Singapore FIT Summit names Fitness Playground as international ‘Boutique of the Year’
Sydney Gym Company Fitness Playground has been named international fitness, health and wellness ‘Boutique of the Year’ at the Singapore FIT Summit this month in recognition of Fitness Playground’s impact on the fitness and wellness industries.
Fitness Playground started as a small bootcamp. In 2014, the bootcamp was moved indoors to get members out of the rain, and that became the first Fitness Playground gym, in Surry Hills. Fast-forward eight years and there are four multi-service Fitness Playground facilities in Sydney, with more on the way.
Everything that co-founders and 2021 Australian Young Entrepreneurs of the Year, Justin Ashley and Serra Burmin, do is about inspiring change for gym members and staff – and as a result, for the industry as a whole.
Ashley advises “ultimately, it's about the members. If we provide great experiences for our staff, they deliver great experiences for our members. And if we create spaces with a whole menu of different things to try, which inspire people to not turn off their alarm and go back to bed, there’s a higher chance that people will find something they love at the gym and really improve their health.”
The company’s latest venture, Wellness Playground, is an inspiring space that gives members an everyday escape, daily mini getaways, from their hectic lives. When Fitness Playground acquired an additional 700m² downstairs from their existing Marrickville club, they designed an oasis of new studios, equipment, hangout spaces, infrared saunas, creche, luxe bathrooms and a variety of experiences curated to help people connect body, mind and spirit.
The upstairs level of the gym, which was also renovated, still has all the existing high-intensity activities (the gym floor and equipment, cardio area, the Battleground group-training studio, the SpinCity studio). While downstairs features reformer pilates studio, yoga, barre, dance and more. And it all comes for a surprisingly low membership rate so it’s accessible.
Wellness Playground opened soon after Sydney’s second lockdown, to acclaim from the industry and, most importantly, members.
Fitness Playground Marrickville is in the top-five most popular fitness and wellness spaces in the world, out of 55,000 global locations that run from the Mindbody booking platform.
Andjela Zelenbaba shares “not only is the actual gym area great, but venturing down to the wellness hub unlocks the doors to a boujee palace! The wellness hub feels like a resort. Separate rooms for all styles of classes means plenty of variety at different times. Also, it has pilates reformer, which is a huge, huge plus! The gym area itself is a really great vibe, it’s super-positive in there and I’ve experienced nothing but kindness exchanged between people who are coming in to train.
“I have to say by far, the number one thing that really makes this gym five stars is the staff. They are super helpful, extremely happy and passionate. Very genuine people. You can come here and feel comfortable knowing that it you need help, there are people you can ask.”
Related Articles
17th January 2022 - Fitness Playground Entrepreneurs of the Year look to transform Australia’s fitness industry
30th August 2021 - Jetts Fitness and Fitness Playground named among Best Places to work in Australia
7th May 2020 - The Fitness Playground launches Corporate Employee Responsibility initiative
17th June 2022 - Asia-Pacific’s fitness industry achievements recognised at FIT Summit’s 2022 Awards of Excellence
19th August 2021 - FIT Summit partners with ‘Let’s Get Moving Singapore’ campaign
19th May 2021 - Body Fit Training named Asia-Pacific Franchise of the Year at Singapore’s Fit Summit Conference
7th February 2020 - FIT Summit growth sees event expand in second year with new awards program
13th February 2019 - Inaugural Singapore Fit Summit heralds evolution of Asian fitness business network
