The Mental Empowerment office Gym with Katharina naumann

In episode 57 of the Green & Healthy Places podcast in which we discuss the themes of wellbeing and sustainability in real estate and hospitality today, I’m in Germany talking to ex-sprinter Katharina Naumann who is behind a new office gym concept focused on mental empowerment.

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if you are interested in the wider subject of healthy co-work offices in general see our article here and for our thoughts on ergonomic furniture in a healthy office see here

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Transcript courtesy of Otter.AI (excuse any typo errors!)

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Talking mental fitness at work

Matt Morley

Welcome to the show. I'd love to start with a little background on how you made the transition from an Olympic athlete, from elite level sports, to the world of business coaching and mental fitness.

Katharina Naumann

Yeah, thank you for the invitation!

There were two reasons for me. So first of all, I had a very negative experience in my first job after my studies. At that point, I just had finished my career as an athlete and suddenly, I found myself sitting full time behind a laptop, which sounds for many people very normal but it was quite a shock for my body.

Imagine that I was used to training about 10 times per week before that, and now I was sitting eight hours a day, just not moving anywhere. So of course, this caused some physical and also mental stress for me.

I had a very well trained body but I will never forget what it felt like to lose all my muscle tone. It really didn't feel right or healthy at all.

So after six months, I found myself in a very bad condition, especially mentally. I decided to quit, and to look for a job which not does take place in front of the screen all the time. Eventually I decided to start a training program to become a personal and business coach.

I now combined fitness training with life coaching, to help people become mentally and physically healthy and hopefully happy!

Finally, I knew from my athletics races that mental empowerment is so very important to reach goals. There are a lot of mental techniques that I want to carry further into society, I think mental empowerment should actually be a subject taught at school! I know my kids would love that.

At an emotional level there is no difference between the nervousness or stress we feel doing sports to the nervousness or stress we may experience at work. But while the athlete will relieve that stress while moving, the employee remains seated and has no way out.

Matt Morley

Yeah, that's really interesting. Okay, so you were training 10 times per week, in terms of hours, just to give us an understanding of how that dominated your life, what did that equate to?

Katharina Naumann

Yes, I trained like 10 times a week as an athlete doing the physical training stuff and the mental part was actually not not included in this, that was extra, working with a coach on psychology and mental empowerment.

Matt Morley

And the mental empowerment, that then becomes the transition in a way, right, from the world of athletics to the world of work? That's the bridge between the two for you?

mental empowerment in the workplace

Katharina Naumann

Yes. So I really got to know how important the mental empowerment is, it doesn't matter what goal you want to reach, you know, and even it's a goal at work, yes, just to do a good presentation or something like this, you need to be mentally empowered.

mental health as an entrepreneur

Matt Morley

Yeah, I sympathize with that as after eight years now working as an entrepreneur by myself, which is almost as stressful, in a sense, as working in a big company where you have to deal with the politics of being part of a much wider network of staff.

When you're solo and building your own business, then that comes with its own challenges in terms of mental empowerment, and there's no one around to help unless we go and look for a coach or we find people who can play that role for us like, like an ex-boss, or an elder who we can rely on for help and advise occasionally.

I think that's actually one of the techniques that I've used in the past or had to do for myself, because otherwise, it's a very lonely path as an entrepreneur.

Having a corporate structure, having a team around you, obviously has challenges too, but I think can also be very, very rewarding. Obviously one needs to know how to navigate and sail through those waters, because no one teaches you that part. It’s all soft skills.

Goldkern mental coaching services in Munich, Germany

So your services as a mental empowerment and fitness coach based in Munich, what type of services are you offering? And then who are you working with as clients?

Katharina Naumann

Yeah, at the moment, I'm training teams in one or two day workshops about how a healthy life would look like for them, and I also coach one to one people to help them find a better, healthier and happier life.

So many companies now realize that mental health is suffering in Germany, already 20% of the population suffer from some kind of mental stress issue each year.

Matt Morley

And do you see that as having changed greatly from the pre COVID times? Everyone's talking a lot more open now it seems about mental health at work, it was a far less common subject just 2-3 years ago.

mental wellbeing at work post-Covid

Katharina Naumann

Now is the moment where mental health should be destigmatized and as a society we need to look for solutions for these issues. So many people struggled with post Covid mental issues. We not only talk about real mental illnesses. Everybody handled the Covid time differently.

So there is the type of people who are introvert for example, and actually like to stay at a safe home and they are now struggling much more to get back to the office and into the community, they are forced to get out of the comfort zone now.

Then there are the extrovert people, for example, who felt a deep hole while staying at home. And they are also not happy by now.

The opportunity for a company is now to integrate a new, healthier and more flexible working flow. Most companies recognized that online work, remote working really works as an alternative to being in the office every day.

So a nice way now would be to keep some of with the tools that made the life easier during the pandemic while going back to the best of work life before Covid too.

I always see this at my time management workshops. The online meetings are planned from hour to hour and without any opportunity for course. So you don't need to be a coach to recognize that this won't work in the long run.

Also the working conditions are very far away from nature, from our essence as human beings able to use body and mind so much more. This makes me sad, actually. And this is part of my mission to empower people.

mindful techniques in the workplace

It is wrong to put mental techniques like meditation, for example, in an esoteric corner and ignore them - many very successful people like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and so many more, are or were meditating every day as part of a successful morning routine.

My belief is that offices should, when space allows, provide a place for this to happen during short moments of the employee work day, perhaps with some stretching and gentle movement opportunities as well.

the mental performance office gym

Matt Morley

Well, that neatly opens the door to my next question about the project that we've been collaborating on over the last few months, the idea of you setting up your own studio, whether that be a temporary pop up space within an office building in Munich, where you live, or perhaps taking on your own studio space and realizing that vision by yourself for office workers nearby.

What I found interesting when we first started speaking was from the beginning, you were very clear that this was not a gym in the typical sense. You envisage more of a ‘mental gym’. This is about mental and physical wellness, and we need a space that can represent that at that vision of wellbeing both in the mind, the body and the soul to some extent.

Katharina Naumann

Yeah, I was thinking about a way to really empower people mentally and physical in the daily lives. Yes, this is very important that it it helps in the daily lives because just subsidizing a fitness studio membership is not enough. It’s the easy way out,. a way to check the box, but not the most effective solution.

I am creating a place where the employees can practice mental and physical tools that are helpful also at work, not just for their own fitness levels or personal wellbeing. It is much more effective to do these exercises three or four times a week just for 20 minutes, then training once in a gym for two hours per week.

By providing a space in the office, for example in the lobby or an unused meeting room, allows the employees to choose if they need some stretching one day or a 20 minutes meditation, or more intensive 1-on-1 support from my team.

We have planned morning and lunch routines, one to one coaching to solve psychological concerns and group sessions to get the background knowledge for these techniques that are applicable to their productivity and happiness at work.

So over the time of three or four months. during our pop-up in an office building in Munich, the employees will be able to stay in a healthy routine both mentally and physically. The benefits will be less mental anxiety, more confidence handling difficult situations using these mental tools, and also self confidence.

Of course, if the company wants to keep this pop up place apart from it, this won't be a problem. The pop up is composed of natural materials, and the most discreet and technical way, I think, yes, we made a good job.

Reinventing the office gym membership

Matt Morley

The part that really interested me is that gap between what is often a very easy task for a company for a business to do, which is to provide access for staff to the local gym, they tick the box that way, I’ve even recommended it to clients as a healthy building consultant in the past! It certainly gets you the credits you need in your healthy building certification scheme.

The issue though, is that you don't really know who's using it, how often, what they do when they get there, and therefore how much benefit it’s actually having on their lives.

People who enjoy exercise are probably doing it already anyway so offering a more bespoke solution for office workers makes complete sense in theory- the challenge is that creating a dedicated space within an office can also be a big step for a business, even for a large corporation.

I think that is the strongest point in your pitch and the proposition that you just made - the idea of it being specifically about not just getting people to exercise more but also to be healthier, happier, less stressed and more productive. By offering this on-site and with a curated experience, there is a far higher chance of making a meaningful impact on the lives of employees who might not ever make it to a local gym, even if the membership is free!

How to really make an impact via workplace fitness

Matt Morley

Basically I don't know if someone running an hour extra week is going to be more productive or that much happier at work… maybe not so much. So the idea of creating something specifically for the office environment, rather than just saying that access to gyms, or exercise in general, is going to do the job.

