Gym Owners: How to Start and Maintain Fitness Classes

1. Consider What You Have

Start by taking stock of your current gym situation. Your fitness classes may be limited by certain factors or be wide open to possibilities. Ask yourself questions like: 

• Which spaces can hold fitness classes, and what is the capacity? Consider that people can mostly stay in place for some types of exercise, such as yoga or cycling, while they’ll need room to move about for other types, such as dance. 
• What equipment do you have? You may want to base some classes around equipment your gym already has, such as stationary bikes, step platforms or resistance bands. You may be able to ask people to bring their own equipment if it’s something simple like a yoga mat, with the option of bringing a towel or having a few mats on hand for those who need them. If you need to purchase equipment, consider how the budget impacts different types of classes. 
• What are your staff’s qualifications? Perhaps you already have staff members who are trained and certified to teach certain types of classes. This may be a good place to start. 
• What is this gym’s focus? Your gym may want to offer a variety of classes, or you may prefer to stick to a certain niche. It all depends on the type of gym you want to have. 

2. Find Ways to Grow

Once you’ve started some fitness classes, look for ways to grow and expand your offerings. Here are some thoughts to guide you: 

• What are the costs? Consider your budget for the number of instructors your gym can include for each pay period, as well as other expenses associated with each class. Weigh whether costs may help attract and maintain members, which could ultimately increase revenue. 
• Where are the gaps? To grow your fitness classes, take a look at different types of gaps your gym currently has. Which times slots are not filled? Are there types of fitness or fitness levels you’re skipping? Are your offerings inclusive for all members? Use your answers to these questions, and consider asking members for feedback, to see where to go from here. Also, class scheduling software can help. 
• What are others doing? Look for inspiration by checking the fitness offerings of other gyms and digital fitness programs. You can often find fitness class schedules on gym websites. See which types of classes might work for your gym. Take this as inspiration for you or your staff to design your own gym programming.