How to Start a Health and Fitness Club

Perhaps you love to visit health and fitness clubs in order to keep physically fit, and you wish to start your own in order to offer the same enjoyment to other people in your area.

You will find a good guide in starting a health and fitness club in this article.

There are a lot of advantages that one can enjoy from starting a health and fitness center as a business. This is because people frequent health and fitness clubs a lot, because many people are so health-conscious that they’d do anything just to lose weight. They’d pay money to use a club’s physical fitness equipment just as long as they see results.

Things That You’d Need to Start a Health and Fitness Club

Equipment and Products

The first order of importance that you would need to address in setting up a startup health and fitness club is to procure the equipment. This is central to the operation of a health and fitness club.

There are many kinds of health and fitness equipment. These include:

  • Bikes
    These are the bicycle-like equipment that fitness buffs use to warm up or build up their legs. They can also be used for people looking to burn calories in order to lose weight.
  • Treadmills
    These are used for those wishing to lose weight by running or walking, but does not have the time or does not want to be seen exercising in the outdoors.
  • Weights
    A health and fitness club is also used by those wishing to build up or tone their muscles in order to look good. This means that you should have a significant number of weights that your clients can use.

You need to also make sure that the supplier of your fitness and health equipment also offer free technical service and maintenance just in case the equipment goes out of order.

A health and fitness club’s offerings are not limited to providing equipment that can be used for exercise. It should also ideally sell health products like vitamins and food supplements, among others, that would complement your clients’ health and fitness routine.

Licenses and Registrations

A fitness and health club is required to acquire a license first before they go into operation. You would also need to register your business name with the appropriate government agency to make sure that your name does not conflict with any established health and fitness club in and outside your area.

Personnel

You would also need qualified personnel to help you run your business, like trainers and nutritionists. These people should be able to present the necessary credentials and certification, as well as the experience, before you hire them. You’d also need a good receptionist to talk to existing and potential clients when they enter your facilities.

Other Requirements

Other important start-up requirements would include a definite schedule of fees that you would be charging your clients, as well as a formidable advertising campaign.

