Pulse January / February 2016 | Page 38

motivation in the form of online interaction and competition. “Technology is making it easier for exercise to be fun, engaging and productive for anyone, anywhere in the world,” he says. This aligns with findings from Technogym’s study which indicated that 77 percent of millennials would like their workout at the gym as interactive as possible while 44 percent believe that gyms will evolve by 2020 to be “relaxed, interactive, customized and fun.” Wearable Tech There are several emerging technology trends that are helping change consumers’ view on health and fitness, one of which is wearable technology. In PwC’s “The Wearable Future” report, more than 80 percent of respondents listed eating healthier, exercising smarter and accessing more convenient medical care as important benefits of wearable technology. “Businesses must evolve their existing mobile-first strategy to now include the wearable revolution and deliver perceived value to the consumer in an experiential manner,” says Deborah Bothun, PwC’s U.S. advisory entertainment, media & communications leader. “Relevance is the baseline, but then there is a consumer list of requirements to enable interaction with the brand in a mobile and wearable environment.” “A good manufacturer will help you solve problems on the front-end and create a realistic schedule for installation and launch.” 36 PULSE ■ January/February 2016 Responding to market demands, Technogym rolled out mywellness cloud, an open platform that syncs with a huge variety of wearables and monitoring apps, allowing users to see all the data collected in one place. “Wearable technology has turned the idea of exercise into an all-day activity, comprised of the cumulative effort,” says Muller. “According to our study, 65 percent of millennials think it is important to monitor and track progress. The study also projects that the use of mobile app technology is set to rise from 56 percent to 74 percent by 2016.” Will Stein, CEO of Philip Stein, a Florida-based company that (CONTINUED ON PAGE 38) JAY MULLER National Sales Manager, Hospitality Technogym Fairfield, New Jersey