HEALTH & WELLBEING
workers and mental health professionals – has seen its membership triple since its launch nine years ago. It runs
‘laughter gym’ sessions and workshops in Brighton and London, catering to a wide range of clients including more and more corporates who are eager to see the benefi ts in their employees. The growing body of evidence that
demonstrates these benefi ts is likely to further drive the popularity of the concept. Research by the University of Arizona, US, has suggested that laughter yoga – a traditional Indian practice that combines breathing techniques and laughter – could improve mood and stabilise heart rates in patients awaiting organ transplants. Another study by Oxford University
found that a deep belly laugh shared with others can increase an individual’s pain threshold by releasing protective endorphins. It’s time to get chuckling!
GOOGLE TURNS BACK THE CLOCK Expect to see more multi-nationals from unexpected industries taking the plunge into the world of health in 2014.
More people are turning to technology to help them keep fit outside the gym For example, Google has announced
an ambitious venture targeted at unlocking fundamental questions around ageing and longevity that will begin in 2014 – its second move into public health, with high hopes that it will be more successful than the ill-fated personal health record called Google Health, dissolved in 2012 for failing to resonate with consumers. The bio-tech venture, called Calico,
will be headed by former Genentech CEO Art Levinson, and in the coming years will operate as more of a research institute than a pharmaceutical company. Calico will provide funding for research aimed at identifying and understanding the biological mechanisms behind the ageing process. The company may also hire its own team of researchers to work on solutions to prevent the development of certain diseases. Larry Page, Google CEO, appears to
have signifi cant ambitions around the role that Google could play in improving social health outcomes on a grand scale. He points to ageing as an area more signifi cant for research than say, cancer, though he recognises that it could be decades before any real breakthroughs are made. In the year ahead – although
perhaps not on this scale – we can expect to see more companies and brands bridging the gaps between consumers/patients and healthcare professionals, and more emphasis on the role ‘Big Data’
could play in unlocking some of society’s biggest
health issues.
Businesses and health workers are turning to laughter therapy for its wellness benefits
52 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
NO GYM REQUIRED The idea of sweating in front of strangers – or even more terrifying, colleagues – could become less of a trauma in 2014, as more people turn to technology to keep them fit outside of the gym. The number of websites and apps
offering planned workouts in everything from yoga to body combat is rising. In the UK, a growing number of consumers are signing up to so-called ‘transatlantic workouts’ that are fi lmed in Los Angeles or New York and accessed online for a monthly fee; US websites like
yogisanonymous.com and emglivefi tness. com are ones to watch. In the UK,
instructorlive.com offers
40 different classes via archive, or live, where participants can ask the instructor questions throughout the class. According to the site’s founder Luke Walker, only 12 per cent of its 5,000 users are men, but the majority of these log in for yoga classes: “There has been a stigma that yoga is a feminine activity, but now that’s changing and a lot of guys want to get a bit of confi dence before they step into a class. They use us as a stepping-stone.”
SOCIAL APPS FOR EXERCISE While fitness trackers might have been all the rage in 2013, 2014 is likely to see people slowly falling out of love with their Fuelbands and Fitbits. A recent survey showed that, of those who already owned a smartwatch or fitness band, more than 40 per cent had stopped using it because they often forgot to put it on or had become bored with the idea. Fitness trackers might work well for
people who see data as its own reward, but it seems as though using a fi tness tracker in isolation isn’t good enough motivation for everyone. What a lot of
February 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
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