7 Office Gym Questions: A Purchasing Admin's Straight Answers

I'm the office administrator for a 180-person company. I manage all fitness equipment ordering—roughly $40,000 annually across 5 vendors. I report to both operations and finance, and I've spent more time than I'd like to admit thinking about how a company gym should work. If you're setting one up, here are the questions people actually ask me.

Is Peloton worth it for a company gym?

That depends on how serious your culture is about workouts. Peloton brings the studio into your space with live and on-demand classes, and the hardware holds up well in shared settings. I like that the console has a real commercial warranty option, not just consumer terms. So glad I went with the commercial warranty (note to self: ask for the spare parts list next time). Almost didn't, and it paid off when a bike screen failed in the middle of a busy week. And as of January 2025, Peloton's commercial pricing is still premium—but you're paying for content and a smooth experience. If you've got employees who do their own programming, it may be overkill. If you want to make it as easy as possible, it's a good bet.

Is a Peloton treadmill alternative enough for most offices?

We skipped the Peloton Tread at our second site. Partly budget, partly storage. A walking treadmill under a standing desk plus a wall-mounted tablet gives you the same idea, but it's not the same. With the Peloton Tread, you get automatic speed/incline sync and dynamic class controls. With a dumb treadmill, you're tap-and-look. I've learned that "alternative" means it meets 80% of staff needs. If your goal is to boost daily movement, a simple treadmill works. If people expect a class experience, they'll stream to a tablet anyway. We went with a low-impact model and it's been fine—actually, it's worked better than I expected, especially after we added a cheap tablet stand.

What's it like visiting the Peloton London studio?

I haven't been myself, but I booked a class for a visiting director in 2024. It's more like a high-end fitness boutique than the big US showroom—or rather, it's a compact, polished space on a mixed-use block. You check in by phone, lockers are small, and the class runs exactly on time. If someone from your company travels to London, it's worth booking in advance; slots go quickly. The studio team also does corporate visits if you email ahead, but they want a group of at least five. That's from their rep's email, verified in November 2024.

What's the best way to find kettlebells? Does "kettlebell near me" work?

Searching "kettlebell near me" gets you retail stores, which is fine if you want two. For an office rack, you need a commercial supplier who can quote freight. I made the mistake of ordering from a vendor two cities away because they were "near me"—then had to arrange a pallet pickup. If you're flexible on brand, specialty fitness wholesalers often have better prices than local retailers. Check whether the quote includes delivery, because kettlebell weight adds shipping costs quickly. "Near me" matters for pickup and warranty returns; otherwise, get several quotes online.

What kettlebell set should I buy for a shared office gym?

A set in the 8–20kg range covers most healthy adults. I bought 10, 12, 16, and 20kg pairs, and the 10s and 16s get the most love. The 20s sit there—well, not literally sit, but they're barely used. You don't need matching sizes just to look nice; but if you want a unified look, ask for a Pantone reference on the powder coat finish. We tried to match our company green and ended up with two slightly different shades. Lesson learned: get a colour sample before ordering a full set. And check if your floor can handle drops. A rubber mat is non-negotiable.

How do headphones work with the gym equipment?

This is the most common question, and I'm not an audio tech, so here's the practical version. Most of our equipment uses Bluetooth. You put headphones into pairing mode, open the monitor's audio settings, and select them. On Peloton bikes and the Tread, that's tap the gear icon, then Bluetooth, then search. For older machines without Bluetooth, you'll need a 3.5mm wired pair or a Bluetooth transmitter. The trick is the transmitter must support pairing with the device; one of our monitors made the headphones connect but with no audio—turned out the transmitter was set to a strange codec. Reset both and it worked. If people use their own headphones, have them bring them the first time so you can test. There's something satisfying about a room that wires up without constant IT requests.