Outdoor gyms are more than just a trendy concept — they offer many health benefits to users. Studies show that outdoor fitness is associated with greater energy and less stress. In addition, workouts in natural environments are associated with decreased anger, depression and confusion. There is also greater satisfaction compared to exercising indoors.
As a gym owner or manager, you can capitalize on these benefits by investing in an outdoor workout space for your customers, and part of making your outdoor gym great is ensuring you have the right setup.
The Advantages of Outdoor Gyms
Outdoor fitness areas have a spark that sets them apart from indoor gyms. This difference comes from the ability to interact with nature and breathe fresh air while exercising. An outdoor gym offers a unique blend of purpose-built exercise equipment and natural surroundings, creating an invigorating and refreshing workout experience for gymgoers.
Let’s dive into more advantages of outdoor gyms:
- No indoor gym rules: Most gyms have rules and etiquette that all members must follow. While some of these rules are meant to protect your clients, you may not have to apply the same rules in an outdoor gym, such as giving people space. Your clients will feel a greater sense of freedom when exercising in the outdoor gym.
- Connecting with nature: Depending on the gym’s location, exercising outdoors allows your clients to enjoy more time outside. This element is especially great for people who spend a lot of time indoors working or doing other tasks. By giving them an accessible way to exercise outdoors, you can help your customers reconnect with nature.
- A sense of community: Outdoor gyms are a major attraction for people who want to workout together. Friends or family members of gymgoers will find it easy to join them for a workout as a group. It can be more fun to exercise together outside than indoors, and it’s also an opportunity to meet new people and make friends.
Things to Consider When You Build an Outdoor Gym
Whether your clients exercise inside or outside a building, your priority should be their comfort. To meet these expectations, there are factors you should consider when building an outdoor gym to create the most intuitive and accessible gym setup.
Shelter
One of the most important parts of creating an outdoor workout space is sheltering clients from rain and excessive sunlight. Specifically, canopy shades can safeguard your gym clients without being an obstruction.
A canopy can balance how much sunshine your customers can take in, helping them prevent excess sun exposure. They can step out from under the outdoor gym canopy and get much-needed vitamin D while still getting protection as they work out. Additionally, many canopies are waterproof, which is ideal for keeping the gym functional during rainy weather.
Natural Elements
Try blending your outdoor gym with its surroundings. For example, you can choose equipment in earthy colors to create a space that doesn’t feel like an obstruction but rather one that complements nature. It’s also important to consider the location of the outdoor gym. The location should be easy for your clients to access — ideally close to a convenient entry and exit point.
Weatherproof Equipment
Considering the changing seasons and weather conditions, you’ll likely want to invest in weatherproof gym equipment. Any other type of equipment won’t be able to endure harsh weather. However, investing in an outdoor gym canopy can help save you the additional expense of buying weatherproof equipment.
Flooring
You’ll want to use weather-resistant and anti-slip flooring materials for your outdoor gym. Interlocking rubber floor tiles are good options. Although your location may have even ground that doesn’t require many modifications, you still have to choose the right flooring materials to reduce injury risks in the outdoor gym.
Security
If your outdoor gym has the right setup, you can implement security measures like proper lighting, surveillance cameras and secure storage options. These elements help protect your gym equipment and allow you to monitor the space. With secure lockers, customers have an accessible place to store their belongings as they get a work out in.
How to Create an Inviting Outdoor Workout Area
Although an outdoor workout area is an attraction in itself, more additions can make your gym unique from the rest. As you seek to maximize your return on investment, incorporating functional elements and design considerations will attract more clients and increase your revenue.
Use the tips below to help your outdoor gym stand out.
- Incorporate color: While you may not want your outdoor gym to be an eyesore, you still want to make it look visually appealing. Rather than colors like black, consider adding equipment in more interesting tones, like dark green, navy or maroon. These shades can still be eye-catching as they blend into the surrounding natural area. If you want to add brighter colors, try doing so minimally to create a visual balance.
- Add an artificial lawn: Depending on where you plan to set up your outdoor gym, you may want to add synthetic grass, which can hold up against repeated wear and tear. Synthetic grass is more secure and stable when weight training, and multiple people can walk across it every day without causing much damage, especially compared to natural grass.
- Don’t forget the music: Music always helps pump up gymgoers when they’re in the middle of an intense cardio or strength training workout. If your outdoor gym will be an extension of your building, try adding speakers to carry the music playing inside to the outdoors. Just remember to keep the volume reasonable so the noise isn’t disruptive to surrounding businesses.
- Use the right lighting: If your outdoor gym will be open at night, you want to make sure people can see clearly as they work out. Consider adding different forms of lighting to illuminate the area.
Find Canopies for Your Outdoor Gym From USA SHADE
The primary function of a gym canopy is to provide shelter, allowing your clients to exercise outdoors, rain or shine. At USA SHADE, we can create the perfect shade structure designs for your outdoor gym. We’ve manufactured over 300,000 shade structures in the last three decades, supplying businesses just like yours with the shade structures they need to keep patrons and equipment protected.
With an array of shade structure options, you can choose a combination of custom styles to suit your outdoor gym and overall fitness brand. USA SHADE is committed to building products with a people-first mindset, ensuring your customers will be able to get the most out of them. Contact us today to learn more about customized canopies for your outdoor gym.