ON THE EDGE OF WELLNESS TECHNOLOGY
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number of effective social initiatives,”
Muller says. A good example of such
initiative is Technogym’s “Let’s Move for a
Better World” campaign which
encouraged fitness facilities with
Technogym equipment to compete
against each other while helping raise
awareness about childhood obesity. The
facility with the highest number of
“moves” was given the chance to donate
a set of technology to a school of its
choice.
But there is no doubt that virtual
fitness’ biggest benefit is mobility,
allowing users to access health data or
fitness routines anywhere, anytime.
Marshall believes that mobile heart rate
training, a type of virtual technology, will
become another big trend. “Companies
like MYZONE provide low-profile heart
rate straps that guests can use at home or
on the go. The device stores up to 16
hours of data that gets stored in the
cloud, enabling travelers to achieve their
fitness routines or goals in any destination
around the world,” he says.
Integrating Technology
When choosing the right technology for
one’s spa or health club, Marshall’s advice
is simple: Avoid the hype.
“Most technology products require
implementation, not just installation. An
important question to ask before making
any wellness technology purchase is: Do I
have the complete resources (i.e.,
technical, training and project
management) to introduce this?” he says.
“My suggestion is to be fully aware of the
purpose and value behind what you are
implementing and ensure that you have
the resources to integrate it properly.”
Marshall also stresses the importance
of entering into a partnership with a
company with strong leadership. “I
believe that leadership is an important
quality to look for, as