Olympic Fitness Center

Fitness is not always about working out 24/7: recovery is also very important. At the Olympic Fitness Center, athletes have the opportunity to recover after long hours of strenuous exercise.

After hearing about James Develin's Make it Real Student Design Challenge, I was immediately intrigued by the idea of 3-D modeling a gym suitable for recovery. As a fitness lover myself, I find recovery and injury prevention just as important as working out to keep the body happy and healthy. Develin's vision for a recovery gym really inspired me to create something suitable for injury prevention and muscle relaxation, as well as a place that is adaptable to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

- Fusion 360

- Computer

After hearing about Develin's vision, I created a set of goals for this recovery gym:

1. Make it adaptable to the current situation. Athletes don't stop, regardless of the pandemic; neither should their recovery. Safety is the number one concern for gym members, so creating a suitable environment during a pandemic was the number one goal of mine.

2. Make a sleek and simple design.

3. Accommodate different types of athletes and different methods of rehabilitation.

4. Less heavy equipment = more. Recovery isn't about strenuous exercise, so keeping the equipment light and simple is better.

Recovery is a process that athletes use to rest their muscles after strenuous activity. It is important to allow muscles to rest to promote growth and development. However, it can also be beneficial to participate in "active rest days," where working out can consist of activities like moderately-paced walks, stretching, yoga, and light physical activity. Recovery is extremely important for athletes and is an important part of fitness. A recovery gym is a great way to promote adequate rest of the muscles and the body; athletes can go to such gyms to participate in light activity on their rest days and relax, while still receiving the benefits of a gym.

During the coronavirus pandemic, gyms have to follow a huge set of guidelines to stay open, most importantly social distancing between machinery and equipment. Taking this into account, I made a floor plan that would accommodate both the recovery process and social distancing guidelines. The gym is separated into three sections. Upon entry, members will encounter the receptionist's desk, where they sign in and record their temperature. The main room is the recovery gym itself. Next door, there is an area for a pool. The final back section includes a juice bar and socially distanced tables, where athletes can enjoy refreshments, healthy protein shakes, and other foods that aid in their recovery.

Recovery is about light exercise, so this gym does not include heavy machinery, weights, or huge pieces of cardio equipment. Instead, to aid in the recovery process, there are light weights that can be used to simple workouts. The recovery gym has mats for athletes to practice yoga on.

Swimming is a great exercise for recovery. Hot tubs are also wonderful to relax the muscles and release tension in the body.

All athletes know that food is fuel: especially when doing strenuous exercise, everyone needs to fuel their muscles for optimal growth, strength, and energy. The juice bar at the recovery gym is just the place for that! Members can order protein shakes, healthy meals, juices, water for hydration, and other eats that are key in recovery. Protein is key to build muscles, so this bar will not be short of a protein supplies. The whole entire back section is dedicated to the juice bar so that tables and chairs can be socially distanced. Athletes can safely remove their masks when sitting 6-feet apart from each other to enjoy their recovery meals without putting others in danger. Having one area dedicated to food is important to prevent the spread of COVID to others who are not participating in the juice bar activities.

Upon entry, members must wear an appropriate mask and temperatures will be recorded to prevent the spread of the virus. Masks must be kept on at all times except when in the pool or eating at the juice bar. All of the equipment is spread out at least 6-feet apart to adhere to social distancing guidelines. There will be a cap on how many people can enter the recovery gym at one time to ensure that everyone stays safe. Equipment will be wiped down and cleaned after every use. Proper ventilation is installed in this recovery gym to ensure maximum air flow and safety. Although there is a pandemic going on, recovery is important, and by adhering to the CDC's guidelines regarding the COVID pandemic, athletes can still go out to the gym to recover and work out.

I created an assembly on Fusion 360