Creating a gym in the workplace is a great way to support the wellness and fitness of your employees whilst also bringing a great communal space to foster relationships within your business.
Designing your perfect corporate gym can seem like a daunting task but putting care and thought into the practices, equipment and design of your gym is make or break to how successful it is in helping your employee’s wellbeing.
It is important that your workout space not only creates an environment that allows your employees to switch off from the stresses of the workplace, but also one that is cohesive to your brand and helps uplift your business as a whole.
Here are some great tips on the best design features for your workplace gym to create a productive and healthy environment for your employees:
Importance of workplace wellness and physical activity
In 2023, more and more workplaces are putting employee wellbeing and fitness at the forefront of their agendas. A workplace gym is one of the best ways to keep employee morale high whilst also providing a variety of brilliant benefits to your business.
Studies have revealed that there is a direct link between workplace stress and mental health problems, which is an ethical issue that increasingly business cannot ignore and must take proactive steps to combat. Over the past few years, mental health issues within the UK are increasing as a serious issue, costing the UK economy at least £117.9 billion annually.
The costs to your company are no small matter too, with workplace stress, depression and anxiety being cited as the reason for over 17 million working days lost in 2021/2022 . Regular workouts are scientifically proven to reduce both stress and anxiety, helping to improve their quality of life.
Creating a space to allow employees to regularly partake in physical activity, is a simple yet incredibly effective way to combat workplace stress and help increase employee health, both mentally and physically. When your employees are feeling great about themselves, your business is bound to shine.
Benefits of a workplace gym
A company that priorities holistic employee wellbeing is becoming an increasingly important priority for many people in 2023 and is key to attracting new employees and retaining existing ones.
Physical and mental wellbeing is moving to the forefront of many businesses’ agenda and creating a workplace gym is a clear way to show employees your commitment and dedication to them. If it wasn’t clear how important considering wellness is, one statistic revealed that 50% of employees said they would overlook a 10% pay rise if they felt that a company cared about them and their wellbeing.
An in-house gym is also a proven way to help keep your employees focused, happy and reaching their full potential. Implementing a corporate gym into your business has been proven to improve productivity and employee engagement.
Factors to consider when designing a workplace gym
Designing the best workplace gym could be the difference between a great potential employee choosing your business compared to a competitor.
The first thing to consider is what your employees want – there’s no point creating a space filled with heavy weights when everyone would rather centre their mind and body in a yoga class. Gaining employee feedback into what they would like to see from you is the first step to designing a productive and healthy space that they will feel excited to use.
Corporate gym design is all about finding the perfect balance between a space for your employees to switch from work mode to a productive, mindful headspace, whilst also feeling like an integrated part of your company and building.
Motivational slogans and imagery are a great way to achieve this, getting your employees into a headspace where they are ready to push their physical limits the moment they cross over the threshold.
Considering the features of your building and creating a cohesive gym design that celebrates the unique history and style of it is the perfect way to make your gym feel like a part of your company. To give you some suggestions, a modern, high-rise block would have a modern, sleek gym to match, with floor to ceiling windows and light colours.
On the other hand, a redbrick, industrial building might opt for a more rough and unpolished finish with overhanging beams and metal pillars. Creating a unique space that works with your brand’s design and values is a great way to celebrate your unique building and create the vision of a perfect corporate gym.
Available space
When designing your workplace gym, it is important to consider early on both the limitations of your building as well as the unique structural features available to you. Different spaces can offer different benefits and help create a refreshingly unique and standout design in your gym to set it apart. It is important to remember that size isn’t everything when it comes to working out and even the smallest area can have great potential.
Structural details should be considered to ensure the space feels light and airy. Studies have shown that natural light can make workouts more enjoyable and productive so utilising natural light can be a great way to bring your workout space to the next level. Floor to ceiling windows work especially well for this, also perfect for making the gym feel cohesive to the office space in more modern and high-rise developments.
Budget and equipment selection
Figuring out what equipment is right for your gym is an important task and can make or break how well utilised your gym is.
Purchasing refurbished machines is a great option, both due to its sustainability as well as helping free up the budget for more high-tech models in areas of fitness you would really like to focus on. Refurbished machines can cost between to 20% – 40% of the price of a new model, allowing you to get the most for your budget.
Investing in sustainable and eco-friendly equipment can be a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and lower your energy bills. Bamboo makes a great alternative to traditional wood and matts made of cotton, cork or hemp help bring comfort to yoga and Pilates classes. Using sustainable materials is a great way to set your gym apart and show employees that your business is dedicated to a greater cause.
