Are You Getting the Best Return on Your Space?

IMAGE COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK

Are you getting the best possible return on your functional space allocation and equipment investments? Is every square inch of your facility working toward actively generating revenue? Are all of your products and accessories being fully utilized?

It’s likely you have at least one area that goes largely unused. Perhaps that’s where forgotten or unnoticed equipment is taking up space — the rack of large, daunting kettlebells, or the pile of foam rollers.

If any of this sounds familiar, be assured you can reverse the problem. With strategic design and specificity in programming and product integration, you can successfully transform under-activated areas into dynamic revenue generators. Take the following into consideration.

Is the unused space set up and staged in a manner that’s welcoming? Or is it poorly lit and non-inviting? Does it allow ample room to swing a kettlebell, or execute balance or core work? Is the flooring suitable for foam rolling and other activities?

What’s more, perhaps your members — or a percentage of your members — literally don’t know the proper form and usage related to your functional training equipment. Understanding the correct protocol involved in a kettlebell exercise, bodyweight training or foam rolling can be intimidating.

And since it’s human nature to avoid engaging in an effort that could cause embarrassment, your members likely err on the side of doing what’s comfortable and known to them. This seemingly obvious but often unaddressed nuance could significantly decrease the return on your investment.

The overriding solution here is guidance. Guidance is a fundamental component to success in functional training. People require direction, demonstration and input to achieve a results-driven, safe and effective workout.

But given trainers are not available 24/7 or for everyone who walks through your doors, how do you solve for this?

Integrating a self-guided digital training platform can effectively deliver fully demonstrative yet unsupervised programming to lead members through safe and fun workouts within virtually any space. A solid self-guided training solution solves for both underutilized space and unused equipment.

Here are a couple things to keep in mind:

• The digital experience needs to be demonstrative and immersive. It must utilize equipment that’s accessible and well positioned in the area.
• The programming must be robust and offer a vast amount of content and workout variations so users get a different experience every time.

Consider making a minimal investment toward a strategically designed space that incorporates self- guided training, and you’ll see the results in both revenue growth and client retention.

Kim Kisner is the marketing director for Fitness Ventures International and Aktiv Solutions. Aktiv designs and supplies dynamic training spaces inclusive of a full suite of digital self-guided training systems. Kim can be reached at kkisner@fitnessventuresintl.com.