Your proposal is that we need to think a bit harder, and commit to tailor making a concept specifically for office workers.

What type of mental. preparation training will you offer and what type of physical training practices combine best with that? What do you recommend for office workers, is it more about mobility or neuromuscular activities focused on reaction times or 30-minute High Intensity training sessions for example?

Katharina Naumann

The connection is actually most of many people go for training just because it is yes. In the daily plan to get it done. I did my sports today, but often it is even more stressful on the body if you go for a run 10 kilometers after a hard day at work.

Actually everyone is able to feel about the body needs intuitively but many have lost that connection and that is what I want to bring back to people, so they know what type of activity to do for every situation, then they know what they actually need for this moment.

Movement and active design in the workplace

It doesn't have to be very complicated, we are made to walk, run, lift and carry things. So the most important thing is to integrate more movement in the first place into the daily lifestyle, all kinds of movement, to bike to work, take the stairs, work at a standing desk, take movement breaks.

functional fitness in office gyms

After that, the next important training I recommend is the functional whole body workout, just with bodyweight, or with some medicine balls and light weights. It trains the whole body together, and it is easy to integrate some mobility and balance exercises too.

I'm not a fan of training each muscle separate at a machine like most of the fitness studios offers, these movements are not very natural, and they miss out to train the interplay of our muscles.

Also, explosive strength training should be not ignored. This is what you need when you don't want to fall when older.

Office workers all have in common that they often have a stiff neck, or they also have very often low back pain because the abs are not strong enough. So they need core training and mobility training.

An office gym for mental wellbeing

Matt Morley

We're talking ultimately about typically, like 10 to 15% of the population who actually use a gym, right? That I think Germany is one of the highest in, in Europe in terms of gym membership. So not everyone's going to be interested in this but by adapting it and making it more accessible you open it up to a wider segment of the working population.

These classes you're describing are not so much about how fit anyone is, you’re not promising weight loss but rather mental wellbeing right?

Katharina Naumann

Yeah, it’s about feeling good and doing what your intuition tells you, whether that be movement, healthy food, meditation or mobility exercises for example.

Matt Morley

I guarantee you that type of internal dialogue is not happening for many people while at work. I think that's a real benefit that you can answer such questions for office workers who perhaps do not necessarily see the connection between a lack of movement in their life or too much of a particular food at lunchtime and a general lack of energy and positivity in their mental life. By taking a more 360 degree approach as you do, then you can really make more of an impact.

Katharina Naumann

I think that's it yeah, a way to handle our lives more healthier than we do at the moment by developing positive habits.

Matt Morley

This looks like the future of fitness at work. for me I think it's a very different concept you have here, it’s what workplace wellness needs!

So if people want to read more about what you're doing, what's the best way for them to contact you?

Katharina Naumann

They can find me on LinkedIn here and my business Goldkern here.

winning the mental game in physical activity programs with martin ebner

Welcome to episode 053 of the Green & Healthy Places podcast, in which we explore the themes of sustainability and wellbeing in real estate and hospitality today.

This week i’m in my home town of Barcelona, Spain talking to health and fitness entrepreneur Martin Ebner.

Martin is the Founder of Ebylife Personal Training and Fitness Solutions that include diet plans, training programs and what is now a fairly dominant Google ranking in Barcelona’s fitness scene.

We discuss:

• what needs to happen to activate a fitness facility in an office or residential development in order to extract full value from it

• the importance of being in a state of receptivity to start and stick to a new fitness program

• intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation factors

• real estate developers building gyms vs occupant demand for physical activity

• automaticity and setting medium to long-term physical activity goals

• aiming for physical activity as an enjoyable experience

• solo physical activity vs accompanied or led physical activity

• sustainable physical activity in the medium-term

• psychographic profiles in physical activity

• group fitness as a motivator for physical activity?

• adjusting physical activity programs for fitness levels

Matt Morley - wellbeing champion

I'd like to start with a question around something that I'm peripherally conscious of, but no doubt, to some extent probably tried to ignore, which is when we're creating healthy buildings and interiors for people to spend their days in, or perhaps live in, if it's a wellness residential development, or to work in, if it's a healthy office development, sometimes it can be a bit too easy even for me to say, ’well, we're going to provide access to a facility for exercise, yoga, fitness, whether that's on site or off site, and then the job is done’.

The issue I see is that the facility, once open, then may or may not get much use. And if it’s not getting much use, in the end, it comes back to me because the client justifiably says - ‘you recommended this as part of your healthy building strategy but the gym is always empty now we’re operational! What do we need to do? Should we have programming?’

And I think where I wanted to go with you in today’s discussion, was the inner process at an individual’s psychological level, why are people starting and sticking with a program vs someone who has access to a gym but that doesn’t convert into regular attendance. From your experience as an expert coach, what are the broad themes in terms of why people start a program and how you get them to keep on that path once they’re on it?

Martin Ebner - fitness expert barcelona

Well, yes, as you say, I don't think providing a space, it's enough to convince the majority of people to work out especially people that don't already work out. I have a lot of clients that work for, for big companies, and they have access to facilities, but for one reason or another they don't use them or don't take advantage of them so they employ me outside of their place of work to train them.

I think it may be comes from maybe a lack of education, or the motivation simply isn't there for them to use the gym. Most people need to be in a state of readiness to begin a training program, the majority of the time, it comes from an extrinsic motivation.

So maybe to get fit for a summer, to get six pack abs, to get a bigger chest or whatever it is. And that would be enough to get them to start a program, but rarely enough to get them to continue.

My job as a trainer once they've started is to get them to appreciate all of the intrinsic motivators of exercise. So feeling more energetic or feeling great when you're working out or sleeping better. I think these tend to be the factors that help people get into an exercise routine and stick to it. So like I say, I don't think providing a fitness space as part of a healthy building plan is enough, I think a degree of accompanying education is needed.

activating fitness facilities within a healthy building

Matt Morley

So you've made the distinction there between the first step into the gym, or the first point of contact with a personal trainer, by which stage something has gone on - they client knows they want so make a change. And that's typically coming from either internal or more likely external motivation, which ultimately suggests it doesn't matter how beautiful the gym, fitness room or yoga space I might design for them as part of a healthy building, by itself it likely isn’t enough!

If we dig into those intrinsic drivers, we quickly start to deploy the language of workplace wellness,and we're trying to encourage people to start exercising for the corollary benefits of better sleep, for example, you sleep better, you rest, you recover, you sleep, you come back stronger the next day, you're more productive, you have more energy.

So I completely see there is a piece of education and communication needed around that to the building occupants but what about after that first step through the door and those first few weeks? Is there then an interim phase where you're trying to get them over the hump from coming through the door to the stickiness effect when a client starts to get hooked? I imagine quite a few clients might drop off.

setting realistic goals in a fitness program

Martin Ebner

Yes. So I think people very often come to me with unrealistic fitness goals. So the industry, in general sort of promises, significant results physically or aesthetically, in a very short space of time. We’re quite lazy, in general, and I think we want to get maximum results with the minimum amount of effort.

So it's really my job to set realistic expectations. Yes, it's very nice to train for aesthetic reasons. But it's quite important for me as well to dig into the reasoning behind why they're so obsessed with improving their aesthetics. I think a lot of people believe that if they look better, they're going to feel better, or if they get to a certain weight, their life will automatically feel better. But from my experience, that's very often the opposite of what happens.

So my goal as a trainer is to try and set realistic expectations and encourage consistency. Over things are a little bit more extreme. And obviously, over my life and my experience as a trainer that has changed also, I used to quite enjoy training for aesthetics, for example. But it's, not necessarily something that is going to allow you to get into a routine and stick to it. Because a lot of the time, your expectations are far greater than what you think you can achieve. In the time that perhaps you've given yourself.

real estate developers building gyms vs occupant demand for physical activity

Matt Morley

It does. What I'm seeing is, effectively two very different reasons for gym facilities going in to office buildings and residential developments - there is the perspective of the employer or the landlord who to some extent wants (or feels obliged to) encourage a healthy occupant experience, no doubt partly nudged along by healthy building standards such as WELL Building Standard.

That decision, taken from above, may or may not be supported by demand from below., from the building occupants themselves - although one hopes more and more people are training regularly nowadays!

In the end though, the actual drivers to physical activity are, for most people more internally oriented, to do with aesthetics, their sense of self worth, and their confidence in social environments, I think that could partly explain the challenge of getting these facilities to a point of respectable usage figures (that often have a limited catchment audience of the building occupants - unlike a commercial gym with a far wider radius of potential clients).

