Future Trends in Gym and Fitness Club Design
As Seen in Club Insider Online Magazine
Key Points
Future fitness club and gym trends include smaller, boutique-style spaces that blend memberships, small-group training, and personal training, driven in part by rising construction costs and the need to prioritize design elements that impact sales and retention.
Design increasingly focuses on unisex locker/bathroom areas, clutter‑free group exercise rooms with dedicated storage, and expanded recovery zones offering spa‑like services to support both physical and mental health.
Younger members expect robust strength and functional training areas, while technology and dramatic lighting become core design features.
In planning any size new club or renovation, taking the time to contemplate what the future holds for club design is a valuable step.
Often, past trends can help to provide some insight into the future.
However, the club industry’s most recent past was totally dominated by COVID, causing clubs to close (25% of clubs closed permanently according to a recent IHRSA study), and then clubs were allowed to reopen with abnormal spacing requirements.
So, will COVID strongly impact the future of club design?
The primary answer is no, but the effect on the economy from COVID will continue to have an effect on club design now and in the future.
One might think that with the social distancing past experience, clubs of the future would be larger in size to account for more space and future possible viruses.
This seems not to be the case, as the variables affecting club design and size in the future will not be directly related to viruses.
However, it should also be noted that any new design should incorporate post-COVID ventilation-related strategies as part of any HVAC system.
clubs are getting smaller
- Boutique-style, studio-sized specialized fitness clubs in the 1,500 to 3,500 square-foot range have continued to grow whether part of major chains or individually created operations.
- Now, studios are starting to grow in size, referring more to themselves as “clubs” and more in the 3,500 to 8,000 square-foot range.
- These offer a combination of regular health club memberships, small group, and personal training.
rising construction costs are affecting club design (and size)
- Any size new club or renovation will cost a minimum of 20% more than it did two years ago. It takes a combined effort by owners, architects/designers, and contractors to get more for fewer dollars.
- Solutions include prioritizing what expenditures are more needed than others, especially those that will directly impact sales and retention.
More future clubs will offer unisex locker/bathroom areas
- This saves space and construction dollars, and if designed properly, can provide as much privacy as separate locker rooms.
- These areas are beautifully finished with private bathrooms, showers, changing rooms, and a common area locker section.
Clubs have always offered physical health, but the concept of mental health and relaxation is a hot topic
- Recovery offerings in spa-like environments such as HydroMassage, cold therapy (in the form of pools, chairs, or cryotherapy units), relaxation pods, red light therapy, IV therapy, compression sleeves, and even massage guns will increasingly find their way into clubs.
- Often, these are designed to produce more revenue and should be strongly considered.
A seemingly small but important future storage trend
- To incorporate large storage areas off to the side of any group exercise room.
- The days of filling the perimeter walls of a group exercise room with class training items should be totally avoided.
- All group exercise rooms should have these types of storage areas to allow for a beautiful “feng shui,” clutter-free space.
Younger members in the 18 - 40-year-old age group are increasingly looking for better strength training options
- Such as multipurpose power racks, platforms, multipurpose cable units and extensive storage racks for everything from kettlebells to mats and stability balls should be planned for.
- This may even reduce space for cardio and machines.
- Larger “open space” areas (such as turf areas) will become even more common.
Technology shall continue to play a stronger role in clubs
- Requiring well-planned spaces for monitors that show class schedules, health education, and other program offerings.
- Visible technology systems need to be an attractive design statement for clubs.
- Well-thought-out “selfie” walls and virtual fitness areas should be part of a club’s social media and marketing program.
One of the biggest gym design trends is dramatic lighting
- Lighting is the single biggest design change in club environments and can add drama, excitement, and even relaxation.
- Lighting options include cove, colored, theatrical, pendants, sconces, and LED strip lighting. More renovations will involve substantial lighting changes.
Larger size clubs will make a comeback, yet successfully planned smaller clubs will be part of the future of club design. In an ever-increasing way, the interior finishes of clubs will continue to evolve with more and more emphasis on quality interiors.
Clubs have always been about the workout. However, increasingly so in the future, clubs will be a sanctuary for social interaction, mental self-improvement, and even a place to work away from home.
Club design in the future will increasingly differentiate health clubs from any other spaces in the market. They will be a uniquely special place for people to improve their lives.
Click here to access the Club Insider issue where this article was featured.
Need A Design For a Fitness or Health Club?
Our design team has completed 1,000+ projects, from exercise facility design to gym renovation.
We’ve got the know-how necessary to ensure your design looks sharp and runs optimally for years to come.
Ready to future-proof your club? Click here to contact us.
Join the Journey!
