outdoor gyms as a healthy alternative to indoor workouts
porto montenegro. outdoor gym by biofit
Outdoor gyms in the time of COVID19
As the pandemic drifts on, hoteliers, real estate developers, corporate offices and amateur fitness enthusiasts alike are having to re-evaluate their fitness facility options for the medium-term.
Restricted access based on a pre-booking system has removed the spontaneity of working out for many, while obligatory face masks have now been proven beyond all doubt to be a necessary yet troublesome burden whilst sweating hard.
Indoor air quality in gyms
We have written previously about the issue of poor indoor air quality in gyms (long story short - it could be a lot better in most cases!) even those with seemingly well functioning air con systems but the pandemic has sharpened the general public’s awareness of the role ventilation, fresh air and high-quality air filters can play in maintaining a healthy indoor environment that protects against the spread of airborne diseases.
One solution is to look long and hard at the type of materials present in the gym (for example, anything that gives off harmful Volatile Organic Compounds), whether there is an eco-cleaning protocol in place and above all the efficiency of the air filtration system - even installing an air quality monitor to measure CO2 levels, airborne particulate matter and so on. Another option, is to simply take the gym outside…
Real Club Padel Marbella outdoor gym
The outdoor gym trend
In retrospect, perhaps it was inevitable that hotels, offices and even existing gyms themselves would, in the face of an airborne virus, look to capitalize on their outdoor spaces, or re-format underutilized indoor-outdoor spaces in order to offer a workout environment in the fresh air, with a correspondingly reduced risk of virus transmission.
Some, like the Real Club Padel Marbella were early adopters of the idea, making full use of their year-round climate, whilst others such as the Club Nautico Atletic Barceloneta (CNAB) have been quick to repurpose what was once an unused terrace into a functional fitness facility (Cross CNAB) with a semi-permanent roof and natural ventilation.
Cross CNAB - a functional fitness gym with natural ventilation and abundant natural light
Designing an outdoor gym
Biofit outdoor gym designs can roughly be divided into two camps, the all-natural approach and the functional approach. An all-natural version of an outdoor gym in Europe at least if likely going to involve some form of reinforced wood obstacles, along the lines of OCR or military training concepts, such as hurdles, balance beams, monkey bars, ropes and so on.
In other words, it starts to looks something like the type of training facility imagined by the natural fitness visionary Georges Hebert, founder of the Methode Naturelle:
Georges Hebert, Methode Naturelle, outdoor natural fitness gym
We have recently seen a number of entrepreneurs come up with creative hybrid solutions that blend contemporary weight lifting gym equipment with natural materials. This can lead to some interesting dimensions when it comes to weight plates in particular, even with the densest of hardwoods, but in the age of Instagram this is clearly no bad thing as it makes for a great photo opp!
Tulum Jungle Gym
Much respect to our pal Alastair Carter over in Tulum for his mighty fine Tulum Jungle Gym set-up, and the Turkish group Woodsman Fitness too.
Re-uniting fitness and nature for 21st century urbanites has always been Biofit’s main objective so if there is any kind of a silver lining to come out of the incredibly harsh pandemic, it may just be this.
Contact us to enquire about outdoor gym design projects: matt @ biofit.io