Do You Really Need Acoustic Wall Panels for Your Gym?

Why Acoustic Panels Matter for More Than Just Aesthetics

The look and feel of any gym space is critical to its success. But so is its atmosphere and acoustics. Whether you need to reduce sound/noise levels or not, choosing acoustic panels can also be about an aesthetic as well as having a key function in your gym design.

When planning your gym space (whether a home gym, boutique studio, or a full-scale commercial facility) most people focus on equipment, flooring, mirrors, and lighting. All of which are very important, but sound and noise vibration is often forgotten. This is where acoustic wall panels could save the day. Whether you choose the panels for visual appeal or as an essential part of an overall theme or aesthetic, the real value of a sound wall panel goes far beyond how they look. Why not contact us for advice?

In reality, the sound and reverberation of sound in your gym will directly affect the atmosphere and usability of the gym space. This in turn will affect performance, comfort and long-term usability of your gym. Ignoring acoustics can, and probably will, lead to issues with noise that then becomes difficult and far more expensive to fix retrospectively. You'll also probably have hacked off your neighbours by then as well. So check out the acoustic panels for walls in your gym as an inexpensive solution.

Consider Acoustics At The Start

Gyms are, by nature, pretty loud environments thanks to noise from dropping weights, music, group classes or just natural gym noise. Unfortunately, any hard and reflective surfaces, like walls, cabinets or ceilings, will all then contribute to creating additional noise by reflecting sound waves to create a "cacophony of sound".

Without any noise-cancelling solutions, this means you'll see increased :

• Echo and reverberation of sounds
• What's called 'noise pressure'
• Difficulty in communicating
• Listening fatigue and irritation

Sound control measures are best considered right at the beginning of the design process as they can be built in as you go far more cheaply. The beauty of using prepared acoustic wall panels is that they have been designed to help absorb the noise and prevent noise from continually 'bouncing' around your gym. There are of course a range of options available, at a range of prices. Wall panels come in varying lengths, thicknesses and wood types and they are relatively easy to add to your walls. Acoustic panels comes with the added benefit of being able to create a design feature, or as a talking point or defining a gym zone.

Thinking about acoustic panels early in the design stage allows you to control sound rather than react to problems after installation.

Does A Home Gym Need Them?

Reducing echo, reverb and/or flutter echo will enhance your gym space when it's being used. In fact, for a home gym the acoustics of the workout space will matter more than you think. From workout music to dropping weights or using machines, noise as well as sound vibration through walls or concrete floors can disturb family members and neighbours, while echo from hard surfaces can make your workout less appealing too. Excessive noise can always be reduced by wearing headphones or using rubber gym tiles on the floor to absorb sound, but an acoustic wall can also help.

Choose from a range of options including Oak or Walnut acoustic panels, coloured wood slats, even different backing felt colours that help to accentuate the wood chosen. Why not ask us for help?

From a design and aesthetic point of view, the vertical (or horizontal) wood panels create a stunning feature wall, whilst serving a real purpose. They are easy to hang either straight onto a wall, or via a batten system that allows you to run cables for lights, AV or power to your equipment. Choose from a wide range of different wood finishes, colours and sizes that allow to create the finish you want.

Adding acoustic wall panels on just one wall of your workout space can help :

• Reduce any echo from solid walls
• Create a calm workout space
• Limit the noise going to adjacent rooms
• Create a focus for the room design-wise

If you like your home gym to include loud music, HIIT training (high-impact interval training) or even online coaching, using acoustic panels can easily become a functional necessity and not just a design extra. For the relatively low cost on one wall, you can massively reduce overall noise within the gym area.

Acoustics in Commercial Gyms

Sound quality in a commercial gym will directly affect member experience. Fact. From thumping base music to group class noise, if any studios are involved (whether HIIT, Indoor Cycling or HYROX) the need to build in acoustics alongside the design and "build" for your space is crucial. The biggest issue is simply "reflection of sound" from hard surfaces like mirrors, walls and 'furniture'. The natural open-plan environments that so many gyms now look to achieve.  