69 Comments

  • Judith Johnson said on May 25, 2009
    i like this idea, i think it's awesome.
  • anne said on June 4, 2009
    sir, please can you give me a launch plan for starting up of a fitness centre. regards, anne
  • wilson karimi said on June 26, 2009
    thank you, can i get a comprehensive plan on how to start a fitness club.
  • Sondra said on August 6, 2009
    Does anyone have a sample business plan?
  • emma lwanga said on November 16, 2009
    i want to start a health and fitness club in kampala, buganda, Uganda. please help me...
  • emma lwanga said on November 16, 2009
    how much capital do i need to startup a club
  • Carlos Love said on November 20, 2009
    Great article! Any idea of how much out of pocket expense is required to start up a small club? How about a sample plan? THanks!
  • Deb Ovenden said on December 28, 2009
    I am interested to open a health and fitness club in Mt. Morris, IL USA
  • akhilesh said on January 4, 2010
    I want to start a commercial Health club which provides fitness and health to the other. Jabalpur. MP. India.
  • bernadine ray said on January 11, 2010
    how do i start a health and fitness club in chicago, il cook
  • kenneth said on January 18, 2010
    Good day, can you give me a basic computation on daily and monthly expenses, gross and net income?
  • Brinda said on February 26, 2010
    Tallahassee, Florida-32312. I am looking to start a health and fitness centre on Mehan rd, eastern part of city. How much will I need to start, monthly gross and net income. A more details on the procedure is appreciated. Thank you
  • Lydia said on March 1, 2010
    Thank you for your point. I would like to start a small fitness centre. Kenya, Nairobi..Location Mombasa Road/airport road
  • manny said on April 9, 2010
    I want start a health and fitness club in AHMEDABAD. gujart, india. please help me. THANKS.
  • jennifer said on April 15, 2010
    I would like to start an exclusive fitness center for women and girls with inclusion of pregnant women. Rwanda
  • Kannan said on April 20, 2010
    We would like to start fitness centre, pls help us by providing the details about getting license. how to get license/registration to start a gym In Chennai
  • Gijo Daniel said on April 22, 2010
    I wish to start a fitness centre in Cochin, Kerala, India. Please tell me what all resources I should have to start one. Thank you,
  • BEATRICE said on April 29, 2010
    I would like to start a health and fitness club in Toronto, ON, Canada
  • sameh awadalla said on May 3, 2010
    i want to start a health and fitness club business in Montreal, Quebec Canada
  • vikrant said on June 6, 2010
    i am from delhi india i would like to start the health club business in delhi what all equipments it needs & how much capital & minimum area for good gym.
  • nidhi neve said on June 8, 2010
    want to start fitness center to know estimate and space required and price list
  • stephanie lang said on July 17, 2010
    me and my husband are young parents who just moved to meadow lake sask canada and are interested in starting our own boxing and fitness club but wee lost and dont know where to start please if anyone could direct us in the right way it will be so appreciated!! if there anyone in the area who might be interested in joining our team to build a healthy and fit community please email us stephanie and darryl bjerkness
  • sally said on July 31, 2010
    i wish to start a regenerative health and nutrition center in Accra Ghana. Please help me
  • Richard said on August 5, 2010
    Adding to what's already mentioned in this informative write-up; other extremely important considerations while setting up a health club are proper planning, including space, ventilation, wiring and design. All these depend on the location and structure of the building and the specific needs of the target clientele. Fitness club solutions(www.afproducts.com) would typically vary for a corporate wellness center, a high school gym, a holiday resort, a home gym or a community fitness center. There are focused Fitness Management consultants in the market like Advantage Fitness Products, who specialize in designing, maintenance and setting up of fitness centers according to specific client requirements. It’s a good idea to consult such experts when starting on a new fitness venture.
  • voice mogale said on August 27, 2010
    I would like to start my own health and fitness club, can you help me please? Location:NORTH of PRETORIA IN HAMMANKRAAL
  • Lisa Pirman said on September 9, 2010
    I would like to start my own handicapped accessible health club/nutrition center in Northeast Illinois.
  • Charles Finch said on September 20, 2010
    Lansing, MI United States. I would like to start my own health and fitness center in which i would have both a gym and hold classes such as yoga, pure bar, spinning ect. Where do i start? How much money up front will i need?
  • Manoj said on October 19, 2010
    I belongs to Agartala, Tripura, India. I would like to start my own business related to fitness like Gym. What would be my minimum investment to start up the same as commercial with minimum equipments.Suggest me. Thanks, Manoj, 9862632890
  • Abhishek said on January 13, 2011
    Hi, Hi, I run a management consulting firm that advises fitness clubs (across India) in areas like marketing, operations, new business setup and more. Feel free to contact for further details. Thanks Abhishek P (Mumbai)
  • TSHEPISO said on May 6, 2011
    I'm a 24 year old entrepreneur whom have currently fell in love with owning a health club as i have realized the necessity of a health club in our community. Sebokeng, Vereeniging, South Africa.
  • Shehla said on June 12, 2011
    Hello, I am interested in starting a health and fitness club in Hyderabad and would like to know the requirements from the government for licensing, registration,etc. If you can list the steps required, it would be much appreciated. Thank you kindly.
  • Siraj said on June 24, 2011
    Hai, i am Siraj. I started fitness center in chennai. and i would like to know the requirements from the government licensing, registration and etc... If can list the steps required. Thank you, With regards, Siraj.
  • katlego said on July 6, 2011
    i would like to start a health and fitness center or gym for pregnant woman in Botswana. help with a business a plan
  • ASHISH LAHOTI said on October 10, 2011
    I WANT 2 START HEALTH CLUB AT SHEVGAON,ANAGAR. PL.HELP ME 2 START
  • Kim Hyun Jung said on December 7, 2011
    I am interested in starting a health and fitness club in Malaysia! Please share information on the requirements from the government for licensing, registration, and others whether it is easy to get or not. Thank you! Please help as soon as possible!
  • Mr. Charles Anang said on March 17, 2012
    Am really into the fitness industry: life fitness certify standard Netherlands work with the biggest fitness industry in Ghana for 5years. Am out now wanted to open my fitness industry mainly on fitness equipment technician and personal training service i really need a BUSINESS PLAN FOR THIS VENTURE.
  • malcolm Dumbuya said on March 26, 2012
    please help! i really want start my own commercial health club but dont know how to start and no idea about business plan.
  • You Can't Fix Stupid said on April 12, 2012
    Instead of trying to have someone else do all the work for you, why don't all of you do some research, or take some college courses on business management? Someone can not just write a business plan out of nothing, there is specific information needed. There is no generic business plan out there that people can use.
  • Pardip said on April 16, 2012
    I want to start health club at Hisar, Haryana. I have my own lower ground 2000 sq ft lower ground on main location of Hisar City. Pl suggest me the tips for starting the health/fitness club of well recognized fitness club franchise.
  • Anand beginner adviser said on May 29, 2012
    IF ANYBODY WANT TO START GYM IN SOUTH DELHI GK, KAILASH COLONY I CAN PROVIDE AROUND 286 MEMBERS FOR BASIC PLATFORM IN ADVANCE BOOKING CONTACT ME AT 8826438722 ANAND DUBEY

