SERVICE STATIONS
In Rotherham, this January, Welcome Break opened its first new service station in two decades. Their vision included a high-quality, durable, outdoor gym zone, they appointed Fresh Air Fitness.
On Britain’s second longest motorway, the new service station followed a £55m investment and a warm welcome from the local community as it created over 200 new jobs.
Innovatively built in the style of a ‘traditional Yorkshire village’ its facilities include a children’s play area, a dog exercise area and now a brand new Fresh Air Fitness Outdoor Gym!
Located at J33 on the M1, just outside of Sheffield, the state-of-the-art site features top brands including Starbucks, Pret, Burger King, Chopstix, The Good Breakfast, KFC, Waitrose, and WHSmith.
Welcome Break needed an established supplier of high-quality outdoor gym equipment that was cutting edge but easy to use, by all abilities.
The durability and quality of the equipment was crucial as it had to be robust enough to undergo heavy usage over time. Safety features were also a top priority, and their chosen provider needed to evidence this.
In addition, the outdoor gym had to be cost-effective but also fit the specific needs and space constraints of the site. As part of the development vision of the site, the equipment needed to be environmentally sustainable and integrate seamlessly with its surroundings.
Finally, the level of after-sales customer support was important, as the business had to be confident that they could contact the chosen supplier for any future needs such as additional pieces, maintenance and spares.
Fresh Air Fitness was selected to provide the outdoor gym equipment as an established pioneer in outdoor gym equipment across the UK, having installed over 4500 outdoor gyms nationwide.
As part of our end to end service, our team carried out an in-person site inspection and was able to make recommendations tailored to the location which included showcasing our vast range of outdoor gym equipment and surfacing options.
Fresh Air Fitness also project managed and installed smart fencing around the gym, to create a fantastic looking ‘outdoor gym zone’ for all to enjoy.
The final outdoor gym equipment selected was:
• Arm and Pedal Bike – Designed to improve flexibility, core strength and cardio fitness.
• Self Weighted Rower – Works just like an indoor rowing machine
• Air Skier - Tones the waist, hips and thighs and strengthens lower body
• Leg Lift Station – Strength piece which works all of the major leg muscle groups
• Double Air Walker – Improves stamina, balance, coordination, and flexibility
The combination of pieces supplied and installed covered all of the main fitness options from strength and cardio to flexibility and balance. The end user is able to visit the outdoor gym area and exercise the whole body. Crucially, it is a free facility which can be used to reinvigorate weary travellers, offer a healthy break from the road and help towards fighting mental fatigue.
“It has been a really mammoth task to bring Welcome Break Rotherham to fruition, and I’d like to congratulate the entire Welcome Break team and all of its suppliers and contractors who put in such a huge effort to deliver a wonderful product for our customers,” Joe Barrett, CEO of Welcome Break, LinkedIn
At Fresh Air Fitness, we have been leading innovation and development in outdoor gyms in the UK for 17 years and during this time, our experienced team has installed over 4500 outdoor gyms nationwide.
We pride ourselves on offering a full and comprehensive customer experience from the initial site visit through to installation and beyond. As part of the Fresh Air Fitness experience, our customers and their end users have access to a raft of demonstration videos, explanatory signage, a free-to-download app and workout suggestions through social media and our website.
If you would like to find out more about installing an outdoor gym, you can download our brochure here.
New outdoor gym equipment provides options for strength building, cardio training and stretching. Suitable for anyone 11+ and all abilities.
