There are not many people out there that, given the option, would deliberately choose to cycle around a chemical plant or run alongside a busy motorway. Because most people know that inhaling contaminants - like those which come from industrial sites or cars exhausts - is not conducive to exercise.

Yet, when we go to our local gym, health club or leisure centre, we probably don’t think twice about the air we breathe - despite the fact that indoor air can be five times worse for us than that outdoors. Mainly because we shouldn’t have to. It’s up to health club managers to provide healthy, safe and comfortable environments for their clients. And that includes tackling indoor air pollution.

Most health club managers want relatively the same things - to provide clean environments where people can go to keep fit and stay active. That’s why all respectable gyms, spas and leisure centres are cleaned regularly and have well-organised processes in place to ensure hygiene standards are monitored round the clock.

However, the one area that often falls short – whether it’s a private health club or a local leisure centre – is ensuring customers have access to good air quality. Not many realise but indoor air pollution is detrimental, not only to performance but health. Low levels of indoor air quality can cause coughs, colds, skin/eye irritation and rashes. As well as more serious, potentially fatal, illnesses to those suffering asthma or other respiratory illnesses.

Astley Shields, UK head of Air Treatment at Fellowes, said: “It sounds strange, but indoor air quality in gyms, leisure centres, spas and other shared facilities is becoming a key point of focus for researchers because we are starting to become more aware that the air we breathe inside, including at work, at the gym and at home, can significantly affect health.”

“We’re seeing innovative, technologically-savvy countries like China now dedicating large resources to improving indoor air quality in luxury hotels - and other industries are likely to follow. Installing air purifiers like the AeraMax Professional is an easy, cost-efficient way to acknowledge problems faced by indoor air pollution and it’s down to decision makers to look into these solutions,” he added.

Another benefit of air purifiers, particularly to health clubs, is they are able to filter out unwanted odours from locker rooms, gym floors and bathrooms – a constant thorn in the side of health club managers. And for people suffering from respiratory problems, products like the AeraMax Professional has been proven to cut out 99.9 per cent of airborne contaminants (like dust).

So if health club managers want to take their facilities to the next level of clean, it’s up to them to invest in quality equipment and regulate indoor air quality to ensure their facilities are as clean as running through a park or cycling through the countryside. Providing cutting-edge air purifiers is one way to set themselves aside from competitors. Giving customers more reason to choose a gym that cares about them.

For more information about air purifiers, find out more at www.aeramaxpro.com/uk