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Feb 18

BWI fitness center hopes travelers sweat before they fly – CapitalGazette.com

Fitness Comments Off on BWI fitness center hopes travelers sweat before they fly – CapitalGazette.com

When travelers walk by BWI airport's newest business, many of them do a double take.

It's not often you see treadmills, weights or showers in an airport.

"We get those looks a lot," said Debra Regan, general manager of ROAM Fitness. "But when they find out about us they always say, 'This is a great idea.'"

ROAM Fitness opened its first location at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport this month and is one of the few gyms located in an U.S. airport. The company hopes to convince travelers that working out at an airport and still being on time is possible.

Located in the connector between the D and E concourses after security, the gym has cardio equipment, free weights, a stretching space and private showers. Through April, prices cost $25 for a day, $150 for a month and $500 for a year.

About 20 people can workout at the gym at any given time, Regan said.

If travelers didn't pack workout gear, the gym pass includes the ability to rent Lululemon apparel and Brooks running shoes. There's also lockers to store carry-on luggage and include outlets for people to charge their electronics.

And yes, people can just use the gym's shower. An Amazon Echo, known as "Alexa," will inform users when they've reached their 15-minute shower limit.

Most of the gym's customers have come in the morning before their early flights, Regan said.

In many cities, if people want to work out during a layover, they have to take a taxi to a nearby gym, said Regan, who has worked in the fitness industry for several decades.

"I haven't seen anything as elaborate and premium as this," Regan said.

The company's biggest hurdle is not convincing people to join the gym, but finding airports that have the space, said CEO and co-founder Cynthia Sandall. Airports tend to have long leases for their businesses and finding airports that have an opening has been a challenge.

She said the company chose BWI as its first location because of the airport's recent renovations and its interest in healthy living.

BWI has designated walking trails and bike rentals for people to take a ride around the perimeter of the airport. The restaurants also started offering healthier options to travelers.

The Physicians Committee Responsible for Medicine rated BWI the best airport in the U.S. in 2014 for healthy meal options.

ROAM Fitness' goal is to open two more locations this year and about 20 locations in the next five years, Sandall said. She declined to name specific airports, but said there will be locations on both coasts.

The membership will also be valid at all of ROAM Fitness' gyms, Sandall said.

ROAM Fitness isn't targeted for a specific type of traveler, like a frequent flyer, she added. The goal is to have a gym that suits the needs of people at different workout levels.

"It's not a gym for training for the Olympics," she said. "But if you want to get rid of some kinetic energy, you can do that."

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BWI fitness center hopes travelers sweat before they fly - CapitalGazette.com

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