I try to get to the gym every day between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. I love going to the gym at lunch. It helps break up my day and gets me out of the office for a little while. It helps me clear my head and sometimes come up with some ideas that I send your way.
The best part about my daily gym experience is my ability to escape to a corner where I can churn out some cardio and then move to another corner to do my push ups and sit-ups. Even the free weights are off to a side of the gym, so I don’t feel like I’m pushing weight in front of God and everyone.
I like my gym experience to be a refuge. Granted, from time to time I enjoy hanging out with friends that I bump into, but on a regular basis, I’m searching for a little alone time. I believe I’m not alone in this — which is partially why you create cardio cinemas, put cardio equipment off to the side of the gym and put small amounts of free weights in low traffic areas of the gym.
A lot of people enjoy disappearing at the gym. They enjoy being alone and they want the experience to be a sanctuary. How do you help your members treat your club as a sanctuary for good health?
Small amenities can help make your club a sanctuary. When members come in, do they receive bottled water and a towel? Those are two small things that can put your members in a good workout frame of mind as they enter your facility. Do you have cleaning supplies in convenient areas? No, your members don’t want to help you clean your gym, but they don’t want to get sick from using an elliptical that is coated in germs. Members will look for something to wipe down their machines, but they won’t trek across your club to get a paper towel and cleaning spray. Plus, if you make cleaning difficult, you are working to take them out of the zone.
Have certain amenities in place every day that can help members get into the best workout state of mind. But, also, have small things throughout the week that put a smile on their face. How about Wednesday, you have bananas sitting on the front desk with a sign that says: Take One, Provided by Club X Nutrition.
Not only does your member get a banana, proven to prevent cramping, but it is also a mild marketing strategy towards your nutrition department. It’s one step that puts your members in that great workout zone and helps push healthy eating habits.
There are so many small things you can do to make the workout experience at your club much better. Get creative, help put your members in a euphoric state of mind and watch them refer friends left and right.
Tyler Montgomery is the Editor of Club Solutions Magazine. Contact him at tyler@clubsolutionsmagazine.com
