The most devoted fitness fanatics can now squeeze in a workout before their flight
Yoga rooms are becoming the norm at airports and one even has a therapy pig to try to make air travel less stressful. So it makes sense that now an airport will feature a full gym (with showers) to help you take the edge off, or at least, keep up with your fitness goals.
Roam Fitness is opening by the end of January at Baltimore-Washington International Airport behind airport security so you can work out before your flight or when your plane is hours delayed. It will feature cardio equipment, stretching space, a TRX cable system and a full locker room with showers, towel service and skin products.
Roam founders Cynthia Sandall and Ty Manegold, who met at the University of Oregon during their MBA program a few years ago, spoke with Mashable Thursday about the launch. Manegold called from the under-construction space at BWI -- he said he was surrounded by lots of paint buckets in the not-quite-ready facility.
The two teamed up after traveling a lot of for their grad program. Manegold called airports "high-stress locations" and a dead zone for productivity. "If you're trying to stay healthy, there's not much you can do," he said.
That's where their compact, but complete gym comes in. You can even reserve a shower so you won't miss your flight just because you had to wait forever for a stall after your workout.
Business travelers are the expected gym users, but the two are optimistic about so-called "leisure travelers" checking out the space, at the very least for the showers. Reducing stress and anxiety is the guiding principle behind the design and offerings, Sandall said. They hope the BWI gym will be replicated at other airports across the country.
If you don't have workout clothes, no problem. The gym has partnered with athletic wear companies Lululemon and Brooks Running shoes so you can rent gear. If you brought your own, Roam will vacuum seal your used clothes to keep any smells contained and away from your fellow passengers.
The concept is not likely to replace your home gym -- unless you travel a lot and can get behind security. But Sandall said she hopes TSA and other airport staff will join the gym since it'll be right there between concourses D and E in a new connector at BWI.
Prices start at $40 for a day pass, $175 for a monthly membership and $600 for an annual pass.
Soon there'll be one less excuse for missing a workout.
Topics Health
Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.
