When Nerio Alessandri founded Technogym in 1983, he wasn’t simply creating fitness equipment; he was setting the foundations for a wellness empire that would redefine how people interact with movement, design, and health technology. Four decades later, Technogym stands at the forefront of a global transformation in what Alessandri now calls Healthness – a new dimension of wellness that fuses movement, nutrition, and mental balance with scientific precision.
“At Technogym, we’ve always championed a holistic approach to wellness – integrating movement, nutrition, and mental balance. Today, we’re introducing Healthness,” Alessandri tells BurdaLuxury. “Thanks to billions of data collected through the Technogym Ecosystem and our strategic investments in Artificial Intelligence, Healthness allows for the scientific prescription of exercise – with precise programmes tailored to the individual.”
For Technogym, this isn’t abstract rhetoric. From Rosewood to The American Club in Hong Kong, the brand is powering luxury hospitality spaces where wellness is no longer an amenity but a lifestyle. “Wellness in luxury hospitality has evolved from a standalone gym to a fully immersive lifestyle offering – one that touches every aspect of the guest experience,” Alessandri continues. “Technogym is proud to be the brand of reference for the most prestigious hotels and clubs in Asia, thanks to our unique positioning at the intersection of wellness, design, and digital innovation.”
Design, too, plays a critical role in this shift. As Alessandri puts it: “Design is emotion. It creates connection, aspiration, and identity. At Technogym, design is not an afterthought – it’s a strategic pillar.” In Asia, where style is inseparable from lifestyle, this is particularly crucial. Their award-winning Personal Line by Antonio Citterio and new Sandstone finishes blur the line between performance and aesthetics, turning gym equipment into centrepieces of luxury interiors.
This fusion of science, art, and lifestyle mirrors another powerful wellness movement emerging in Asia: China’s reimagined luxury bathhouses. Once rooted in centuries-old rituals of cleansing and social bonding, today’s bathhouses combine traditional hydrotherapy and futuristic innovations – think cryotherapy chambers, infrared saunas, and immersive soundscapes. Together, brands like Technogym and these modern bathhouses point to the same conclusion: wellness technology is no longer about gadgets, but about designing whole ecosystems of health, recovery, and connection.
The Rise of Tech Wellness
The roots of today’s tech-driven wellness boom lie in a perfect storm of consumer demand, post-pandemic health priorities, and rapid technological innovation. Wearables normalised personal health data. The pandemic accelerated interest in immunity, longevity, and recovery. And an always-on lifestyle – particularly in Asia’s high-density cities – created a hunger for efficiency.
Alan Cheng, Director of Spa at Chuan Spa, highlights how this need for efficiency inspired their collaboration with EMS Fitness: “The collaboration with EMS Fitness was inspired by the growing demand among guests for effective and time-efficient fitness solutions. Many busy professionals and travellers struggle to find time for lengthy workouts, and EMS training, which requires only 20 minutes per week, offers an ideal solution for their needs.”
EMS (electrical muscle stimulation) isn’t just about convenience; it dovetails with Chuan Spa’s philosophy rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine. “This partnership aligns with Chuan Spa’s philosophical commitment to holistic, restorative wellness,” Cheng explains. “While primarily focusing on physical fitness, EMS enhances muscle function and recovery, effectively complementing our holistic approach and contributing to the comprehensive health and wellness of our guests.”
This dual pull – efficiency and holistic integration – has become a defining driver of the tech wellness sector. From app-based discovery platforms to AI-driven diagnostic clinics, the industry is moving beyond novelty gadgets into science-backed ecosystems.
Asia as the Growth Engine
Few places embody this acceleration more vividly than Hong Kong. As Lindsay Jang, a serial entrepreneur and founder of FAMILY FORM, a full-body sculpting workout, notes: “You can’t ignore tech and its eventual inclusion in everything we touch. Just like everywhere else, people are integrating more and more tech into their daily routines, whether it’s wearable devices or how you discover wellness options – it’s everywhere.”
