Training under the open sky

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Outdoor remains in focus

By Corona Outdoor workouts have become a perennial favorite. Fitness facilities are not only moving classes outdoors. Studios such as Equinox in New York, Third Space in London and the Aspria clubs have set up unconventional and pragmatic outdoor training areas. Is this investment worthwhile and will this trend continue in the long term?


Since the start of the corona pandemic, training in the fresh air has taken on a whole new significance. Whereas previously it was only personal trainers or small boutique studios that looked after their customers in parks, now operators of large fitness facilities - born out of necessity - have also shifted training outdoors. Even fitness studios in rainy Hamburg, such as the "Kaifu Lodge" and the "David Lloyd Meridian Spa & Fitness," now have outdoor classes firmly in their programs. This is because customers are concerned, don't want to catch the disease, and avoid large facilities where large numbers of people congregate.


Cycling at Tower Bridge

Especially in the U.S. and England, where financial support for gyms and trainers is more sparse than in Germany, operators have had to find solutions to generate revenue and retain their members. There, they went a step further and opened their own outdoor training areas.

The "Third Space" in London set up training areas under tents outside its studios in Carary Warf at the end of March 2021 and at Tower Bridge at the beginning of April 2021, including hard-wearing rubber flooring and a surround sound system. In the separate cycling and yoga tents, music comes through headphones. The workout areas are equipped with Concept 2 rowing machines, Watt bikes, Assault bikes, dumbbells and the gym's own bikes. Online, 45-minute slots can be booked through the "Eventbrite" booking platform. New York-based premium provider Equinox has opened two major outdoor fitness clubs at once, one in New York and one in Los Angeles.


Premium clubs upgrade outdoors

Equinox opened its first outdoor gym in Los Angeles; where the weather is nice all year round. So it's much easier to make the decision to move an entire gym with expensive equipment out into the fresh air. In London, where "Third Space" uses London's bridges as a roof, it's much more difficult, because the weather there is an incalculable disruptive factor that can ruin the equipment to boot - and yet it works there, too. In Los Angeles, the outdoor club "Equinox+ In The Wild" already started in September 2020 - with success. The club covers an area of over 27,000 m2 on a roof terrace. In case it should rain, the areas with the sensitive strength and endurance equipment were roofed over. Rolled rubber flooring was installed throughout, and a surround sound system also ensures the sound is right outside.

In early October 2020, Equinox opened its second outdoor gym at Hudson Yards in New York City. It stands, hidden behind black movable walls, at the corner of 30th Street and 10th Avenue. The club covers a whopping 15,000 m2. To brave the weather, the treadmills, elliptical trainers, rowing and weight machines were covered with a tent and heat lamps were set up. "When we started the outdoor club at Hudson Yards, it was literally a mound of dirt," Nadia Biski, Equinox's architecture and design manager, says of the site. "We had to bring everything in - water, electricity, high-quality restroom trailers." It wasn't a short-term endeavor planned, she says, but something that would last.


Outdoor Functional Training


Security personnel check to see if masks are worn

The company was also concerned with preparing for pandemic-related restrictions in the long term. The name "Equinox+ In the Wild" refers to training in adverse weather conditions, according to Biski. Still, he says, they tried to add a touch of luxury to the outdoor area as well. Biski points to large shipping containers that serve as both locker rooms and climbing training areas. There's also a food truck, and when you're working out, you have a view of the Empire State Building. To work out there, a 45-minute time slot must be booked in advance via an app. The temperature is taken before the workout. A safety officer ensures that hygiene rules are observed, as masks are mandatory. In addition, two employees are always on site to clean each device with disinfectant after it has been used.


Compliance and timing are key

In Germany, a discounter first tried to set up shop in the open air. However, the whole thing was a PR disaster because of the wrong timing. The "McFit" chain had opened ten outdoor clubs in several cities in mid-February 2021 - despite high incidences and even though the lockdown had been extended. The group took the view that outdoor training was an individual sport and not the group sport that was prohibited at the time. It hailed criticism. With the exception of one outdoor facility in Rostock, the studios, which were provisionally set up under canvas roofs in parking lots and equipped with porta-potties, were summarily closed again by the regulatory authorities. In addition to the right timing for opening, it is therefore important that all applicable measures are taken to prevent infection and that members are not exposed to any unnecessary risk of infection. Professionally designed outdoor training facilities and high hygiene standards with controls seem to be more likely to prove successful.


