Safe Sweat, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, opened the first location for the hybrid fitness concept, the company announced on Aug. 22. The first location is in Grandview Corners, South Surrey in British Columbia, and the company plans to open additional company-owned locations as well as franchised locations in Canada and the United States in the next 12 months.
The Safe Sweat model combines the privacy of an at-home workout with the equipment and digital programming of a fitness facility. Members can work out in fully equipped gym-like spaces called FITsuites.
Members check in through an app, but the studio is always staffed with someone who knows first aid and CPR—and members can book time with a personal trainer.
Emre Ozgur and Andrea Kloegman co-founded Safe Sweat to help people overcome the body image issues and gym anxiety that they had witnessed in their years of experience in the fitness industry. The brand is for people who want a premium workout experience without the potential judgment, ogling, discomfort or wait times that some people may experience at a traditional gym.
“Millions of people suffer from gym anxiety, but not enough people talk about it, and we wanted to not only normalize the conversation but provide a solution,” Ozgur said in the announcement. “By removing outside distractions, the need to wait for or wipe down equipment, and the stressors of working out in a busy public gym, the focus shifts back to the only person that matters: the person in the mirror.”
Kloegman added: “We designed Safe Sweat for physical and mental empowerment, not to mention optimal workout efficiency.”
The flagship location is 2,700 square-feet and features eight private FITsuites ranging in size from 150- to 250-square-feet. Equipment includes cardio, squat racks, resistance equipment, functional equipment and recovery tools. Each room has dimmable lighting and a large digital screen programmed with the Safe Sweat Fitness library so members can select from workouts categorized by body part, workout type, fitness level and more. All FITsuites are sanitized in between sessions.
Safe Sweat membership options, including Sweat Lite, Sweat and Sweat Max, range from $160 to $275 per month. All memberships are available month-to-month with no contract. Members can book FITsuites in 50-minute intervals via the Safe Sweat app and can add a Sweat Pro (in-person personal trainer) at any time. A maximum of 350 members are allowed at the South Surrey location to ensure availability and flow.