Why Does My Gym Have Different Types of Flooring?

If you’ve stepped foot into more than one gym before, you’ll know that they’re all different. From size and layout, down to the type of floor your squeaky-clean trainers stand on. But what purpose does a gym serve when some of its floor is padded and some of it is wood?

Why do gyms have different types of flooring?

The bare bones of it are to serve different purposes and facilitate a gym’s needs accordingly. Like with many modern advancements in the fitness world, different flooring types have been established to best suit the requirements of specific exercises or environments.

Understanding what areas to do your targeted workouts in will save you a bit of embarrassment from being asked to move, but also allows you to perform your work out as effectively as possible. Or, if you are a gym owner, now is the time to ask yourself ‘is your flooring adding value to your gym’?

The different types of gym flooring

Free Weight Flooring

You’ll notice that usually the area around the free weights is padded and sometimes raised. This is largely due to avid gym-goers causing a lot of noise as they drop their heavy dumbbells on the ground and putting others at danger. It may sound drastic, but it’s true. Free weight flooring is usually supplied in both tile and layered rubber rolls to take the impact of even the most hardcore training facilities being dropped.

Not only are they ideal to absorbing impact and stopping weights bouncing back up and landing on a foot, they also have acoustic reduction, lightening the load on your ear-drums too. We can add to this flooring and integrate Olympic lifting platforms seamlessly into your free weight area, to create optimised training zones with a range of factory direct products.

Sprint Tracks

Sprint tracks really came in to the public eye when Google’s HQ in Kings Cross, London was built, coming fit with it’s own running track. With the constant use of weighted sleds, sprints and SAQ training drills on the rise as part of your workout routines, we know that the tracks we supply must be manufactured to withstand the toughest environments and still perform. They are perfect for long stretches in the gym that are not utilised and add a new dynamic to your facility.

The markings on our sprint tracks are interwoven fibres - they won’t wear out, and you can choose from a wide range of colours. Unlike most sprint tracks, ours has a high quality foam backing. This maximises comfort and is perfect for sprints, walking or general training drills. Perfect for incorporating into your HIIT workouts.

Functional Flooring/Floor Markings

Functional flooring bring your floor to life with custom made designs, specific to your class requirements in the space you have available. Its benefit is simple - it adds a new dimension to your members training options. Functional flooring is extremely hard wearing and in most cases will last for several years before needing to be reapplied.

Whether you want an interactive ‘free training’ area where your floor is your training equipment, a design that compliments your functional training rig, to mark out measurements, or to instruct members where to stand, we can add a full range of floor markings, in your club colours, for a stunning look.

We can also add floor fixing points to really bring your floor in to play with the use of dynamic training products such as Stroops and Queenax.

Studio Flooring

You know the one - you look at the timetable of classes up by reception and decide you’ll give Boxercise a go. Make a mental note that it’s in Studio B, otherwise you’ll rock up to Legs, Bums and Tums in Studio A next door.

Not only does a solid wood floor make a studio pop and look stunning, but there are various alternatives with just as much support and functionality. Vinyl, synthetic, and rubber now offer a favourable alternative for a more modern contemporary look.

This style of flooring is best suited for class workouts, supporting dance classes, keeping yoga mats in one place, and support. Through our product layering system we can ensure you still retain sufficient impact absorption and sound proofing for higher impact sessions, but also greater comfort for direct floor work with or without individual matting.

General Flooring

From quarry direct natural stone, high grade vinyl, laminate, carpet, timber, rubber to artificial turf - there’s going to be flooring everywhere. For high traffic areas such as entrance/reception, hygiene areas, café/restaurant and changing rooms it’s important to have the best suited material laid down.

Our range of services and products cater for all areas within a health and fitness facility. We provide a range of solutions for bespoke floor designs and branding and work with innovative companies to make a sports floor interactive with the equipment.

Speak to Solutions by GymKit UK today if you want to develop a new functional training area, transform a squash court, update your gym or refurbish your whole facility. With over 20 years of experience, we have the expertise and infrastructure to manage your flooring project from start to finish.