Social Gym, a Unique Concept

Interview with Alina Gheorghe, Social Gym manager

Tell us about the concept of Social Gym.

The Social Gym project was launched in September 2015 with the aim of offering more than just a gym for people passionate about sports and a healthy lifestyle. From the beginning, we wanted to build a true community where you feel among friends and escape the burden of going to the gym… and it seems that we have achieved this through the dedication, motivation, and involvement of the trainers, as well as the openness of those who come through our doors. The story began (and continues) as a social business, through which we supported the integration of people from disadvantaged backgrounds into the labor market. The main directions of our social action are:

1. Professional development of these individuals.
2. Reinvesting the profit in the sustainability of the club and creating new social programs.
3. Encouraging companies in Romania to invest in the health of their employees.

Alina Gheorghe, Social Gym manager

Where did the idea of Social Gym come from?

If we focus on the term “social,” we should analyze these three aspects:

– The community we develop around the club and the promotion of networking among clients through the monthly events we organize, often associated with various humanitarian campaigns in which they get involved. We also provide networking spaces such as event halls, networking boards in the locker rooms and the gym itself. Basically, you come to the gym and, at the same time, you can find clients, suppliers, and business partners.
– The focus on developing a sense of responsibility among our clients: involvement in fundraising campaigns, messages in the gym to reduce water, energy, and paper consumption, etc.
– Investing in other social projects developed by the Center for Active Citizenship Resources or other partner NGOs:
– The event hall – Studio Connect – is offered free of charge to NGOs that organize their own free events.
– Developing the SOS program – Childhood Obesity – a program dedicated to overweight children.
– The Donate Time program that involves students in volunteer activities at the Center for Active Citizenship Resources. In order to encourage the active involvement of young people, we offer them the possibility to pay for their Social Gym hours by volunteering for the same number of hours.

How did you become part of the Social Gym team?

I have been working with the team behind Social Gym (the Center for Active Citizenship Resources) for nearly 7 years, involved in social responsibility projects, career counseling for students, and reintegrating vulnerable individuals into the labor market. Initially, my involvement in the Social Gym project was in the field of PR and communication. I have witnessed how the community has evolved and developed, and at some point, it was natural for me to take on the management role. At the beginning, my involvement was focused on PR, communication, events, and community development. Having knowledge of the business from all perspectives and observing its evolution, three months ago I took on the position of club manager, which is a daily challenge but also brings great satisfaction when I see clients full of energy and vitality at the end of the day (which also reflects on my own mood).

What would you like people to know about Social Gym?

Communication and passion are the defining elements of both our trainers and the members of the Social Gym community. Most clients come back because they are pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere during classes, the energy transmitted by the trainers, and the constant support they receive (customized programs based on individual needs and experience, support for clients with real potential in sports). At Social Gym, the trainer becomes your friend, the one who can truly motivate you to come to the gym and doesn’t say, “Let’s start on Monday.”

Beyond the entire community we rely on and believe sets us apart in the market, it is important to emphasize the impact that clients can have beyond their membership. Since we are a social business and reinvest our profits in other social projects, clients should know that their membership investment supports all the other activities we have within the club: programs dedicated to overweight children, humanitarian campaigns, support for other NGOs in organizing events, volunteer programs for students, etc. Every Social Gym client is part of our story.

Tell us more about the Social Gym team – (I liked the story of current clients becoming trainers and more).

This entire community we mentioned earlier wouldn’t exist without the support of trainers who are dedicated to their clients, offering personalized and tailored programs while keeping up with industry trends. These trainers are full of energy so that going to the gym doesn’t feel like a burden. Each trainer has a story that motivated and inspired them to choose the path of sports. As we know, people react best to the power of example, and the trainers’ stories confirm this rule. Beyond their knowledge in the field, pedagogical talent, persuasive abilities, and understanding of each client’s psychology, it’s the human side of each trainer reflected in every workout that makes you want to return to the gym with pleasure.

Among our colleagues, we have trainers who are living proof of how sports influence a lifestyle. Some of them transitioned from being clients to becoming instructors and have undergone remarkable physical transformations through fitness and aerobic training.

The interest in fitness has been growing steadily in Romania. What do you think is the reason?

What we have observed in the Romanian market in recent years is that private companies have started to set trends and invest in the health of their employees, seeing sports as a medium- to long-term investment rather than a cost. We have seen an increasing number of clients from corporations precisely because employers choose to motivate and retain their employees through such initiatives.

I believe that in recent years, fitness has become more of a lifestyle. People have become more aware of the effects of their nutrition, what practicing regular sports truly means, and the long-term benefits. The social changes around us have made people more attentive to themselves and their lifestyles. As a result, they search for solutions to regain balance, and sports can be one of the answers.

What would you say to someone considering becoming a member of Social Gym?

Your future self, a few years from now, will be very grateful for what you are about to do today. There’s no such thing as “I’ll go to the gym on Monday.” We promise to be with you throughout your entire program, motivate you in the best way we know, help you choose the best workouts for your health issues or lifestyle needs, show you where you’ve gone wrong, and congratulate you on your achievements, ambition, and commitment to your training.

What services can clients find within the club?

Depending on each individual’s lifestyle, goals, and inner drive that brings them to the gym, the client can choose classes from all three training areas: body & mind, strength training, and cardio fitness. The trend we’ve observed in our gym is that most clients (regardless of gender) lean towards cardio workouts combined with exercises that boost endurance and strength (spinning, abs & thighs, circuit training, pump 360).

For those passionate about dance and looking to combine gym workouts with rhythm and music, the best choices are Aerodance and Pound classes – Social Gym was one of the first clubs to offer them.

How do you think the concept introduced by Social Gym will evolve in the next few years?

We aim for sustainable growth in our project, but we can’t achieve it without the community around us. Social Gym is about and with these wonderful people who surround us daily, all committed to a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The fitness industry is constantly expanding, and we may be surprised by international trends and emerging opportunities or alternatives in the market. Our goal is to become a benchmark in promoting mind-body-soul balance among adults and children alike.

Currently, besides offering diverse and personalized workout programs tailored to the Social Gym community’s needs, we are also concerned about children’s health and education, as well as that of their parents, regarding nutrition and physical activity. We want our dedicated project against childhood obesity to become a reference program in the field, replicated every six months, even leading to national awareness and education campaigns.

In recent years, there has been an increased concern among parents about their children’s health. How does the club address this segment?

We are aware that, eventually, this segment will be our future clientele in the aerobic and fitness areas. Therefore, we are involved in promoting physical activities among children, whether it’s rhythmic gymnastics or dance classes (street dance). We have developed a sports program for children and parents – the family program – to encourage sports at the whole family level.

Furthermore, we also focus on nurturing creativity in children. Recently, we launched the Wonder Kids Studio program – a series of workshops in theater, painting, crafts, etc. – through which we offer children and parents a new way to approach art and culture through various programs that stimulate creativity, critical thinking, and social and artistic skills.

We are also concerned about children facing obesity, as only 1% of them are part of a national education program. Based on alarming statistics from recent years, we have developed the SOS – Childhood Obesity – program, an integrated program of sports, wellness, and psychotherapy, involving 10 overweight children without financial means for six months.

Can you give a message that represents Social Gym – what would you like future clients to remember about this project?

Social Gym is an initiative about people and sports, about involvement in social life and community. It’s about friendship, professionalism, and passion. Social Gym is about you! Because you matter to us!