5 Ways to Reduce Your Gym's Carbon Footprint in 2025

Both the UK Government and individual consumers now have a bigger interest in sustainability. It's why operators and gym owners are taking it more seriously, too. Reducing carbon emissions doesn't have to be altruistic, nor will it always be guided by a sense of social responsibility. Businesses do it because it makes them more energy and resource-efficient and often saves them money. There's now a growing expectation for companies to reduce their environmental impact.

We're already seeing it in the fitness industry with the rise of eco-friendly gyms, sustainable gym clothing, and electricity-generating equipment. Your members and potential future members are now more likely to consider sustainability when making decisions.

In one recent YouGov survey, 61% of 18–24-year-olds said sustainability was important when choosing a gym or leisure centre. However, sustainability is a big and complex subject. It's easy for gym owners and operators to feel overwhelmed by both the scale and the implications of taking energy-saving or generating measures. It often means balancing the short and mid-term costs against the long-term benefits, especially as UK energy prices remain high. So, let's briefly explain and explore some practical and impactful ways that gym owners and operators can make their facilities more sustainable in 2025.

🔋Where Gyms Are Most Likely Losing Energy

Even in the UK, where the weather is rarely extreme, heating and cooling systems are still necessary. Gyms often have open spaces with high ceilings, meaning their heating and cooling systems must work harder to maintain an optimal temperature.

Energy loss can occur for several reasons, including poor insulation or building design; maintenance issues like broken windows or doors can also make a gym less energy efficient. A gym's footfall will often vary throughout the day (and night). Studios may require cool air during classes and then sit empty until the next session several hours later.

Inefficient lighting can also be an energy drain. Fluorescent bulbs and halogen lights, for example, were a staple in many older buildings but now are poor competitors to LEDs, which not only last longer but also consume less energy. As we mentioned in the introduction, exercise equipment is now more technologically advanced. While in use, they provide a great member experience but often consume electricity even when idle. And all of this is before we even consider the high energy demand for other facilities like showers, saunas, swimming pools, refrigerators, vending machines, sound systems and TVs.

🔋Get an Energy Audit

Energy audits identify energy consumption patterns within a business and then make suggestions and strategies based on that information. It can highlight areas where improvement could lead to significant savings. It can also help create a roadmap towards future improvements, helping stakeholders understand the financial benefits of energy efficiency. What's helpful, too, is that an audit provides a benchmark from which future energy saving can be measured. You can do an energy audit yourself, but having a professional audit will be more accurate and insightful. You may be able to access financial support for an energy audit through your local authority.

🔋Optimise Energy Usage Manually or with Smart Systems

Gyms are becoming more energy-intensive as fitness technology and training evolve. Gyms with extended opening hours or those offering 24/7 access can also expect higher energy usage. However, balancing energy efficiency with member experience and safety can be difficult. After all, it's not like trying to manage energy usage in a house where lights can be turned off entirely and rooms left unoccupied and unheated. However, there are ways to help reduce energy usage in gyms by using smart systems.

To identify inefficiencies, an energy management system (EMS) can track energy consumption across all systems, including HVAC, lighting, and equipment. It can also integrate with renewable energy sources like solar panels. Sensors and timers can also be used to turn off lights or adjust heating relative to occupancy levels. Accruent says an EMS can also help with regulatory compliance by providing analytics via a central dashboard.

While an EMS is impressive, many of these measures can also be introduced separately by installing smart thermostats, motion-sensor lighting and automated climate control systems. For example, installing motion sensors in changing rooms and toilets can help reduce electricity usage in low-traffic areas during quieter periods.

Smart systems are helpful because they operate independently without human input. They're consistent. Employees may not always be available in time to turn heating or cooling systems on or off before classes start and finish. They may not be able to feel a temperature change that could impact member experience or represent an energy-saving potential. They may also not feel incentivised to practice energy-saving methods, which they may feel are inconvenient or too time-consuming.