What happens on the path to ‘automaticity’, where physical activity becomes almost self reinforcing, where it no longer needs to be pushed by some external factor but is a pleasure in itself? If you've got a good coach or a good fitness program to follow is that a guarantee of long-term success?

automaticity and setting medium to long-term physical activity goals

Martin Ebner

No. I think that's the million dollar question. I suppose we could use our ourselves as examples. Right? So I don't know at what point in my life exercise became so essential to my wellbeing. And I don't necessarily know how that happened. But I think, again, being realistic with your expectations is very important.

So the people that have the greatest success when it comes to, to fitness, are the people that are able to do it consistently. And they have the right reasons to exercise - so the clients that tend to have the most success aren't the ones that are coming to me and saying, I want to be this weight by this time. So that can look great for summer, okay, because it's a very short term goal.

A lot of people just assume that after the 12 weeks that’s it, they don't need to continue, or they take the route of going so extreme for the 12 weeks, they achieve enough. And then after the 12 weeks, they stop entirely and then that's it.

So yes, I think it's the people that come to me, and they just want to feel good. And they enjoy the workout. And I don't necessarily have to push them so hard, because the motivational factor isn't to get a six pack, it's to feel good.

Matt Morley

There you're talking effectively about a hormone release. Now isn't that a universal? A lot of people talk about that rush after a HIIT workout, for example, you just get this hit of endorphins. And it can last for a good half a day where you're just feeling an amazing afterglow effect that can positively impact on productivity at work for example, not to mention concentration levels and mood..

Now, you may or may not crash later n if you don’t refuel or aren’t accustomed to that type of high intensity exercise, but how much of that experience is at least potentially universal? Do you see that they're just some people who are more in tune with that than others?

aiming for physical activity as an enjoyable experience

Martin Ebner

I think it depends on the experience of exercise. So I think you're assuming the exercise feels good at the time. And for a lot of people, it really doesn't. So for you and I probably does, we've learned to appreciate pain, appreciating scum for accepting discomfort thriving on it, enjoying it. But for a lot of people that aren't necessarily fit, it can feel very uncomfortable.

So again, I think my job if I get a new client is to create a collection of enjoyable experiences for them. So they keep coming back. So I see this in gyms all the time, it's something that really frustrates me is I'll see these trainers, and they'll push the client to the point of dizziness, feeling faint, wanting to vomit. And if that is your first experience of working out or going to the gym, that you will never go back and do it again.

So I get lots of people when they come to a hated exercise. So what do you hate about, I ask? I just don't like how it feels, in my view is always done something that I dislike to push too hard initially, I think it takes a bit of time to build up. And you get used to that pain and that discomfort. And that starts to be a motivator. And you start to enjoy that feeling.

But initially I don't think it exercise unless you do it. Right, which is always what I aim to achieve with new clients, it's doesn't necessarily always feel great. So I think instinctually, you're not going to keep returning to something that is hard. And that is a challenge. And that doesn't necessarily feel good initially.

Solo physical activity vs accompanied or led physical activity

Matt Morley

That's where the difference between working with a PT working with a trainer on a one to one basis and just kind of starting to work out alone in the gym, with or without some knowledge. Perhaps someone has an issue with a squat, they just don't have the mobility to squat and doesn't feel good. So they stay away from it. And the squat never gets gets attempted again. And you can easily avoid it if you're training by yourself.

Or if you're in a group class that repeatedly asked you to do a particular movement. Maybe you just don't go back, right? Whereas when you're working with a PT and you and I have trained, there's nowhere to hide, and when you come up against a block a blockage, you find a workaround. And you make a note mentally, right, there's an issue there with hip or ankle mobility. Let's come back to that.

I'm going to push you on the timeline point because I think what you're talking about feels to me like there's a medium term hump somewhere around three or five months in terms of getting someone into the groove.

Sustainable physical activity in the medium-term

Martin Ebner

Absolutely. I think depending on your experience, your fitness level, age, etc. You tend to achieve or be able to achieve a lot initially when you start training. So if you don't know what you're doing, you might not be able to achieve it nearly as quickly but if you train with a trainer so you're just starting exercise for the first time or returning after a spell out, you can certainly achieve a lot very, very quickly. And that I think for a lot of people, it's very motivational.

But that also creates a problem because it's not sustainable, you plateau big time. So I think what what people tend to see is within the first three to six months, again, incredible results, they can achieve a lot, and then drastically slows down.

But hopefully, that's when the intrinsic motivators come into play, you're sleeping better, you're able to eat more, you feel great at that time, you know, it's a moment that you can de stress. So I think that's when it starts to, to sort of these motivators start to kick in, and you can begin to establish a much longer sort of habit, as opposed to start and stop.

Psychographic profiles in physical activity

Matt Morley

In your experience working one to one with clients, if you've identified certain personality types, because I think we touched on it a few minutes ago, the idea of, you know, almost seeking out diveadversityrsity, and there's a certain personality type, it's not masochistic, but to some extent, where we're heading deliberately towards the pain, we're seeking it out.

A 50k trail run on a Sunday morning, no one's asking me to do it, I go do it, because I kind of like the suck to kind of enjoy it on some weird level, I know it's gonna be awkward. And I'm probably come home and in all sorts of trouble. But I do it. There's something in there.

I'm no alpha male, but there must be certain personality types that you've seen whereby you're able to find that button and make it switch. And then I'm guessing there are others that are perhaps more challenging in terms of finding a way to connect better, how do you how do you adapt? How do you get into that? Because you're able to work one to one with clients, but like, What's that process in terms of trying to find their levers, their, their buttons to switch?

Martin Ebner

Sure. I think I'm in a very fortunate position where I can No, choose the sort of client I take on. Most recently. The sort of clients or take on aren't necessarily into extremes, perhaps that yourself. And personally, I'm not really into extremes either. I'm much more about consistency, and finding balance. And that's changing. Obviously, it's ice age. But like I said, the most important thing for me is to establish sort of realistic goals. And then to create a collection of positive experiences. So they can continue and one to continue to train forever.

So I don't necessarily get the sort of clients that are wanting to run 100 miles. I don't know if these people tend to seek the help of personal trainers, I think you don't necessarily get somebody that that would approach me that's never exercised before and says I want to run 50 miles in the did then I would probably say let's start with five. And then once you get to five, you feel good. With five miles, you can go for a 10 and build up that way. So I think less about extreme goals and all about moderation. And then you can expand upon that. As your confidence and your experience grows.

Matt Morley

It makes sense. I think the there's also something cumulative about it. I certainly found over 25 odd years of of training that yeah, you do start to look for, to some extent, the occasional peak, the occasional extreme and challenges and I think that's why you get so many middle aged men doing triathlons and Ironman, because yeah, we're kind of hunting, we were looking for a next big thing, or switching around and trying other other sports, but I can totally see that the bulk of the market for you.

And in fact, I think specifically when you're looking at say, trying to create healthy workplaces in the workforce, the majority of people need what you've just described, which is low. Let's just keep it simple and get you from point A to point C person through point B which is stickiness kicking in.

measurable results in physical activity plans

So when you look at measurable results do you have universal data points for that? Or is that also specific according to the type of person and the reasons they came to you originally?

Martin Ebner

Yes, I think it, it depends on the client, a lot of them don't tend to need to know, obviously, I keep record and track of all of the clients so that we can see or I can see their progression. I tried to discourage people to focus on weight, or body fat percentages, things like that, I think that that is quite an unhealthy view.

So I have a client who is quite obsessed with weight, and body fat percentages. And once I get to this body fat percentage, and you know, I always challenging him, to give me a good reason as to why when he gets to this, it's, he's going to feel any better. So for me, I tend to focus a little bit more on quality over quantity.

So a measurable result, for me might be technique. So I'm at, you know, what you've trained with me once. For me, I give quite a lot of importance to to the technique. So it might be a client, when I first get them can do a squat. And then after six weeks, they can do a squat perfect. And that for me would be a great result. And then from there, you can obviously begin to build upon the repetitions, build up the volume, build up the weight, etc. But each person is a bit different.

And I think a lot of my clients, again, they don't need to necessarily know the numbers or the figures or how much they have done. And I don't necessarily need to see the specifics either. It's more of that progression that I see in their ability to perform. And also how they feel I get a lot of art pleases me when when a client comes to me, I went to the supermarket and walked up the hill with too heavy shopping bags. So that would be something that nobody would train for ever. It's, it's a nice benefit.