    dubey76_anand@yahoo.com || Gym Business Consultant

  • Rahul said on June 8, 2012
    Hi, I am looking for someone who can help me to set up a gym in India (any part)....I will be really grateful if someone contact me with proposal on my mail rahulchayal@yahoo.com
  • jessica said on August 23, 2012
    I have been training fitness for a couple of years, I have all the ideas, and the requirement to start up this particular business, but do not have a place. I would be grateful if you could kindly suggest a place where I can hire pace for a couple of hours in the morning and evening, THANK YOU
  • laxman said on August 24, 2012
    Hi.. good morning I am laxman here from karnataka, actually i am engineer by profession but my dream and goal is to open one of the good fitness clubs.. so kindly guide me.. i'm ready to invest anything for it..
  • mike said on September 19, 2012
    I have been thinking about this for a while. I am a 42 year old veteran with a disability rating of 20%, but my credit is not good. There are business loans out there for veterans like myself. I was just wondering if you knew anything that eliminates the out of pocket expense since I dont have it.
  • ajay jain said on September 24, 2012
    We are at mathura u.p. wanted to start a fitness cum wellness centre exclusively for ladies only. including a gym dietician jacuzzi steam bath and may be yoga classes. kindly advice. area we have is around 800 sq.ft. plus reception area around 100 sq.ft. how much minimum investment we had to do.
  • Rick said on October 6, 2012
    If you are interested in starting a new wellness studio business I can help you with the platform and possibilities of a franchise. Currently located in Florida and we are getting ready to franchise out with a new technology. Start-up is around $50,000 depending on geographical location and personal expenses. Email me at rsterl@rarempr.com.
  • BIKASH said on October 14, 2012
    hello there, Two of my colleagues and myself, we are planning to set up a fitness club in Aldershot, Hants, England. we all are fully trained and qualified fitness trainer but on the other hand, we have no idea how it works to run a fitness club. Could you please guide us and tell us the information on the requirements. i.e. licensing and registration. Thank you! Please help as soon as possible!
  • rpshah said on October 30, 2012
    Want to start GYM business with partnership.let us know what are the legal things needs to complete.
  • snehal nair said on November 2, 2012
    i am a national athlete wanna start a fitness and health club in gujarat, ahmedabad. How to apply for a loan? how to prepare a business plan?
  • malinda said on November 13, 2012
    want to start a dance gym club ,no equipments involved so how do I go about doing it. Please email me at gaarekwegofaone@yahoo.com
  • haron M said on March 18, 2013
    hello. i want to start a health and fitness centre. am located in kenya mombasa. was wondering if i could get any further assistance on how to go forward
  • rahul said on April 19, 2013
    Hi, I am running a hitech fitness studio at ashok nagar chennai and i would like to sell it, so please let me know if you are interested. Thanks, Rahul Ravichandran.
  • M.Aneesuddin said on July 19, 2013
    I am planning to establish a fitness center in Hyderabad India -Please provide me all related details though my email as early as possible.
  • Frank said on September 27, 2013
    I want to establish fitness studio in Ghana ,please I advice
  • Dayanand Sutar said on November 7, 2013
    Hi i am planning to start the fitness centre Please provide me all details as early as possible
  • Dorothy Okoh said on January 26, 2014
    Hello, I would like to start my own health and fitness club, can you help me please? Location:Nigeria
  • Bharath beginner adviser said on March 17, 2014
    We have a gymnasium for sale. s.bharath@gmail.com is my email

