Ruben Mejia
SportsArt
Apartment residents across the United States are currently confined to their apartments due to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.
As a result, fitness rooms, rooftop, ground and indoor pools are closed. That’s why this is the perfect time for building owners, landlords and management companies to reevaluate which updates can be made to the apartment buildings or apartment complexes.
High-speed wifi, updated fitness equipment and cleaning enhancements are amenities that owners should consider updating now, while the gyms are vacant. New and existing tenants will benefit from these upgrades.
Fitness Centers
For building owners who want to upgrade their fitness centers and equipment, adding sustainable gym equipment is an option they should consider. These environmentally friendly machines enable users to produce electricity for the fitness center they work out at, while offsetting their own carbon footprint. This type of energy-producing equipment can be plugged into a standard outlet and generate watts that are converted to AC power and sent back into the power grid. The energy that is produced will help power lights, fans, TVs and other appliances connected to the same power grid. Through SportsArt’s SA Well+, a green fitness brand that develops sustainable gym equipment, users are able to track their workout and how much energy they produced.
Bacteria and Equipment
This may astound you, as it did me when I first read about a study conducted by FitRated. According to the study, the average exercise bike has 39 times more bacteria than a cafeteria tray; free weights have 362 times more germs that a toilet seat.
That’s why disinfectant-wipe stations should be available throughout buildings and fitness centers, as a way for tenants working out to clean their equipment when finished. Another feature to consider adding to the fitness center that can help assure health safety is rubber floors. Rubber mats are easy to sanitize with a mop, are water-resistant and help prevent mildew and mold from forming. Wipe stations and rubber flooring are easy additions to make while your building’s fitness center is closed, and they also ensure safety of the users once reopened.
Updating existing amenities
Tenants rely on reliable internet connections, especially these days because their homes have suddenly turned into their offices.
In an effort to make working from home easier and the transition smoother for tenants, building owners should consider looking into high speed wifi connections. Good and fast internet are necessary for everything tenants do, now more than ever before. Additional amenities to consider updating during this time include bike racks, laundry facilities and outdoor facilities (such as grilling stations and landscaping). As people are looking for excuses to get outside while we’re cooped up inside all day, having an outdoor space for an escape is a huge plus. According to Scientific Reports, at least 120 minutes a week spent outside is associated with good health and well-being. Simply providing benches, grills and gardens that tenants can escape to can reduce stress and anxiousness when these feelings are at an all-time high.
Building owners who are looking for ways to spice up their amenity offerings have an opportunity to plan and make updates that can promote better health and wellbeing for their tenants. As we are all living in uncertain times, tenants are appreciative to see their owners taking concerns and safety into consideration. This down time is a great way to reevaluate offerings and see what improvements can be made.
About the author:
Ruben Mejia, Executive Vice President for SportsArt Americas, has five years of experience in the fitness industry, previously holding the title of chief technology officer (CTO) at SportsArt. Prior to his work at the company, Mejia held leadership roles within the technology and ecommerce spaces. In 2000, after serving four years of active duty in the Army, Mejia began working in the corporate IT and telecommunications fields for the Department of Defense, launching his career and interest in the technology industry as a whole.