You know, these benefits you don't necessarily notice. But then you look back on, you're like, wow, I've slept eight hours every night for the last week, I haven't done that forever. And these are a lot of the things I aim for now. With my clients, I was going to say also that a lot of the clients are getting now are maybe middle aged, and they've spent most of their lives making poor lifestyle choices. And something may have happened to them. And they've realized that they're not eating anymore, they can't eat the way they do. Or maybe they've had a health scare. And that is enough for them to start an exercise program and worrying more about their health.

group fitness as a motivator for physical activity?

Matt Morley

Clearly the group fitness revolution and boutique fitness studios over the last 10-15 years in most European and US capitals, primarily, it's just been game changing in terms of encouragement in terms of motivation, in terms of getting people to do things that they perhaps would never have tried to do. I mean, from CrossFit, all the way through to the yoga boom. There's just more out there in terms of group class and motivation.

But clearly, I think what I'm getting from you is that that may not work for people at a certain life phase who've been through certain things previously. And they're kind of having now to pay the debt on those cumulative results. And something does change at a certain age. And I think also around simply like how one lives, one's life, and the responsibilities we all have, and so on. It's just not necessarily convenient to work around a class timetable.

I think that's also where the PT really comes into its own around it being a little bit more tailored towards that person's individual requirements. And that might also then align with a demographic not say, can't work for an answer, like a 25 year old graduate just out of university, but it's much more likely that person has a spin studio membership or does yoga in group classes. Right? Sure. Surely that divide?

Martin Ebner

Absolutely. I think it depends on the sort of person who you are. I mean, I I don't really enjoy training in a group have done it, I did a little bit of CrossFit. And it pissed me off. people shouting at me to do more, I think, again, CrossFit isn't a great example, because I think a lot of these classes are very extreme.

So it's getting more bang for your buck and less time. And you go in and, you know, CrossFit is an interesting example, because there's a lot about it, which I think is fantastic. I'm not going to say too much about external, there's a lot of people that are diehard CrossFitters.

But I think, for a beginner to go into a CrossFit class, and, you know, unless they're physically prepared enough to do it, it can be quite dangerous. And I think that can be the case with quite a lot of group classes as well. And, and yes, I mean, I suppose I believe in queer tailored approach to fitness, I think everybody is quite different. I think there's a lot of great things that come from training as part of a group, it's community, it's motivation, these things are all great.

But I think it's unlikely that you will see as a significant results when you're training with the goals of a group as opposed to the goals of yourself, right. So again, if I was to go to a group class, I'm obviously and I have the education and the experience to know that if there was an exercise in there that wasn't suitable for my back, because I've gone some compression in my spine, I could work around it that somebody that didn't know, wouldn't know and would do the exercise anyway.

And that could, could potentially be a little bit risky for them. But I appreciate the value in both. And I've seen the boom and group fitness. And I think it's wonderful, it looks so much fun. That's just not necessarily my style. And I don't think it's motivational for everybody.

Matt Morley

I think the output that I'm getting from our conversation is when looking at a workplace wellness program that is really comprehensive. And that offers a 360 approach. From nutrition to hydration through to exercise and even what we call active design in the workplace, things like we're we're standing out on a standing desk, using the stairs instead of using the lift, etcetera, there are things we can do to encourage people to be a bit more active when they're at work.

And I think a one size fits all approach to that fitness component. And increasingly, the fitness component is on the table. It wasn't previously around the workplace, but I think it is then now it can be all too easy just to say right or have a yoga class might have a hit class. And it'll be you know, something along the lines of TRX and bodyweight training, which is cool, there's less likely have less likelihood of any injuries. But that's often as far as it goes.

I think where I'm interested in is a more variegated approach that allows for different needs and requirements according to people's life phase and also where they're at their relationship with exercise. I think just putting in the yoga class and the HIIT session. I just don't think it's good enough.

I think perhaps it's with a small group training, and we can we can touch on that, or having access to a PT just feels now based on what we've been discussing a much more rounded and complete offer. And then I guess people to make their own choice. If they do the group fitness thing, then they go to the class on a on a Monday. If not, they call it BT and, and work on a one to one. Right.

So I think that would be perhaps an ideal approach. I asked about small group training. How do you see that in terms of the benefits of working on a one to one and how much do you lose? If your training set three people at the same time? Do you think it can get close to that experience?

Adjusting physical activity programs for fitness levels

Martin Ebner

Ideally everybody in the group should be more or less around the same fitness level and have similar goals. So you know, if you have three people that are different fitness levels with different goals, it's not necessarily going to work because maybe the fittest member of the group is going to be held back and the person that has the least amount of experience is going to feel intimidated by so it needs to be balanced. I do small group classes, that people tend to be friends first.

So it's not public groups. I don't just invite anybody in they tend to come to me and we established our goals and there are ways that you can do it. S

o there's ways that you can train where you can have fitter members in the group and they do more you know attends to the internet. repetitions would be, you know, 30 seconds as opposed to 10 repetitions and that person could do as much or as little as they like from that time, for example, I think cost is quite important to talk about these businesses, and I'm interested to know as well, but why are they doing? Are they you know, to these big businesses, to the offer these, these services and facilities just so they can see that they do it? Or to the to they really care?

Matt Morley

So the cynical answer would be that a lot of them are signing up for, let's say, certification systems, for example, the WELL Healthy Building standard that pretty much requires that there is a component of just like as a nutrition chapter and a hydration chapter. There's also a fitness or movement chapter in particular, and then businesses are effectively encouraged to have provision for equipment, or fitness training spaces, and programming.

It’s then the level of detail around the programming - effectively what we've been talking about for the last 25 minutes - is the key piece around how you actually get it to work, to ensure the facility gets used.

So it's beyond just putting it out there. And actually, well, how can you activate that space? Or how can you fill the classes. And if it's not, often, the offer might not be completely enough? I think there's that extra layer of detail around a hybrid model between having bought or at least trying to offer some group class options, but also having access to a PT, just like nowadays, having access to a recommended mental health practitioner or therapist outside of the organization.

Or should this person if it's sort of an established relationship, I think having something along those same lines with the PT, certainly for a lot of businesses will make sense.

There's another layer to it, which is where the intrinsic benefits as you've been describing them, start to kick in and effectively help the employer as well, right?

Because you're just you've got more to give, you're more energized, is the the sort of the magic of all of this is that you don't have less energy, once you get into the trade. If it works, okay, I crashed in the evenings. During the day, I'm on fire, and I'm good, you know, it's only got my caffeine intake. Right. But you know, that's the thing. And so yes, there are collateral benefits for that, that workplace, owner, the employer, around reducing sick days around happier, healthier and more productive, primarily workforce.

And I think, so to some extent, they're doing it because they genuinely want happy staff, and it helps attract and retain talent. And there is to, to a greater or lesser extent, according to where you are, if you're in San Francisco, or LA or London, everyone's doing it, if you're not doing it, where's the person going to go somewhere where they have a gym, and a whole fitness, setup and massages on a Friday afternoon for those who need it, etc, etc, etc, or the one that doesn't.

And so there's almost a oneupmanship going on. It's a ratchet effect, and the markets moving up the markets adapting and adopting more and more of these measures. And certainly for the big guys, like investment banks and the big tech companies. If you're not playing that game, your competitor is, and they win the talent war.

And it's it's a little cynical to describe it that way, but it's happening. And the net results are that fitness and health are just becoming a much bigger piece. Obviously, it's not the main driver for why someone decides to go work for Goldman versus another bank, but it's definitely out there.

Martin Ebner

Absolutely. It's an interesting point, a wonder of its you know, for somebody that doesn't exercise, whether that's a draw for them, I wonder if that's a factor of their choosing between two big companies, or whether it's a deterrent for somebody that's unfair, something I was gonna say that I think confidence comes into as well.

So it can be very intimidating, to go to a gym or to start an exercise program when you're very unfit. And I think I get a lot of these clients that you know, I have quite a few, a few clients that work for Google, for example.

And I always wonder why they've come to me instead of using the facilities that they have, and I think that one of the reasons is a lack of confidence. It's intimidating, maybe to work out in front of there. If their work colleagues if they're the boss, for example, yeah, they might not want to show weakness.

So I think there's a lot of different factors, you know, and in the case of in the case of Google, I know that they don't have personal trainers, I think that they have access to a gym, but there's more guidance.

