The Best Group Exercise Floors

Interest in personal fitness has boomed over the past decade, and the craze isn’t going away anytime soon. Between now and 2028, the U.S. fitness industry is expected to grow 171.75%. 

That creates an exciting opportunity for flooring contractors, with new gyms and boutique fitness studios opening across the country while existing businesses make renovations to stay ahead of the competition. But what are the requirements of fitness flooring, exactly? Here we look at the best group exercise floors for a range of projects. 

Fitness Studio Flooring Needs    

Fitness studios are functional places with a broadly consistent set of requirements. However, there is some variation among clients, with the flooring requirements of a gym potentially different from those of a boutique yoga studio. 

Durability   

Fitness studios are places of intense activity. Think heavy barbells being dropped on the floor, packed rooms full of Jazzercisers, and large pieces of equipment like stationary bikes and cross-trainers. 

Flooring in these places therefore needs to be exceptionally strong—often in different ways. For instance, the flooring of a free weight area must be highly impact-resistant, while the flooring of an aerobic exercise room should be scuff-resistant and chip-resistant. 

That being said, the flooring you install might ultimately be covered up: many fitness studios use shock-resistant rubber or foam floor toppers for high-intensity areas, protecting the flooring underneath while minimizing loud noises. 

Slip Resistance 

Safety is paramount in fitness environments. Due to the range of intensive physical activities being carried out, there are a number of hazards, and these can be exacerbated by poor choices of flooring. 

Installing slip-resistant flooring should be a high priority for any client in this industry to prevent injury to customers and staff. This applies not only to the fitness areas themselves, but also to areas like locker rooms. 

Note that flooring in exercise areas may need to have adequate grip for sneakers, bare feet, and exercise mats. 

Maintenance  

The upside of a fitness studio? Better health and improved quality of life. The downside? Sweat, sweat, and more sweat. Group exercise floors must be easy to clean on a regular basis as well as inherently resistant to bacterial and fungal growth. As a rule, flooring with crevices such as hardwood and tile is unsuitable, as these crevices are hard to clean and can encourage dirt buildup. 

Gym-goers might accept airborne odors as a necessary evil, but stained and sticky floors will see them taking their business elsewhere. Flooring that can be easily cleaned with chemicals and industrial equipment is therefore ideal. 

Aesthetics   

Most providers of exercise facilities will have aesthetic criteria for their flooring. However, this is highly client-dependent, and the cosmetic requirements can therefore vary greatly. A low-cost gym may want virtually unfinished flooring that prioritizes durability over appearance, while a boutique studio may want a specific color scheme, embedded logos, and glossy finish. 

Areas like lobbies typically have stricter aesthetic requirements than areas like exercise rooms and locker rooms. 

Group Exercise Flooring Options 

Several types of flooring meet the criteria of clients in the fitness industry, with different styles suitable for different areas of the building. For instance, polished concrete may be suitable for large exercise halls, while decorative quartz may be used for locker rooms. Here we look at the strongest candidates for exercise flooring. 

Polished Concrete   

Polished concrete is a type of concrete flooring that is ground down with various blade sizes to achieve a smooth finish. Affordable even in large areas, it is suitable for high-impact zones like weightlifting areas and rooms containing heavy machinery. 

The benefits of polished concrete include:    

• Very high level of durability and impact resistance 
• Slip resistance 
• Affordability 

Our Products  

For group exercise floors, Duraamen recommends two specific polished concrete products. One is the sprayable Terrazzi system, which is easy to install, abrasion-resistant, and slightly more suited to aesthetic areas like yoga studios due to its range of color and finish options.  

The other is the Param 5500 self-leveling concrete topping system. Exceptionally strong, moisture-resistant, and stain-resistant, this concrete flooring is suitable for heavy-use areas like gym exercise rooms. 

Metallic Epoxy   

Another option for group exercise floors is metallic epoxy flooring, a type of resinous flooring that comprises metallic particles suspended within an epoxy. This flooring comes in a broad range of stunning cosmetic styles, making it suitable for gym lobbies, massage or treatment rooms, and light exercise areas like yoga studios. 

The benefits of metallic epoxy include: 

• Eye-catching appearance 

• Easy maintenance 
• Wear resistance 

Our Products  

Duraamen’s flagship metallic epoxy product is Lumiere, comprised of a primer, metal-filled body coat, and polyurethane topcoat in a glossy or matte finish. The durable flooring comes in a range of colors and styles and is as functional as it is attractive. 

Decorative Quartz   

Like metallic epoxy flooring, decorative quartz flooring works by suspending small particles of an ultra-hard material within a synthetic matrix. This flooring is created from quartz crystals that are broadcast into urethane concrete. It is an excellent choice for gym locker rooms, restrooms, kitchens, and hallways. 

The benefits of decorative quartz include: 

• Bacteria resistance 
• Easy maintenance 
• Slip resistance 

Our Products     

The Duraamen quartz urethane concrete kit ships with Kraftig SL urethane concrete, Kwortz crystals, and a Perdure topcoat. This combination of products results in durable and easy-to-clean flooring that is a powerhouse against bacterial and fungal growth. 

Conclusion    

Contracts in the fitness sector are lucrative, and there are several types of hard flooring that can be proposed to the client. So, if you’re feeling warmed up for your next exercise flooring project, contact Duraamen to learn more about our range of products for gyms, fitness studios, and health clubs.