Access system for fitness businesses

Most fitness businesses, especially gyms, have automated access control. In fact, during the pandemic, this control became even more exhaustive as capacity was more limited than usual. 

However, access management is still a concern for some fitness businesses that have not yet implemented it or that use an access control system that is not integrated with their management software. In any case, it is important to have an up-to-date and secure access control system that prevents people who are not clients or have not paid their fees from accessing your fitness business. 

Let's take a closer look at the characteristics of a good access control and the advantages of having a reliable one in your fitness business. 

What is an access system for a fitness business?

Access systems can be defined as an electronic system that allows or restricts access to customers of a fitness business to the facilities or to a specific area. 

This system is connected to software that is equipped with the necessary information to open or deny access to the client, depending, normally, on whether they are up to date with their payments or if they are who they say they are. 

For the access control system to be effective and secure, it has to be connected to the fitness business's customer database, where their payment details are also kept up to date. In this way, no staff member has to keep an eye on the passage of customers as it is done automatically. 

On the other hand, access control makes it possible to know how many people are training in the fitness studio at any given time, how long each person is training and interesting statistical data can be obtained from this information. 

Advantages of having an access system in your fitness business

The advantages of having an access control system in fitness businesses are multiple: 

👍 It increases security in the facilities, since the only people who can enter are clients, previously registered. 
👍 It reduces the cost of reception staff, since there is no longer a person dedicated to "watch" who enters the center, as this task is automated. 
👍 It is possible to control the capacity and obtain reliable statistics on the use of the facilities, which time slots are most in demand, how much time clients spend training, etc. 
👍 It is easy for the customer who has not paid to be aware of this, as he/she will not be able to come to train as access is blocked. In this way, if a receipt has been returned, for example, it is easier for the customer in person to make the payment when they unsuccessfully attempt to access the facility. 

Without a doubt, the advantages are numerous and it is an investment with a great return.  

Is it possible to do without access systems in fitness businesses? 

Obviously, there are still businesses that do not use access systems. However, it is not advisable to disregard this systems, since there are many risks: 

👎 It is difficult to detect customers who have not paid, since it is not always the person in charge of keeping the invoices up to date who will be at the reception desk when that person goes to train. 
👎 It is not possible to comply with capacity regulations efficiently, since it is very difficult to calculate how many people are training in the center. 
👎 It is even more complicated to know which time slots are most crowded or how much time clients spend inside the fitness business. 
👎 People who are not clients of the fitness business can enter and, unless the person who is working at that moment knows all the clients personally, it will be difficult to detect it. 

In short, not having an access control system is an unnecessary risk nowadays. 

Access control systems for fitness businesses 

An access control system consists of two key elements 

• On the one hand, the hardware. In this case, it is best to have a turnstile that allows or disallows access to the fitness business. To validate access, customers can use wristbands, cards or key fobs. Another interesting option is to link the turnstile to the App of your fitness business. Nowadays all customers have a smartphone, so by accessing the App they can request their access QR, which is generated at that moment and has only one use. Thus, they will never forget "their wristband" and will be able to access without problems. 
• On the other hand, the software. Having your fitness business management software linked to the turnstile is the simplest option, as it is an all-in-one solution. In the case of Trainingym, the turnstile is connected to the management software to obtain the data of each client and allow or restrict their passage. 

In addition, you can choose to add access control to each of the areas of your fitness business to ensure that the people accessing the activities had previously booked them in the App. 

If you want more information about access control for fitness businesses, here you have everything you need. 

You can also ask for a demo so that we can inform you about the solution that best suits your fitness business.