So yeah, you know, we've spoken about it many times, I think one of the issues with with gyms is that you go, you have no idea what you're there to do. You know, you looking at the machines, and you don't know what they do, and you're intimidated.

So you skip them altogether, and then you leave, and you never go back. So you know, this is going back a little bit. But I think it's very important to have a member of staff in these areas to help. Otherwise you get people turning up having no idea how to use anything at all. And that can be very, that can be a deterrent for them.

Matt Morley

Yeah, I mean, I think if I put myself in the shoes of the of the brand on the other side of the employer, I think I look at that I start weighing up the pros and cons of that operational cost overhead that is implicit in what you just described. And as Matt, I then come in and say, Well, look, let's look at virtual trainer options.

Let's look at subscriptions that can be available to facilitate those workouts. But effectively automated and streaming services so that there is there's a hybrid so that there's something for someone to follow. You have an A Technogym that picking up gym classes, it's 100 or the peloton fitness classes, you have a peloton bike in the gym, or you have a technology a bit of kit for 100 year, 100 euros a year, you also have the screen that can fold out away from the bank or from that main bit of kit and becomes effectively a virtual trainer. And it's something to follow. It's not ideal, but it fills that gap.

And I think again, it's something that we need to be conscious of. Because yeah, all too often there is the risk of someone who's not to use your term hasn't got the education behind them around what to do, how to do it, how often walk into a gym, happy moment, you finally made it in there, look around and you feel awkward. You don't necessarily like what you see in the mirror, or you don't want to be next to your boss on the spin bike anymore.

Someone you've had a round with earlier on over a work related issue. And yet it's complex. It's complex, and I think but those subtleties, those that level of detail is is where it needs to get to beyond just boom box ticking exercises of what we've done the gym and we've put in a yoga class and off we go.

I think that's that's my big takeaway from from this conversation that a little bit of extra thinking in terms of how that's structured and presented can go a long way.

https://www.ebylife.com/martin-ebner-profile

Designer Gym Flooring Selection: An Eco Gym Perspective — Biofilico Wellness Interiors

Zandur flooring looking mighty fine with a nature mural, wood rowers and leather sandbags

10 Tips on Gym Flooring and fitness centre flooring by a Gym Designer

1. GYM design budget and commercial gym FLOORING PRICES

First up, pricing of gym floors. For some it may come as a surprise that gym flooring is so expensive however this is also one of the most important decisions in the gym design process, bar none.

In terms of tangible numbers then, how much is enough for a gym flooring budget? We recommend allowing GB£60 per m2 -GB£80 per m2, in order to tick as many of the boxes outlined below there are simply no shortcuts.

Yes there are cheaper gym floor options out there such as rolls (rather than tiles) of Made In China ‘rubber' gym flooring that does not come with any kind of product declaration and almost certainly contains a multitude of VOCs and other chemical contaminants.

Many gyms will make some sacrifices, for example in sustainability terms, in order to economize with gym flooring closer to £30 per m2 especially if they have a large lifting zone or free weight areas where weights will be dropped frequently.

Colour options will be extremely limited however as mentioned, the flooring will not meet our own standards for wellbeing interiors / healthy interiors due to its affects on indoor air quality.

Hotel gym design tends to come with a different set of constraints, see our dedicate page here.

2. gym design and ACOUSTICS / NOISE REDUCTION

Depending on the chosen heating, cooling and ventilation system for a gym, there may be temperature considerations to factor into a gym flooring choice.

For example, underfloor heating systems in cooler parts of the UK or Scandinavia may come with certain requirements around what can be laid directly on top of them. It is worth checking with the supplier if an underlay beneath the gym flooring is recommended on this basis.

As long as the gym flooring has modest to good heat conductivity, there shouldn’t be an issue here.

Why might an underlay be useful? Let’s take an example from an urban environment such as a gym located on the first floor of an office building with ground-floor retail below and offices above.

Heavy loads dropped onto a thin 5mm laminate flooring tile laid directly onto the inherited flooring is likely to send the sound of clanging metal pretty efficiently in all directions, causing noise pollution that can come back to bite the gym owner.

Better to layer in an acoustic underlay made of dense eco-friendly and non-toxic fabric, ideally at least 2-3cm thick. This not only helps with noise reduction by absorbing and dampening the sound of heavy weights and equipment but also adds comfort underfoot. This is especially important in a home gym space where protecting domestic flooring and reducing noise for other household members is crucial. Yes, it is a modest extra expense but you won’t regret it. Gym users will thank you for the added comfort underfoot as well.

If you opt for a denser, hard surface such as wood or bamboo flooring, clearly there will need to be some areas of the gym such as around the squat racks where a more heavy-duty rubber tile will be required on top of the wood or bamboo to protect it, this in turn has an impact on the overall aesthetics of the space too.

Gym design budgets could therefore potentially include an underlay, the main flooring tile or rolls, as well as additional tiles on top on the heavy lifting area.

3. gym design and THE ROLE OF different gym flooring types for user comfort

We are fans of natural materials such as solid wood floorboards, whether salvaged from old train tracks for example, or sourced from sustainable forests within the region.

They provide a natural solution that does not give off harmful airborne toxins and they look great but, and this is a big BUT for a gym, they are unlikely to encourage much interaction with the floor by clients once the gym opens.

This is where training style and gym design inter-lap and is often the hardest part to communicate to an architect studio or interior design studio in charge of a gym design project.

If the training concept behind the gym involves an element of natural fitness or ‘functional training’ then one way to facilitate that type of activity is to install a flooring tile with a softer feel such as a vulcanized, non-toxic rubber that is not going to prevent a gym user from attempting a forward roll for example, or a cat crawl on all fours. For home gyms, durable and stylish home gym flooring options, like non-slip rubber flooring, are ideal as they support heavy-duty use while ensuring safety and comfort.

When did gyms stop becoming about agility, physical movement and play anyway?

The connection between flooring choice and the type of movements a gym user will feel comfortable performing in the gym may appear a subtle point but in fact it has a significant psychological impact on the end user experience.

Softer flooring solutions encourage more experimental movement by a gym user, harder flooring solutions do the opposite, from our gym designer perspective this is an undeniable fact. Softer flooring can still support heavy equipment while promoting a variety of movements.

Of note is that a classic gymnasium flooring material is in fact a spring floor, offering unparalleled bounce for gymnasts - however this is not much use for every other type of gym, except perhaps natural movement training!

4. GYM FLOORING AND INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Until early 2020 very few people were talking about indoor air quality in gyms but Covid changed that and we are unlikely to forget what we have learnt. In a way this is a good thing. More awareness of harmful VOCs in our furniture and flooring means more support for natural materials such as bamboo, cork and rubber, sustainably sourced please.

Clearly we want to stay away from installing anything with harmful toxins such as formaldehyde but we also need to control what is brought in from outside, especially in dense urban environments such as a city centre. Wearing the same shoes on the streets as you train in is going to have immediate consequences on the indoor air quality inside the gym, there is simple no escaping that. Additionally, using a pH neutral cleaner is crucial to maintain indoor air quality and avoid introducing harmful chemicals.

We now recommend additional attention be paid to the HVAC filters in a gym to ensure they are high grade, preferably MERV 13 or above, unless there is the option for natural ventilation in an indoor-outdoor space. Failing that though, we need the mechanical engineer on the project to be one step ahead with the ventilation rates to ensure a steady changeover of the indoor air throughout the day, even with our preferred option of eco-cork / rubber flooring tiles on the gym floor!

In terms of specifics, we want a gym floor that contains no PVC, phthalates or halogens and we really must insist on it being Red List** chemical free**

Other references might include a material that exceeds California IAQ (CHPS) indoor air quality standards (the gold standard for such things in many respects).

Many suppliers are now joining the dots between their products and green building systems like LEED or healthy building systems like WELL by illustrating where their products score points in each of the respective score cards. every manufacturer with a conscience and an eye on the future should be doing this!

5. sustainability & gym flooring

We would highlight cork and eco-rubber as top choices for sustainability, either as separate solutions or indeed in a cork-rubber blend as in our favourite Zandur tiles that combine both in one innovative solution.

We could also highlight bamboo flooring and solid wood planks but when we take into consideration all of the points mentioned in this article, cork and eco-rubber stand out as our first choices.

