Consider you are a gym owner who just wants to start the journey in the fitness business by opening a gym. But, before opening your gym and providing your remarkable services to your potential clients, you have to consider yourself a client and see what your gym offers your clients that makes it different from the competition. In this way, you understand better what your clients want. These days, clients visit the gym not only to do body workouts. With time, the gym becomes a place where people socialize, unwind, and recharge to have a remarkable experience as a fitness enthusiast.

If you want your gym to offer a unique experience to your clients, you have to provide some of the best gym features and amenities. These features and amenities can improve the client retention rate and aid in driving sales. 

As a gym owner, you might have a question in mind about what features and amenities you have to ensure in your gym. So, your clients choose your gym from the competition. But you don’t need to worry about it. We have found the answer for you. Here, we will discuss the factors that make members choose a specific gym and the 5 best features and amenities. 

Why do members choose a specific gym? 

Before opening your gym and starting your journey in the fitness industry, you might have a question in your mind: why do members choose a specific gym among the competition? You might also have a question about how clients pick the best gym in the competition.  sometimes, you might also think about how clients visit the same place repeatedly to perform the exercise. Here are some reasons why and how members choose a specific gym. 

Motivation and accountability 

One of the key reasons why members choose a specific gym is motivation and accountability. Whenever a client signs up for a gym to perform different workouts for different purposes, he must look for external motivation. He looks for a trainer who motivates him during the fitness journey and must be accountable. 

For example. You started your gym and attracted your clients to your gym by offering different discounts and marketing schemes. You offer your clients the best facility in the town. Whenever your clients perform workouts, they get the best equipment. But the only thing your gym lacks is motivation and accountability. Then, you will see that your client stops attending classes and leaves your gym. On the contrary, you opened a gym with limited facilities and amenities, but your gym offers your clients motivation. Your clients attend the gym daily and also attract other clients to your gym.  So, in your gym, you have to offer motivation and accountability to attract new clients. 

Equipment and space 

Another reason that answers the question is the equipment and the space you offer to your clients for workouts.  Before starting your gym, you have to define the niche and the services you are going to provide to your clients and lay out your gym ambiance accordingly.  You have to make sure that your clients have enough space to perform workouts while having the equipment relevant to the niche. Moreover, you also have to ensure that your gym has a TV or music system. So your clients remain calm while performing the workout. 

For example, you have opened a gym offering your clients HIIT training and yoga classes. Then, you have to ensure that your gym has two separate spaces: one dedicated to heavy-muscle HIIT members and the other to cold-minded yoga clients. Moreover, you also have to ensure that other areas have the required equipment for your clients to work out with highly qualified trainers in their niche. Thus, it enables you to attract more clients and retain the existing ones. 

Hours of operation and location

Nowadays, clients are very busy and want to join a gym at a time that suits them. Moreover, gym location also plays an important role in answering the question of why members choose a specific area. A gym located in a location from where clients quickly get public transport gives them 24/7 gym access. People visit that gym and make it their first choice for working out. 

Similarly, if you open a gym in a remote location and have strict workout hours, it becomes difficult for your clients to reach that place within a limited time span. So, you have to make sure that your gym is located in a prime location and offers 24/7 gym access, which enables you to define the success of your gym. 

5 best gym amenities and features 

As a gym owner, you must understand that your gym’s clients are retained based on the environment. The environment you ensure in your gym allows clients to start their fitness journey in a way that is aligned with their goals. However, there are some other gym amenities and features that enable you to attract new members to your gym. Here are the 5 best gym features and amenities your gym should have. 

Personal trainers 

Personal trainers you employ in your gym to assist your clients are one of the key gym features that enables you to attract new clients while improving the retention rate of the existing ones. These trainers not only allow your clients to shape their bodies but also provide them with the necessary guidance on nutrition and workout plans. 

As a gym owner, you spend most of your time streamlining studio operations and class management. Thus, you are left with minimal time to spend with your clients to provide them with the necessary instructions. So, you need personal trainers for your gym who enable your clients to follow their fitness passion and provide them with the necessary instructions. 

If you want your gym to have the best fitness and personal trainers in town, you have to ensure that the trainers you are hiring have done PT training certifications. These certifications give your trainers the necessary knowledge and skills that enable your gym to provide remarkable fitness experiences to your clients. PT training certifications that your trainers might have include 

  • ACE-American Council of Exercise 
  • NASM-National Academy of Sports Medicine
  • ACSM-American College of Sports Medicine
  • USAW-USA Weightlifting 

So, for a good gym that provides fitness training to clients, you have to ensure that you have employed gentle personal trainers with PT training certifications to make your clients’ fitness journey remarkable. 

Variety of training 

Another best gym feature that allows you to improve your fitness studio sales and client retention rate is the variety of training you ensure in your studio. A variety of training allows you to attract different segments of clients seeking various fitness goals. For example, you run a gym in a remote location that only offers yoga classes. But in the town, clients also want you to provide them with High-intensity, strength, aerobic, and cardio training. However,  you only allow them to perform yoga classes in your gym. 

For this reason, your clients have to suffer a lot and go to the gym that offers a variety of training options, which reduces your fitness studio’s sales and client retention rates. So, to provide your clients with a remarkable fitness journey, you have to make sure that your gym offers them various training classes with the assistance of specialized coaches. Thus, your clients can start their fitness journey with different options under the supervision of trained coaches. 

Gym management software

If you want your gym to become successful while providing your clients with exceptional fitness experiences, another important feature that helps you out is the gym management software. The software allows you to manage your client’s accounts and gather all the necessary information into one centralized platform. It also enables you to schedule online bookings for your clients. So your clients can book their appointments from anywhere and as required. 

Moreover, the software also lets you schedule classes based on the availability of your clients and instructors. Your clients can easily pay their membership tiers by using the software. You can also use the loyalty program feature of the software to improve your client’s retention rate. With gym management software, you can not only streamline your studio operations but also provide your clients with remarkable fitness experiences. 

Yoga space 

However, if you want your gym to be successful, you have to introduce a yoga space as one of the gym amenities in your fitness center. Yoga has become increasingly popular among different people over the last few decades. Clients in different regions want to relax by performing yoga so their bodies synchronize with their minds. 

As per Statista’s research, the popularity of yoga grew to 63.8% between 2010 and 2021. So, to attract new clients and establish your gym brand in the nearby area, you have to offer yoga classes along with other fitness classes in your gym. Yoga space in your studio not only allows your clients to lower blood pressure and improve mind-body connection but also enables you to attract new clients and improve the retention rate of the existing ones. 

Group exercise 

Group exercise is another important gym amenity that enables you to provide your clients with a fitness experience.  Nowadays, clients go to the gym not only to perform workouts but also to socialize. This socialization helps them to motivate others to struggle against the challenges and reach their pilgrimage. Moreover, group classes also enable your clients to learn discipline and to be part of the crowd. 

Thus, if you want to give your clients the best possible fitness experience with maximum satisfaction, you have to offer them different sorts of group classes. Group classes include: 

  • Yoga
  • Zumba
  • Cycling
  • HIIT training  

Final takeaway

Your gym amenities and features set your fitness center apart from the competition. These features and amenities enable you to create an environment where your clients can enjoy their fitness journey and reach their pilgrimage. 

Moreover, these gym amenities and features also enable you to get a loyal client base. Thus, to make your gym successful, you must offer your clients the best features and amenities with personal trainers to get maximum results.