The décor of gyms tells the brand story, and much of it is done with prints. Some prints in the larger gyms are entire wall murals, whereas smaller gyms with a more communal space have the advantage of keeping the tones neutral and then working some magic with the displays to strategically display prints and typography art that help their customers get and stay motivated and strengthen their brand identity.
In local communal gyms, most will have specific demographics. You could have one that’s devoted to being the masculine gym focusing entirely on cast iron weights and kettlebells for sheer strength training, then another could be for yoga, Pilates and Qigong classes taking a more toned-down approach to their décor using soft colour palettes and perhaps framing some yoga pose prints throughout the studio.
The wall space is where small gyms can strengthen their brand, display art, photography, and typography prints, to communicate the brand story to their members and motivate them to push their fitness too.
As examples, printed posters of marathon winners could be displayed near the treadmill areas, champion cyclists at the exercise bike stations. It is also possible to have your wall displays dedicated to a sport your gym is best known for. As an example, if a gym was founded by someone who trained under a famous boxer, that could be the brand story to dominate your walls, in which case there could be posters of boxers, some of the awards they have won, the types of training they did etc.
3 Areas in Gyms to Display Prints
- Chillout Areas
Not every gym has the space for a rest area kitted out with tables, chairs, and perhaps some comfy sofas. Some may only have space for some chairs and a couple of vending machines for protein bars and energy drinks. Those are where there is more opportunity to motivate people with the décor on display. Have some typography there for those who are refreshing; perhaps they are about to quit before they planned to.
A few words could be all it takes to get someone about to quit their workout early back onto the gym floor and pushing through another ten minutes or one last circuit.
Those few words in bold typography displayed in a frame near the water cooler could be as simple as “Momentum Builds Motivation”, which is the same principle as the Nike slogan “Just Do It”, because when you start something, whether motivated or not, the momentum is enough to get going, and often keep going. Frame a message your customers may need to hear and display it where they are most likely to see it, right at the time when they need it.
- The Reception
The reception is the first-impression zone for new members, and the wall displays will have an impact on the first impressions they perceive of the gym. Is it a guy’s gym, a women’s fitness centre, what type of people work out here?
The wall display at a reception area can have a massive impact. Put your best foot forward with framed photos of your personal trainers, any certificates they have, any nutritionist or dietician certifications that may be applicable as new members may want fitness and diet advice. Put the certifications on display to show your gym caters to both.
- An Information Display Space Near the Changing Rooms
Gym members need to know when classes are being run, times to be there, and how to register for upcoming events, whether it is the centre or a local event such as a community run. Rather than using a chipboard notice board that ruins the aesthetics of your gym, a gallery wall could be used to have a few event posters showing which classes are run weekly, some diagram posters for using the equipment safely in the gym, and a framed print of the gym rules reminding members of what the etiquette, such as wiping down equipment, using earphones if they use their devices for music, wearing appropriate clothing, and respecting others etc.