🔋Transition to Renewable Energy Sources

Sustainability isn't just a consumer-driven trend. It's also in the process of government regulation. The 2008 Climate Change Act introduced a series of legally binding carbon reduction targets for the UK economy. This means the UK is mandated to a net-zero carbon level by 2050 (2045 in Scotland). The UK's last coal-fired power station was decommissioned in late 2024, and the country intends to generate 100% of its electricity from low-carbon sources by 2035. Gyms can invest in renewable energy sources by partnering with renewable energy providers. They can also generate their own energy. The Gym Group, for example, has installed solar panels at its Cambridge site. Council-owned leisure centres are also accessing funding to generate solar power. In November 2024, Oadby & Wigston Borough Council (OWBC) received £184,050 from Sport England to install 373 solar panels, so it's worth exploring subsidies and incentives for renewable energy adoption. STORM Cycle in Berlin has also recently installed 41 electricity-generating RE:GEN bikes in its indoor cycling studio to help power its air conditioning, lighting and sound systems. Watch the first class at STORM below. 

In fact, your gym is in a strong position to generate its own energy—or at least your members are. Every workout on a stationary bike produces mechanical energy, which has the potential to be converted into electricity. Regular fitness bikes can't capture this energy, but an electricity-generating RE:GEN can. It can then store this energy inside a central storage system or EMS, helping offset a gym or studio's power needs.

The beauty of a gym adopting this technology is that it doesn't require any behavioural change by the rider and integrates seamlessly into the member experience, especially as the RE:GEN has digital resistance and FTP monitoring. Indoor cycling classes provide reliable and consistent energy production, enhanced by the high-intensity nature of an instructor-led class. It's also a great way to engage with members on the issue of sustainability and align your gym with sustainability-minded future members.

There's also the option of exploring self-powered equipment that doesn't require an external energy supply. Gyms can also examine the Energy Star rating for the equipment they purchase or lease. This rating indicates how energy-efficient the product is. Older equipment may be less energy efficient than newer models, so it's important to consider upgrading when it is approaching the top end of its life expectancy. If your equipment is still operating within its lifespan, then regularly maintaining it can help it run more efficiently for longer.

🔋Reduce Waste and Use Circular Practices

There has been a lot of media coverage and campaigns about reducing single-use plastic. There are obvious implications for the planet. Plastic takes 400 years to decompose – according to ukactive). 1Rebel is an example of a plastic-free gym chain, but more gyms are likely to follow, especially as suppliers begin looking to make their supply chains more sustainable. Ukactive provides several ways for gyms to reduce plastic use and benefit from recycling.

✅Encourage re-useable bottles

✅Use biodegradable catering items or packaging-free items. There's a gym just around the corner from Energym HQ which sells homemade protein balls that aren't wrapped but kept behind the counter without plastic.

✅Order local items and produce to reduce packaging and transport

✅Partner with sustainable brands. This doesn't just have to be with catering items but clothing and merchandise, too.

Plastic is a big component in gym equipment manufacturing, which can make end-of-life decisions more difficult. Commercial gym equipment can have a life expectancy of between 5 and 15 years, but there may still be an opportunity to give equipment to someone else.

UKactive suggests that if it's safe, then a community centre could benefit from it. It's a way of doing good, reducing waste and minimising disposal costs. Broken items can also be recycled. They might be suitable for part stripping or repurposing. This can even be extended to battered yoga mats. You can hire companies to dismantle and relocate old commercial and home gym equipment. Recycling is a good way to ensure your carbon footprint is manageable, whether for equipment or consumables and other items. Speak to your waste management provider to explore ways of being more sustainable with waste. One of the easiest things to do is separate waste at the source. Your members will likely already have experience in paper and plastic recycling from home. It is important to make it as easy as possible to ensure it's effective.

🔋Use Sustainability in the Building's Design

Building design isn't as straightforward as the other options we've discussed. You may not have much control over the building's design, especially if you're leasing your space. Some things can be achieved during the initial build or refurbishment, such as ensuring natural light, for example, or using materials like reclaimed wood, recycled rubber, or bamboo flooring. Non-toxic paints and cleaning items help keep everything eco-friendly, too. We've already written about the importance of checking for insulation issues. This could be ensuring triple-glazed windows and insulation to reduce energy usage. Installing windows in high-traffic areas can help boost natural light and reduce reliance on LEDs. Of course, you can also add solar panels or heat pumps to generate clean energy. Sustainability is a massive topic and one that gyms don't have to tackle in one go. It can become part of a process that helps a gym become more sustainable for the environment and more energy efficient.