For a full Life Cycle Assessment approach to choosing a gym floor we now consider not just where the raw materials come from but also where they will go at the end of their life, in a decade from now say. some suppliers now offer take-back recycling programs that provides additional peace of mind for the gym owner. A small detail perhaps but details count in this game. Avoid adding to landfill waste that future generations will have to tackle eventually; instead select a fully recyclable material for your gym floor.

6. GYM FLOOR DURABILITY & IMPACT

Durability is a key factor as most gyms are going to have metal weights being lifted, carried, and dropped by gym users who have just exerted maximum effort in their last rep. The flooring needs to withstand the impact of heavy weights to ensure durability and safety. These things happen so as gym designers we have to plan to accommodate them.

Dumbbells and barbells frequently get dropped so we are looking for a solution that is especially hard-wearing in the strength zone in particular. And there should always be a strength zone! Additional rubber tiles on top of the gym floor will do the job, providing around 30mm of protection.

For barbell areas, there are Olympic lifting platforms that will fit in / around a power rack. Here again, it is worth investing in high quality solutions that will be able to resist even heavier weight drops, here we can be talking about 150kg-200kg in any serious gym, possible being dropped from overhead height, so count on at least 2 metres drop height.

For stretching areas, functional training zones (with sandbags, ropes, etc.) and cardio zones a lighter, softer material of 5-10mm can be useful but strength areas require a solid 20-30mm rubber tile system that is basically bombproof. This is especially important for home gyms where high-impact weight training and Olympic lifting are common. Rubber floor tiles provide soundproof and shock-absorbing benefits, making them ideal for home gym settings.

Anything less is going to cause you headaches in the long run, maybe not on day one, maybe not on day 365 but eventually the tiles will start to become a health & safety risk if they do not fit together perfectly. As gym designers, we have seen this happen too many times not to mention it here!

The one other caveat is strength machine areas (as opposed to free weights and barbell zones) as the static machines remove most of these risks from the equation completely, nothing is hitting the floor unexpectedly in this training zone. Yes there is considerable load placed on the flooring but it is a steady, constant load rather than an actual ‘impact’.

Regular cleaning with a damp mop is essential to maintain the durability of the flooring and ensure it remains safe and hygienic for all users.

7. THE AESTHETICS OF GYM FLOORING

Have you ever noticed that most gym designs specify flooring options that all look more or less the same?

We can identify a number of groups in this sense, for example CrossFit gym designs and budget gym designs around the world almost universally feature solid black or black speckled rubber tiles. Why?

They are fundamentally a cheap option, readily available from any number of gym equipment suppliers, they are functional and will likely last 3-5 years without any issues… nobody ever complained about this type of flooring, ever!

If we move into the realms of boutique gym design standards and even more so with premium or luxury gym design standards facilities such as resort gyms however, a number of different options emerge, not least natural cork tiles or an eco-friendly cork-rubber mix, sustainable FSC wood, eco bamboo flooring, even wood-effect LVT tiles for a cheaper but no less sustainable solution.

High-end rubber tile solutions from the likes of Pavigym come in a wide range of colours ensuring complete aesthetic integration into each specific site, this is another one of our preferred flooring options as a hotel gym designer.

Gym locations with limited natural light for example may do well to opt for a brighter colour rather than the standard dark black. We are fans of a terracotta colour in certain facilities as well as a Zandur leafy green for natural fitness training areas. After a certain price point the choice becomes vast, giving the gym designer plenty of room for creativity.

8. HYGIENE & GYM FLOORING - A NEW FRONTIER

Manufacturers are now producing detailed cleaning guides to ensure that hygiene standards can be higher than ever without putting the flooring tiles at risk, in part this is thanks to the material’s resistance to chemicals or disinfectants.

Equally porosity is key here as we do not want sweat or other liquids to penetrate the surface of the flooring tile.

A high quality virgin rubber tile will ensure that no odours linger around at the end of the day, the surface can be wiped clean and sanitized professionally, and also will not absorb any spillages of water bottles, protein shakes and the like.

Already the terms micro-bacterial and anti-fungal are appearing with increasing regularity in marketing materials but with good reason so be sure to select a gym flooring tile that performs well in both aspects.

We are fans of athletic turf tracks used for sled pulls such as those produced by Sprint Tracks in the Netherlands. Sprint tracks are custom made and can be created in 4 weeks in any combination of colors. However, the Polyethylene plastic used to make it is a concern from an indoor air quality perspective as well as from a single-use plastic perspective as this type of materials appears to be non-recyclable, thereby contributing to the world’s growing plastic problem.

Any manufacturers of athletic turf that is non harmful to People and Planet are invited to contact us to make our lives as gym designers easier!

9. gym design and eco-friendly installation

It may sound obvious but being able to not only install your own floor tiles but also remove them, move them around or replace them at a future date gives you that extra bit of flexibility should circumstances change in the future, or your gym needs evolve.

Typically a good option is an interlocking tile system with connector plates on the underside of the tiles. A pack of 4 x 50cm2 tiles would therefore give you 1m2 of flooring that can be lined up with the next square metre and so on.

Ramped edges and corner sections ensure there are no health and safety risks with sharp differences in height between zones, for example between the entrance and the main gym training area.

Be sure to specify no-VOC adhesives or backing so that no off-gasses are introduced into the gym space during the fit-out process that would damage the indoor air quality.

10. gym design and health & safety concerns

Last but not least, if it needed saying, your gym flooring tiles should meet all relevant fire and smoke standards.

For Biofit gym designs we are usually working with European and North American standards; opting for cheaper Chinese solutions in particular can expose a gym owner to risk in this sense so it is always worth checking twice before proceeding with a purchase.

By way of an example, Zandur Sustain Sport gym flooring has slip resistance that surpasses that of most safety flooring and exceeds UL and ADA recommendations, meets all North American and European standards for fire and smoke, and it STILL manages to exceed California IAQ (CHPS) indoor air quality. Beat that if you can!

For more information about our gym design services see here or contact us via email here

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Further Reading

• We Design Recharge Rooms, Restorative Spaces & Wellness Rooms

• Biophilic Design Consultant

• Sustainable Interior Flooring Zandur

• Hero Corporate Offices

• Best Examples Of Biophilic Design In Learning Environments

• Designing A Hotel Gym

• Biophilic Design And Wellbeing Interiors- An Evolutionary Perspective

• Hotel Gym Design - A Consultant's View

• Healthy Building & Wellbeing Real Estate Consultants

• Indoor Air Quality In Gyms

• Design Consultants For Leisure Spaces, Wellness Facilities & Gyms

• An Introduction To Biophilic Design - Nature, Wellbeing And Sustainability

• Biophilic Design In Gyms & Spas

• Wellness Interior Design Consultants

• What Is A Healthy Building Material?

• Benefits Of Active Design In The Workplace

• What Is Wellness Design In A Healthy Buildings And Wellbeing Interior Strategy

• Organic Interior Design: Connecting Nature & Interior Design

• Restorative Recharge Room Designers

• Biophilic Design Consultant & Interior Designers

• Best Examples Of Biophilic Design In Offices

• A Guide To Workplace Wellbeing Design

• Sustainable Boutique Hotel Brands UK

• The Best New Green & Healthy Office Buildings In Barcelona, Spain

• Designing A Hotel Gym or Resort Fitness Facilities

Designing a hotel gym or resort fitness facilities

INTRODUCTION TO HOTEL GYM DESIGN

Designing a successful hotel gym layout or fitness facilities for a resort is quite a different skill set to being, say, a hotel architect or designer, despite the understandable desire on the part of such firms to own the gym space creatively as well as the common areas, rooms and hospitality spaces.

It’s no surprise that most hotels simply give the exercise space or yoga studio over to an equipment supplier, install lighting and air con, neutral flooring and the job is done; gym designers are nowhere to be seen.

It therefore takes a certain type of hotel or resort to seek out a specialist hotel gym designer to go one step further and really consider the gym design architecture.

This was the case for us when Singita Safari lodges contacted us back in 2018, and again with our current client work in Italy for a new sustainable luxury wellness hotel brand opening in 2021.

VIU Hotel, milano gym design - wood flooring, neutral grey walls and ceiling, Technogym equipment

DO HOTELS NEED A SPECIALIST GYM DESIGNER?

In our experience with gym design, the most likely candidates for seeking out a specialist hotel gym designer are high-end hospitality brands, and those with an existing connection to wellness, health or a natural lifestyle.

They may be looking to upgrade their gym offer to become a Unique Selling Point, rather than simply following the usual option of a lower-ground, space with no natural light packed full of Technogym cardio and strength equipment.. sound familiar?

