Pulse January / February 2016 | Page 42

ON THE EDGE OF WELLNESS TECHNOLOGY (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 38) 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