Solutions / Commercial
Fitness studios
Instructors can be heard over the music without a painful room.
What usually goes wrong
- Music and instructor microphone fight each other.
- Weights and impact noise carry downstairs.
- Mirrors and hard floors reflect everything.
The main noise sources are loud music, the instructor and equipment. Sound bounces off hard walls, floors and ceilings, so it lingers and builds up. Absorbing panels soak up those reflections.
Where the panels go
- Baffles or clouds over the floor.
- The wall opposite the mirrors.
- Above the instructor zone.
Mistakes to avoid
- Expecting panels to stop weights being heard downstairs.
- Soft panels where equipment swings.
Fire rating and codes
Assembly occupancy; use durable or impact-resistant faces where equipment can hit them.
Blocking sound between rooms
Panels make a room sound better, but they don’t stop sound passing through a wall. For that you need a wall assembly rated around STC 55, next to offices or homes, along with an impact-isolating floor (IIC). Read about STC ratings and soundproofing.
Recommended
Panels that suit fitness studios
Learning center
14 guides for fitness studios
Acoustic panels for fitness studios: the complete guideWhat makes fitness studios noisy, which panels fix it, and how to plan treatment from start to finish.How many acoustic panels does a fitness studio need?A worked Sabine calculation for a typical fitness studio, with panel counts for small, typical and large rooms.Where to put acoustic panels in a fitness studioWhere panels do the most good in fitness studios, in priority order.Wall acoustics for fitness studiosHow walls behave acoustically in fitness studios and how to treat them with panels.Ceiling acoustics for fitness studiosClouds, baffles and ceiling tiles for fitness studios, and how much of the ceiling to cover.Choosing panel thickness for a fitness studio1, 2 or 4 inches: which thickness suits fitness studios and why.Reverberation time targets for fitness studiosThe reverberation time to aim for in fitness studios, and why it matters.What acoustic treatment costs for a fitness studioBudget estimates for treating a typical fitness studio, and where the money goes.Fabrics, colors and shapes for fitness studiosFabric types, colors and shapes that work in fitness studios.Fire ratings and code requirements for panels in fitness studiosFire ratings, occupancy rules and mounting requirements for panels in fitness studios.Installing acoustic panels in a fitness studioTools, hardware and step-by-step installation for panels in fitness studios.Common acoustic mistakes in fitness studiosThe errors we see most often in fitness studios, and how to avoid them.Soundproofing and STC ratings for fitness studiosWhen fitness studios need soundproofing, which STC rating to aim for, and how to get there.Fitness studio acoustics checklist and FAQA one-page checklist and answers to common questions about fitness studio acoustics.