The Real Problems Behind Air Quality in Gym Facilities

Stepping foot inside of your go-to gym facility you are accosted by the heavy-duty scent of hard work and sweat that seeps into your nose. Along with that undeniable aroma of a hard workout there also seems to be other unfavorable things floating in the air – whether that be allergens like dust, dirt, and mold that could be potentially swirling in the indoor air of a commercial gym facility, it will have an impact on the Customers and their overall experience. The indoor air quality and odor control problems inside of a commercial gym facility is something that is regularly dealt with by the owners of these businesses who are constantly at odds trying to find the best solutions to implement to aid in the improvement of these two environmental problems in this indoor commercial environment.

When it comes to odors inside of your gym it’s an obvious scent that you assume to encounter in this environment. Sweat odors can accumulate on the gym equipment, in the locker room, and even on the various surfaces in the gym facility that are exposed to these odorous compounds. However, in addition to athletic-induced odors, there are also other odorous problems and air quality pollution that can also be a contributing factor in the indoor air quality – such as indoor mold growth, bacteria accumulation, and allergen buildup in the indoor air space.

In this article we are going to learn more about the real problems behind air quality and odor problems in gym facilities and the best commercial air quality and odor neutralizing solutions to use to improve this indoor air space.

What Causes Poor Indoor Air Quality in Commercial Gyms?

The indoor air quality in gyms can be anything but “healthy” contrary to the healthy environment that is the gym. There are several components in a gym facility that will contribute to indoor air quality and odor problems in the space, and this can include the overall ventilation in the indoor space along with having the proper air conditioning throughout the commercial gym. In the gym there will be an accumulation of moisture in the environment due to the excessive sweating, showers, and pools found in this commercial indoor space. When moisture begins to increase in a small, confined space it will lead to the development of bacteria and potential mold growth in the space that will negatively impact indoor air quality.

Moisture and allergens can buildup in the gym when there is a lack of air flow and ventilation running throughout the entire structure of the indoor building. Thus, these two key functions in the indoor space of a gym facility are crucial to the overall indoor air quality in this environment.

OSHA Gym Regulations & Temperature

Fitness centers and gym facilities require a lot of maintenance throughout the entire space, including fixing damaged equipment, maintaining proper temperatures and air flow, keeping up the cleanliness of the environment, and even reducing health risks to employees and Customers. OSHA was formed in an effort to prevent worksite injuries or illness by both identifying workplace hazards and creating guidelines to help mitigate these potential risks. Indoor air quality is part of this commitment by OSHA to keep the commercial space clean and safe for those occupants within this environment.

In addition to indoor air quality regulations, OSHA also has temperature guidelines set in place in these environments. They recommend that a workplace temperature control be in the range of 68 to 76 degrees and humidity control range from 20% to 60%. This is set in place to once again control the air quality and conditions in the commercial gym facility.

Problems with Gyms Air Quality & Odor Control

There are other major problems inside of an indoor commercial gym facility that can contribute to the exacerbation of air quality problems – including odor control in these heavily used environments. According to a study that was conducted recently by the journal Building and Environment, they found that unacceptably and potentially toxic high levels of carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particle pollution were present in multiple indoor fitness centers in European fitness centers – which they found comparable to that of an average US gym facility. The carbon dioxide levels rise when there are more people in an enclosed environment, when the exercise is hard, and when ventilation is poor in this indoor space. In addition, these factors also contributed to particle pollution from VOCs and other particulate matter in the environment’s air space.

Below we are going to dive deeper into the major problems associated with commercial gym facilities air quality and odor control problems – and learn why these contribute to a poor indoor air environment.

Gym Cleaning Standards

As we are all aware of, gyms can be a bacterium harboring environment that is full of sweat, odors, and even the occasional illness that is spread from customer to customer if cleanliness standards are not kept up to standards. When it comes to cleaning these commercial gym facilities it is recommended to perform routine vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing, and an overall disinfecting of all surfaces in the environment – including gym equipment, handles, counters, etc. However, for the most part these gyms look to the Customers to ensure that the gym is kept cleaning by wiping down machines and equipment after each use and by simply avoiding this environment if you are indeed sick.

When there is a lack of dusting and cleaning of germs/bacteria in the indoor environment of the gym it can further exacerbate air quality problems in this space – increasing airborne dust levels which will lead to elevated particulate levels.

Gym Pollution

When it comes to exposure to pollution while you are working out there could be potential adverse effects that could ultimately lead to an ineffective workout. According to research conducted by the Lancet, their findings suggest that healthy people should minimize walking or exercising in environments with high levels of pollution because it could curtail or even reverse the cardiorespiratory benefits of exercise. This could be true for an indoor gym facility that does not have proper air filtration and ventilation in the space which will eventually lead to the over accumulation of airborne pollutant levels in the indoor air.

Mold in Gyms

As we talked about previously, mold can be a major problem in indoor gym facilities due to the high levels of moisture that can be present in these environments, from sweat, to water coolers, pools, steam rooms, and even showers in the locker rooms. It has been found that water fountains at gyms can contain mold that can lead to skin and lung infections. In addition, it can also grow on various surfaces in a gym that are near moisture like locker rooms where the mold will rapidly grow on the plentiful moisture in the environment.

Gym Air Conditioning Design

The overall design of a gym’s air conditioning system is something that has the potential to drastically effect the operational costs in the facility, as well as the quality of the air in this indoor environment. The air conditioning systems are crucial in a commercial gym facility to help regulate the temperature to appropriate levels, keep humidity levels down, and help to flush out pollutants that are in the indoor air space of this commercial environment. When you have a poor indoor air conditioning design along with improper ventilation this could be a recipe for disaster to the air quality in this indoor gym space – and can further lead to problems to Customers and workers subjected to this airborne pollution.

Commercial Odor Eliminator & Air Quality Solutions for Commercial Gyms

When it comes to solutions that can be integrated into a large commercial space like a gym facility for odor elimination and air quality upkeep, it can be hard to determine what is the best option to use in this indoor space. The increasing trend to cut budgets related to odor and air quality control equipment is often times the first thing to be eliminated, especially when it comes to gyms. However, these two components to a gyms indoor environment are crucial to maintaining the health and overall comfort of the business to those Customers exposed to this enclosed area.

When it comes to selecting the best commercial odor eliminating and air quality solution for commercial spaces, what is the best option to choose to implement into a large-scale gym facility?

OdorKlenz Engineered Odor Eliminating Solution for Indoor Air

The OdorKlenz® engineered solution is a revolutionary non-toxic, earth mineral technology that is specifically designed to capture, contain, and neutralize a wide variety of toxic and noxious chemicals and odors. This engineered odor control product offers commercial industries like gyms that ability to effectively mitigate odors and airborne pollutants from the air. These proven and tested OdorKlenz® materials are highly efficient “adsorptive neutralizers” for chemicals making them not only competitively advantageous, but very commercially attractive.

The patented OdorKlenz® odor neutralization technology has been incorporated into a wide product offering for air quality including HVAC filters and air purification systems that can easily be placed into a commercial gym facility. The OdorKlenz-Air for HVAC can be easily installed into any commercial HVAC system, with custom sizes and depths available for the commercial facility – these filters will last for up to 4 to 6 months in these buildings.