What Types And Quantities of Equipment Are Recommended for a New Health Club/Spa Concept for the 40+ Market?

Joan Carter, Steve Krum, Mark Stevens and Deborah A. Smith discuss the quantity of equipment recommended for a new health club/spa/medspa concept aimed at the 40-year-old plus market in this week's Ask an Industry Leader. 

Q: "What types and quantities of equipment do you recommend for a new health club/spa/medspa concept aimed at the 40+ demographic and an estimate of 3,500 members? (Heavier in the cardio area, lighter in free weights)"

A: Selection of equipment best suited for an older demographic is becoming more and more important because seniors are one of the fastest growing segments of Health Club members.  As a general matter, people interested in maintaining an active and healthy life style as they get older need to concentrate on strength development.  From age 30, we begin to lose strength, power and muscular endurance.  The only way to slow that down and prevent loss of functional performance is to incorporate strength training as a primary part of any exercise routine.  Not all people are starting from the same point.  Some 60 year olds are healthier, stronger and more fit than some 20 year olds.  Using free weight exercise in addition to other training tools may be very appropriate for exercisers who have a modest fitness level already.  People deciding to get back into a fit lifestyle after a long hiatus will likely need more stability in their workout and should begin with seated selectorized machines or something like the Cybex Bravo functional trainers with progressive stabilization. For both groups, however, steady state cardio exercise is not necessarily the best choice.  Interval training on cardio equipment and strength training have proven benefits in faster and longer lasting weight control as well as increases in cardiac health and lower risk of diabetes.  Of course, the most obvious benefit of keeping strength, power and muscular endurance levels high, particularly for seniors, is the ability to function better in daily life.   

Joan Carter
Vice Chairman
CYBEX International, Inc.

A: I am so glad you are asking questions about types and quantity of equipment based upon your market demographics, as these issues are critical and can be a ”game changer” in our business. The type, quantity, functionality and flow of the club's equipment is as important as color, and architectural design of the facility itself.  Simply asking this question shows that you understand the importance of doing thorough ”due diligence” up front and that you understand how demographics have a big effect on purchasing decisions.  Having said that, and to answer you properly, there is much more information required in terms of location, dimensions, floor plans, adjacent spaces, flooring, electrical, local competition, etc.  As club operators, we receive amazing support from equipment vendors who have done extensive research and development on not only manufacturing great equipment, but also in the fairly specific market inquires you have posed. Many of these vendors have departments dedicated to helping us with these equipment layouts, given a certain footprint. Developing a relationship with several of these vendors will not only allow for the needed help but also help in pricing, but please remember that sometimes ”less is more” in both cardio and free weight areas.

Steve Krum
General Manager
Spectrum Clubs

A: A good mixture of overall cardio and strength would be necessary and one that provides variety to cater to the individual member’s needs and expectations.  A starting suggestion would be in the ratio of 65% cardio to 35% weights.  Floor space, facility layout, ADA requirements and many other considerations also need to be reviewed before purchase.  Where will the equipment go in the facility; will it face outside windows, does it flow well to provide the most user friendly experience, does it allow for multiple users simultaneously, where are the electrical requirements for cardio going to come from, TV cables, etc.  You can always grow your equipment selections based off feedback you receive from members and even track the utilization of cardio pieces to best determine what the most popular are.  Most facilities would learn towards having a good assortment of treadmills, elliptical, bikes; both upright and recumbent and steppers.  Most facilities have gone to utilizing various equipment companies to provide variety and personal preference choices for members.  For weights, most facilities would suggest primarily cable pieces (Free Motion type), Smith machines, smaller number of plate loaded, some multi-purpose benches and dumbbells and perhaps a total body circuit of selectorized weight. 

Mark Stevens
Regional Director
The Houstonian Health Clubs and Spas

A: There is no quick answer unfortunately as to what types and quantities of spa-related equipment you should plan on purchasing.  It really depends on the type of spa service programming you intend to feature in your market-driven spa business concept, as well as a market analysis that makes a serious and credible attempt to gauge the volume of demand you can expect from your target audience(s).  In fact, the latter should drive the space planning program you provide your architectural design team.   

Incorporating a medspa element along with traditional spa services into your health club increases the profit potential of your business endeavor, but also adds a complicating factor.  Often the success of such a program (and legal licensing) depends on the inclusion of an well-known and respected medical practitioner.  Further, the type of medspa services you will want to offer may be an outgrowth of what their specialty is, competitive factors in the marketplace, and state licensing requirements and restrictions.  

In a nutshell, once your spa business concept is well-fleshed out and researched, the equipment requirements will follow quite easily.

Deborah A. Smith, CMC®
Principal Smith Club & Spa Specialists

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This post is a part of our weekly Ask an Industry Leader series. We post a new question and answer every Monday morning. If you have a question you'd like our Industry Leaders to answer, submit your question today.