Choosing Commercial Fitness Equipment for a School Environment

Choosing commercial fitness equipment for a school environment is in many ways similar to choosing new or used fitness equipment for a community centre or fitness club. There are many benefits for students who attend schools with fitness rooms or weight rooms, including superior athletic programs or sports teams. When choose commercial fitness equipment for schools there are a few things to consider.

Budget

School boards and school administrators may have a limited budget when it comes to purchasing commercial fitness equipment. Start with the total budget and work out how much is available to spend on each type of equipment. Even with the smallest budgets it’s important to have a selection of both cardiovascular equipment and strength training equipment.

New fitness equipment is great for schools that have a larger budget to work with but used fitness equipment is also a viable option. With either used or new equipment do the research required before purchasing. Before visiting a fitness equipment dealer decided on the types of equipment and the number of machines you want to purchase. Have a list of questions you wish to ask the dealer and visit their website before giving them a call. With either new or used equipment it’s important to know whether the dealer has an in-house service team and if replacement parts are readily available. Also find out the warranty on each piece of equipment.

Whether you have a large budget to purchase multiple machines or a small budget for only a few machines, there are lots of options to stock the school with the equipment needed to keep athletes and students fit. Once you’ve decided on a reputable dealer discuss your options with a company representative. They have the experience to provide a consultation that will lay out all the school’s options.

Space

The size of the fitness room is another important aspect when choosing commercial fitness equipment for a school environment. The size and shape of the room will help determine how many machines the school is able to safely put in the space.

There are different varieties of cardio equipment including treadmills, elliptical trainers and bikes. If the space allows try to provide at least one of each type of cardio machine for students to use. In a larger room more than one of each of the cardio machines should be provided to accommodate more students at a time and cut down on wait times.

A multi-station gym is a great space saver while still allowing for a number of different exercises to be done. There are a number of different options for multi-weight stations so consider the users before choosing. Some stations have multiple weight stacks so more than one person can use the equipment at the same time but set the weight to their own individual ability.
If space allows a selection of free weights and benches are also recommended but consider the space limitations and safety of the users before over filling a fitness room.

Users

Consider the people who will be using the equipment most often before making the investment on commercial fitness equipment. Even the smallest schools will have multiple users per day on each piece of equipment. Commercial fitness equipment is a must in this type of environment since home equipment is not meant to withstand the demands of multiple users.

Make a note of the weight specifications of the equipment. Know what the maximum weight capacity is for each piece of equipment. Equipment chosen for younger students may be different than what is needed for high school students, competitive athletes or obese students.

The balance of cardio machines versus strength machines will also vary depending on the students at the school and the location of the school. Depending on which sports the athletic departments excel there may be a reason to have more strength equipment. On the other hand a school located in a cold climate may choose to have more cardio machines so athletes are able to train in doors in the colder months of the year.

A well equipped weight room or exercise room in a school will not only benefit the athletes and school’s teams but will be good for all students in the school by encouraging an active lifestyle and teaching students about the benefits of fitness early on in life.