Is The Future Of Fitness Green?
Did you know that the Australian fitness industry is worth an estimated $2.2 billion dollars? Take a look at the United States and that figure climbs to a staggering $30 billion dollars - and it's growing every year. As people become more conscious of their health and fitness, there is a growing number of gym users looking for ways to exercise that are sustainable and environmentally friendly. Have you heard of Twenty Four Gym yet? It's a new automated gym and sports facility based in Germany, where all equipment is self-powered. Wow. Twenty Four's Founder and CEO, Philipp Maier says "At the heart of Twenty Four is a focus on sustainability, energy efficiency and being carbon neutral”.
They're not alone...
By the way, Twenty Four is not alone. Joining them in the carbon neutral race is The Green Microgym in Portland, Terra Hale in London and Green Fitness Studio in New York. The Green Microgym has some crazy stats to boot - They utilise energy captured from their high end bikes and elliptical trainers to power the facility. Green Microgym claim, per square foot that they have a carbon footprint one-tenth the size of a traditional gym thanks to using 85% less electricity. Not only is that good for the environment but it's fantastic for the businesses bottom line.
Twenty Four Gym - Eco friendly and fully automated
Like any business one could argue that gyms have the potential to produce a lot of carbon emissions. This is due to the amount of energy consumed by operating systems and running their equipment. In order to be sustainable some gyms are investing in solar panels, whilst others are planting trees to offset their carbon emissions. How long until a number of gyms go off the grid by using only renewable energy sources?
As the fitness industry is predicted to grow, it's important that it grows in a way that is sustainable and environmentally friendly. We're already starting to see other traditional processes moved to the cloud as businesses go paperless. You might have seen that Fitness & Lifestyle Group has moved it's joining process to be fully automated and digital. This is across Fitness First Australia, Goodlife Australia, Jetts New Zealand and the Zap Fitness brands as part of a revamped digital offering. This means new members can now signup online, control their payments and even attend an induction directly through a smartphone.
So if the future of fitness is green, how can you start to do your part? It doesn't have to involve drastic action initially, some simple steps can be taken to help reduce your carbon footprint. In fact, we've listed 3 below.
3 Simple Ways To Reduce Your Gyms Carbon Footprint
With a bit of a nudge in the right direction you'd be surprised at how people are willing to be invested in something if it's good for them and the world around them. A recent study even discovered that 73% of millennials are open to paying a little but more for sustainable goods. As we mentioned previously some simple steps can be taken to help your gym go green.
1). Switch up your lighting - Do LED lights suit your facility? Whilst they may cost a bit more in the beginning they also last a lot longer than other bulbs. LED Lights will brighten your gym floor, cost less in the long run and last longer. Another option to explore is installing motion sensors for lights in change rooms, bathrooms and hallways.
LED lighting inside Twenty Four Gym's changerooms
2). Eco friendly supplies - Next time you're re-stocking supplies filter them through the eco friendly lens. Even something as simple as switching to Yoga Mats like the Harmony Mat is an easy start. Mats like this are 100% recyclable and PVC free.
3). Reduce water consumption - There's a double benefit on this one, you'll help save the environment but also save on the water bill too. Are your toilets and urinals efficient and can you find flow restrictors for the shower heads that don't ruin the change room experience. Refining your water usage might also help you find any potential leaks or issues especially if you're in older buildings and facilities. You can bring customers along for the journey on this one too by creating a campaign around saving consumption and reporting on monthly usage.
Watch this space...
This is a section of the fitness industry that we'll be keeping a keen eye on. How long until we start seeing gyms in Australia operating off of the power generated by their users? And if you're operating this way already we'd love to hear all about it.