No industry is immune from the influence of sustainability, including the sports and fitness industries. While apparel brands such as Adidas and Nike attract the largest share of attention for innovative use of sustainable materials and implementing sustainability practices, gym studios and fitness equipment manufacturers are taking sustainability to a whole new level – turning human energy into electricity.
SportsArt’s innovative range of ECO-POWR fitness equipment converts human energy into utility grade electricity through a micro-inverter similar to the technology found in solar panels and wind turbines. When plugged into a power outlet, the machine harnesses the kinetic energy produced during workouts into electricity. A single workout can produce 160-200 watts per hour per unit of electricity. The power is then fed back into the gym’s battery, which is used to power lights, smartphones and other electronic devices.
Sacramento Eco Fitness is the first fitness centre in California to bring human health, energy sustainability and environmental consciousness together. The gym is partly powered by its users and members as they work out! It features SportsArt’s ECO-POWR line of spinning bikes in a cycle studio which captures the watts cyclists generate during exercise and then puts it back into the facility’s power grid where it is used during off-peak hours.
“For years, I’ve looked for a way to get community members excited about two things: improving their personal health by becoming physically active and becoming engaged in sustainable practices and eco-friendly programs,” said Jose Antonio Avina II, founder of Sacramento Eco Fitness. “With the ECO-POWR equipment, we now have the tools to harness the human kinetic energy generated during each workout – this gives us the potential to power our own building and the surrounding business as well.”
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The sustainability-focused gym also plans to offer workout incentives, such as reduced memberships for those utilizing the eco-friendly fitness equipment. A fair trade since gym users and members are directly responsible for helping to reduce the gym’s energy bills through physical exercise.
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“Working with Jose and the team at Sacramento Eco Fitness has been a pleasure and we are thrilled to partner with a business that aligns so well with the mission of our eco-friendly products. The ECO-POWR technology not only promotes sustainability practices with their members but helps improve the gym’s bottom line,” said Ivo Grossi, Vice President for SportsArt. “We are excited to see the success of our ECO-POWR line in this first sustainable spinning studio and look forward to reaching all eco-conscious gym members across the nation as we expand our partnerships in the coming year.”
SportsArt, a leader in manufacturing sustainable gym equipment, is based in Taiwan and has been making exercise equipment for over 38 years. Currently, its ECO-POWR line is used in 400 gyms and hotels across the world with plans to double this number within the next 12 months.
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