As important as proper form and adequate hydration, the quality of your gym surfaces directly impacts performance and safety for every athlete. Whether you manage a workout facility, indoor courts, or a mixed-use facility that offers a variety of athletics, optimizing your gym flooring should be a priority consideration. 

Below, we discuss flooring solutions that offer the safest impact ratings, reliable traction, and durable longevity for flooring upgrades that look great, last long, and maximize athletic potential. 

Rubber Flooring Leads the Pack in Overall Value

If joint-friendly surface safety is your primary goal, resilient and shock-absorbing rubber flooring solutions are your best bet. The latest rubber flooring solutions require minimal maintenance, boast decades of longevity, and provide a modern aesthetic that looks great in professional settings and home gyms alike. 

On top of the impressive durability, style, and ease of care, the best rubber gym flooring solutions offer: 

  • Surface Stability & Joint Safety: Modern rubber flooring solutions offer the perfect balance of a stable foot feel while boasting reliable joint protection with every use. With a range of rubber thicknesses and hardness options available, athletes benefit from a steady stance and predictable cushioning when performing high-impact workouts. 
  • Subflooring Protection: Quality rubber flooring protects the underlying structures. As a result, long-term facility costs are reduced and athletes are less likely to encounter unstable or uneven surfaces that can occur if flooring is damaged by weights, heavy equipment, or moisture. 
  • Consistent Traction: Rubberized surfaces are naturally grippy. Think tires, shoes, and now, your gym flooring. Further enhanced by surface texturization and innovative rubber compositions that integrate anti-slip agents like silica into the mix, athletes can jump, pivot, and land without fear of slipping. 
  • Noticeable Noise Reduction: Just as rubber absorbs and disperses impact energy, it also dampens sound waves for a less disruptive workout atmosphere. The quieting benefits of rubber gym flooring become even more noticeable if your facility’s spacious layout or structural materials cause unwanted echoing. 

Beyond the workout gym, the versatility of rubber is also useful for many other custom applications. Our experts at Keystone Sports Construction design and install professional rubber running track surfaces, warm-up areas, and other custom facility improvements using rubber as the joint-safe foundation. 

Gym Turf is Safe, Customizable, & Great for Various Athletics

To expand your gym’s potential, gym turf is another exceptional option to consider for high-mobility athletics like CrossFit, plyometrics, and other intense training regimens. Gym turf includes a range of customizable grass lengths, a diversity of impact-resistant layering options, and best of all, replicates the performance-enhancing benefits of a realistic grass environment. 

Just like rubber gym flooring disperses impact forces, the innovative turf compositions can be customized to protect against the harshest of hits. With optional additions such as foam padding underlayments in addition to the shock-absorbing infill material, your gym environment will be the safest facility in town. 

Other Flooring Options to Consider

For mixed-use facilities, your space may benefit from other additions such as hardwood or a synthetic clay surface such as Har-Tru. While these surfaces may not be as shock-absorbing as rubber or gym turf, hardwood and synthetic clays do provide better shock absorption than cement and asphalt courts. 

When comparing the various options, always consider the athletics you aim to support and the intended purpose of the design. If joint safety and weight lifting are the primary uses, a rubber or gym turf is your best bet. If your facility offers everything from basketball to high-impact workout classes, it’s best to integrate a variety of surfaces; i.e. use hardwood for the sports courts and rubber gym flooring for the exercise areas. 

Compare the Best Gym Options 

To explore the pros and cons of each flooring type, contact our experienced contractors at Keystone Sports Construction and we’ll help you create an athlete-safe plan today.