Equipping a health-referral exercise centre: equipment specification, standards and user groups
A health-referral exercise centre is specified around the people it receives, not around the layout of a commercial gym. In France these facilities are called Maisons Sport-Santé – state-labelled centres where a doctor refers a sedentary person, or someone living with a long-term condition, towards adapted physical activity, a supervised and progressive form of exercise delivered by qualified instructors. The same brief applies anywhere in Europe where exercise is prescribed as part of care: low starting loads, accessible stations, certified equipment and conformity you can document.
This guide sets out the equipment specification by user group, the standards that apply, the floor areas to plan for and indicative budgets. It covers adapted physical activity and deconditioned users. Clinical rehabilitation is a different brief, addressed in our pages on rehabilitation gym equipment and on the hospital rehabilitation gym specification.
What the specification has to cover
The French referral form asks the prescribing doctor to name the type of exercise required: endurance, muscle strengthening, balance, flexibility and coordination. Those five families make a practical checklist in any country. A floor that only covers cardiovascular work leaves the majority of referrals unserved, because balance and strengthening carry most of the clinical benefit for older and deconditioned users.
No regulation publishes a compulsory equipment list. Assessment of a centre looks at qualified staffing, a formal partnership with health professionals, a follow-up protocol reported back to the referring doctor, and premises suited to the user groups the centre says it will receive. Equipment is judged through that last criterion, which is why the specification starts with the users.
Equipment by user group
| User group | Priority | Core equipment | Purchasing constraint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome | Reconditioning, regular energy expenditure | Recumbent bike, magnetic rower, selectorised machines | Long, repeated sessions: readable consoles, simple servicing |
| After cancer treatment | Gradual return to activity, fatigue management | Low-intensity cardio, guided resistance starting very low | Increments of 1 to 2.5 kg, zero resistance available on ergometers |
| Cardiovascular conditions | Monitored endurance after cardiac rehabilitation | Ergometers displaying heart rate and power | Watt readout, emergency stop reachable from the station |
| Obesity | Endurance without joint loading | Backrest bike, rower, seated machines | Check the maximum user weight and seat width stated by the manufacturer |
| Frail older adults, falls prevention | Balance, lower-limb strength, walking | Support rails, wobble boards, low-speed treadmill, mat area | High seat position, lateral supports, smooth start-up |
| Neurological conditions | Coordination, neuromotor retraining | Upper and lower limb ergometer, floor circuit, mat area | Foot and hand retention, amplitude controlled by the instructor |
| Wheelchair users and reduced mobility | Maintaining functional capacity | Wheelchair-accessible pedal unit, arm ergometer, low pulleys | Use without transfer, controls reachable when seated |
Compared with a commercial floor, starting loads are lower, stations are further apart and a significant share of the area stays free for floor work and walking.
Standards and the documents to keep on file
A referral centre is a public-access facility receiving vulnerable users. Conformity certificates are not paperwork for its own sake: they are requested by inspectors and by insurers after an incident. File them on delivery, together with the user manuals and the layout drawing.
| Reference | Scope | Implication for a referral centre |
|---|---|---|
| EN 957 / EN ISO 20957 | Safety of stationary training equipment | Baseline to require on every indoor item on the floor |
| Class S | Professional and commercial use | Minimum class for equipment in a public-access facility |
| Class I | Professional inclusive use | Relevant as soon as wheelchair users are received |
| Class H | Domestic use | To be excluded: not designed for supervised collective use |
| Accuracy classes A, B and C | Accuracy of power and speed readouts | Class A on the stations used for assessment reported to the doctor |
| EN 16630 | Permanently installed outdoor fitness equipment | Applies to an outdoor circuit attached to the centre |
| EN 1176 and EN 1177 | Playground equipment and impact-attenuating surfacing | Applies where the project includes a play area |
One point comes up in every audit: equipment sold as professional is not automatically certified to Class S. Ask for the certificate item by item.
Floor area, circulation and access
- 1.40 m of clear circulation between stations, 1.50 m wherever a wheelchair turn has to remain possible;
- seat height of 45 to 50 cm on stations used for transfers from a wheelchair;
- controls, selectors and consoles reachable from a seated position, below 1.30 m;
- a clear walking lane of at least 10 m for standardised functional tests;
- non-slip surfacing, 10 to 20 mm rubber under the strengthening area, soft flooring under the balance area.
A workable core fits into 30 to 50 m². A complete floor, able to receive a small group and individual work at the same time, needs 60 to 100 m². Below 30 m², the trade-off is between guided strengthening and the balance area.
Indicative budgets and lead times
A 30 to 50 m² core – one or two monitored ergometers, an adjustable bench with dumbbells from 0.5 to 10 kg, resistance bands, 10 to 15 m² of mat area and rubber flooring – is typically quoted between 15,000 and 25,000 euros excluding VAT. A complete 60 to 100 m² floor, with three to five low-impact cardio stations, four to six guided machines with fine load increments, a balance area and suitable flooring, generally falls between 35,000 and 70,000 euros excluding VAT. Flooring alone often accounts for 3,000 to 8,000 euros and is the item most frequently left out of early estimates.
Stocked references ship within 5 to 10 working days and quotations are issued within 24 working hours. We deliver to France, Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg. Warranty runs from 2 to 5 years depending on the range, and 20 years on the steel structures we manufacture in Tours. Brands used on this type of project include Bodytone, BH Fitness, O’Live Pro, Ziva, Jordan Fitness and Waterflex for pool-based work.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a compulsory equipment list for a health-referral centre?
No. Assessment covers qualified staffing, the medical partnership, the follow-up protocol and the suitability of the premises for the stated user groups. In practice a low-impact cardio core, guided strengthening with fine load increments and a balance area form the expected minimum.
How is this different from a rehabilitation gym?
Rehabilitation equipment aims to restore a lost function after injury or surgery, is used by health professionals and often includes sensors and powered assistance. Adapted physical activity equipment maintains or improves the physical condition of people living with a chronic condition, in supervised but largely autonomous practice. Some centres run both, with separate budgets and rules of use.
Can a physiotherapy practice host an adapted physical activity room?
Yes, and it is a common configuration. The room has to be distinct from the treatment area, supervised by a suitably qualified professional and fitted with equipment certified for professional use. Observed areas are usually between 40 and 80 m².
What load should guided machines start at?
Aim for a starting load of 3 kg or less, with add-on micro-weights. Standard weight stacks often begin at 5 or 10 kg, which excludes the most deconditioned users from the first session and forces the instructor to fall back on resistance bands.
Specify your adapted physical activity floor
Send us the room drawing, the available area and the user groups you intend to receive. We return the equipment specification, the layout plan and a detailed quotation within 24 working hours. Start with our quotation request.
Michaël Galy – Light In Fitness, a World Way Factory brand, 6-8 rue Victor Laloux, 37000 Tours, France. Manufacturer and distributor of professional fitness equipment since 2013. contact@lightinfitness.com
