Life Fitness Dares Facilities to Think Beyond Equipment at IHRSA 2015
Posted: March 12, 2015 in Suppliers
Life Fitness: What We Live For
LOS ANGELES, CA – Successful facilities know that it takes more than equipment to keep its members happy, engaged and returning workout after workout, which is why Life Fitness, the global leader in commercial fitness equipment manufacturing, will highlight the Life Fitness ‘Journey’ at IHRSA 2015, March 11-14. The Journey concept focuses on customized floor plans and design solutions to help facilities differentiate their spaces through boosting client satisfaction, improving retention and achieving their maximum potential, and is integrated throughout all areas of the Life Fitness IHRSA booth, themed “Experiences that Inspire” (#1444).
“From boutique studios to large fitness clubs, today’s exercisers have more options than ever when it comes to their workouts, putting pressure on facility managers to create an environment that keeps members happy and successful,” said Chris Clawson, president of Life Fitness. “The Life Fitness Journey philosophy reaches beyond our large portfolio of equipment to help facilities maximize the effectiveness of their equipment purchases and better leverage spaces to delight members so they keep coming back.”
There are four key factors of the Journey philosophy: social interaction, environment, variety, and progression, and all of them play a critical role in an exerciser’s experience. According to Katy Nowak, Life Fitness facility layout and Journey manager, exercisers need spaces that provide ample opportunity for social interaction and encouragement – as well as more private spaces for focused work. The environment aspect of Journey involves everything from flooring to color scheme, as well as how equipment is arranged – critical spatial aspects that can determine if an exercise experience will be inviting or harrowing.
“Often, a facility excels in one aspect – for instance, a club may be great at offering the right equipment its members want, but is held back by a deficiency in another aspect, such as poor layout,” said Nowak. “Life Fitness Journey helps bring the big picture into focus so that a facility can achieve its maximum potential and differentiate itself from competition.”
With variety and progression, the right equipment in the right place is key. Variety, which can be achieved via diverse and multi-purpose equipment offerings, is critical for fending off client boredom, while having the latest equipment provides the precise data exercisers crave to track their success and progression.
The idea behind Life Fitness Journey and its offerings is to bring the four pillars of social interaction, environment, variety and progression in sync with one another to improve facility performance and enhance retention.
“Life Fitness has been a trusted leader in fitness for more than 45 years, and during this time we’ve worked hand-in-hand with facilities to develop the perfect equation for balancing equipment, fitness trends, retention tactics and layout effectiveness,” Clawson said. “Journey takes a user-centric approach to design and layout, utilizing our most valuable assets – our experience and sizable portfolio – to help Life Fitness customers become uniquely successful.”
Each area of the Life Fitness booth at IHRSA is a prime example of how the four Journey pillars work together. For example, within the Small Group Training space, equipment is arranged in distinct groupings that maximize social interaction and provide the ideal layout and environment for a small group training class. The equipment here, including the new Life Fitness Row GX, also offers variety for the exerciser. The Hammer Strength zone, the Blue Sky performance area and Technology & Customization space are also meant to inspire attendees to rethink their own facilities. Each offers innovative layouts with multi-purpose equipment to build fun, supportive and progressive workout environments for exercisers of all abilities.
