Best Fitness Equipment for Government Personnel

Top Trainers for the Military and Elite Federal Workers

Fitness equipment for the armed forces, contractors and dependents helps them meet physical demands and recover from injuries. Whether you’re outfitting a submarine fitness room or maximizing terrestrial training, this article can help you choose the best military-grade gym equipment with GSA pricing available.

Make the Most of Your Federal Fitness Center Funds

Military-grade fitness equipment stands tests of time, transit and the natural elements. It serves well in a variety of settings and can accommodate the full range of ability levels for active service members, wounded warriors, contractors and their dependents. Read on for five key issues to consider as you compare GSA treadmills, strength trainers and other federal or military gym equipment.

1) Workout Location

Assessing the dimensions of your available workout space before shopping for fitness equipment is always wise. Sometimes for military settings it’s especially important. On naval vessels, for instance, it’s helpful if fitness machines can be moved through small hatches without requiring disassembly. Regardless of setting though, it’s critical to optimize floor space and also allow enough room for wounded warriors to comfortably access machinery.

Manufacturers of GSA fitness equipment.can provide layout solutions for workout spaces of any size; just write for advice. Some will even custom-design fitness equipment for the military.

2) Machine Maintenance

Low maintenance is ideal for any military equipment, including fitness equipment. Typically a military grade treadmill belt and deck can serve maintenance-free for 15,000 miles before replacement is recommended. One very high-end brand stands out with 150,000-mile belts and decks. A cheap home treadmill belt, in contrast, might require frequent waxing and nonetheless wear out after a few thousand miles.

Some good signs of longevity for a military-grade treadmill are large rollers (3 inches in diameter or larger), a motor with at least 4.0 continuous horsepower, and an extra-thick belt.

3) Electrical Power Not Required

Cord-free fitness machines are especially convenient for mobile military units. While motorless or manual treadmills and “green” ellipticals are available, the most popular cord-free cardio trainers for the military are exercise bikes.

Air bikes, which use fan air as resistance, are especially favored by members of the armed forces and their families because of their potentially unlimited resistance, their low cost and their impressive durability. The best air bikes can serve for more than 200,000 miles without needing servicing.

4) Military Fitness Tests and Workout Programming

Top fitness equipment manufacturers outfit their cardio trainers with military fitness testing programs. The best GSA treadmills include one fitness test each for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Typically the Gerkin Protocol is included too.

The best treadmills for the armed forces have preset workouts as well. Besides using manual mode, trainees can efficiently exercise with workouts that meet goals for time, distance, heart rate or calorie burn. Many commercial treadmills also allow for customized program creation and wireless data tracking.

5) Wounded Warrior Military Gym Equipment

Injured troops can benefit best from strength training equipment that’s optimized for proper biomechanics and many ability levels. For some wounded warriors, fitness machines that are specially adapted for low vision or traumatic brain injury are especially helpful too. One example is a treadmill with high-contrast colors on the belt and raised icons on the control buttons. Another example is a weight station with swing-in bench to allow easy access for a wheelchair.

Get Tailored Advice

Keep workers and troops mission-ready with a high quality workout center. Contact us for help outfitting a federal or military workout room with respect for your budget, available space and other unique requirements.