Facilities Strategy & Finance Leadership

Introducing 28 Best Practices to Operate a Fitness Facility

Welcome to the Playbook for Best Practice Guidelines, an evolving product that will be the ultimate go-to resource for ensuring best practices in health and fitness club operations.

Sibec Americas 2024 Fuels Four Days of Deals
Sibec Americas 2024 was held at The Langham Huntington resort in Pasadena, California from May 19-22
- Equipment
- Facilities
Electricity at a Lower Cost With Even Less Headaches
David Energy is an REP currently licensed in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Texas that takes a holistic approach to reducing not only energy costs, but also the headaches that come with it.
Sibec: Operator-Supplier Events Purpose-Built for Business
For more than 25 years, Sibec has been hosting unique events designed to bring operators and suppliers together for bespoke, one-to-one meetings and networking opportunities in upscale, comfortable settings.

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Sibec: Operator-Supplier Events Purpose-Built for Business
For more than 25 years, Sibec has been hosting unique events designed to bring operators and suppliers together for bespoke, one-to-one meetings and networking opportunities in upscale, comfortable settings.
- Equipment
- Facilities
Air Circulation and the Keys to a Healthier Club
Controlling the indoor environment in your club offers a myriad of benefits for operators and members.
- Equipment
- Facilities
Air Circulation and the Keys to a Healthier Club
Controlling the indoor environment in your club offers a myriad of benefits for operators and members.
Supporting & Expanding Fitness Industry DEI
Diversity, equity, and inclusion is important for any industry. IHRSA members explain DEI initiatives that work for them and how other health clubs can build programs to serve underrepresented groups.
- Facilities
- IHRSA 2023
2023 Safety & Health Tips for Fitness Businesses
Safety and health violations aren’t worth the potential consequences. Keep your health and fitness facility safe by complying with OSHA regulations explained by IHRSA partner Grainger.
Strength Training Flexes its Muscle in Health Clubs in 2023
Health club and gym members are turning to what they’ve missed during the past few years: strength training and other exercises they simply can’t do at home.

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Lake Nona Performance Center has developed an extensive facility designed to offer wellness, fitness, and medical care to everyone who walks in the door.

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With energy prices increasing globally, it’s more important than ever to ensure your gym is operating efficiently and environmentally friendly.

Energy shortages are affecting the global fitness industry, with Europe being the hardest hit. Here’s how health club operators can reduce their energy consumption and costs.

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The success of your health and fitness facility depends, in part, on making the most of your available space. Read these best practices to ensure that you’re making the most of your facility layout.

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Make sure you follow these best practices for designing a new sauna or steam room or maintaining an existing one.

12 Best Practices for Medical Fitness Column Width Listing Image

Medical fitness programs can be a great way to help your community and bring in new members. Review these best practice guidelines to help ensure your programs are successful.

16 Best Practices for Food Beverage Column Width Listing Image

Food and beverage service can be an important profit center for your health club, gym, or studio as well as a way to extend the member experience at your facility. Be sure to follow these best practices!

16 Recruiting Best Practices for Hiring Leading Great Staff Column Width Listing Image

Your employees can mean the difference between a successful and a failing fitness business. Ensure you are following these best practices for hiring, training, and developing your staff.

10 Best Practices on Using Customer Reviews to Improve Your Club Column Width

Learning what your members think about your club or studio—and making positive changes based on their feedback—can help you improve the customer experience and increase satisfaction rates.

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The concept of “clean” has shifted dramatically.

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In the first of two articles related to implementing DEI strategy into fitness clubs, Michaela Brown encouraged readers to understand the language around DEI. In Part 2, these next steps are ways to take action once you’ve established your understanding and helped your staff to educate themselves.

Best Practices Guidelines for Customer Retention Listing Image

In a competitive market, being able to predict and maintain recurring revenue is critical. Retaining your members and clients may now form the lifeblood to your business’ bottom line.

Best Practice Guidelines for Aquatics Pools Hydrotherapy Column Width Listing Image

While aquatic facilities can be a huge asset and an important way to differentiate your business from competitors, it is important that all facilities be well-run, properly supervised, clean, and appropriately maintained.

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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion are driving factors for clubs across the globe and cover many facets of minority groups. Michaela Brown shares key steps she recommends in guiding your DEI strategy at your gym.

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As operators seek to refurbish and add pop to facilities, many are looking underfoot.

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The benefits of delivering a great customer experience include loyal, satisfied customers, better word-of-mouth marketing, positive reviews, and recommendations.

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Seeing a need for a more attractive, permanent solution, Jon Olsen developed the Vaask dispenser.

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Good marketing can be the deciding factor between a successful business and a failed business. Ensure that you are following these best practices.

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Crushing COVID-19 and other illnesses through a better “airenvironment.”

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Establishing an organized accounting process is not an easy task, but implementing these general best practice guidelines can help you make sure your operation’s ledger is accurate and up-to-date.

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Fitness facilities should be all about the member experience. Here’s some insight into user experience software and how to keep your members happy and coming back.

