AN independent gym chain with clubs in Brighton and Lancing has become the first in the UK to install new technology.

The ECO-POWR equipment harnesses the energy produced during a workout and puts it back into the grid.

Green fitness company SportsArt has launched this new range of sustainable fitness equipment into the UK and Europe, including “Verde” – the world’s first energy-producing treadmill.

It is already being used at Eco Gym in St James’s Street, Brighton.

Partner Andy Little said, “We believe we all have a responsibility to look after the planet along with our minds and bodies.

“Along with SportsArt and the ECO-POWR range, we are pioneering the move to sustainable fitness.”

ECO-POWR products harness up to 74 per cent of the kinetic energy produced during a workout, converting it into electricity that can be pumped back into the local grid, offsetting a significant portion of a gym’s energy consumption.

A single workout on an ECO-POWR machine can produce up to 200 watts per hour of electricity and a full “green circuit” of equipment could generate 2000 watts per hour – the equivalent of running a washing machine for six hours.

The new ECO-POWR range consists of six individual pieces of equipment:

l “Verde” treadmill

l Elliptical

l Upright cycle

l Recumbent cycle

l Indoor cycle

l “Verso” cross trainer.

All pieces in the range can be connected to create a “green circuit” within any existing facility with wi-fi that allows the user to track their own workout and the energy they’ve generated through the free SA WELL+ app.

Roger Eldergill, UK country manager at SportsArt, said: “We’re excited to be bringing this genuinely innovative range of fitness equipment to the UK market. We believe that ECO-POWR can be transformative for members in making their workouts more sustainable and for fitness centres through helping to achieve their sustainability goals and reducing energy costs.”

SportsArt manufactures premium quality fitness, medical, performance, and residential equipment.

It is one of the largest single brand manufacturers in the world and is sold in more than 80 countries worldwide.

Staff at the Brighton gym say they are determined to not only help the environment and health of his members but to also create a culture of sustainability.

The gym joined forces with Surfers Against Sewage, an environmental charity which protects the UK’s oceans through volunteers.