NEW OPENING
We designed the Village to be the healthiest workplace on earth – a corporate wellness prototype that can be exported elsewhere
a brochure of activity choices, including outdoor options: there are running tracks throughout the grounds, also used for activities such as Nordic walking, plus a stretching/exercise platform on the lake and a basketball/volleyball court. Meanwhile, the entire upper fl oor
of the Wellness Centre comprises a 5,000sq m gym that’s open to all staff at no cost, as well as to Technogym partners – customers, Technogym University students, and external universities and research centres co- operating on projects with Technogym. Open from 7.00am–9.30pm, the
gym offers the full Technogym range of equipment and is divided into zones: an Arke/Kinesis functional area, circuits, Kinesis stations, resistance, group cycling, stretching, and a section offering medical equipment. There’s also a large CV area that looks out from the mezzanine balcony, over the ground fl oor consumer showroom, through the fl oor-to-ceiling windows that comprise the entire curving front wall of the centre, and into the gardens beyond. “People can choose to have a two-hour lunch break to be able to work out,” says Alessandri.
Complementing the gym, the Wellness
Centre also offers an on-site medical centre and spa on the ground fl oor, with services such as physiotherapy, ECGs, VO2
max testing and massage for an
additional fee, as well as a hydropool, sauna, steamroom and relaxation area. Meanwhile, the Technogym University hosts educational seminars for staff on wellness-related topics such as sport, health, nutrition and psychology. Says Alessandri: “We want to be
world leader in the design and provision of a wellness solution. But in order to do that, we fi rst need to work in a wellness environment ourselves, putting into practice what we promote: regular exercise, healthy nutrition and a positive mental approach.”
THE TECHNOGYM ECOSYSTEM “We designed the Technogym Village to be the healthiest workplace on earth,” continues Alessandri. “We want to create a corporate wellness prototype that can be exported elsewhere, to other companies. By investing in a corporate wellness programme, companies make a
long-term investment in a more positive, creative and productive workforce. There’s also a social contribution to the community, because healthy people require less expenditure on healthcare, and live a better, happier life. We see wellness as an economic development opportunity and a social opportunity.” Alessandri is therefore keen to drive the message of wellness to a broader audience, beyond the corporates. With this in mind, the area around Cesena has been offi cially rebranded the Wellness Valley – indeed, ‘Wellness Valley’ now appears on road signs, and the concept has been embraced by all local stakeholders, from the authorities to the tourist industry and other local businesses. “The Wellness Foundation, our non-
profi t arm, is very active in the Wellness Valley initiative, promoting health and preventative healthcare among the local population,” says Alessandri. “For example, during the summer – in conjunction with the mayor’s offi ce – we provide free wellness classes in the city parks, while our Play Wellness initiative has been launched in schools, educating kids about wellness using a system of structured games.” It’s all part of Technogym’s new
buzzword, ‘ecosystem’ – the notion that everyone must work together towards a larger goal, uniting people, technology and policy to bring wellness into as many lives as possible. “The Village is the hub from which
Staff can take a two- hour lunch break if they wish to work out
we plan to spread our strategic vision: the Technogym Ecosystem,” concludes Alessandri. “The infrastructure is ready, and now our focus is on how to leverage the Village to create a worldwide wellness community. We need to look at how to spread the message, generating new content and programmes with a clear goal in mind: taking the fi tness industry’s penetration from 10 per cent of the global population to 30 per cent.” ●
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