Examining Exercise Equipment Usage In YMCA Facilities To Identify Unique Community Needs

INTRODUCTION: Fitness industry trends nationwide from 2010 through 2022 indicate a consistent reduction in exercise time spent using aerobic machines alongside an increase in time spent using resistance machines and free weights. Notably, this trend is most prominent in women. PURPOSE: To identify the usage of exercise equipment types to inform a YMCA fitness facility design that optimally meets population needs. METHODS: Over a 7-day period in May 2023, use of aerobic and resistance exercise equipment in individuals aged 11-years and older was monitored across three YMCA branches in the triangle area of North Carolina using TrackMyGym. Through detecting movement or weight adjustments, TrackMyGym sensors recorded over 6,500 hours of equipment use. During this time, 622 YMCA members (402 men and 220 women) completed surveys detailing equipment usage and customer satisfaction. Respondents answered the following three questions: Q1) What are the top three pieces of equipment you use? Q2) For each of these three pieces of equipment, rank the equipment as: the equipment I want to use is A) available and I’m happy; B) busy but it doesn’t bother me; or C) busy and it does bother me. Q3) How likely are you to recommend this gym to a friend or colleague on a scale of 1-10? For Q3, ratings between 1-6 were deemed detractors, 7-8 passive, and 9-10 promoters. Percent promoters (9-10) were subtracted from percent detractors (1-6) to create a net promoter score (NPS), a measure of customer satisfaction and loyalty. RESULTS: Of the top ranked pieces of equipment by all respondents, 87% were resistance-based. Regarding availability and satisfaction of the top ranked equipment, 43% answered A, 41% answered B, and 15% C. Of the equipment receiving C responses, 91% were resistance-based for men and 93% for women. Across the three locations, NPS ranged from 23-64 and peak usage time was between 5:00-7:00 PM. CONCLUSION: There was a high demand for resistance equipment among both men and women and lower relative demand for aerobic equipment, consistent with national trends over time. As resistance-based equipment was more frequently reported as “busy and it bothers me,” these results indicate the need for expanding resistance exercise areas in YMCA facilities to accommodate evolving population preferences in exercise modalities. 23CDA1051777