Technogym is taking a stand against childhood obesity. For the second year in a row, the equipment company, whose mission is to promote a wellness lifestyle, is launching its global Let’s Move for a Better World Challenge.
The challenge tracks Technogym’s MOVEs, which is a metric of measuring physical movement via the company’s mywellness cloud, an application created by Technogym to enhance workout experiences and provide club operators with a way to stay connected to their members.
Participants and their participating fitness facilities can collect their MOVEs through the Challenge App. Members simply log into their mywellness account on the Technogym equipment to document their MOVEs.
“The Challenge App works hand-in-hand with Technogym’s mywellness cloud,” explained Nerio Alessandri, Technogym’s founder and president. “The technology is the first of its kind that allows health and fitness enthusiast, as well as club operators, to measure and aggregate data surrounding all of their physical activities in one location through a large variety of third-party apps, devices and Technogym cardio equipment.”
The fitness facility to collect the most MOVEs will have the opportunity to donate Technogym’s Easy Line equipment to a local school of their choice. Technogym hopes the challenge will encourage schools to incorporate fitness and wellness into early education settings.
“In recent years childhood obesity has grown at an alarming rate and we wanted to assist in prevention process through a social program that would also get consumers moving,” said Alessandri. “Technogym decided to go directly into communities around the world and create an initiative that anyone, anywhere, could take part in.”
According to Alessandri, there are numerous benefits for a fitness facility participating in the challenge.
Support a great cause. “The gyms have the potential to affect the public health and make a true difference in their own community by donating Technogym’s Easy Line equipment to a local school of their choice,” said Alessandri.
Fosters a sense of community. “By working together towards the cause, facilities can develop a more personal relationship with their own members,” he added.
Encourage potential members to join. “The challenge will spur conversations in each community based on the facility’s progress, which could result in more members joining the facility to compete in the initiative,” explained Alessandri.
Last year, the first Let’s Move for a Better World Challenge recorded more than 100 million MOVEs representing a total of 21,403 movers at 180 facilities in 10 different countries.
This year, Alessandri expects to make an even bigger impact. “Last year’s participation rate was outstanding for it being the first annual competition,” he said. “Our sign-up rates have been impressive thus far and we are hoping to reach about 350 facilities around the world this year.”
The challenge will run from March 2 to March 22. Technogym is now accepting entries for the 2015 challenge. Fitness facilities can participate in the contest by logging onto http://www.technogym.com/us/letsmove/.
By Emily Harbourne
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