Where you have the excessive noise in a fitness environment, this could negatively affect your member experience as well as impede their motivation, recovery and performance. By implementing the right acoustic solutions to reduce the reverberation and echo-ing of noise, this can provide physical and mental benefits.

The physical benefits will include a lowering of stress and therefore stress-related blood pressure, reducing hearing fatigue and helping with overall workout experience during training. The mental benefits will include an improvement in focus and concentration, the reduction in anxiety and overstimulation and again an environment that is more enjoyable for training in.

Using commercial acoustic panels helps :

• Adherence to local noise regulations
• Reduce complaints from neighbours/businesses
• Protect employees from long-term noise exposure
• Improve communication within the gym areas

How To Place Acoustic Wall Panels

In conjunction with professional installers, your panels should be placed where sound reflection is likely to be at it's highest, as well as where you want to see a noticeably muted/lower noise for your members. For example, key positions may include :

• Opposite a mirror wall in a studio/gym
• Along one wall of a corridor that connects workout areas
• Near cardio equipment like treadmills and bikes
• Along studio sidewalls
• Around loudspeaker systems
• Close to free-weight and impact zones

Wood slatted panels are delivered as flat panels with a width that's 600mm (60cm) but has varying lengths to suit your needs (from 120cm up to 360cm in length). The thick felt backing (which absorbs sound waves) is easy to attach either directly to walls, or to battens if you need a small cavity for running cables.

What Do Acoustic Panels Solve?

In terms of reducing sound, use wall panels to help reduce :

• Echo from sound reflecting off hard surfaces
• Flutter Echo which is the rapid reflection from parallel walls - very common in studios
• Reverberation which is sound that lingers in a space after the source has stopped
• Standing Waves - the low-frequency build-up from bass music and weight training impact noise

Place your panels strategically and you can will see a huge drop in both direct noise and ambient noise - making your workout space more pleasant to be  in. 

Do I need Ceiling Acoustic Panels?

Ok depending on what type of gym you have, the height of the ceiling and the type of materials you're working with, you may or may not need additional ceiling acoustic panels. Some examples of where you may need to consider :

• Any room with active sessions where the ceiling is less than 230cm
• Spinning studios that have good AV systems
• Commercial spaces with low ceilings
• Gym spaces that have multiple AV sources e.g. music, multiple TVs

The only reason to consider ceiling acoustics is if you feel the need to reduce reverberation and to create demarked zones that enable people to focus on their workouts. In all honesty, for most venues it would be about the aesthetic and the overall design.

Choosing Your Panels

Whilst there are both aesthetic and technical options for your panels, the look will no doubt be the first thing you consider given the expense and how your gym needs to come across to your customers. With quite a few things to consider, it's simply about working your way through a short list and identifying which options you wish to choose.

Start with the aesthetics and practical things :

• Which wood finish for your studio/gym (light wood, dark wood or even coloured)?
• What finish would you like (untreated, polished or oiled)?
• What felt backing colour would you like (grey, white or black)?
• For hygiene, would you like easy-to-clean panels?
• Need to consider moisture and sweat resistance for commercial?

Then technical considerations :

• Need a fire-rating for your commercial gym?
• Looking for a high Noise Reduction Coefficient
• What about durability and impact resistance
• Want optional branding and design finishes

So, Are Acoustic Panels Worth It?

In summary, whichever angle you approach wall panels, the balance will come down to design, noise reduction and budget. If you need to create an ambience then wall panels are great. If you need to reduce noise within your gym, then wall panels will be great. If you have the budget, then it's all about choosing the right solution from the myriad of choices.

Whether for a home gym, fitness studio or commercial facility, you could view acoustic panels as a good investment based on the fact they can perform more than just one function and can solve problems at the same time. In addition, factoring in the use of wall panels early in your build can help to prevent any long-term issues with noise and vibration for you and your neighbours.

What Next?

If you're designing a new gym or just upgrading an existing space, now is the right time to assess acoustic needs either with or without an acoustic report. Get ahead of the game and ensure that the brand new gym doesn't;t become a nightmare in terms of noise pollution and internal "chaos".

Ask our advice about the right wood acoustic panels as well as layout guidance, panel specification and key recommendations as part of an overall gym project.