Pulse January / February 2016 | Page 37

GARRETT MARSHALL Vice President Fitness On Demand Chanhassen, Minnesota “Technology is making current fitness offerings more scalable and trackable. Traditional activities like fitness classes or live sessions with a personal trainer can be accessed by video and/or on your mobile device anywhere around the world.” Garrett Marshall, vice president of Minnesota-based virtual group fitness solutions called Fitness On Demand, says there are at least two ways technology is changing the health and fitness world. “First, technology is making current fitness offerings more scalable and trackable. Traditional activities like fitness classes or live sessions with a personal trainer can be accessed by video and/or on your mobile device anywhere around the world. Second, technology is enabling fitness to reach more people or a new audience. You see this with consumer-facing devices like wearable technology,” Marshall says. He adds that technology has forced businesses to rethink their mobile content delivery strategy. “As the hospitality/spa sector continues to understand the value of fitness on their guest experience, we see more operators incorporating these elements to their own digital experiences, such as websites and mobile apps, by delivering fitness videos, nutrition information and lifestyle content,” Marshall says. Technogym National Sales Manager of Hospitality Jay Muller says technology has enabled spas and fitness clubs to motivate, entertain and educate guests on a scale that was previously thought impossible. “Technology can provide a 360-degree view of a person’s health over time while allowing users to quantify each step of their exercise effort in real-time. It also assists exercise professionals in monitoring clients and prescribing workout plans to help them meet their goals,” he says. In addition, Muller points out that technology provides entertainment and January/February 2016 ■ PULSE 35