EGYM | Fit Tech promotion
EGYM | Fit Tech promotion
EGYM | Fit Tech promotion
features

Sponsored: ServiceSport: Refresh and renew

Sustainability in the fitness industry is coming on in leaps and bounds as more operators refurbish their gym equipment to save money and the planet

Published in Health Club Management 2024 issue 5

The fitness industry makes a significant impact on the environment, as a result of the energy consumption, materials and waste generated by used gym equipment.

According to research, the manufacture and disposal of equipment contributes to carbon emissions and resource depletion, but as industry leaders and operators strive to reduce their carbon footprint and become more eco-friendly, the practice of prolonging the life of gym equipment through careful refurbishment is gaining traction.

This approach not only aligns with sustainable practices, but also proves to be economically beneficial for operators looking to optimise their investments.

The practice of prolonging the life of equipment through refurbishment is poised to become standard practice for operators worldwide. By prioritising environmental responsibility, economic efficiency, and member satisfaction, operators can lead the way towards a more sustainable future.

The shift towards sustainability in the fitness industry offers immense opportunities for operators to not only reduce their environmental impact, but also optimise their operations and enhance the member experience. By refreshing existing gym equipment and recognising the value in prolonging their lifespan, operators can contribute to a healthier planet, stronger communities and a thriving industry focused on longevity and sustainability.

Refreshing existing gym equipment, rather than replacing it, offers gym operators a host of benefits. It’s clearly more cost-effective than purchasing new machines and allows operators to save on capital expenditure, or invest in other sustainable practices, while still providing members with high-quality fitness equipment.

By refurbishing equipment, operators divert machines from landfill, reduce waste and minimise the need for the use of new raw materials, thus promoting a circular economy and sustainable practices.

Refreshed equipment also enhances the member experience by ensuring machines are in optimal condition, safe and meet their evolving fitness needs.

Embracing sustainability and prolonging the life of equipment enhances a facility’s brand image, attracting environmentally-conscious members and showcasing a commitment to responsible business practices.

Equipment refreshes allow operators to customise machines to suit their branding and incorporate new features that cater to evolving fitness trends and member preferences.

More: www.servicesport.com

Key considerations for operators
Before embarking on an equipment refresh initiative, industry leaders and gym operators should consider the following key aspects:
Assessment and planning

Work with a provider that conducts a thorough evaluation of your equipment to identify machines that can be refurbished. Following this, develop a comprehensive plan that aligns with your sustainability goals and budget constraints

Quality and safety standards

Partner with a provider that ensures refreshed equipment meets safety standards, performance requirements and member expectations

Member engagement and communication

Communicate the equipment refresh initiative to your members, highlighting the benefits of sustainable practices, improved fitness experiences, and commitment to environmental stewardship. This is the perfect time to encourage feedback and engagement to enhance member satisfaction

ROI and long-term savings

Evaluate the return on investment (ROI) of equipment refresh projects by considering cost savings, extended equipment lifespan, energy efficiency gains and potential revenue growth from member retention and acquisition

Success stories
Numerous operators have implemented equipment refresh strategies to prolong the life of their equipment and reap associated benefits.
Bannatyne health clubs

ServiceSport UK played an integral role in the opening of Bannatyne’s first Just Fitness site in Broadstairs, UK, by refreshing a range of gym equipment, including Technogym treadmills and cross trainers.

Nuffield Health

One of the largest gym operators in the UK has partnered with ServiceSport UK on a number of refresh projects that involved a full extraction of existing gym equipment and the installation of refreshed gym equipment in return. When compared with replacing the equipment with brand new, this has saved more than £150,000, and contributed towards Nuffield Health’s sustainability objectives.

The Ministry of Defence

By partnering with ServiceSport UK for 10 years, The Ministry of Defence has refreshed its cardio equipment and strength machines, such as treadmills, elliptical trainers, leg press, leg curl, shoulder press and chest press.

Extending the lifespan of equipment and aligning with sustainability goals, the refreshed machines receive positive feedback from those in the services at army barracks across the UK.

Sign up here to get Fit Tech's weekly ezine and every issue of Fit Tech magazine free on digital.
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features

Sponsored: ServiceSport: Refresh and renew

Sustainability in the fitness industry is coming on in leaps and bounds as more operators refurbish their gym equipment to save money and the planet

Published in Health Club Management 2024 issue 5

The fitness industry makes a significant impact on the environment, as a result of the energy consumption, materials and waste generated by used gym equipment.

According to research, the manufacture and disposal of equipment contributes to carbon emissions and resource depletion, but as industry leaders and operators strive to reduce their carbon footprint and become more eco-friendly, the practice of prolonging the life of gym equipment through careful refurbishment is gaining traction.

This approach not only aligns with sustainable practices, but also proves to be economically beneficial for operators looking to optimise their investments.

The practice of prolonging the life of equipment through refurbishment is poised to become standard practice for operators worldwide. By prioritising environmental responsibility, economic efficiency, and member satisfaction, operators can lead the way towards a more sustainable future.

The shift towards sustainability in the fitness industry offers immense opportunities for operators to not only reduce their environmental impact, but also optimise their operations and enhance the member experience. By refreshing existing gym equipment and recognising the value in prolonging their lifespan, operators can contribute to a healthier planet, stronger communities and a thriving industry focused on longevity and sustainability.

Refreshing existing gym equipment, rather than replacing it, offers gym operators a host of benefits. It’s clearly more cost-effective than purchasing new machines and allows operators to save on capital expenditure, or invest in other sustainable practices, while still providing members with high-quality fitness equipment.

