Hitting fitness and hydration targets
Fitness and exercise have never been so popular, and a massive 1 in 7 of us are members of a gym (whether we go, or not!). The industry has adapted to meet this demand, with 272 new gyms opening in 2016, representing an overall increase of 4.6%. This trend shows no sign of slowing down, with the total number of gyms within the UK expecting to hit 700 in 2017. This increase means that gyms and fitness centres need to up their game, and stand out if they are to compete in this bustling industry.
Today, we’re discussing how to ensure gym environments stand out with their hydration provision, and how to provide your vending pitch to gyms and fitness centres.
Why is hydration in fitness so important?
We’ve previously discussed why maintaining hydration levels is so important, but it becomes increasingly crucial when exercising. Lean muscle contains over 75% water content, as we exercise these muscles, we deplete our fluid content rapidly through sweat and respiration. Replenishing this stock of fluid enables us to exercise for longer, and reduces muscle aches and pains. Ideally, we should be aiming to drink between 200-300ml of water for every twenty minutes spent exercising.
The barriers to fitness hydration
Gyms and fitness environments present their own unique set of hydration challenges. Firstly, members must remember to hydrate within their packed workout schedule, either using a reusable bottle, or a disposable cup, the majority of fitness machines have specified cup holders to facilitate this.
Hygiene within fitness environments can be a battle, with individuals perspiring, moving rapidly, and sharing equipment. It is no surprise, therefore, that the average equipment item found within the gym has over 1 million germs per square inch (FitRated, 2017). With over 73% of us working out more than once a week, gym members will appreciate a clean and hygienic gym environment, and this extends to hydration. Bacteria within drinking water can result in skin irritation and stomach issues, hardly elements that will keep customers returning to the gym!
What to look out for in fitness hydration
With well over 6000 gyms in the UK, a successful gym should aim to stand out from the crowd, adapting to consumer demand seamlessly. To this end, it is vital that gyms provide high capacity, reliable, easy access hydration. With it’s sleek design, and an option of panel colours, our b4 water dispenser has been attentively designed to cater to complement gym and fitness environments. The b4 is quick and easy to install and maintain, avoiding lengthy installation processes that cut into precious trading time.
We understand that the wrong choice of watercooler could result in bacteria infiltration or contamination. With bottle top watercoolers, the drinking water is stored over time in an exposed reservoir, creating an ideal environment for bacterial growth. This reservoir often develops a biofilm, which is a coating of microbial matter, which can enter your watercooler. The b4 water cooler features our Direct Chill system. The sealed drinking water pipe used within our Direct Chill system ensures that your water is transported directly from the source to the dispense faucet, greatly reducing the chances of contamination and impurity in your drinking water. The Direct Chill systems have been designed with easy to use, soft touch buttons. Not only is this quick and simple for dispense purposes, but it also ensures that hands are kept away from the faucet itself, to further increase the hygienic protection of the system.
The b4 is accessible and enables interaction, offering your customers an unrivalled dispense area. As well as being illuminated, the b4 boasts of the largest area on the market, comfortably fitting sports bottles. And if gym members forget their sports bottles, the floorstanding configuration b4 is complemented by an integral disposable cupholder.