For those with limited budget, a multi-functional work room that can be adapted many different types of activities with minimal equipment is a great way to facilitate a lot of workouts without needing lots of equipment.
Safety and accessibility
Considering gym safety and accessibility early on is a crucial task to prevent any accidents further down the line.
Conducting an analysis of the safety and health risks is the first step towards minimising risks in your workplace gym. Spotting potential problems early on and coming up with an efficient solution is necessary to creating a great gym space where everyone feels welcome.
Ensuring all gym members have to complete an induction with a staff member to use the gym is another essential part of keeping everyone safe and using the machines correctly so they don’t injure themselves or other members. It also has a double benefit of making them feel welcome and knowledgeable about how the workings of your gym as inductions can be tailored to their specific needs.
Ensuring the machines are well maintained and working correctly minimises accident risk – specialist gym management ensures the right staff can access the machines easily to conduct repairs is an important factor to consider too.
Best practices for designing a workplace gym
Another key trend that is important to consider when designing your workplace gym is an increasing demand for environmentally friendly and energy efficient designs. As we move towards a carbon neutral world, it is important that gyms put these good practices into reality.
There are many different ways to incorporate these good practices into your gym. Using recycled materials to create your gym, sourcing supplies locally to reduce air miles, purchasing sustainable machines and incorporating green LED lighting, recycling and renewable energy at every step of the way.
As well as taking steps towards a carbon-free future, there are many other benefits to sustainable products. LED lights have a significantly longer life than traditional bulbs and mimic natural daylight to create a softer, lighter feel. Living walls are another great and unique way to help bring a bit of nature into your gym, creating an eye-catching feature that also helps purify your gym’s air.
Incorporating good practices not only creates a unique, calming workplace gym but reinforces your brand’s commitment to good causes, both sustainability and wellbeing.
Layout and equipment selection (equipment for all needs)
When selecting the machines for your workplace gym, understanding your space and how to use it to create aesthetic and an appealing layout is crucial.
Structural features such as ceiling heights and overhanging beams often provide a natural limit to where certain machines can be placed. Different Cardio equipment such as treadmills are best suited to a window spot to utilise the benefits of natural light and a beautiful view. Functional training equipment on the other hand, is better suited to a mirrored area. Understanding where brings out the best in different workouts is essential to creating the perfect layout for your workplace gym.
Whilst having a wide variety of machines available to help facilitate everyone’s needs, it is important to remember that less can often be more. Long, monotonous rows of machines can create uninspiring spaces and make your gym a less appealing place to be. Having fewer but better-quality machines laid out in a creative way can help create an aesthetically pleasing space for employees to enjoy.
Flexibility and customisation
Your employees are all individuals so it’s no surprise that there’s likely to be a range of favourite workouts amongst them. From yoga to Pilates to HIIT to strength training, there are so many great options to choose from and facilitating as many of them as possible is vital to making the gym a fun and accessible for everyone.
Purchasing and arranging many different machines can become a tricky task, especially when working with a smaller space or limited budget. Adaptability is a must-have and multi-functional workout space which can be customised to suit a variety of classes and exercises is a great way to do this without breaking the bank. A light, modern and airy open space to allow for mats to be swapped out for a weights whenever needed is a perfect solution.
Maintenance and cleaning
Often overlooked, great gym maintenance is just as important as a well-designed space when ensuring your workplace gym remains fully utilised and a thriving hub of fitness. Being pumped for your favourite workout only to find the equipment dirty or poorly maintained can be very demotivating to the gym user.
Gym maintenance needs to be a well thought out priority from the get-go, ensuring everything is easy for maintenance crew to access when anything needs cleaning or fixing.
Planning in advance to have the right people on premises and ready to fix, clean and maintain equipment whenever they’re needed is essential for maintaining a sociable and productive space.
The benefits of a well-designed workplace gym
The benefits of a well-designed workplace gym go beyond just employee satisfaction.
When good practices are implemented and the design is well considered, a great gym can enhance the standout features of your building, providing a cohesive space for your brand that demonstrates commitment to employee wellbeing and sustainability.
At motive8, we work closely with businesses to help them design and manage their perfect workplace gym, bringing a range of health and wellbeing solutions and strategies which help bring your facility to the next level. We’re helping organisations combat workplace stress by bringing great benefits to their employees, their business and the economy as a whole.
Our friendly and experienced gym design team are ready to help you create the perfect workplace space. For a free consultation please email us or call us on 020 8481 9700.
