In the Middle East, there are gyms and there are fitness facilities. Here in Dubai, there is a new concept that has opened up in Circle Mall located in Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC) called Wellfit. The gym not only tests the traditional fitness business model but leverages technology to create one of the most immersive fitness experiences available.
We sit down for a chat with Nikesh Naik, General Manager, Wellfit JVC to understand how the gym differentiates itself from all its competition in the UAE.
What should someone beginning their fitness journey know before they start?
Every person that is going to start their fitness journey has their own goals and aspirations. Some are doing it for health purposes, others for aesthetic purposes and there are those that do it simply because they enjoy the feeling of working out.
Although their goals and training styles may be different, what is important to remember is that people should just be consistent as all their goals help them get to a more active lifestyle.
At Wellfit our whole ethos is geared towards ‘Enabling Active Living’ and this is not by accident. There is ample science that shows when people are actively engaged in physical activity, their lives improve in almost every way.
Wellfit was created for this purpose, to engage people in an inclusive environment and improve their lives and those of their communities. We have a talented pool of world class coaches that can engage people on a personal level to improve their lifestyle, for some, that may mean improving productivity and for some that may mean improved mental health.
How has tech become a part of fitness?
Technology has always played an important role in sports, health and fitness for decades. Whether it is the evolution of gym machines to get the perfect range of motion or activity trackers that monitor progress, technology has and will continue to evolve to give people a more comprehensive understanding of their health and fitness goals.
At Wellfit, we use technology to empower our users to take a more active role in their own health and wellbeing. Our world-class facility offers the latest start-of-the-art equipment backed by leading software to provide people with a highly convenient and supremely immersive wellness experience.
In a hybrid world, how can fitness connect between a home and a gym?
Technology has helped to expand the immersive fitness experience. Take for example SPIVI a cycling experience where groups of people train and compete against each other in a class located at Wellfit.
What makes SPIVI at Wellfit great is that it tracks and analyzes a variety of performance attributes such as heart rate, power, cadence, speed, distance, energy burned and more. Instructors can also launch one of the Ready-to-run structured workouts and get everyone riding to the beat.
Before, SPIVI participants would need to be in a gym to enjoy this experience. Soon, Wellfit members who have SPIVI bikes at home can livestream classes or replay class-recordings that took place classes earlier during the day.
This serves two purposes. The first is the added level of convenience offered to people who want to work out at home. The second is for those individuals who have busy schedules and are unable to make the class with their friends. The additional flexibility enables members to not lose out on any momentum they have gained in the past few months and keep them on track to achieve their respective goals on their quest to a more active lifestyle.
What training programs does WellFit offer and how is progress tracked?
Once an individual signs up to become a member of Wellfit, they get access to our Wellfit application which is equipped with ADVAGYM by Sony. The weight training machines and various zones across the facility that have ADVAGYM RFID pucks.
Members can simply tap their phones on this puck after which the system records a variety of elements such as distance run, reps done and calories burned.
What is even more unique is that our application is pre-loaded with workouts that members can choose from and also, our Personal Trainer can even develop workouts and share with their respective member through the app.
Our ecosystem at Wellfit was designed and built for the sole purpose of giving our members a more comprehensive view and understanding of their performance, track their incremental gains and provide them with the insight and guidance to amend or enhance their workouts to attain their desired results.