German clubs also invest in outdoor training

The Pfitzenmeier Group in Schwetzingen has made outdoor training possible with its "Power Garden". Two running tracks, a training tower and a lockable container with equipment offer various outdoor training options. The Training Tower is the heart of the "Power Garden". From battle ropes to TRX bands and a wall bars to push-ups in all heights and inclination positions, the tower offers various options for functional training. Additionally, there are plyoboxes. The bright blue rubberized floor protrudes into an artificial lake. The area is not covered. The workout is designed for outdoor enthusiasts, and the concept here is also meant to last.

Aspria Holding's fitness facilities have one key advantage over other operators in the pandemic: plenty of outdoor space. The already spacious areas in Belgium, Italy and Germany have been optimized to offer members more training opportunities outdoors. All existing lawns, field hockey or beach volleyball fields, terraces and balconies were used to move as many offerings outside as possible. According to Anja Meyer-Siemers, Wellbeing Manager at "Aspria Alstertal Hamburg," the balcony was used for functional training, mobility, small group training and personal training. "In addition, we placed workout equipment and spinning bikes there so members could also use the area for individual training," Meyer-Siemers said. "We used our sauna garden for classes in the summer, and we used our beach volleyball court not only for beach volleyball classes, but also for functional training and HIIT classes." The most important investment, he said, was in a booking app to limit the number of participants. "We also purchased a new music system for the outdoor area."


Up to 75 percent of members exercised outside

At "Aspria" in Hamburg-Uhlenhorst, all classes took place outside on the field hockey field. Cycling and yoga were available on the roof terrace. "Our functional training tower became the most popular training equipment," says Geraldine Seibel-Lübbcke, general manager of "Aspria Uhlenhorst." SeibelSeibel- Lübbcke assumes that outdoor training will continue in the future. Thomas Strohmeyer is general manager of the "Aspria Hannover" at the Maschsee. According to Strohmeyer, the outdoor offering has been optimized by Corona. While the outdoor training offer was previously 25 percent and indoor 75 percent, the ratio reversed during the Corona pandemic in the summer with 75 percent outdoor and 25 percent indoor, he said. "We installed an arena on the big lawn in front of the beach, which not only helped with spacing, but looked really great and was received great," the general manager says.

"After Corona, I'm sure we'll continue to have a good turnout for many outdoor offerings. There's a lot of demand and members have taken a liking to doing classes in the fresh air," Strohmeyer says. Hanover also set up a functional training area in front of the club, which could also be used for yoga and Pilates classes at times. "We invested in outdoor-ready equipment - especially cycling bikes. The bikes could stay outside. A rain shelter is sufficient, and the humidity doesn't harm the equipment. We are fortunate to have the space to play in additional areas and also to invest in appropriate equipment and infrastructure. We didn't need any conversions or additional room development. In this respect, this is certainly not a pandemic phenomenon for us, but a clear strengthening of one of the important pillars of our concept."


Manufacturers follow suit

Whereas operators previously had to actively search for solutions themselves in order to find suitable equipment for outdoors, there are now manufacturers such as DHZ Fitness and Dr. WOLFF, among others, who already have professional equipment for setting up outdoor gyms in their range. Concepts such as the "Outdoor Campus" from Dr. WOLFF or the "OutdoorGym" from DHZ Fitness offer new ways to provide outdoor training alternatives. The "Get Fit" in Höchst, for example, has Dr. WOLFF's "Outdoor Campus" set up and covered on its outdoor terrace.

At the moment, no one can say for sure whether the situation for fitness facilities will get much better this year after a vaccination and booster campaign, whether an endemic situation will perhaps set in with the Omikron virus variant and the situation will ease slightly as a result, or whether a completely new virus mutation will once again bring the industry an autumn and winter with restrictions. Those who are prepared for this will certainly have a better chance of retaining their core members. In summary, a good concept should be designed for the long term so that it pays for itself. It must meet hygiene requirements as well as training needs, provide a good sound and appeal to the target group in the long term.


Source: Bodylife

Image source:didesign / Adobe Stock

Published on: 16 March 2022

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