Why The Best Padel Clubs Are Becoming Wellness Destinations

Padel may be one of the UK's fastest-growing sports, but the most forward-thinking clubs are recognising that courts alone are no longer enough.

As participation continues to rise, operators are beginning to think beyond court bookings and memberships. Increasingly, they're asking a different question:

How do you create a facility that members want to use every day, not just when they have a game booked?

Padel Maidenhead Club partnered with fitness experts Apollo Fitness for their on-site gym, and Stronger Wellness designed and delivered a complete strength and conditioning facility that complements life on and off the court.

Working alongside Apollo Fitness, the project included custom racks and storage, cardiovascular equipment, functional training accessories, specialist gym flooring and a carefully considered layout that maximised every square metre of available space.

The facility was intentionally designed to support a broad mix of users, from performance-focused padel players looking to improve strength and resilience, to members wanting a high-quality gym for everyday training.

Rather than simply adding a gym, the aim was to create a training environment that expands the overall member experience and gives people more reasons to engage with the club throughout the week.

Designing For More Than One Type Of Member

One of the biggest challenges when creating a gym within a specialist sports facility is ensuring it appeals to more than one audience.

Some members want to improve their movement, power and resilience for padel. Others simply want somewhere to complete a strength session before work, improve their general fitness or follow a structured programme.

Apollo Fitness designed their space to support both.

By balancing strength equipment, functional training areas and cardiovascular equipment, the space provides flexibility without compromising performance.

Custom storage and bespoke rack systems maximise every square metre, keeping the gym organised, efficient and welcoming throughout the day.

Why Strength Training And Padel Are A Natural Fit

Padel places significant demands on the body.

Repeated acceleration, deceleration, rapid changes of direction and rotational power all contribute to performance, while placing considerable stress on joints and connective tissues.

Strength training helps players develop power, improve movement efficiency and build resilience, while also supporting long-term participation by reducing injury risk.

Rather than treating the gym as a separate facility, Padel Maidenhead and Apollo Fitness have integrated strength and conditioning into the wider member experience, allowing players to train with purpose both on and off the court.

Creating More Reasons To Visit

One challenge many sports clubs face is utilisation.

Members often arrive to play, then leave shortly afterwards.

Introducing a well-designed training facility creates more reasons to visit throughout the week.

Whether members are completing a structured strength programme, warming up before a match, recovering afterwards or simply training independently, the gym becomes another valuable destination within the club.

The result is a more complete member experience that extends well beyond court bookings.

“Padel might be what brings people through the door, but it's the community we're building that keeps them coming back. By combining great courts, great coaching and a gym designed around how our community actually want to train, we've been able to create something that feels bigger than a sports facility. It's become a destination people genuinely enjoy spending time in.”

Phil Basford, Founder, Padel Maidenhead Club

A Facility Designed Around Coaching

Apollo Fitness’ coaching team delivers personal training and small-group sessions from the space.

This highlights another important consideration when designing modern fitness environments.

Equipment should never be chosen in isolation.

Spaces work best when they're designed around how coaches deliver sessions, how members move through the facility and how different styles of training can comfortably exist alongside one another.

By creating a layout that supports coaching, independent training and sport-specific performance work, the facility remains flexible as member needs continue to evolve.

Lessons For Emerging Padel Clubs

As participation sports continue to grow, the strongest facilities are often those that think beyond the core activity itself.

Successful clubs increasingly combine:

• Sport-specific performance support
• Strength and conditioning facilities
• Flexible gym spaces
• Personal training services
• Small-group coaching
• Intelligent storage and space planning
• Community-focused wellness experiences

When these elements come together, facilities become more than places to play sport.

They become destinations that support performance, wellbeing and long-term member engagement.

Looking Beyond The Court

The growth of padel shows no signs of slowing down.

But as the market matures, clubs will increasingly differentiate themselves through the overall experience they provide.

Collaborations like Padel Maidenhead’s with Apollo Fitness demonstrate that creating a successful wellness destination isn't simply about adding a gym.

It's about designing a training environment that maximises available space, supports a diverse membership and naturally complements the way people want to train.

When planned well, strength and conditioning becomes an extension of the club itself, creating greater value for members and a more versatile, commercially resilient facility for operators.