From Guest Blogger Anago: Environmentally Friendly Fitness Facilities

Many different industries around the world are now going green in an attempt to help the planet, curb corporate expenditure and decrease excess waste. Regardless of if you own or work for a large or small business, many companies are choosing to become more environmentally friendly, including fitness centers. Here are a handful of key ways that sports centers, gymnasiums and exercise rooms are starting to promote a greener environment as well as also becoming more financially responsible.

Decreasing water consumption is a great way of saving money and promoting an eco-friendly mindset amongst visitors. Installing water-saving devices such as faucet flow-restrictors in bathrooms as well as the kitchen, snack bar and any other food preparation areas will reap rewards in the long run when it comes to saving money. Furthermore, ENERGY STAR-rated products can be introduced in the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room to control overspending through minimizing water and electricity usage.

Reducing a fitness facility’s electricity consumption is another great way of keeping your fitness complex lean and green. Similar to ENERGY STAR products, ECO-POWR exercise equipment can help to minimize electricity usage. In addition, many local businesses specialize in offering recycled fitness gear that has been refurbished and now looks good as new.

A big challenge for any fitness complex is the fact that the majority of work out apparatus will use a lot of power, especially if the lights are continuously on because the building is open 24 hours a day. Replace the standard light bulbs around the building with CFLs (Compact-Fluorescent Lights), plus you can also create a funky modern ambiance in certain relaxation areas using colorful LED (Light-Emitting Diode) lighting. Energy-efficient lights can greatly cut your lighting bill, and adding a skylight to each room can help illuminate the area and make it appear more spacious.

One of the most important elements of any fitness facility is the flooring material. While exercise room floors must obviously be safe enough for visitors to comfortably train on, eco-friendly options can lend a hand. For example, reused rubber floor surfaces (typically made from recycled rubber tires) have become more prevalent over the last decade, and floors constructed from renewable resources like cork and bamboo have also become popular choices.

When it comes to cleaning and sanitizing the property, switch out your standard chemical cleaning products and instead use natural green cleaning products and laundry detergents whenever possible. Another idea is to only sell healthy foods and drinks at your snack bar that are made from organic fruit and vegetables, such as energy power bars, fruit juices and smoothies. To keep costs to a minimum, buy these ingredients in bulk.

Sell reusable stainless steel water bottles at the front desk, or instead encourage guests to bring their own, which will minimize the amount of plastic water bottles that are thrown away. If you send out a monthly newsletter via email or perhaps engage in social media, advertise your efforts to go green and place recycling containers throughout the fitness center to encourage your visitors to recycle. As a final point, if you live in sun-drenched states across the U.S. such as California, Arizona, Florida, Texas and New Mexico, installing solar panels is a long-term investment consideration as well.

Anago is proud to offer their green cleaning services to residents living in San Jose, Oakland and the Greater Bay Area, including janitorial options for fitness facilities, schools, daycares, auto dealerships, healthcare facilities, restaurants, movie theaters and office buildings. Please visit us online at Anago Cleaning Systems today if you would like more information.