#PLANKTHECURVE – Designing for Wellness in the New Normal

In more ways than one, the pandemic showed us the value of staying fit; regular exercises positively impact the immune system and its anti-viral defences. Learn the latest design approaches!

Fitness is a $34 billion industry, and an estimated 20% of Americans have a membership to some form of a fitness club, according to the International Health Racquet & Sports Club Association (IHRSA). With gyms & clubs shutting doors, a large portion of this population turned to their phones & laptops. Be it virtual yoga classes or buying a Peloton, endless lockdowns forced us to find ways to exercise effectively within four walls. Like everything else, the fitness industry has thus altered dramatically but by no means are people going to stop working out.

Photo Credits: The Times

Photo Credits: Shutterstock

Post-pandemic gyms will look very different, especially back-end engineering. Controlling airflow, outside ventilation, and air volume are key factors in creating a safe environment. We could start our approach to gym design post covid with a review of the movement of the average user in a gym. Adapting the facilities to mould their route and routine and ensure minimal contact, as a first step, could bring about a reduction in the spread of the infection. Tracking and developing a route through the gym’s facilities can be divided into zones, also allowing the facility to utilise their ventilation and cleaning systems efficiently.

The standard approach to any public space now begins with a temperature screening, health declaration and a log of users and visitors to facilitate any contact tracing. The same standard will be applicable at gyms. This positions the entrance and reception as the first zone. It is crucial to have a well-planned route with distinct signs around the facility. A good wayfinding system should be clear in its presentation and its message. The entrance to the gym is the ideal place to highlight key messages regarding the changes to the facility and its layout. An ideal layout must strike a balance between access and functionality.

Photo Credits: CNBC

The second zone is the user’s movement to the change and locker room. Typically, gyms have high ceilings and large open spaces with ventilation systems that provide a good percentage of outside air diluting the air inside, thus reducing viral load in the interiors. Potential problem areas, such as enclosed locker rooms, are most likely designed for negative air pressure, which means that air in these areas are not recirculated but is exhausted directly away from people. The heat and sweat produced by exercisers mean the average humidity level in most clubs is around 40 per cent to 60 per cent. Research shows that viruses respond poorly in that humidity range and thus become inactive. Additionally, increasing the MERV-rating of filters and frequently changing these filters will further mitigate risk.

The gym floor tends to be designed along zones of workout, with specific requirements for cardio, both for free form and mechanical cardio exercises, and for weight training. These two zones are usually individual training platforms, with the occasional gym trainer or staff moderating the workout routine. Other workout zones include group workouts, such as HIIT, Yoga, Pilates, Aerobics, and others. Together, these zones form the bulk of the high-risk spaces in a gym, and our approach to a safer workout environment will be focused on designing these with health and wellness priorities in mind.

A recent research paper studying the aerosol particle concentrations in gym environments highlighted two aspects of ventilation that will be critical in any gym design in a post-covid world. The paper presents measurements of aerosol particle concentrations where saliva aerosol production is pronounced. Understandably, this could be the most pronounced among any other indoor space. The study showed that ventilation with an air-change rate ACH 2.2h-1 (at 4.5 times the minimum of an average building code requirement) was insufficient to stop significant aerosol concentration rise over 30 minutes. The study concluded that an effective combination of mechanical ventilation must be supplemented by air cleaning systems would be the best way to contain the concentration of particles by 80 to 90%. This brings us to the understanding that gyms would have to install air purification and cleaning systems to supplement their existing mechanical ventilation systems. This, of course, would have to be practised along with frequent fresh air purges.

The second standard that is being implemented in all public spaces, and will be relevant for a foreseeable future, is social distancing. Visual cues, floor markers, and a reorientation of equipment layout to facilitate social distancing. The direction of travel will be a key consideration. Just as offices are being redeveloped to ensure a single-direction flow of pedestrian traffic, gym equipment layouts (along with the workout regime) can be developed to define a linear path through all the zones. Regular regimes tend to begin with warmups and cardio exercises, which will come first along this path, culminating in weight training or a studio for group workouts. Start and Stop points will be the entrance and change rooms, which would be placed close to each other, and users moving directly to the studio for group sessions can be allowed through an alternate path that bypasses cardio zones. 

This identification of zones, pathways and movement would inform the housekeeping and facility managers to schedule frequent cleaning. Similarly, this could also help the gym management to devise scheduled workout routines and calendars to maintain a manageable number of users and visitors. Overall, with a time system in place, gyms would be able to provide more fresh-air breaks for employees and staff, whose health and wellness is of utmost importance in these facilities.

Personalization and technology remain at the core of innovation, especially in the fitness industry. As consumers rely on technology to connect and experience, gyms and studios must create incredible digital and in-person experiences. Effective implementation of digital workout guidance is a smart way to contain traffic flow and provide deeper area-specific support.  As people begin moving back out of their homes, and begin adapting lifestyles to a New Normal in public spaces outside, a design response to covid19 in gyms is critical to ensure public safety and wellbeing. With efficient use of technology, new materials, and a reprogramming of the workings of a gym, we believe we can develop and provide safer and better workout environments as we #plankthecurve.

We, at M Ramseur & Associates, PLLC, believe that achieving functional & aesthetic greatness is more than just designing a building or place – it’s about making a difference in everyday lives. For more creative architecture solutions, contact us!

If you have a space, we have an idea.

References:

2021, https://fortune.com/2020/06/11/coronavirus-gyms-workouts-fitness-apps-reopening/

Precor.Com, 2021, https://www.precor.com/sites/default/files/PDF/Gym-Design-and-Social-Distancing.pdf

"Adapting Gyms For Social Distancing". The Hindu, 2021, https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/adapting-gyms-for-social-distancing/article31593742.ece.

2021, https://fitnessdesigngroup.com/covid-19/

2021, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33568882/