We’ve all been there. We head to the hotel gym for some cardio, only to find that the temperature seems to be designed for a hot yoga or sauna session instead of a vigorous workout. For whatever reason, I run across this issue most frequently at hotels that are part of international brands, which should know better. Luckily, similarly to the recommended temperature for ideal sleep, there are recommendations from governmental and health bodies that can be referenced for a healthy workout environment.

Sport England Gym Temperature Guideline

In the United Kingdom, Sport England (a public body under the Department for Culture, Media and Sport) has published a guideline that fitness gyms should have their thermostats set to 16-18ºC (60-64ºF).

Another UK government entity, the Health and Safety Executive, mandates that workplaces requiring strenuous work should have the thermostat set to 13ºC (55ºF). Other workplaces where the work is less strenuous should have the thermostat set to 16ºC (60ºF). While that recommendation is intended for workplaces, it’s safe to say many of us aim to have a strenuous workout and work up a sweat in the gym.

U.S. Gym Temperature Requirements

The International Fitness Association, headquartered in balmy Orlando, Florida, provides certification for fitness instructors across the United States. They’ve helpfully published a guide to gym temperatures, noting that “for an aerobics class, a room temperature of no higher than 68 degrees and 50% humidity is recommended.” They add:

Both OSHA and The American College of Sports Medicine have recommendations. IFA has developed the following along those guidelines: The aerobics, cardio, weight training and Pilates areas should be at about 65 to 68 degrees

65-68ºF (18-20ºC) is slightly warmer than the U.K. guideline (and definitely on the warm side for me) but it’s still a reasonable workout temperature. Importantly, the International Fitness Association notes that they “consider 70 degrees [21ºC] too high for regular aerobic classes”.

Similarly to the UK’s Health and Safety Executive, the U.S. government has published temperature guidelines for strenuous work through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). It notes that strenuous work may be unsafe at anything over 70ºF (21ºC) for unacclimatized workers.

European Gym Temperature Guidelines

EU countries tend to default to general EN/ISO thermal-comfort standards referencing EN-15251 for indoor-environment quality, reflecting the wider practice of anchoring policy to these pan-European norms. This results in some consistent recommendations. For example, the Finnish national building code “D2” based on EN-15251 standards sets a 18ºC (65ºF) guideline for indoor sports places. In Germany, a regional sports club association also concludes that gym temperatures should be set at 18ºC (65ºF) based on the relevant codes.

Conclusion

Guidelines differ slightly but they’re clustered in a narrow band. In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive sets a 13 °C (55 °F) floor for strenuous workplaces, while Sport England tells gyms to stay below 16 °C (60 °F). Across the Atlantic, the International Fitness Association tolerates a touch more warmth at 18–20 °C (65–68 °F). A pan-European standard splits the difference at 18 °C (65 °F). Put all that together and you get a safe, evidence-backed window of roughly 13–18 °C (55–65 °F) for heavy workouts: tweak within it for comfort. Warmer? It edges into health hazard territory.