Fitness centres called to check their fitness

“The gym” features in many New Year’s resolutions, but fitness centres themselves are being asked to shape up for 2012. It could even result in having a workout that charges your cellphone!

The country’s eco-labelling organisation is calling for gyms to look at their environmental impact. Environmental Choice New Zealand has released the draft of a new specification designed to test how well gyms perform in areas including energy and water use, green purchasing, type and use of cleaning materials, and consumption of resources generally.

Around nine percent of New Zealanders hold a gym membership, says Robin Taylor, general manager of the government-backed ecolabel organisation. “Fitness centre clients are focussed on health and wellbeing, and so this is an ideal area for the country’s eco-label to be involved. It will also create educational opportunities for increasing the awareness of environmental impacts, as health and the environment are so strongly linked. We are delighted that the proposal came from the fitness industry itself. Now it will be refined through submissions and expert input to be attainable yet aspirational – a real, green fitness test.”

The CEO of Fitness NZ, Richard Beddie, is calling for his industry to get fully involved in the process. “Sustainability is a growing focus for all businesses, and fitness is certainly no exception. It's commendable that a standard is being developed for this in New Zealand. Fitness NZ encourages all its members to visit the Environmental Choice New Zealand website and study the draft specification for becoming a certified green fitness centre. You can help raise the bar, but also ensure the standard is relevant and is attainable by best practice operators.”

Within a fitness centre there are many areas where environmental impact can be considered: the composition of exercise mats, use of recycled PVC or virgin rubber on equipment, what dumbbells are made from, and the coatings on steel for adjustable benches are some examples. In modern fitness centres the selection and use of electronics and machinery also offers opportunity to make decisions that are better for the environment, in such areas as video, sound and office equipment that has less environmental impact, says Robin Taylor. Overseas, he comments, some exercise machinery actually generates electricity either to minimise consumption or potentially even feed back energy into the grid, however that technology is not yet a cost-effective option in New Zealand.

Elements for the draft specification have been drawn from a worldwide body of information through other members of the Global Ecolabelling Network, and organisations as diverse as the EU, Green Globe, University of California, NZ Green Building Council, and the US Environmental Protection Agency. The research has then been considered for its relevance to New Zealand.

Sport and environment have frequently been linked in major international tournaments, such as the recent Rugby World Cup where Environmental Choice board member Michael Field formulated the sustainability test for those tendering as suppliers. The International Olympic Committee has a sustainability policy, and the 2012 London games operates its own strategy for sustainability. This initiative will bring measurable, sustainable practices into everyday indoor fitness studios and gyms.

Like many of the Environmental Choice specifications, the 36-page draft recognises that the level of organic pollutants can be two to five times higher indoors than outdoors “The specification should encourage those in charge of designing, constructing and operating fitness centres to seriously plan for healthy indoor environments,” says Robin Taylor. “We are now seeking further industry input to create another relevant, ambitious and forward-looking Environmental Choice specification.” FitnessNZ and the Register of Exercise Professionals have already been involved in initial submissions. The final date for submissions is 30th January.

Very soon after that, you’ll be able to see whether your gym is stuck on the treadmill, or whether it is fit to join the champions on the life cycle.

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