How to use AI to lose weight and get fit quick

Long before the words ‘well-being’ and ‘biohacking’ became part of our everyday vocabulary, one man envisioned a world where physical fitness wasn’t just about muscle and aesthetics, it was a way of life. Italian entrepreneur Nerio Alessandri, the founder and CEO of Technogym, pioneered the global wellness movement, inspired by the ancient ideal of mens sana in corpore sano — which translates to ‘a sound mind in a sound body’.

From building his first machine in a garage to leading one of the world’s most innovative Life Science companies, Nerio believes that exercise is medicine, and wellness is not a luxury but a right. In an interview, Nerio shares the journey behind Technogym, the emergence of ‘Healthness’, and how artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven solutions are shaping the future of

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You pioneered the concept of Wellness nearly 40 years ago — long before it became a global movement. What motivated you to go beyond the traditional focus on bodybuilding and fitness, and take on a more holistic vision of well-being?

In a sector dominated by fitness and body, starting from the Italian philosophy of  mens sana in corpore sano, we launched the concept of wellness. The goal was not to replace bodybuilding and fitness; they still exist, and we still serve those segments with products and services. Wellness is more about a holistic lifestyle that includes regular physical exercise, healthy nutrition, and a positive mental approach. If bodybuilding and fitness are more related to looking good, wellness is related to feeling good, and it applies to a wider set of people than those who are super-fit.

Studies show that up to 70 per cent of our health outcomes are influenced by lifestyle rather than genetics. In your view, what practical steps can one take to manage long-term well-being, and how does Technogym support this journey?

It’s proven by scientific research that lifestyle is a fundamental component for people’s health. Within lifestyle, exercise is also an important element and that’s why Technogym has created a connected ecosystem to allow people to access consistently to their lifestyle anytime, anywhere — at the gym, at home, at hotels, at work, and outdoors — with a precise and personalised experience.

Nerio Alessandri

‘Healthness’ is an ambitious vision that takes in the concept of wellness with health prevention using AI and data. What led you to develop this concept?

The ability to predict disease before it occurs will be the greatest revolution of our time. Healthness leverages wellness and takes this vision even further by making health prevention programmes tangible thanks to data and AI. Studies confirm that health is influenced by only 20-30 per cent by genetics, while the remaining 70-80 per cent depends on epigenetics (lifestyle). This means that physical exercise is true medicine and Healthness represents  preventative medicine to improve physical performance in the short term and guarantee health longevity in the long term thanks to Precision Training programmes calibrated to each individual’s needs and goals.

What do you consider the most pivotal innovation from Technogym?

Innovation has always been the engine behind Technogym’s growth and the company has constantly evolved. I started Technogym in my home garage as a mechanical company, then we introduced electronics, then software, then digital and cloud-based technology up to media content and AI. Today, Technogym is a Life Science company, able to offer Precision Training programmes for every individual and fully personalise people’s training experiences in fitness, sport, and health.

If you had to define the future of wellness in one sentence, what would it be?

Hyper personalisation: different solutions scientifically created for each need.

With personalisation at the heart of Precision Training, how does Technogym’s ecosystem use data to create hyper-personalised fitness experiences?

Thanks to the data collected in 30 years on the Mywellness Open Platform, today with AI, Technogym is able to offer Healthness as products and services: Technogym Checkup, the new assessment station based on AI, is able to analyse psycho-physical and cognitive parameters and automatically calculate Precision Training programmes. The new AI-based Biostrength and Biocardio product ranges, connected to the Technogym Ecosystem, allow you to deliver Precision Training Programmes automatically thanks to the Technogym App, to track data and adapt the programme to progresses. In practice, Healthness means Precision Wellness and thanks to data-driven customised programmes, it allows you to obtain results superior by about 30 per cent in the same amount of time.