Running a successful commercial gym requires a significant investment in high-quality gym equipment. After all, your equipment selection influences your customers’ workout experiences and fitness journey. Guaranteeing a long-term investment in your equipment and maximizing its quality and functionality relies on how well you care for them.
Equipment care comes in many forms and takes into consideration many different moving parts. Explore top tips for caring for your commercial gym equipment and get the most out of your investments.
Clean Regularly
Regular cleaning is the first step in maintaining your gym equipment. Dirt, sweat, and dust can accumulate and cause your machines to wear out prematurely. For example, large debris can also damage and clog machine parts, causing your equipment to break down. Ellipticals offer an array of movement and stepping motion options. However, pebbles and large, dried mud clumps between the machine’s mechanics can hinder the elliptical’s performance, affecting the motion range. Thankfully, Octane’s standing ellipticals are protected from debris with a hood that covers the machine’s vital mechanical features.
How To Enhance Gym Cleanliness
Use Equipment Mats
Investing in gym equipment mats can prevent damage to your machines and flooring. These mats absorb the impact and reduce the amount of dust that can enter the machine. Additionally, they can reduce noise levels in your gym.
Indoor Shoe Policies
Implementing an indoor shoe policy is another effective strategy for maintaining gym cleanliness and protecting equipment. This policy ensures that members wear shoes they have not worn outside, reducing the amount of dust, dirt, and external elements they can track into the gym and onto the machines. Shoes can pick up any residue and tiny debris they come into contact with. Sharp stones or twigs stuck on the soles of someone’s sneaker can damage and dirty gym equipment.
Indoor shoe policies keep the equipment clean and prolong the machine’s lifespan, reducing wear and tear. Implementing this policy also creates a more hygienic environment, contributing to the overall gym experience for your members.
Sanitation Stations
Sanitation stations play a vital role in maintaining a healthy and clean environment in a commercial gym. By providing an easily accessible area equipped with disinfectant sprays or wipes, hand sanitizers, and paper towels, gyms encourage members to clean equipment before and after use. This prevents the spread of bacteria and viruses on the equipment and minimizes sweat and dirt buildup.
Conduct Routine Inspections and Maintenance
Equipment inspections and maintenance identify and solve structural, mechanical, and functional concerns. While looking over your machines’ nuts, bolts, and pulleys, make sure that each component is in good working order. Any malfunctions and damages left unnoticed can escalate quickly into costly repairs and even irreversible damage.
Like many of Octane’s machinery designs, our Surge bikes use high-quality, advanced materials and structural designs, such as a magnetic aluminum flywheel that enhances the machine’s integrity. However, despite having a maintenance-free magnetic resistance system and durable components, conducting regular inspections on the bike never hurts. Conducting equipment inspections is like wearing sunscreen—it’s a precautious safety measure.
Hire a certified professional to inspect and service your equipment annually. These experts have the skill and knowledge to conduct thorough checks, replace broken parts, and ensure your gym equipment is safe.
Enforce Storage and Closing Routines
Proper storage and a consistent closing routine are crucial when caring for commercial gym equipment. Correctly storing items like barbells, mats, and smaller equipment keeps the gym organized and reduces the risk of damage to the equipment. Each piece of equipment should have a specific place where you can store it when no one’s using it. For long-term storage, wrapping and covering equipment prevents dust buildup and exposure to water, heat, or physical damage.
Along with storing equipment in a safe space, a well-executed closing routine also includes wiping down machines and checking equipment for damage and wear. This routine guarantees that the gym is in optimal condition each day for your customers and that your equipment remains in top condition.
Train Staff and Supervise Members
Improper use of equipment can inflict a lot of damage and wear on the machines. Jerking a rowing machine’s handle with too much force can cause the cable to become over-stressed and prematurely worn. Over time, this may eventually lead to the cable snapping, rendering the machine useless.
Similarly, slamming or dropping the handle after a workout can harm the machine. This harsh treatment can damage the internal resistance mechanism or cause the flywheel to come off balance. A heavy-duty commercial rowing machine, like the Octane Rō, features durable material structures that can withstand rigorous use, making them more long-lasting than other workout machines. However, supervision and proper use can significantly extend the machine’s longevity.
Training staff and having them supervise equipment use ensures that members handle your gym equipment with care. Trained staff can also correct improper techniques, reducing the risk of equipment damage or injury to the gym member.
Vigilant staff members can also identify potential maintenance issues during routine supervision, enabling early detection and repair of wear and tear. This proactive approach allows you to maintain the equipment’s optimal functionality while prolonging its life.
Replacements and Upgrades
Caring for commercial gym equipment isn’t just about maintaining what you already have—it also involves making strategic decisions about replacements and upgrades. Over time, even well-maintained equipment will experience natural wear and tear that impacts its performance and safety and the satisfaction of your gym members.
Regularly evaluating your equipment for possible replacements or upgrades is key. Replacing worn-out equipment or upgrading to newer models can increase efficiency, increase user satisfaction, and reduce long-term maintenance costs. Keeping your equipment up-to-date can also give your gym a competitive edge, showing potential and current members that you’re committed to providing the best possible fitness experience. The cycle of replacements and upgrades should be integral to caring for your commercial gym equipment.
Knowing how to care for your commercial gym equipment properly is crucial for preserving your equipment’s longevity and quality. This, in turn, enhances your customers’ experiences. These top tips and routines can extend your equipment’s life.
Octane provides innovative, experience-transforming, and quality commercial gym equipment. With the proper care, you can enjoy the many benefits of our equipment and continue providing your customers with quality experiences and workouts.
