Lighting the Path to Wellness: How Studio Ambiance Enhances Your Pilates Practice
When a new person enrolls in your fitness class, you want to make sure that they have the best possible experience in your studio. Ultimately, you want your clients to feel that their membership provided them with the best results possible. This begs the question; how does one ensure that their Pilates or aerobics class is ticking all the boxes of their client’s expectations?
When you think about it, your studio’s environment and the atmosphere it evokes plays a large role in how much someone ends up enjoying your overall fitness journey.
In this article, we look at one of the contributors to achieving this atmosphere: the studio’s lighting.
Why your lighting is important?
The way the studio looks and feels to one of your members can greatly influence their interest in the session as well as their productivity levels during the class.
Aesthetic appeal
On an aesthetic level, lighting can help regulate your class’s moods to adhere to different activities they take part in and make the tasks seem more inviting. This aesthetic appeal can also tie into your brand’s image as one that is inviting and attractive to potential members.
Functional uses of lighting
Aspects like decor and the studio’s sound system can also make an impact on how the participants perceive the class. Like sound, it can improve the mood of the class, and you will note that your students will perform much better as they will be able to focus more on their routines and be engaged. This is because when lighting is bright and dynamic, it can improve energy levels.
Safety concerns
Good lighting also boasts safety benefits. This is because, with proper lighting, you can prevent accidents from happening, especially if your studio has heavy equipment or free weights for other classes. They will be able to steer clear of any hazards that can hurt them appropriately.
Good lighting also helps participants view their form when working out, which can reduce the risk of injury based on incorrect workout posture.
On a side note, how you place the lighting throughout your studio is also important, as glare and reflections from the mirror can affect comfort levels. Using angled fixtures and indirect lighting in your studio can improve the comfort levels of your class.
Choosing the right light for your studio
As mentioned earlier, the type of lighting you use can bring about different energy and moods for the participants of your class. Here are some mood-inducing options that you can consider:
• Ambient lighting: A comfortable level of brightness that doesn’t have harsh shadows. It can provide both safety and visibility for your class.
• Task lighting: This is more focused lighting, which can illuminate certain areas of the studio. It is especially useful for using any workout equipment.
• Accenting lighting: This is more decorative, and opting for accent lighting can improve the aesthetics of the studio, as opposed to being functional. It makes the studio, and by extension, the class, more inviting to participate in.
• Natural lighting: This makes use of natural sources of daylight by having strategic window placements and skylights to bring in a primary source of light. This also creates a more spacious atmosphere that can positively impact the moods of participants.
Lighting solutions to consider
When it is time to pick out fixtures for your studio, energy-efficient lighting is the most suitable option. You can use LED lighting, as it reduces energy consumption for your studio, while also providing bright lighting that can enhance the workout.
Options to try in your studio:
• Using color-changing LED lights can help you adjust the energy flow of the class. Cooler temperature tones are great for alertness, while using warmer tones creates a more relaxed atmosphere.
• Having light fixtures that can dim at will allows you to control the brightness of the room. This flexibility is useful for sessions where varying intensity of working out may be required.
• Layering the lighting can make controlling the atmosphere easier, as it has all the required lighting options installed already.
• Ensure that your smart lighting system is easy to use. Hook your controls up to more portable devices, like your phone or tablet. It can make it easier for instructors to adjust the lighting according to the needs of the class.
• Investing in tailored lumens and color temperatures can help with your specific setup. In terms of lumens, your lighting should have between 150-300 for your pilates studio, while more intense classes like dance or aerobics should have 300 to 500 lumens.
• To create an immersive experience, you may want to implement lighting that has moving elements and color waves that work in tandem with the beat of the music you use. Thus making the class more inviting.
Installation guide:
When you decide on the lighting you want to install, you need to plan out the entire procedure, from choosing an electrician, obtaining all the equipment, shutting down the studio for the installation, and other minor details that come along with installation.
Installation and Compliance
To make your vision come to life, you can work with an electrician or an interior designer. But to fully help you grasp the aesthetic you want to achieve, you are better off choosing a reputable lighting installation service based in the area of your studio, that has experience with home automation lighting.
Apart from the actual equipment needed for the installation, there are also extensive labor costs attached to professional installers.
Ensure that you seek out professionals, as they will be able to comply with local electrical policies in your area, as licensing requirements differ per state.
After installation
To ensure the longevity of your lighting system, you need to conduct regular maintenance on the fixtures and wiring. Also, functional upgrades should be considered in the future, as well as the consistent use of LED lighting for sustainability reasons.
Conclusion
The atmosphere and environment of a studio can play a large role in maximizing the efforts of a person’s fitness routine. To improve your workout efforts, you need to also make improvements to the space you are working out in. For studio owners, it would be best to consider how aspects like lighting, space, and sound can enhance your workout space and provide an overall better experience for your clients.