Fitness and recreation centers provide a great place for people of all ages and abilities to be active, connect with other like-minded people, learn a new skill or destress. These types of facilities can provide a wide range of services (some open 24 hours a day) from small studio rooms for specified classes, multi-purpose community rooms, large gymnasiums or even swimming areas. In outfitting these facilities there can be a temptation to piecemeal audio visual components together, but in this article we will briefly cover 3 (plus 1 bonus) considerations in selecting the right solutions.    

 

 

  • Durability and versatility
    Hot yoga studios, humid swimming areas, wireless mics and speakers can create a unique environment for selecting safe and effective equipment. Not only can it be complex to find the right audio visual solutions to fit all of the facility, but many of these solutions needs to be very durable given the rigor that much of the equipment will endure. From large, boomy gymnasiums to open, outdoor conditions, there are many factors and approaches to making the best investment in your sound system. Varying environments require not only looking for what will sound good in that environment, but also what will hold-up well to the elements. The right professional audio visual team is going find speakers and mic systems that are weather resistant, weatherproof and waterproof to make the most of your budget and goals.
  • Ease of Use
    Gyms can use a variety of employees, volunteers and platforms (smart device, wireless mic, podium mic..etc) to lead workout classes or community events. Having equipment that is easy to operate means that no matter who is using the equipment at any given time is confident and competent to do so successfully. Equipment that allows a teacher, coach or instructor to “plug and play” with any device they might bring in means your facility’s sound and video equipment needs to both compatible to different devices and easy to operate to avoid downtime or delay. Ensuring little to no downtime could mean that you need to plan a certain amount of redundancy or backups in your audio visual plan.  
  • Make sure it’s heard (and seen)
    From large, open equipment rooms to aerobic and cycling rooms, music is a very large and important part to any workout facility. Music shouldn’t merely “be loud”, but rather needs to be heard well and clearly in order to help keep energy in the room. Too soft and you can lose the energy. Too loud and you can alienate the people working out. This means your fitness facility needs equipment that can run a variety of music formats while maintaining the ability to be tailored to the type of room it’s in. Take for example the way sound moves through a large, boomy multi-use gymnasium. It’s not the same way it’s going to move through a small dance studio, so getting a professional to help create a custom solution will optimize the sound quality in any workout space. Fitness centers aren’t just focused on what is heard, but also what is seen. In rec centers, people aren’t static so don’t give them signage that’s static. Investing in digital signage for facility information, motivational inspiration, or menu boards at the smoothie counter are a great way to keep patrons engaged. You can read more about digital signage here.
  • (Bonus) Consider a music service
    Creating an atmosphere with tailored music is another way gyms and studios help their clients from the moment they open the doors to the last thing they hear before they leave. Music services, like Mood music, allow targeted music to specific areas at specific times and custom music programs to your exact wants. Need calming music for those preparing for a yoga session? Need music at a specific BPM to keep energy levels motivated? Need a specific kind of music to set a tone as a client enters the building? Mood music service helps your facility join any client right where they are and motivate them to reach their goals.

 

Conclusion
Wellness centers serve a wide-range of needs in any community and need a range of audio and visual technology to do so properly. While there can be a temptation to patchwork these needs together as they spring up, a holistic approach with a professional audio visual design team can help hear your goals, show you what’s possible and help you achieve a great audio visual experience your fitness center.

Is your gym or recreation center in need of a professional audio visual design? Contact us today!