By refurbishing equipment, operators divert machines from landfill, reduce waste and minimise the need for the use of new raw materials, thus promoting a circular economy and sustainable practices.

Refreshed equipment also enhances the member experience by ensuring machines are in optimal condition, safe and meet their evolving fitness needs.

Embracing sustainability and prolonging the life of equipment enhances a facility’s brand image, attracting environmentally-conscious members and showcasing a commitment to responsible business practices.

Equipment refreshes allow operators to customise machines to suit their branding and incorporate new features that cater to evolving fitness trends and member preferences.

More: www.servicesport.com

Key considerations for operators
Before embarking on an equipment refresh initiative, industry leaders and gym operators should consider the following key aspects:
Assessment and planning

Work with a provider that conducts a thorough evaluation of your equipment to identify machines that can be refurbished. Following this, develop a comprehensive plan that aligns with your sustainability goals and budget constraints

Quality and safety standards

Partner with a provider that ensures refreshed equipment meets safety standards, performance requirements and member expectations

Member engagement and communication

Communicate the equipment refresh initiative to your members, highlighting the benefits of sustainable practices, improved fitness experiences, and commitment to environmental stewardship. This is the perfect time to encourage feedback and engagement to enhance member satisfaction

ROI and long-term savings

Evaluate the return on investment (ROI) of equipment refresh projects by considering cost savings, extended equipment lifespan, energy efficiency gains and potential revenue growth from member retention and acquisition

Success stories
Numerous operators have implemented equipment refresh strategies to prolong the life of their equipment and reap associated benefits.
Bannatyne health clubs

ServiceSport UK played an integral role in the opening of Bannatyne’s first Just Fitness site in Broadstairs, UK, by refreshing a range of gym equipment, including Technogym treadmills and cross trainers.

Nuffield Health

One of the largest gym operators in the UK has partnered with ServiceSport UK on a number of refresh projects that involved a full extraction of existing gym equipment and the installation of refreshed gym equipment in return. When compared with replacing the equipment with brand new, this has saved more than £150,000, and contributed towards Nuffield Health’s sustainability objectives.

The Ministry of Defence

By partnering with ServiceSport UK for 10 years, The Ministry of Defence has refreshed its cardio equipment and strength machines, such as treadmills, elliptical trainers, leg press, leg curl, shoulder press and chest press.

Extending the lifespan of equipment and aligning with sustainability goals, the refreshed machines receive positive feedback from those in the services at army barracks across the UK.

Sign up here to get Fit Tech's weekly ezine and every issue of Fit Tech magazine free on digital.
Gallery
More features
Editor's letter

Into the fitaverse

Fitness is already among the top three markets in the metaverse, with new technology and partnerships driving real growth and consumer engagement that looks likely to spill over into health clubs, gyms and studios
Fit Tech people

Ali Jawad

Paralympic powerlifter and founder, Accessercise
Users can easily identify which facilities in the UK are accessible to the disabled community
Fit Tech people

Hannes Sjöblad

MD, DSruptive
We want to give our users an implantable tool that allows them to collect their health data at any time and in any setting
Fit Tech people

Jamie Buck

Co-founder, Active in Time
We created a solution called AiT Voice, which turns digital data into a spoken audio timetable that connects to phone systems
Profile

Fahad Alhagbani: reinventing fitness

The team is young and ambitious, and the awareness of technology is very high. We share trends and out-of-the-box ideas almost every day
Opinion

Building on the blockchain

For small sports teams looking to compete with giants, blockchain can be a secret weapon explains Lars Rensing, CEO of Protokol
Innovation

Bold move

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App analysis

Check your form

Sency’s motion analysis technology is allowing users to check their technique as they exercise. Co-founder and CEO Gal Rotman explains how
Profile

New reality

Sam Cole, CEO of FitXR, talks to Fit Tech about taking digital workouts to the next level, with an immersive, virtual reality fitness club
Profile

Sohail Rashid

My vision was to create a platform that could improve the sport for lifters at all levels and attract more people, similar to how Strava, Peloton and Zwift have in other sports
Ageing

Reverse Ageing

Many apps help people track their health, but Humanity founders Peter Ward and Michael Geer have put the focus on ageing, to help users to see the direct repercussions of their habits. They talk to Steph Eaves
App analysis

Going hybrid

Workout Anytime created its app in partnership with Virtuagym. Workout Anytime’s Greg Maurer and Virtuagym’s Hugo Braam explain the process behind its creation
Research

Physical activity monitors boost activity levels

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have conducted a meta analysis of all relevant research and found that the body of evidence shows an impact
Editor's letter

Two-way coaching

Content providers have been hugely active in the fit tech market since the start of the pandemic. We expect the industry to move on from delivering these services on a ‘broadcast-only’ basis as two-way coaching becomes the new USP
Fit Tech People

Laurent Petit

Co-founder, Active Giving
The future of sports and fitness are dependent on the climate. Our goal is to positively influence the future of our planet by instilling a global vision of wellbeing and a sense of collective action
Fit Tech People

Adam Zeitsiff

CEO, Intelivideo
We don’t just create the technology and bail – we support our clients’ ongoing hybridisation efforts
Fit Tech People

Anantharaman Pattabiraman

CEO and co-founder, Auro
When you’re undertaking fitness activities, unless you’re on a stationary bike, in most cases it’s not safe or necessary to be tied to a screen, especially a small screen
Fit Tech People

Mike Hansen

Managing partner, Endorphinz
We noticed a big gap in the market – customers needed better insights but also recommendations on what to do, whether that be customer acquisition, content creation, marketing and more
More features