” says Rister.
When comfort is a number-one priority for clientele, big fans are there to be versatile. Equipped with a variable frequency drive, the big fans can be set at different speeds to provide the perfect amount of airflow for any gym area.
Set at super-slow speeds, while still moving massive amounts of air, the fans are also useful during winter months. The air movement gently pushes down heat trapped at the ceiling of tall buildings due to stratification. The giant fans mix the warm air in a facility creating a consistent temperature throughout. Facilities, in turn, can significantly lower heating bills – since heating equipment will work less to maintain the thermostat temperature. Utilizing a hollow-core aluminum fanblade design also makes for light giants. The fans operate on a small one- or twohorsepower motor for just pennies-perhour, adding to their efficiency.
Although Rister was sold by the excellent air movement the fans provide, the energy efficiency of big fans also caught his eye “In the winter, the fan will help circulate warm air throughout the club. Since we won’t have to heat or cool the facility as much to keep it comfortable year-round, we expect to see a 50% savings on our energy bills.”
With savings like that, big fans can help Rister make a quick return on his investment so he can focus on other improvements.
Offering a simple solution guaranteed to make a big difference in the way members feel while working out, it’s no wonder big fans are so useful in fitness facilities. When big results are needed from a small budget, big fans are the way to go.
Cynthia Held is a Marketing Associate with the Big Ass Fans Company. She can be contacted at 877.BIG.FANS, or by email at cynthia@bigassfans.com, or visit www.bigassfans.com.
