When designing a college rec center, equipment and amenities often take center stage; however, flooring choices also play an important role in a center’s functionality. Selecting the right flooring not only helps to maintain the facility’s appearance, but it is also critical to supporting athletic performance and promoting safety. Rubber flooring has long been the industry standard within rec centers because of its durability and ease of maintenance.

Today, advanced recycled rubber flooring options are purpose-engineered to deliver benefits where they’re needed most. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach throughout the center, flooring is customized to meet the unique demands of each training zone. By using this zone-by-zone mindset, center directors can enhance their facility’s aesthetic qualities, reduce maintenance costs over time, and help student athletes achieve their individual fitness goals.

See related: “Designing the Perfect Weight Room for Any Coach, Trainer or Athlete”

Functional and aerobic training

Shock absorption and comfort are critical to safe and effective functional and aerobic training. The high intensity demands of these training zones require facility staff to carefully consider the energy restitution and force reduction of the facility’s flooring. Delivering the right balance between the two can reduce strain and fatigue on the body while providing the right amount of stability necessary to support quick and varied movements. On average, the ideal fitness floor will deliver a minimum energy restitution of 85% and a force reduction of 13%. When considering a facility’s design, it’s important to partner with an experienced flooring installer who can help determine the ideal balance for your rec center.

Free weight areas

While central to many fitness plans, free weights can pose a real risk to both people and the facility when dropped. Creating drop zones using high-density rubber flooring provides exceptional impact absorption while mitigating noise and reverberation. These heavy-duty enhancements ensure equipment bounces back and the floor’s foundation remains protected over the course of many years. Drop zones can be designed as raised or inlaid platforms. Selecting a raised platform often provides added thickness that can be as much as 25% thicker than standard flooring options. An inlaid surface provides protection while maintaining a flush transition with the surrounding flooring to reduce tripping hazards.

Lockhaven University in Lockhaven, Pennsylvania specified REGUPOL aktiv flooring beneath a raised drop zone within this high-performance weight and conditioning room designed by Abacus Sports.

Locker rooms

Slip resistance is critical in wet areas—whether that means water tracked from aquatic centers, shower facilities, or just perspiration. Flooring must be rugged enough to withstand heavy foot traffic and resist mold and mildew. Rolled rubber flooring provides a virtually seamless finish that is comfortable underfoot. Additionally, rolled rubber flooring can be customized to enhance the rec center’s aesthetic and support campus pride through branding, color usage, messages, and custom cut logo insets.

REGUPOL aktiv rolled rubber flooring, installed by Abacus Sports, provides a seamless finish and unmatched performance at Goldey-Beacom College in Wilmington, Delaware.

Multi-level and quiet areas

Rec centers are bustling and often noisy. For centers built within mixed-use buildings, close proximity to other facilities or to coach and athletic director offices onsite, managing noise is a necessary yet challenging task. Multi-layer acoustical fitness flooring is specifically engineered to isolate the low frequency noise that is common within fitness facilities. Because there is no standard test method for acoustical measurements under conditions like those found within gyms, it’s important to consider what acoustical flooring is best suited to a specific zone in a fitness facility.

Recycled rubber flooring provides a flexible solution that can be customized to meet the unique demands of college rec centers. From shock absorption to slip resistance, impact protection and noise mitigation, today’s rubber fitness flooring is engineered to meet building demands while supporting athletic performance and safety.

About REGUPOL

At REGUPOL, we refashion old tires into recycled rubber products that improve our lives in small but meaningful ways every day. From quiet living spaces to safe athletic/fitness facilities and comfortable and inspiring public spaces, our products are known for their high performance, intuitive design, and exceptional reliability.

From the nation’s best college sports programs to the highest-volume gyms to the busiest community and rec centers, fitness facilities choose REGUPOL for our unmatched performance, durability, and service. We work closely with our customers to explore and recommend the best flooring solution to match the practicality and flexibility of their gym design, the safety and comfort of their gym environment, as well as the aesthetic appeal of their facility.

We’ve been a NIRSA Associate member since 2018 and when you partner with REGUPOL, you become part of a community with a shared goal of leading with excellence and innovation.

At REGUPOL, we refashion old tires into recycled rubber products that improve our lives in small but meaningful ways every day. From the nation’s best college sports programs to the highest-volume gyms to the busiest community and rec centers, fitness facilities choose REGUPOL for our unmatched performance, durability, and service. Learn more at regupol.us.