Luxury hotels and resorts increasingly see the standard of gym and fitness studio that their guests are using when at home in their primary residence, then compare that with the gym experience on offer at their property and realise the gap is too wide to ignore.

DEFINING A CONCEPT FOR A HOTEL GYM

Not every successful hotel gym is created equal. We have identified a number of ways to differentiate a hospitality fitness offer and to add value to the guest experience whilst ensuring a hotel stands out from the crowd in a competitive market.

The key component is a well defined gym concept that connects the hotel guest’s fitness preferences and their expectations of what a hotel gym will do for them, with the personality of the hotel in question.

This can be a delicate balancing act but all too often the default mode is to go with the classic Technogym equipment set-up with mirrored walls, TV screens, bright lighting and an aggressive air con system. This is pure vanilla, you could literally be in any hotel gym in the world. Guest motivation levels will likely fall off a cliff and workout times will drop. The industry can and should do better.

Go too far in the other direction though and the risk is that a guest feels lost, uncertain or out of place in the gym. Luxury hotels are about frictionless guest experiences, meaning this could become a pain point assuming no staff are on hand to explain how everything works.

soul cycle fitness studio design, 1 hotel south beach, miami

BRANDED HOTEL GYM CONCEPTS

Just as branded F&B concepts provide hotel operators with the halo effect of being associated with a world-class dining concept, a big name gym or fitness studio brand can do something similar if chosen well.

Having a cult fitness name such as SoulCycle operating a spinning studio at street level no doubt helped 1 Hotel South Beach, Miami to foster closer links amongst a certain local demographic for example, whilst also providing hotel guests with an on-site solution for the type of experiential workout they are used to at home - and the polar opposite of a solo workout in a soulless hotel gym!

London’s BXR, a boutique fitness concept built around boxing’s heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, collaborated with Daios Cove Resort in Crete to create a retreat concept complete with a dedicated on-site functional fitness training area on a converted outdoor tennis court.

This is an example of a software-heavy proposition, where there is in fact relatively little hotel gym design in the collaboration, meaning less CAPEX into hardware for the hotel.

Where BXR delivers a killer jab-hook-cross however is with its aspirational positioning, expert boxing / conditioning coaches and an existing tribe of loyal followers in London, ensuring the Daios hotel can tap into a new market segment during its quieter shoulder seasons.

functional fitness gym by at six hotel, stockholm

HOTEL GYM FLOOR SPACE - HOW BIG IS BIG ENOUGH?

A lowest common denominator approach would suggest that 50m2 is sufficient floor space for a modestly sized boutique hotel of up to around 50 rooms. Given this is not a revenue generating facility, the inclination is to prioritize a spa or treatment room first, squeezing the gym into whatever corner is left once priority has been given to sales revenues. This is an all too common conundrum. Our response is usually - “well, let’s make the gym so great that it has a direct, positive impact on the guest’s stay!”

There are of course gym usage formulas we could propose for how big a hotel gym design should be based on the total number of rooms, average hotel occupancy and an estimate of how many or what % of guests actually make it to the hotel gym during their stay (probably far less than you’d imagine.. especially in spaces with no visible signs of an interior designer being involved!).

This approach does not account for less tangible factors though, such as a boutique hotel owner’s passion for fitness, or a resort’s particular brand.

As a rule of thumb however, a gym needs to be a minimum of 25m2 and only really becomes a genuine feature from around 50m2, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, even the most generous resort gyms are not going to offer more than 500m2 in total including an allocation for a swimming pool.

A new generation of dedicated fitness hotels such as Equinox Hotels are challenging that distinction, integrating fitness into the guest experience at various touch points during the customer journey. For most boutique size hotels however, an allocation of around 100m2 for a gym is a reasonable figure to aim for.

BXR retreat outdoor hotel gym design, crete

THE HOTEL GYM EQUIPMENT QUESTION

Gym equipment suppliers will, perhaps understandably, sell as much of their equipment as possible to a less-informed hotel owner, insisting on the presence of endless isolation weight machines, from leg extensions, to leg curls, chest press and lat pull down machines.

The trend towards more open space in gym design does not sit well with a sales rep on commission. So what’s the answer? Hire a specialist hotel gym designer who is paid to create and implement a unique gym concept, ensuring a more neutral perspective on what equipment needs to be in the hotel gym.

For example, a functional fitness inspired facility would focus on cardio machines, free weights, movement areas and a rig for attaching equipment to - be it a punching bag, ropes, or a loaded barbell. This negates or at least drastically reduces the need for isolation machines, meaning a lower overall CAPEX investment that more than covers the hotel gym designer’s fees.

For the right kind of hotel with a younger, urban demographic, this type of concept would be far more in line with the type of training they are used to. See the above image from the At Six Hotel in Stockholm for an example of how to get it right.

On the other hand, clearly this would NOT be applicable for a classic 5-star hotel gym design oriented towards a more mature demographic who may be working around injuries or limited mobility - in which case, a wider selection of cardio machines would be in order, as well as some isolation machines and perhaps more space given over to mobility and balance work.

To enquire about our hotel gym design services contact us via email here.

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Further Reading

• Hotel Gym Design - A Consultant's View

• Gym Posts

• The Mental Empowerment Office Gym With Katharina Naumann

• Fitness Posts

• Posts In Gyms

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• Posts tagged Gym

Healthy gyms and their importance in the post-COVID 19 world

The ultimate goal of gyms is to build a healthier nation, with better habits. But, what happens when the place where we go seeking physical and mental improvement becomes a place that can make us sick? 

Athletic training rooms have a high prevalence of bacteria and drug-resistant organisms, increasing in that way the risk of both local and systemic infections. Bearing that in mind, the adaptation of hygiene protocols, reorganisation and replacement of standard gym equipment would lead to a reduction in the bacterial and viral pathogen.

Why viruses spread so easily in gyms?

Gyms offer a wide range of wellbeing services so you get the most out of being a member, but gyms are tricky because it’s typically hard to maintain social distance in a relatively confined space. Although there is a lack of research that says COVID-19 is indeed spread through sweat, respiratory particles can often get mixed in with sweat.

When you have a relatively high density of people exercising and sweating in a contained space, you have conditions where communicable diseases can spread easily. Gym equipment also can be devilishly difficult to sanitize. Dumbbells and kettlebells, for instance, are made of metal and strangely shaped in many different places people can grasp.

Ultimately, in reopening fitness centres after COVID 19 people are going to have to understand and accept that there will be some risks, but there are many steps people can take to mitigate them - Wash. Spray. Wait. Wipe. Repeat.

How can we add to more clean and healthy gyms?

Whether you’re comfortable with resuming your fitness classes again or still have some inconvenience deciding it - there are a few things everyone should keep in mind when it comes to preserving health, not only after the COVID pandemic but for all the future flue seasons, viruses etc.

The most important thing when reopening fitness centres after COVID 19 is to know your gym’s rules and safety protocols before you set off to a new fitness adventure. It is most likely that the areas will be marked to ensure people keep their distance. All the equipment can be separated too, or even put out of use, ensuring fewer people attend one class or occupy one small room at the same time.

Bring water with you and make sure it’s enough to last for your entire workout. You should also bring a clean pair of sneakers and your own towel, but be mindful about where you put it, especially if you’re wiping your face with it. Also, try to minimize the time spent within the gym walls. This does not mean you have to skip classes but go in with a plan for a workout.

What is to be expected in gyms after COVID-19?

Once gyms are finally reopened, in compliance with health we can expect many changes concerning people visiting the gym and the ones in charge of carrying out the gym business after COVID. It seems like cardio, group training and conventional strength and deadlifting programs will be conducted more strictly and that greater precaution measures will be taken. 

While maintaining physical distance, hygiene and tracing any form of illness between employees, fitness club owners will be “forced” to introduce other major changes to resume their business and make it more secure and sustainable than ever. Here’s a glimpse of some changes gyms are most likely to experience in the post-COVID 19 era.

1. Greater safety protocols to ensure everyone’s health

While keeping a distance is one of the major things people will get used to doing, some fitness facilities could incorporate symptoms monitoring like high temperature, distinctive coughing or sick looks all around. Soap and hand-sanitizers will be more available for visitors to wash and clean their hands at the entrance, as they walk in.

These unique health checks can allow your trainer to get to know you better, and create an individual fitness and wellbeing plan more suited to your condition.

