The installation completed in early 2025 at the CFA La Bonnauderie in Cholet is a perfect illustration of the relevance of outdoor fitness in vocational training establishments. This project demonstrates how well-chosen equipment can contribute directly to the success and well-being of apprentices.
Professional training to meet the challenges of well-being
Apprentice training centers face specific challenges when it comes to young people’s well-being. Apprentices alternate between periods in the CFA and on the job, juggling hectic rhythms and preparing for demanding professional exams. This intensity can generate fatigue, stress and demotivation.
In this context, offering a free, accessible space for physical activity meets a real need. Free access to sport enables apprentices to regulate their stress, maintain their energy and preserve their physical health despite busy schedules.
La Bonnauderie, Maison Familiale and Apprentice Training Center in Cholet, Maine-et-Loire, trains hundreds of young people every year in the bakery, pastry-making, catering and personal services professions. These professions are often physically demanding, requiring optimal physical condition. The installation of an outdoor fitness area was therefore a natural step in the establishment’s overall support approach.
A selection of equipment tailored to specific needs
The choice of equipment installed at La Bonnauderie was carefully considered to meet the needs of a young public, with varied sporting levels, and the constraints of the trades taught.
ThePush & Pull device (THJ-D01+D02) offers a complete upper-body workout that’s particularly relevant for apprentice bakers and confectioners. These professions place intense demands on shoulders, arms and back during kneading, shaping and carrying. Strengthening these muscle groups helps prevent musculoskeletal disorders and improve work endurance.
The combined Twister, Walker and Stepper station (THJ-B10+B11+B25) offers three complementary exercises on a single piece of equipment. This versatility maximizes space utilization while offering a variety of options: core mobility work with the Twister, coordination and cardio with the Walker, leg strengthening with the Stepper. This diversity maintains motivation and enables everyone to find the exercise that’s right for them.
The elliptical trainer (THJ-B04) is the ideal piece of cardio equipment for beginners and intermediates. Its intuitive operation and lack of joint impact make it accessible to all, ideal for short sessions between classes.
The rowing machine (THJ-B08) offers a total-body workout. This machine simultaneously develops strength and cardiovascular endurance, two essential qualities for physically demanding jobs.
Finally, the thigh press (THJ-B13) provides targeted strengthening of the lower limbs. For professionals who have to work on their feet for long hours, leg strength has a direct impact on their ability to maintain correct posture and prevent fatigue.
CFA project success factors
La Bonnauderie’s experience highlights several key factors for the successful implementation of a fitness area in a training facility.
Firstly, the choice of accessible, versatile equipment. In a CFA, the users are not experienced athletes, but young people with varied profiles. Equipment must be intuitive, safe and adapted to all levels.
Secondly, theoutdoor facility offers decisive advantages: permanent availability with no access management, the attractiveness of outdoor practice, no supervision constraints. Trainees can use the space in complete autonomy.
Thirdly, consistency with the pedagogical project. At La Bonnauderie, the fitness center is part of a global approach to training that includes well-being, health and a balanced lifestyle. This coherence ensures that the equipment is appropriated by the educational community.
Testimonial :
Interviewer: Hello! Can you quickly introduce yourself? Apprentice: Hello! My name is Nathalye, I’m 16 years old and I’m an apprentice at the MFR CFA La Bonnauderie in the CAP pastry course.
Interviewer: Do you regularly use the facility’s outdoor fitness area? Apprentice: Yes, quite often! I go there mostly during breaks or after classes with friends.
Interviewer: What do you like about this outdoor space? Apprentice: First of all, being outdoors. It’s much more pleasant than playing sports indoors. You can breathe, move around and clear your head after a day of classes.
Interviewer: What kind of exercises do you do? Apprentice: We mostly do simple exercises: pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, and a bit of cardio with the equipment. It’s accessible to everyone, even beginners.
Interviewer: Does this space have an impact on your daily life at the MFR? Apprentice: Yes, definitely. It helps you to relax, to manage stress better, and it also reinforces the group spirit. We motivate each other, it’s fun.
Interviewer: Do you think this equipment is a real plus for the plant? Apprentice: Yes, totally. It’s a change from the usual infrastructure, and it shows that the MFR is also thinking about the well-being of its apprentices, not just the lessons.
Interviewer: Any last words to inspire others to use it? Apprentice: Don’t hesitate! Even 10 minutes is enough to feel better. And what’s more, it’s free!
Interviewer: Thank you very much for your story! Apprentice: My pleasure!
A reproducible model
The La Bonnauderie project demonstrates that it is possible to integrate outdoor fitness into vocational training establishments with a reasonable investment and multiple benefits: improved well-being for apprentices, stress reduction, health prevention, enhanced attractiveness of the establishment.
This type of facility also meets the expectations of the younger generation, who are increasingly sensitive to issues of health, well-being and quality of training life. For CFAs wishing to stand out from the crowd and offer an optimal training environment, outdoor fitness represents a modern, accessible and effective solution.
Do you run a training establishment and want to improve the well-being of your apprentices? Find out how Herkules Fitness can help you with your outdoor fitness center project.