    s.bharath@gmail.com || Consultant

  • Bharath beginner adviser said on March 17, 2014

    @Dorothy Okoh, Please contact s.bharath@gmail.com

    s.bharath@gmail.com || Consultant

  • Diya said on March 25, 2014
    I want to know the legal requirements required for maintaining the gym. Under which Act in India do we find the code of conduct and the standards required to run a gym. i.e the mandatory requirements for trainers, the spa and steam requirements for female and male, how many trainers required for how many people etc. Thanks
  • Sebastian Thomas said on June 18, 2014
    Planning to start a fitness club on a partnership basis with a low budget. Please advise me about the procedure for license and what all are the things that I should take care of if I am planning to start it without much equipment. My partner is already owning a sports club and we would like to combine it with that. There is also a plan for us to separate it from the club in future.
  • anand shrivastava said on July 28, 2014
    i want to start health club cum sports club in datia m.p. pls help me and guide for this.
  • athira said on August 21, 2014
    I want to start a gym on partnership basis in kerala at lower cist. Please advise me of the procedures for starting a gym
  • sreejith said on October 2, 2014
    which govt agency provides license for starting a health club and fitness centre in kerala
  • Selvaraj said on December 28, 2014
    I want to start a Fitness Center in Chennai. What will be cost of the project preferably with Area required and list of equipments and other facilities.
  • S. Jose said on March 17, 2015
    I am interested in starting up a fitness club for ladies only; a humble start. What would be the basic requirements and the investment. Please advise.
  • vinay jadhav said on April 9, 2015
    Is it possible to start fitness club at primarily with investment of @20 lakhs? Legally how much min area required for gym in B grade, C grade cities.will u suggest some well-known suppliers/manufacturers of gym equipments in India. Pl reply asap. Regards, Vinay.
  • Thakur Piyush said on April 26, 2015
    I have a plan for fitness center. Need some financing if anyone interested please reply. Its from Nagpur Maharashtra India.
  • Ratheesh s said on July 13, 2015
    my self ratheesh from trivandrum/kerala . am working in pulsefitness franchise of Acme fitness. we are specialize in for setting fitness club , childrens park, play school items and courts in indoor and outdoor games we mainly supplied the items to Hotels ,Clubs,ladies club, collages ,play school , and Builders . we are supply this items all over kerala for any doubts and clarification pls call ratheesh 9496636986 or mail to ratheeshpulse@gmail.com
  • Dr.Harish beginner adviser said on November 2, 2016
    Hi Guys, For all sorts of professional consultation and know-how to set up a health club or fitness center or sports facility, kindly check out and consult www.fitnessearth.com.

    Health & Fitness Business Consultant

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