90% of Shelter Residents Say Outdoor Gym Helped Them Connect

Eighty percent of residents at a Paris homeless shelter reported improved physical fitness one month after a donated outdoor gym opened in their courtyard, according to a survey by the nonprofit Emmaüs Solidarité. Ninety percent said the equipment helped them meet or talk to other people.

The gym, installed in mid-July, sits in the garden of the Emmaüs Solidarité homeless shelter in Paris. It's a partnership between the city, the nonprofit, and Omnigym, a Finnish fitness company with more than 800 locations across 18 countries.

The installation has four pieces of equipment: lat pulldown, squat, incline bench press, and low row. It's open to everyone, but it's placed specifically for people who lack the money for a private gym — or who wouldn't feel welcome in one.

Why does a fitness company give equipment to a shelter?

Omnigym frames the donation as both a business case and social value. Its People's Gym initiative has been installing equipment for free at spaces such as prisons to demonstrate the impact the gear can have on communities. Public sector clients, like park districts, make up most of its clientele.

"It's a natural gathering place, and people from different socioeconomic backgrounds start to meet because they exercise," says Omnigym's CEO, Kirsti Laasio. "It's a very egalitarian sort of situation."

Laasio argues outdoor gyms can become part of city planning, serving as modes of social contact that activate the streetscape and encourage preventive healthcare. Omnigym had already been working with the city of Paris, where it operates two other outdoor gyms. When Laasio heard a shelter wanted to try something similar, the company joined the trial, donated the equipment, and set out to study the impact.

Sensors on the machines confirm consistent use. The data shows one atypical pattern: residents at the Emmaüs Solidarité site tend to work out later in the day and overnight, unlike the early-morning habits of other gym users. Omnigym uses this anonymous data to argue for more locations and to tailor the machine mix at each site.

What changed inside the shelter?

Abdellah Bounkit, director of Emmaüs, called the conversation and socialization the "biggest victory." Before the gym, residents who wanted exercise walked to a nearby park, often for five-on-five soccer matches. The new, easily accessible space reduced the number of fights that occasionally break out in the shelter.

"When people arrive here, they are often isolated, so it can take a long time to build relationships," says Bounkit. "Sports and exercise can really help."

That matters because shelter populations shift rapidly, making regular activities and informal gathering spots valuable in a fluid community.

How big is the health gap for the unhoused?

The UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative's study of homelessness in California found nearly half of unhoused people in the state rate their health as fair or poor, and 60% report at least one chronic condition such as asthma or hypertension.

Research has found that access to equipment and facilities would have significant impacts on mental and cognitive health and improve sleep — areas of particular concern for the unhoused community. Poor diet, irregular schedules, lack of funds, and the absence of a stable address all stand in the way of starting and keeping a workout routine.

Emmaüs is not the only experiment here. Back on My Feet, operating in 14 U.S. cities, encourages running. In San Diego, Father Joe's Village hosts a regular cycling ride for the unhoused. The Homeless World Cup supports soccer teams in 75 countries.

What do the residents themselves say?

"I love the fact I can meet new people," says Wilfried, a two-year Emmaüs resident, speaking through an interpreter. He favors the machine for biceps curls. "I used to never talk to certain people, now we meet at the equipment, and we do sports together."

"It gives me a lot of hope," says Binate, another man staying at the shelter. "When you train every day with the same people, the trust is growing."

Teams and clubs build purpose and belonging, but the Paris trial suggests even something as small as four machines in a courtyard can shift behavior, health, and social ties — and the sensor data now exists to convince other cities to try it.