Cover Nerio Alessandri (Photo: Technogym)
Nerio Alessandri (Photo: Technogym)
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He started the global fitness and wellness equipment giant 40 years ago and has not stopped chasing his dream of using design to enable people to move for a better world
If you ever worked out in a gym, whether in a fitness club, hotel, apartment building or even your own home, you would have most likely used a Technogym product. The Italian brand is recognised as one of the world’s leading fitness and wellness equipment companies, with a presence in more than 85,000 wellness centres and 500,000 private homes globally. Based in Cesena, Italy, Technogym is listed on the Milan Stock Exchange and has been the official supplier of eight Olympic Games since 2000, including the most recent Tokyo 2020.
The company was founded in 1983 by Nerio Alessandri, who was born into a farming family and has a background in industrial design. His story is a classic tale of rags to riches; at 22, Alessandri left his salaried job to build fitness equipment (starting with a hack squat machine) at home in his father’s garage. Today, his signature dark‑grey‑and‑yellow gym equipment is used by more than 55 million people across over 100 countries. But unlike other success stories, the Technogym founder and president has never rested on his laurels. Instead, 40 years on, his drive to spread the Technogym mission of “let’s move for a better world” only continues to grow, and he is just as hungry as when he first started.
In case you missed it: Building a Home Gym? Here’s How Technogym Can Help You Get Started Seamlessly
Above Nerio Alessandri (Photo: Technogym)
Nerio Alessandri (Photo: Technogym)
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In town this March for the opening of Technogym Singapore, a two‑storey, 570 square metre space on Mohamed Sultan Road, the animated 62‑year‑old sits down—on a Technogym Wellness Ball Active Sitting exercise ball, no less—with Tatler to share more about his vision and the new space.
While Technogym already has a strong presence in Singapore, the purpose of opening its first physical space here is to expand the Technogym experience. Not just functioning as an office and showroom where consumers and industry operators can discover and try products such as indoor bikes and smart treadmills, Alessandri aims for it to also be a hub for various industry stakeholders to come together and work with Technogym to push for a healthier Singapore and a better quality of life.
“Our message of moving for a better world starts in Asia and in Singapore, where we want to engage everyone—from universities to doctors, architects, interior designers, personal trainers, real estate companies that develop cities, sports associations, multinational corporations, club owners, hotel operators and more—in this mission,” says Alessandri, adding that he sees Technogym as a bridge, reaching and enabling individuals in their wellness journeys.
A big reason for the success of Technogym is the sleek design of its products. A prime example: the brand’s multifunctional machine Kinesis, which simply looks like a mirror with pulleys. Enabling hundreds of exercises, it folds neatly against the wall and does not disrupt the design of the home.
Once an aspiring fashion designer, Alessandri describes Technogym equipment as pieces of art: “I design everything like a sculpture; a masterpiece.” While he never realised his childhood dream of joining the fashion industry, his designs have made waves nonetheless and have caught the eye of many, including luxury fashion house Dior, which has approached Technogym for a collaboration. The brands teamed up to create a limited‑edition line of white‑and‑blue fitness equipment bearing the Dior logo, including a multifunctional bench equipped with weights and elastic bands, which launched last year.
Despite being known for its gym equipment, Technogym’s focus goes beyond fitness, with the brand taking a more holistic approach of striving for wellness. Alessandri built his ethos on the Latin phrase “mens sana in corpore sano”, meaning “a healthy mind in a healthy body”. He believes that physical and mental well‑being go hand in hand, and that the harmony between the body and mind is the key to being happier and having a more balanced relationship with others and the environment.
In 2003, Alessandri started the Wellness Valley project in the Italian region of Romagna, building the first wellness district in the world by creating a network of individuals and organisations in the area committed to promoting wellness as a lifestyle. According to the fourth edition of the Wellness Valley Report, which accounts for the impact of this initiative, published in January this year, the population of Romagna is around 10 per cent more active than the average Italian. The population at risk of disability due to chronic diseases in the region is also about 10 per cent lower than the national average.
Above Nerio Alessandri at Technogym Village, the company headquarters in Cesena, Italy (Photo: Technogym)
Nerio Alessandri at Technogym Village, the company headquarters in Cesena, Italy (Photo: Technogym)
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The effectiveness of the project is clear and Alessandri hopes it can be extended to the rest of the world, in countries such as Singapore. “This is a tangible advantage we have,” says the entrepreneur. “Health is wealth and it is good for everybody. It is good for our economic future; for governments to reduce cost, for companies to increase productivity and for individual happiness.”
He believes wellness is also linked to sustainability, reasoning that we have to be able to respect ourselves and our bodies before we can respect nature and the environment. This drives him to keep designing and working for a more active and better world. He expounds: “People were born to move for 25 kilometres per day, which our ancestors used to do, but today, most people only do one. We need to recover. We need to move from 1 kilometre to a minimum of 10 kilometres, and Technogym is the enabler, activating people to move for a better world.”
Annabel Tan is the Editor of Watches and Jewellery at Tatler Singapore, where she covers all things luxury timepieces and fine jewellery across both print and digital platforms. She is also the Editor of Tatler GMT Singapore, a role that deepens her fascination with the ever-evolving world of watchmaking. Outside of work, she’s usually on the hunt for her next favourite watch that she can’t afford, planning her next beach getaway, or catching up on the latest Formula 1 race.
