How to Leverage Your Fitness Center for Resident Retention
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
There are a number of reasons why an apartment fitness center is an amenity that appeals to so many residents. Busy residents may be able to more easily find time to work out if they don’t have to travel to a gym that’s out of their way. Residents can also save money on gym fees if they get access to a fitness center with their apartment.
If you play your cards right, your fitness center can help improve your resident retention numbers. Take a look at what you need to know to leverage your fitness center for resident retention.
Promote Group Training
Fitness isn’t just a personal goal. It’s also a way to make connections with others. Many people enjoy taking classes with others or participating in group fitness activities. People who don’t enjoy visiting the gym solo may avoid fitness centers where there’s no sense of community or group activities to join.
However, it’s not hard to encourage and promote group training. Providing equipment that can be used by groups for multi-person activities (even something as simple and low-cost as yoga mats) is one simple way to promote group training. You can also incorporate classes and events that not only give people a chance to connect in the gym but also foster a sense of community within the property.
Sponsor Contests
For people who are interested in health and fitness, a healthy sense of competition is often part of the package. Contests that interest and engage residents can help keep them coming back and keep them involved in the community.
Contests don’t have to be big to be engaging. Simple things like pull-up contests or races with small prizes can pique residents’ interest in the fitness center and give them an incentive to keep coming back. If you want to attract new tenants to the building, you may want to open up contests to the surrounding community. Charge small entry fees and donate the proceeds to a local charity to encourage participation and help your small residential community make connections with the wider neighborhood.
Leverage Technology
Fitness today is as much about community and connection as it is about losing inches or gaining muscle, and that means more than just in-person community. Networked fitness equipment allows users to share their progress with a much larger community for support, help with goal-setting, and celebration of achievements.
Furthermore, current fitness technology helps users better track and monitor their own progress. Choosing to update your current fitness equipment with trackers, networked technology, and smart technology can make your apartment fitness center more appealing and improve resident retention.