When the Covid pandemic hit, in 2020, rental and condo communities across the country had to slam the doors on their fitness centers. Now that things are opening up, we wanted to see what’s new in fitness centers since we last visited this topic (Fitness Centers Go for Wellness, Fall 2018).
Who better to bring us up to date than Karl Smith, DHEd, EIM, Fitwel Ambassador, Director of Resident Experience at multifamily developer/owner Cortland? Following are valuable tips from “Dr. Fitness,” as he is called.
1. The big buzz in fitness: “gamification.” Smith said Peloton, the home exercise equipment manufacturer, turned fitness into a game, especially for Gen Z and Millennial residents. “They’re into the gamification of fitness,” he said. “They want to have fun when they’re working out, and they want to talk to their friends about it.”
Just before the company went public, in September 2019, Peloton stopped supplying multifamily properties with new equipment. Its acquisition of Precor in April 2021 created a new division that supplies rental and condo communities with a commercial version of Peloton equipment. Competitors include Echelon (exercise bicycles) and Aviron (rowing machines), said Smith.
Cortland is also installing “mirror” equipment in its gyms. “There’s a screen where you see yourself working out,” said Smith. Popular brands: Mirror, Tempo Studio, and Tonal.
2. The best spot for your fitness center. “The number one best place is to be as close to the leasing office as possible,” said Smith. “The fitness center is a marketing tool. When you take prospects on a tour, you want all your high-end amenities—the gym, the fire pit, the pool—as close to the leasing office as possible so they can see everything in a short period of time and make that commitment to sign the lease.”
![7 tips for designing fitness studios in multifamily housing developments - fitness boxing](/sites/default/files/inline-images/7%20tips%20for%20designing%20fitness%20studios%20in%20multifamily%20housing%20developments%20-%20%20fitness%20boxing.jpg)
3. Safety first on equipment. Cortland uses “selectorized” fitness rigs—resistance machines that have limits on the amount of weight and range of motion the user can employ, so no spotter is needed. “That greatly reduces the odds of a resident getting injured from using our equipment,” said Smith. “Safety is built into everything we do in the gym.”
4. Dump the group classroom. “Chances are you’re going to have one class a day, so that’s 23 hours where it’s not occupied,” said Smith. “When we’re renovating a gym, the first thing we do is take that wall down and turf the floor.” That creates a more inviting space where tenants can work out on their own using accessories like medicine balls and dumbbells and fitness-on-demand programs like Wexer and Wellbeats.
5. Don’t try to meet everyone’s fitness needs. “We cater to a small percentage of our residents,” said Smith. “Seventy-five percent of our tenants say they want a fitness center, but only 10-25% will actually use it.” His research shows that one-fourth of Cortland tenants have a private gym membership; another quarter have no interest in fitness. “We market the service, but we do not expect everyone to use it,” said Smith.
6. Know your fitness target. “You have to identify who you’re building this fitness center for, and you have to have that person in mind every time you build one,” said Smith.
7. The sweet spot: novice exercisers. “They’re active, but they’re not going to be heavy lifters,” said Smith. “They’re going to ask questions about how to work out, which gives us an opportunity to teach about how to use the equipment properly.”
Smith said Cortland has at least one trained “wellness champion” staff member on site, as well as instructional signage showing how to use the equipment. Through a partnership with Valet Living, Cortland brings a trainer to the site two or three times a week for a couple of hours.
Dr. Fitness’s Magical Fitness Facility Space Allocation Formula
How big should your fitness center be? Smith has developed a reliable formula for determining minimum square footage for a typical Cortland rental project, based on the number of rental units:
Minimum square footage = # of units x 1.45 x 0.35 x 0.60 ÷ 5 x 50
For a 300-unit complex, that would be: 300 x 1.45 = 435 x 0.35 = 152.25 x 0.60 = 91.35 ÷ 5 = 18.27 x 50 = 913.5 s.f.
Try it against your own estimate or rule of thumb.
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | Jul 29, 2015
Jerusalem to get a high-rise pyramid by Daniel Libeskind
Are pyramids making a comeback? The city of Paris recently approved a triangle-shaped building that stirred controversy from residents. Now, the city of Jerusalem gave Libeskind's pyramid tower the go-ahead.
Contractors | Jul 29, 2015
Consensus Construction Forecast: Double-digit growth expected for commercial sector in 2015, 2016
Despite the adverse weather conditions that curtailed design and construction activity in the first quarter of the year, the overall construction market has performed extremely well to date, according to AIA's latest Consensus Construction Forecast.
High-rise Construction | Jul 28, 2015
Work begins on KPF's 'flared silhouette' tower in Manhattan
The 62-story, 157-unit luxury condo tower widens at the 40th floor, resulting in a gently flared silhouette, accented by a sculpted crown.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 27, 2015
Miami developers are designing luxury housing to cater to out-of-town buyers and renters
The Miami Herald reports on several new multifamily projects, including the Paramount Miami Worldcenter, whose homes include maid’s rooms, larger terraces, boutique-size closets, and guest suites.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 20, 2015
At an 18-year high, multifamily construction continues to drive housing sector
Predictions that multifamily housing construction would taper off in 2015 may have underestimated the ongoing demand for this kind of housing, the vast majority of which is being marketed as rentals.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 16, 2015
Minneapolis relaxes parking requirements on new multifamily buildings
The city cut the number of spots required for large developments by half. It also will accept plans with no parking spaces in certain cases.
Codes and Standards | Jul 16, 2015
Berkeley, Calif., adopts balcony inspection program following deadly collapse
Apartment building balconies will be subject to inspections every three years under new regulations adopted following a deadly collapse.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 9, 2015
Melbourne approves Beyoncé inspired skyscraper
The bootylicious tower is composed of 660 apartments and a 160-room hotel at the west end of Melbourne's business district.
Codes and Standards | Jul 8, 2015
California Supreme Court upholds affordable housing requirements
Court cites affordable housing crisis of ‘epic proportions.’
High-rise Construction | Jul 7, 2015
Bjarke Ingels designs Frankfurt skyscraper with a surprise in the middle
Several levels in the center of the 185-meter tower are shifted outward to allow for terraces with city views.