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We sat down with Chris Stevenson and Marisa Hoff for a quick Q&A where they give tips on how to create an excellent member experience and why a little effort goes a long way.

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The crux of successful program-driven design lies in the ethos of the facility and—most importantly—the end user’s experience.

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Developing a strong diversity and inclusion strategy for your health club can help boost team performance and innovation.

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Fitness centers in many areas are beginning to wonder when they can start to allow members to exercise without face coverings. Considerations vary depending on a number of factors, but a few key metrics can help inform the case for easing mask restrictions for gym members.

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A glimpse behind the curtain at ABC Solutions, BeaverFit, HydroMassage, Life Fitness, SportsArt, and Technogym, and how they get the job done servicing the global health club industry.

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Medical and health experts nationwide agree that health clubs and gyms are crucial to overall health and safe to visit amid a pandemic when proper safety guidelines are in place.

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As they reopen, fitness centers need to meet heightened member expectations for consistently sanitized environments.

An online app can help shed light on what you can do in your health club facility to decrease the risk of COVID-19 spread by taking into account ceiling height, MERV filters, human behavior, and other factors that affect indoor spaces.

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As “green” initiatives—and even mandates—are becoming increasingly common, clubs are making moves to improve their carbon footprints, save energy, and more.

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This month, three industry suppliers—Glory Star, Les Mills, and Precor—give insights into what they’re working on and highlight new innovations.

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There are several steps you can take to help optimize safety and reduce liability and risk.

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As some health authorities lift COVID-19 restrictions, these considerations can help you implement a phased, data-driven approach to rolling back COVID-19 protocols while prioritizing member safety.

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Open-air fitness areas are becoming increasingly popular. Here are some considerations to keep in mind when developing yours.

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One fitness club group with locations in Ohio and Michigan is taking a data driven approach to COVID-19 safety, conducting air quality assessments in their locations. So far, they have found no detectable SARS-CoV-2 in any facility.

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Single group X and training spaces have to be more flexible than ever. Here’s how to make the most of each one.

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More studies are revealing the effectiveness of wearing face coverings to stem the spread of COVID-19. Learn what researchers are discovering as you develop your health club's mask policy.

Good ventilation and air conditioning in sports, fitness, health clubs, and aquatics facilities can help reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread. Here's what you can do to make sure your members and staff are safe and comfortable.

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Many health clubs have pools, hot tubs, or saunas. Learn how to keep members as safe as possible while using those facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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We’ve provided a framework to help clubs around the world manage risks associated with COVID-19 in exercise facilities.

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In the current environment, laying out your gym’s equipment can be a challenge—but there are some best practices to keep in mind.

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With some localities mandating masks in public places, clubs need to consider the logistics, member management, and legal implications of mask and face covering requirements.

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The potential airborne transmission of a virus makes your health club's HVAC and filtration systems extremely important—especially as the seasons begin to change. Learn what you can do to mitigate aerosol spread by implementing new strategies at your facility.

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We’ve put together a list of key questions to consider as you begin to navigate your operational strategy when opening your business following COVID-19 closures.

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In rethinking club design in the current environment, a range of new demands has come into play. But managing these new challenges can create the opportunity to reinvent yourself.

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What does social distancing mean and how to implement it in your fitness facility as you consider reopening.

What to consider before reopening pools, spa pools, hydrotherapy pools, and other water-based recreational facilities in your health club.

Health clubs around the world are starting to think about when—and how—to safely reopen. Here are 18 safety considerations to incorporate into your planning.

Colin Grant, CEO of Pure International Group, shares his experience overseeing Pure’s 30+ locations across South Asia in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Fitness industry expert on standards, Paul Eigenmann, sat down with us to discuss how clubs can operate most effectively during and after a global outbreak.

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Your health club's HVAC system is an essential element to your COVID-19 safety strategy. We talked to experts about measures clubs can take to improve air quality and help prevent the virus from spreading.

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Governments around the globe are mandating the use of masks in public places, causing uncertainty for health clubs. Here's what we know about face covering requirements and the best path forward for your health club.

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One of the quickest ways to share new information about COVID-19 protocols is through an FAQ page. Here are some sample frequently asked questions you should consider answering for your members.

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Health clubs often rely on each other for guidance implementing new policies and programs, but what can we learn from other industries? We take a look at leading companies that are working to keep their businesses safe and thriving.

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It’s time to be a leader in creating the ideal setting for the current moment.

Health clubs are using video to show members how they are cleaning their facilities and to give them a glimpse of what it will be like when they return to the club.

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We have more answers to your cleaning & facilities, staffing, and membership questions.

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Suppliers are eager to help with sprays and wipes that provide protection from contagions and give your members peace of mind. We spoke to a few who specialize in sanitation and maintenance to learn more.

IHRSA health clubs are coming up with solutions to help enforce social distancing protocols, from equipment screens to custom signage.

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Arm yourself with the right vocabulary as you plan your health club's reopening and effectively communicate your cleaning efforts to members.

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To ensure the safety of members and employees during reopening, health clubs are implementing new procedures to monitor for illness, create space for social distancing, clean, and communicate with members.