The city’s hyper-competitive pace amplifies this trend. “What I’m seeing in Hong Kong specifically is that tech adoption happens faster here because people are naturally more open to efficiency solutions. The city’s pace demands it,” Jang adds. “We’re all carrying devices that track everything from our steps to our sleep cycles, and these aren’t novelties anymore – they’re just part of how we understand our bodies.”
But she warns against gimmickry. “I can’t stand gimmicky tech. If it doesn’t have a true purpose, I find it hard to see its efficacy,” she says. For her, the real innovation lies in making hospitality frictionless: “I personally love that WhatsApp has become the staple form of communication and that you can be in touch with your host directly. The technology disappears into the background while amplifying the human connection – which is exactly what good tech should do.”
Hong Kong has long been a crossroads of East and West, and in wellness, it is now emerging as a testbed for luxury longevity experiences. The Upper House has taken a pioneering role, collaborating with 10x Longevity to launch the city’s first longevity suite.
Swire Hotels’ Kristina Snaith-Lense explains the philosophy: “Wellness lies at the heart of the experience at The Upper House. Our name is derived from the idea of an ‘upward journey’ to a retreat above the bustling city. Our modern, Asian-influenced residence exudes a sense of tranquility, providing relaxation, warmth and understated luxury throughout.”
For Snaith-Lense, the shift reflects travellers’ changing priorities. “We have observed that travellers nowadays seek to integrate health and wellness into their trips and stays, driven by a growing awareness of the importance of mental and physical wellbeing. They increasingly desire personalised, restorative and innovative experiences that nurture the mind, body and soul.” This demand inspired The Upper House to partner with 10x Longevity on treatments ranging from hyperbaric oxygen to red-light therapies – protocols once reserved for elite athletes or medical clinics.
“The focus is no longer solely on aesthetics and physicality, but on innovative treatments that use technology to address specific issues or support holistic wellbeing and longevity,” she says. “We foresee wellness technology becoming more widely available and embraced within the luxury hospitality industry as guests seek evidence-based wellness experiences that offer immediate benefits.”
For Jill Van Vugt, Founder of 10x Longevity, the aim is to balance efficacy with accessibility. “First and foremost, guests can expect to leave 10x feeling recharged. I like to say that everything we do at 10x has to feel good before we’ll even consider it as a treatment offering,” she explains. “Whether you’re visiting for sauna, cold plunge, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, red light therapy, or a healing Reiki or breathwork session, you will leave feeling refreshed and recharged.”
She points to data as an important validation tool: “Sleep is a great way to understand if you’re seeing a benefit from our treatments. Many of our guests who track sleep with a wearable report improved sleep scores after a session at 10x.” But just as important, she argues, is approachability. Biohacking can sometimes feel intimidating or clinical. “For the average person with a job, family commitments and interests beyond wellness, you may just throw your hands up and say ‘not for me.’ But that couldn’t be further from how we approach health and wellness. There is something at 10x for everyone and it doesn’t necessitate a huge time commitment.”
If Hong Kong represents speed, Singapore is becoming Asia’s hub for precision health. At Chi Longevity, Chief Operating Officer (Asia), Ei Phyo Han, sees a cultural shift. “We’re seeing a clear shift in Asia towards preventative, data-driven approach to health, and health & wellness technology are at the heart of it,” says Han. “People increasingly want to understand their biological age, not just their chronological age.”
Chi Longevity uses diagnostics like VO2 max tests and pulse wave velocity analysis to paint a detailed picture of health. “In Asia, some of the most effective applications of health technology are happening where medical-grade tools meet personalised care,” Han explains. “We incorporate technologies like biological age tests to give a detailed picture of an individual’s biological age and cardiovascular health.”
Their acquisition of Sparkd, Asia’s first brain gym, is particularly telling: “It integrates neurocognitive technology with physical movement to enhance brain function – from improving executive performance to reducing dementia risk. What’s most promising is the growing integration of tech-driven, data-informed approaches into clinics, hotels, and wellness-centres.”
The luxury hospitality industry has taken notice. Four Seasons Hotel Singapore recently partnered with Chi Longevity, a move that Regional Vice President and General Manager, Peter Draminsky, describes as “a new model of luxury health and wellness experiences in hospitality.”
