Airport fitness center gives employees a workout
With more and more companies hopping on the trend of corporate wellness, Zero Level Fitness opened at McCarran International Airport to offer employees the opportunity to invest in their health.
“It’s better to pay for health at the front end opposed to the back end,” Zero Level Fitness founder Heather Doane says.
Poor health from lack of exercise can contribute to problems such as obesity, heart disease and high blood pressure. Many of these conditions can come with costly medical visits or medications.
Zero Level Fitness hopes to get people on the right track by offering airport employees a place to work out and get access to other wellness services.
From flight attendants, baggage handlers and pilots to food and beverage workers, all employees connected to the airport can pay to have access to the center.
Doane says many companies are on board in trying to get their employees involved with the center. At the same time, Zero Level Fitness continues to have conversations with other employers who haven’t caught on to the idea.
In the year they have been open, Doane says the center has had a positive impact on people’s lives.
“It’s great to hear when people say they have lost 10 or 100 pounds,” she says. “Or when they tell you they were able to come off certain medications.”
David Hursin came to Zero Level Fitness last March 100 pounds heavier.
Between getting older and working loading and unloading the baggage from planes, he knew that he needed to look into fitness to help with his health.
“Having a gym membership, you’re tempted to skip the gym,” he says. “I would be driving to the gym and say, ‘Oh, I need to stop and get milk,’ and then I would end up skipping the gym.”
But with Zero Level Fitness at work, he has no excuse.
“The accessibility is why I started going,” he says. “It’s nice that it’s 24 hours. I can go before and after work.”
Several days a week — a combination of evening and morning workouts — he is on the treadmill, elliptical or doing free weights.
He even does classes here and there.
“I do the TRX class on Mondays and a step aerobics class on Thursday,” Hursin says. “I tried yoga, but it’s not for me. Although one guy said he tried it and it helped his back problems.”
In the past year, he has seen his health transform as he gained more muscle and toned problem areas.
One of his favorite parts of the gym is the machine that measures body mass index and weight to help him track his progress.
Hursin has even tried the trainers.
“They are like ‘The Biggest Loser’ trainers,” he says.
No matter how tough they are, they feel like family.
“You know you’re not just another number like other gyms,” he says.
Before Zero Level Fitness, Doane says the facility was a 24 Hour Fitness that was open to the public.
After that place closed, another fitness center moved in. When Doane came across the facility, she proposed to turn the space, which already had some gym equipment, into a corporate wellness center for airport employees.
She pitched the idea as an option to help workers maintain healthier lifestyles.
Aside from helping employees take better care of their health, exercise can help them be happier, and having the option for exercise can be good for morale.
“When you invest in people or show them you care, they work harder,” she says.
Zero Level Fitness opened Feb. 24, 2014. Within its first few days, about 75 people enrolled. The fitness center is currently up to 750 members.
“I say we can easily get up to 1,500 or 2,000, especially since we have 17,000 employees who work here,” Doane says.
The basic membership is $15 per month.
Along with gym equipment, Zero Level Fitness offers classes throughout the week ranging from spin and Pilates to TRX and line dancing.
“We even had a Zumba class for Valentine’s Day,” Doane says.
Members also can sign up for personal trainers and to speak with dietitians.
“We offer free consultations,” Doane notes.
Although some members are already involved in some sort of fitness, the majority come into the gym having never been involved in exercise programs.
“Some gyms come off as too intimidating,” Doane says.
Doane says she is still working to get the word out to department managers and organizations affiliated with the airport to boost membership.
Just a year into having the facility, she has many goals for what it could grow into. She hopes to add other wellness components in the future such as massage therapy and stretching therapy.
She also wants to add some sort of health food element so members can grab something nutritional after workouts.
She adds she isn’t sure if she would ever open the gym back up to the public.
“I really like focusing on corporate wellness,” she says.
Contact reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5201. Follow @mjlyle on Twitter.