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The world has been experiencing a coronavirus pandemic since late 2019. This article provides basic information about the outbreak and how your club can help keep members and staff safe and informed.

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Keep your staff and members safe by staying on top of your cleaning schedules and adding new preventative measures.

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The science of behavioral design is ideally suited for the fitness industry. Here’s how your club can take advantage.

The right flooring puts your health club on solid ground. Here’s why it’s critical for brand equity and customer experience.

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Expert Paul Eigenmann warns if the fitness industry doesn't lead the way for new standards, someone else will—and that could hurt a lot of health clubs.

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Today’s businesses need to utilize forward-thinking design concepts to maintain a competitive advantage. Here’s what that means for clubs.

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It’s becoming essential for health clubs to offer a functional training boutique experience.

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Volatile winter weather can cause your health club’s energy costs to skyrocket. But there are measures you can take to keep your costs down during cold weather months and all year long.

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Health clubs are finding themselves playing referee between the rights of their transgender members and the privacy rights of other members. What can they do, especially when the law isn't always clear?

Going green isn’t just good for the environment—it’s good for your bottom line. Here’s how you can save by choosing green products and services, from lighting to cleaning supplies.

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New digital tools are changing the look, feel, and cost of the usually more pragmatic club space.

Understanding the basics of capacity management—‘Value = Utility – Price’—can put your club ahead of the curb.

Two successful health club brands reveal how a practical makeover changed everything for their business.

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It’s important to understand your club’s rights and responsibilities when managing a situation involving a service animal.

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Chelsea Piers’ newest health club relies on Brooklyn’s vibrant history for a welcoming and unique look.

Beat the brick-and-mortar blues with a “dynamic moving space.”

Strategy And Finance Anytime Promo Column

The franchising sector is expected to maintain its 5.2% growth trajectory through 2023. Here’s what to consider before taking the plunge.

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Today, health club flooring meets aesthetic, performance, and protective demands.

With so many club members using a wide variety of equipment, injuries can happen at any time. Here are some tips to keep your members injury-free and minimize your liability risks.

Your gym’s soundtrack is more important than you think.

Member Exclusive

Seven health clubs fell victim to active shooter incidents in the last decade, so it’s important that club staff members are prepared

It is challenging to predict when an active shooter incident could occur, which is why it's best to plan ahead in case one were to happen at your club.

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Natural disasters like hurricanes, wild fires, and earthquakes can hit when you least expect them, so it’s important for clubs to create a preparation plan in case one strikes too close to home.

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If well-conceived, these spaces can enhance member satisfaction and clearly differentiate your brand. These gyms in Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Belgium are prime examples of that.

A kid-friendly environment can make your gym feel like family, while also providing a competitive advantage to your business.

If you haven’t thought about how you (and your HVAC system) will deal with summer heat waves, now is the time to start.

Your club’s maintenance crew may be doing more harm than good. Here’s why.

Excessive noise and vibration from today’s high-energy fitness trends can have a negative impact on your business. Here’s what to do.

The Green Microgym Je Crée Mon Energie 10 16 Cbi

Costs and logistics have held back some club owners from going green, but creating a sustainable-energy gym is quickly becoming a winning strategy—especially with younger consumers.

A well-designed locker room gives women a place to relax, reflect, and refresh in a post-workout oasis.

Learn how to provide a high-end locker room experience without breaking the bank.

Has your gym become a cluttered hot mess? Here's how to rethink your floor space and aesthetics to create a more pleasing environment for members.

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How a health club manages sound makes, or breaks, the member experience. We asked noise experts for their best solutions.

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Members rate facility hygiene as a high priority. Here are seven steps to make sure no detail is overlooked at your club.

Locker room theft is a real problem for health clubs, but there are some measures you can take to stay a step ahead of the bad guys.

Over the last few years, the United States has seen particularly volatile winters. Here are three steps you can take to make sure you're not caught off-guard this cold season.

Today, health clubs are demanding flooring with strong performance, functionality, aesthetics, and more.

A noisy gym can detract from the member experience and, ultimately, your business. Choosing the right type of flooring can help.

A clean and tidy gym has a direct impact on your profitability.

A growing number of millennials are choosing eco-friendly gyms over lower-priced options because they want to lower their CO2 footprint.

The European club chain's sleek facilities, designed by a team of architects, have attracted the likes of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

Thanks largely to millennials, Stone Creek Club's spa revenues have grown 12% annually for the past three years.

How large should your locker rooms be? How much should you budget for a remodel? Four design experts share their advice.

Thinking of adding a spa to your club? April Smith, spa manager at The Ocean Reef Club, lays out what you should consider before pulling the trigger.

Music is a driving force behind many great workouts, but licensing can be expensive. Luckily, for IHRSA members, Broadcast Music, Inc. can help.

The fitness flooring industry is thriving, creating products that feature increased shock absorption and sleeker looks.

It's impossible to know when a natural disaster will strike, but you can be prepared. We put together a list of resources to get you started.

More members are looking for environmental responsibility and sustainability in their gyms, but going green can be pricey.

Three health club design experts explain everything you need to consider when determining your gym's locker room size.