Made in Sussex: Eco Gym

Eco Gym is the UK’s first sustainable gym group. We harness the power of human energy through our cardio equipment and put it back to the grid, offsetting our carbon footprint along the way. We became the first gym in the world to be accredited by Green Circle and were able to quantify the impact we were having on the planet. This meant we could start to take steps towards reducing that impact as the business grew.

In 2015 we came across an opportunity to set up a gym on the beach in Lancing. The building was being engineered with sustainability at the heart of its design. We were looking for ways to operate our business that would complement this design and Eco Gym was born. The business functions as any other gym would but with one main difference: we harness the power of human energy and send it back to the grid using micro inverters in our cardio equipment. Whilst this may seem quite technical, it does not change how the user operates the equipment. Anyone can join our gym and help reduce the carbon footprint we are responsible for.

We opened a second site in Brighton in 2017 and this is where we really started to look at each aspect of the business. It meant we could be in control of the project from the start. We decided to make positive changes to the site before we even opened. We looked at the lighting, flooring, heating, water, showers and decided to make our cleaning materials from non-toxic products.

Our simple idea has now grown in to something so much more than we thought it would. It’s clear that there is a need for sustainable solutions in the industry and this need continues to grow.

We have been working with an investment advisor who specialises in sustainable and ethical companies with an aim to grow Eco Gym to a national level. We envisage a network of gyms, all working towards reducing the impact the industry has on the planet.

We are working with Paddle around the Pier this summer. As corporate sponsors of Surfers Against Sewage, we are part of their 250 club.

We are opening our doors on Monday April 22 for Earth Day. Members and non-members of all ages can take part in a competition to see who can generate the most energy in 5 minutes on our Eco Treadmills – the only ones in the world that put energy back to the grid. Our aim is to raise awareness not only of the gym but also the importance of Earth Day and a sustainable future. We will also be having a friendly competition against our US partners at Sacramento Eco Fit to see which gym creates the most energy.

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or pop into one of our gyms in Lancing or Kemptown.

We are also currently looking for corporate partners. Learn more by emailing us on info@eco-gym.co.uk