Transitioning your old paper gym exercise chart to your new gym exercise screens is a great way to build a content library. However, a simple “copy and paste” job won’t cut it. To do it effectively, you need to follow some basic digital display principles.
The DO’s:
- DO Deconstruct the Chart: Break the chart down into individual exercises. A digital display works best when it’s focused on one piece of information at a time. Feature one exercise per slide or screen.
- DO Use High-Resolution Assets: If you’re using images from the original chart, make sure they are scanned at a high resolution so they look crisp and professional on a large screen. Better yet, replace the static images with short, high-quality video clips of each movement.
- DO Keep Text Large and Legible: The text describing the exercise or listing reps and sets must be readable from across the room. Use a bold, sans-serif font and ensure high contrast between the text and the background.
- DO Create Simple Layouts: Don’t clutter the screen. A clean layout with the exercise name at the top, the video/image in the center, and key cues at the bottom is most effective.
The DON’Ts:
- DON’T Display the Entire Chart at Once: Never display the scanned image of the entire multi-exercise chart on one screen. The text and images will be too small to be useful and will look unprofessional.
- DON’T Forget About a Call to Action: Don’t just show the exercise. Tell the member what to do with it. Add text like “Try 3 sets of 10 reps” or include it as part of a full circuit on your workout display.
- DON’T Let it Get Stale: The beauty of a digital display is that it’s easy to update. Rotate which exercises you feature on a weekly basis to keep the content fresh and engaging.