2. Improved air quality in healthy gyms

Sometimes social distancing at the gym can be complicated by aerobic exercise. Exercisers breathe heavily and their droplets can linger in the air. The answer to this is a ventilation system that refreshes the air inside and proper gym air filtration from the outside.

Indoor gyms show high levels of airborne dust, formaldehyde and carbon dioxide delivered from different materials and equipment. In sufficient concentrations, meaning, when we are exposed to them long term, these substances can contribute to asthma and other respiratory problems.

3. Nature-friendly equipment is easier to sustain

It is very likely that the current situation concerning the coronavirus will shape the business long term, meaning that many fitness studios have already been assigned to comply with high standards of health, safety and cleanliness. For this to happen, and for ordinary gyms to become healthy gyms, it’s important to, firstly alternate, and then completely replace artificial materials prone to virus clinginess with nature-derived one, non-toxic for people and the environment.

Natural workout equipment is made from hemp, wood, ash and marble etc. The minimalist workout equipment encourages a healthy gyms lifestyle while highlighting the beauty of the natural world. The collection usually consists of a jump rope, push up barrels, dumbbells, an ab wheel and so on.

4. Futuristic healthy gyms - an open space experience

The long term impact that COVID-19 will definitely leave on many gym experiences is that the future is starting to turn more towards open space gyms and more wellness-focused spaces. Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance, while fresh air delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently during the session, maximizing the results.

Final thoughts on post-COVID healthy gyms

The ability to adapt to change renders humans as survivors. This can be also applied in business, in the fitness industry. Gyms who organise around the new realities - smaller market, more hygiene concerns, less disposable income, pervasive laziness, the resilience of specialist offerings - will be more likely to succeed.

Ultimately, a great deal of post-coronavirus activity in the gym will come down to trust - trust in the institution offering exercise services and equipment to properly maintain a sterile environment, and in your fellow gym-goers to clean up after they use that equipment and observe the guidelines of hygiene and distance that have thus far contributed to flattening the curve.

Remember, movement of any kind is good for our physical and mental health! The gym is one of the unique places to collect all the benefits of a healthy and vivacious human being. 

You can be sure that gyms after COVID-19 are looking forward to welcoming you back, and that they will continue to support your health and fitness journey through a safe environment. We all play a part in keeping healthy gyms, and you can expect to be asked to follow a few rules too.

Indoor Air Quality in Gyms

Biophilic design as a unique selling point

When you walk into a green wellness space, gym, yoga studio or BJJ academy, there is an immediate visual impact from the nature-inspired interiors that stands in marked contrast to most such interiors,. While this can be a unique point of differentiation, the real benefits of such eco-friendly interior design choices go far beyond what the eye can see…

Air Quality & Biophilia

When it comes to indoor air quality, nature-inspired interiors are quite literally a breath of fresh air. Why so? Like so many of today’s man-made environments, traditional gyms are designed with scant concern for the provenance or potential toxicity of the materials used in the fit-out. These chemicals are known as indoor air pollutants (IAPs) and they can have a negative effect on gym-goers’ health.

Indoor air pollutants (IAPs) exceed government limits

In a 2014 study, researchers at the University of Lisbon found that a number of local fitness centres had levels of CO2 and VOC that exceeded limits set by Portuguese legislation.[4] Health risks from IAPs may also be magnified during exercise due to deeper breathing patterns.[5] The cruel irony of course is that health centres and gyms are intended to be bastions of wellbeing.

biofit gym protocols

A biophilic gym heads off many of these issues at the pass thanks to its design protocols and then implements a series of ongoing operational procedures to ensure similar standards of healthy air quality are maintained over the long term. Here is our take on it:

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

VOCs are linked to cancer and organ damage. They come from building materials, gym equipment, alcohol-based hand sanitizer and cleaning agents.[1] Biofit gyms avoid VOCs through the use of non-toxic paint; organic materials such as cork panels and eco flooring made of sustainable cork and eco-rubber’; eco cleaning materials and the use of sustainably minded gym equipment suppliers.

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Human breath is the main source of CO2 indoors.  CO2 levels correspond with the rate of outside air supply; the more CO2, the more “stale” the air feels.[2]  In spaces that have a high concentration of sweating human bodies therefore, ventilation and air flow are fundamental. Think of a spinning or hot yoga studio for example. Biofit gyms use NASA approved air-purifying plants as a way to regulate CO2 levels combined with air-purifiers, tackling the problem from two sides and then monitoring the results on a daily basis.

Microscopic & biological air particles

Some tiny particles in the air are linked to cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory disease.[3] Sources of these particles include traffic fumes, cigarette smoke and dust. Bacteria, mould and pollen meanwhile can trigger asthmatic and allergy attacks.[1] Biofit gyms have strict daily cleaning protocols as well as air-purifying strategies to reduce airborne pollens and dust, outdoor shoes are an under-the-radar source of such particles so our gyms recommend barefoot training whenever possible.

the problem with Fitness facilities

In gyms, martial arts academies and yoga studios, gathering large groups of people in relatively small spaces is par for the course. Unfortunately, this is bad news for indoor air quality. While classes are in session, accumulated dust can be thrown up into the air while heavy breathing inevitably adds extra carbon dioxide to the air. In many instances, ventilation simply cannot keep up.  

Green design: A natural solution

High quality air is an inherent quality of biophilic spaces, which, by definition, are intended to replicate an environment that is as close to the great outdoors as possible, including air purity. On this basis, a well-designed organic gym could house the freshest pocket of air in a city block.

To minimise indoor air pollutants, Biofit’s sustainable gym designs include:

• Mindful selection of materials

• Temperature and humidity control to minimise bacterial growth

• Air purifying plants

• High ceilings

• Small to medium-size class sizes

• Appropriate HVAC system

• Low-tech or manually powered gym machinery

• Smoking ban

• Eco-friendly cleaning agents

• Easy-to-clean surfaces

• Non-VOC paint on the walls

To learn more about our eco-friendly, nature-inspired gym design services, please contact us at info @ biofit . io

References

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5707925/

[2] https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ad30/328938f3843eace78ffc672851f956389817.pdf

[3] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health

[4] http://tarjomefa.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/7873-English-TarjomeFa.pdf

[5] https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/35/4/214

Biophilic Design in Gyms & Spas

nature gyms & ‘green’ exercise

Have you ever noticed that sense of calm that washes over you when sitting on a beach watching the waves roll in, or relaxing under a tree deep in a forest while breathing in those positive phytoncides in the air? 

Nature has a powerful impact on our mood and mental wellbeing, a fundamental concept behind the approach of biophilic design which integrates nature into the built environment for similar functional health benefits. 

How? By combining healthy, nature-inspired and sustainable design principles into one.

what is biophilic design doing in a gym or spa?

The objective of using biophilia in an indoor gym or spa is to offer a powerful connection to nature through an abundance of plants, natural toxin-free materials in lieu of nasty synthetics; organic shapes with a wabi-sari (imperfectly beautiful) finish and a soothing palette of beiges, greens and browns. 

We have covered the benefits of training outdoor here and we remain devoted believers in spending time outdoors whenever possible!

Taken together though, all of these design techniques can create an indoor environment with remnants of the great outdoors even in a dense urban context where access to nature may be inherently limited.

Layer in a spa treatment or natural fitness workout on top though and the health benefits start to become truly compelling.   

health benefits of biophilia

In 2017, Biofit commissioned the first scientific study into what is termed as “indoor green exercise”. Conducted by the UKActive Research Institute and University of Essex Green Exercise Group, it ran over four weeks at the Biofit pop-up gym in London with a total of 118 participants taking a natural fitness session. 

Each responded to a ‘before and after’ questionnaire, with the following results:

- 75% felt less stressed after their session

- 80% reported feeling more connected to nature

- 87% found an improvement in positive mood state

- An average enjoyment level of 91/100 

By changing how a gym or indeed spa looks and feels, we can thus increase client satisfaction and boost overall enjoyment whilst ensuring happier, healthier members who feel connected to nature. 

why use a biophilic gym design?

Biophilic design and green exercise is a suitable eco-friendly solution for gyms of 25sq. metres up to 1000sq. metres. While smaller spaces are ideal for focused, small group and personal training, larger facilities can offer an array of training equipment, outdoor obstacles and a variety of zones to cover strength, cardio, movement and mobility.

To discuss how Biofit could help you design and equip your gym, be it a commercial business, home gym, hotel gym or office gym, simply email us on info @ biofit . io 

For our insights on hotel gym design see our dedicate page here.