In 2022, students at the University of Sheffield were surveyed to find out if sport was important to their student experience and 94 per cent said it was. This is a clear indication of the value of physical activity as a personal and social outlet.

In 2023, the university refurbished the gym at its Goodwin Sports Centre, with cutting-edge Technogym solutions. Andrew Cox, director of sport and physical activity believes the refurbishment will support the next phase of the university’s strategy, saying: "The Goodwin Sports Centre is the heart of the community and this major refurbishment will enable more people to get involved in physical activity and enjoy the connections sport can bring.

“This is the start of a phase of investments that will strengthen sports and activity as the heartbeat of our university community."

Future-proofing with quality solutions
The University of Sheffield plans to build an entirely new sport and physical activity centre in the near future, so this final refurbishment of the Goodwin Sports Centre needed top-of-the-range products to take it through this phase.

“Technogym was our first choice of equipment partner,” said Cox. “It understands the challenges faced by operators of fitness facilities in higher education and is also the premium choice across every sector. The company has an incredible reputation and delivers so much support beyond the equipment itself.”

Sport and physical activity facilities contribute to the student experience in a number of measurable ways beyond fitness. The Goodwin Sports Centre gym caters for recreational users, elite athletes, and BUCS sports teams, while also supporting international students as they settle in.

“Having a top-quality gym is a big selling point for student recruitment, and contributes massively to the student experience,” said Cox. “Physical activity can really help first-year and international students settle in and make friends and it helps students stay fit and healthy, which supports their academic work.”

Reflecting changing exercise trends
Technogym ensured the equipment selection, design, and zoning of the refurbished gym would cater to modern fitness trends such as strength training, functional fitness, small group sessions and digital content.
The gym is set over two floors, with platforms and weights on the lower floor, and cardio, functional training upstairs.

With design advice and equipment recommendations from Technogym, Cox and his team have been able to achieve the optimal balance of cardio and strength while retaining flexibility of space for users and personal trainers.

“Technogym helped us design a cutting-edge gym that makes an impact as soon as you walk through the doors,” says Cox. “We knew we needed more lifting platforms, plates, cables, and strength equipment, as well as content-rich cardio and the new equipment has had amazing feedback from users.”

At the heart of the University community
Upgrading to Technogym’s multi-use equipment with a small footprint has meant the University can get a lot of quality products into the gym, while freeing up space to increase flow.

“Technogym products look great and help us support beginners, recreational users, and elite athletes, and enables our personal trainers to deliver a higher standard of coaching,” says Cox. “Technogym puts a lot of thought and research into its designs. The equipment is user-friendly, with the complicated stuff being taken care of by the advanced technology, content and data capture capabilities of the Technogym eco-system.”

University of Sheffield Sport chose Technogym’s advanced cardio equipment with built-in content to motivate and coach users. Members are already saying they enjoy their sessions more and stay engaged longer than on the previous equipment.

Advanced equipment, valuable data capture
Using Technogym App helps University of Sheffield Sport capture valuable user data, helping them make more data-informed decisions on future investments.

“One of the many benefits of partnering with Technogym is that it's ahead of global consumer trends and trends in the higher education sector,” said Cox. “We can now combine our own user data with advice from Technogym to stay ahead of fitness themes.”

“We also want our future sports centre to act as a co-location for health and wellbeing services,” says Cox. “We’ll be looking at ways to further our connections with GP referrals and leverage digital health platforms to encourage people to engage.”

“The new equipment at Goodwin Sports Centre will play a key role in understanding how we need to move forward,” says Cox. “I’m confident Technogym will support us through this next phase with advice, staff training, after sales support and trend analysis.”