Cardio Theaters Kill Two Birds with One Stone

At the end of a long day, who doesn’t like to relax by watching a movie? However, in today’s busy world, who has the time?

Thankfully, cardio theaters allow your members to kill two birds with one stone: They can get in a great workout and watch a movie at the same time.

“The cardio theater is awesome because you can go in and be completely distracted,” said Katie Hardiman, an employee at Bowling Green Athletic Club (BAC) in Bowling Green, Kentucky. “A lot of our members do like it, especially if they’re not a big fan of cardio. It helps them just kind of get away.”

At BAC’s location on Scottsville Road, the cardio theater is made up of three levels. According to Hardiman, there’s a balanced mix of treadmills, ellipticals and bikes.

Unlike a traditional theater, BAC chose to display movies via a projector onto a white wall, versus going with a screen. “I think it’s more cost-effective, because we can make the screen as big or small as we want,” said Hardiman.

In order to show movies legally, gyms must purchase a license through the Motion Picture Licensing Company, though Hardiman explained the process wasn’t difficult. “You just have to go through the paperwork and pay,” she said.

Hardiman explained the movies are picked a month in advanced by staff and displayed on a schedule online. For the month of October 2014, for example, members can enjoy movies such as “Divergent”, “Total Recall”, “Oblivion” and “Beetlejuice.”

Due to the club members wide range of ages, BAC plays movies with a PG-13 or PG rating. “We don’t have any R-rated movies, which is sometimes a downside to our older members,” she said.

Many clubs, including Retro Fitness, Gold’s Gym and LA Fitness, boast cardio theaters in many of their facilities. For BAC, it’s been an added bonus to the membership. “So far, we’ve had nothing but awesome comments about how it’s a convenient thing to have,” said Hardiman.

By Rachel Zabonick