People will go to fitness clubs, but also train at home: Nerio Alessandri

Nerio Alessandri, president and founder of Technogym, a global wellness company that makes fitness equipment
Image: Technogym

During the lockdown, the world learnt to work from home and work out from home. Holistic wellness became the new buzz word and fitness companies were forced to adapt to the new way of life.

Even post the pandemic, a mix of online and offline wellness programmes, which let people work out anytime, anywhere, is here to stay, says Nerio Alessandri, president and founder of Technogym, a global wellness company that makes fitness equipment.

Alessandri started his company in a garage in Italy in 1983 and Technogym today is the fitness equipment partner of the Olympic Games.

How does the world perceive fitness and wellness today, in the middle of a pandemic?

In the last few months, health has become a bigger priority for people. During the lockdown, most people worked out from home by buying home fitness products and following their fitness programmes remotely, thanks to digital technologies. In the future, people will go to fitness clubs to socialise, to get professional guidance and service, and they will also train at home.

The global health crisis we have accelerated some existing trends. People have adapted to digitisation faster than what one had expected a couple of years ago. At Technogym, we have believed in the power of digital since our beginnings 25 years ago, when we developed the first software in the fitness industry. Today, we feature a complete ecosystem made of connected smart equipment. Our Mywellness cloud lets people access their training programmes from anywhere.

How has the lockdown affected your business? 
2020’s global lockdown measures affected our B2B business, but at the same time, home fitness has boomed and will continue to.

What will be the biggest wellness trends in 2021?

Personalisation and variety. The digital revolution has helped people access all kinds of content and services they desire right in their homes and fitness is no different.

How important is the Indian market for Technogym?

India is one of the bigger countries of the world and has a great potential for fitness. We see growth opportunities in home fitness, fitness clubs, corporate wellness, medical fitness and, of course, luxury hospitality.

In India, we offer our full range of equipment across cardio, strength and functional training alongside our Mywellness cloud platform. We also provide wellness solutions in every segment: Workspaces in corporates, educational institutions, private home, hospitality, retail and residential complexes, and medical and government facilities to name a few.

In India, Technogym has partnered with Marriott International, the Taj Group, Hilton, Accor Hotels, Hyatt and The Leela. We offer them a total fitness solution, which includes technology, design, products, services, content and applications, and in-room training solutions and on-demand fitness services.

You started your business from your garage and have built a global empire today. How would you describe your business journey?

A lot has changed in terms of technologies, investment capability and team dimensions, but nothing has changed my entrepreneurial approach. For me, every day is like my first day at work in the garage, when I was chasing my ambition and dreams. I am strongly focussed on everyday execution even today.

What qualities do you think a businessman/woman must possess to succeed today?

I believe that success is the combination of talent and opportunity. You need to create plenty of opportunities to capitalise your talent into concrete results, both in professional and personal life.

What is your wellness routine?

I train three times a week. I love variety. I train at home with Kinesis (Technogym’s machine that facilitates strength, balance, and flexibility training). Sometimes, I prefer a sport-specific training session with our Skillathletic programme and during weekends, I train outdoors with my family.