Omnigym Opens Outdoor Gym in Paris for Homeless People

The Finnish outdoor gym company has partnered with Emmaüs Solidarité to install fitness equipment at a shelter serving more than 200 residents in the French capital

Omnigym is bringing outdoor fitness equipment to a Paris shelter for people experiencing homelessness, part of a new initiative aimed at making physical activity more accessible to communities often left out of the fitness conversation.

The project, created in collaboration with the Emmaüs Solidarité shelter, includes four pieces of outdoor gym equipment at a Paris shelter serving around 200.

The launch comes as the fitness industry continues to talk about accessibility, though much of that conversation still centers on consumer-facing gyms, boutique studios and digital platforms. Omnigym’s shelter project highlights the positive role physical activity can play in public health, social services and urban infrastructure. Omnigym’s equipment is built to be durable, weatherproof and suitable for a wide range of users, well-suited for outdoor settings.

A recent Eurobarometer study found that 45% of Europeans never exercise or play sports, while the World Health Organization has noted that low levels of physical activity are particularly common among disadvantaged groups.

“Access to physical activity should not depend on income or personal circumstances,” Omnigym CEO Kirsti Laasio said. “We want to democratize physical training and make it accessible to everyone. This initiative addresses a need that is often overlooked.”

In the U.S., Back on My Feet has used running and community programming to help people experiencing homelessness connect with employment, housing and support resources, while the Homeless World Cup uses soccer through a global partner network to engage people affected by homelessness. Street Soccer USA focused more on infrastructure, building small soccer parks tied to community programming, including new World Cup-linked projects in U.S. cities.