Boutique Gyms Are Finally Starting To Ditch Single-Use Plastics (!)

By Emma Loewe
mbg Sustainability Editor

You’re running late to spin class and forgot your water bottle at home. You begrudgingly buy a plastic one and swear to reuse it for the rest of the day to lessen the guilt a little. We’ve all been there—but what if it didn’t have to be that way?

Xponential Fitness—the parent company of popular boutique workouts like AKT, RowHouse, Club Pilates, and CycleBar—is leading the charge to reduce the fitness industry’s plastic footprint by banning plastic bottle sales across its locations. Instead, Xponential will install water refill stations and encourage guests to bring their own bottles to class.

“The consumer dynamic has shifted, especially in the fitness industry. They expect better, more sustainable operations and amenities,” Xponential CEO and Founder Anthony Geisler tells mbg. “Most immediately, we have approximately 450 [stations] going into Club Pilates as we build out studios across the US and approximately 170 for CycleBar.”

The water stations, made by FloWater technology, alkalize and oxygenate water in a way that is thought to add more minerals and electrolytes for post-sweat hydration. This tech isn’t cheap, but in the announcement’s press release Geisler says that the brand expects to save money with this change by cutting down on the material and labor costs of water bottle and jug deliveries.

While many gym chains and smaller boutiques now have water filtration systems, the decision to ban plastic bottles altogether is exciting and bodes well for the next frontier of fitness. Here’s hoping some of our other favorite boutique workouts are inspired to follow suit.