There is no one-size-fits-all for fitness. It’s an axiom as true for individuals as it is for facilities. Onsite fitness facilities are—and absolutely should be—as varied as the companies who install them. Your space needs to be designed to meet the needs of your employees.

So what does that look like?

Fitness Population

First, consider your employee population. How active are they? Only 15% of the US population regularly goes to the gym, but as they say, ‘if you build it, they will come.’ Once you build an onsite fitness facility, how active do you expect your employees to become? That is, after all, the primary reason you’re building an onsite fitness facility. How much capacity you plan for above that 15% minimum depends on your internal marketing and incentives.

Fitness Space

Location, location, location. Onsite fitness should be accessible and inviting. Yet you need to consider the impact on neighboring spaces above, beside, and below it. A dropped barbell in the room above you is very disconcerting, and nobody wants throbbing exercise music next to the executive conference room. Yet at the same time, few employees will use a fitness facility buried in the sub-basement behind the furnace room. You’ll want an accessible fitness space where people can exercise freely without negatively impacting neighboring spaces. Consider sound proofing and absolutely use quality rubber floor mats to absorb the impact of dropped weights.

Plan enough space for group classes. Group classes are highly effective in creating cohesion, improving morale, and (of course) improving fitness. Throughout the space, ensure there’s enough room for exercisers to move. Don’t pack it so tightly that they’re bumping the treadmill with the barbell. Let it breathe.

Which is another consideration: airflow. There are few things that’ll turn people away from your new onsite fitness location faster than stagnant workout funk.

Fitness Equipment

When purchasing equipment, consider quality, diversity, and quantity.

Quality: High-end equipment brands such as Rogue, Concept2, or TRX may cost more initially, but the trade-off in durability and reliability is worth it. Also, high-end brands tend to have better warranty support when equipment does break (which, inevitably, something will).

Diversity: Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all for fitness. You’ll need a range of equipment (free weights, cardio machines, yoga mats, etc.) to support your diverse employee population wherever they are on their fitness journey.

Quantity: Ensure that you have sufficient equipment for simultaneous use. Especially for fitness classes, having only a single set of anything quickly becomes problematic when a facility is being used at capacity.

Fitness-adjacent Considerations

Safety should always be forefront in planning any fitness facility. Ensure that all equipment is installed professionally and meets the appropriate safety standards.

Prioritize hygiene and cleanliness. Provide sanitation supplies and encourage exercisers to wipe equipment down before and after use. Ensure that the facility and its equipment are regularly cleaned, inspected, and maintained. It should be as bright and welcoming after years of use as it was on the first day. This also helps prevent that stagnant work-out funk.

Finally, ensure that you have a feedback loop in place for employee feedback. Requests for improvement mean that they want to use your facility. Success! Adapting and implementing their solutions will only strengthen their desire to utilize the facility.

There is no one-size-fits-all for fitness facilities, but with proper planning you can design a space that’s a perfect fit for your organization.