In Thailand, pioneers like RAKxa Integrative Health and Chiva-Som Hua Hin are known for their seamless combination of modern and traditional wellness therapies.
Challenges and Opportunities
For all its promise, tech wellness faces significant hurdles. Cost, accessibility, trust, and cultural fit remain major barriers.
Jang highlights the risks of overcomplicating the customer journey: “Integrating new tech can be expensive, takes human resources to implement, and risks alienating your existing customers if you change their routine. People everywhere are programmed to find the easiest solution, so there’s no doubt tech will continue to permeate all aspects of our lives. The key is gradual integration that enhances what you’re already doing well rather than revolutionary changes that alienate people.”
She also emphasises the need for balance: “Most importantly, always have a human backup option. Not everyone wants to interact with technology for their wellness needs, and forcing it creates more stress than solutions.”
At Chi Longevity, Ei Phyo Han sees education as the linchpin. “One challenge is the misconception that wellness is just about aesthetics or trends. Women in particular are often underserved or overlooked in medical research, and the wider population is still catching up on how science-based assessments and interventions can truly impact long-term health,” she explains. “Overcoming this means building trust through education and transparency.”
Trust is also what separates effective technology from empty fads. “The most effective solutions aren’t just innovative; they’re the ones that drive sustained, measurable change,” Han stresses.
For Alessandri at Technogym, design plays a role in building this trust. “Our Personal Line transforms fitness equipment into a statement piece, seamlessly fitting into luxury interiors while delivering outspanding performance,” he says. “Another strong example is our new exclusive Sandstone visual identity, inspired by the natural tones of the Earth and reimagined connected fitness equipment with refined materials and finishes.” By embedding wellness tech into aspirational lifestyles, Technogym avoids the sterile, intimidating feel that plagues much of the industry.
The opportunity, then, lies in integrating technology in ways that feel human, beautiful, and purposeful – whether that’s a WhatsApp concierge, a clinical-grade age clock, or a design-led piece of fitness equipment.
The Future of Tech Wellness
Looking ahead, the future of wellness technology is both intimate and expansive – moving from sporadic interventions to continuous, personalised monitoring that integrates seamlessly into daily life.
At Technogym, innovating is already data-driven. “The Connected Dumbbells are part of our broader vision of Precision Training – programmes that evolve based on a person’s physical and cognitive data, through our Ecosystem,” Alessandri explains. “Our AI-powered tools adapt and personalise every step of the journey. The goal is to maximise effectiveness, monitor progress, and ensure long-term consistency.”
Chi Longevity anticipates breakthroughs in biological age clocks. “Future generations will offer greater accuracy, granularity, and predictive power across multiple systems, allowing us to personalise longevity interventions even further,” Han notes. She foresees at-home assessment tools becoming mainstream, even extending into smart appliances. “Smarter refrigerators and even toilets will become mainstream, giving people greater access to actionable health data.”
Van Vugt is watching new modalities closely: “Where to start – there are so many interesting things happening in the tech wellness space right now. I’m interested in the combination of pulsed electromagnetic field technology and light therapy for regulating HRV and reducing stress. Watching this space closely.”
For Jang, the real revolution will be democratisation. “Right now, optimal health feels like a luxury good. The best functional medicine doctors, cutting-edge treatments, personalised protocols – they’re all expensive and exclusive. But the knowledge base exists. What we need is technology that can democratise access to this information and make personalised health guidance affordable and scalable.”
In China, the luxury bathhouse renaissance offers a glimpse of how tradition and innovation may converge. These new temples of wellness combine millennia-old rituals of water, steam, and communal recovery with cryotherapy chambers, VR meditation domes, and biometric monitoring. They symbolise a broader truth: the future of wellness tech will not replace heritage practices but amplify them, creating spaces where old and new harmonise.
BurdaLuxury’s Lens
Tech wellness is no longer a niche experiment; it is fast becoming the backbone of how we understand health, hospitality, and longevity. From Technogym’s data-powered Healthness philosophy to the Upper House’s longevity suite, from Chuan Spa’s EMS integration to Chi Longevity’s diagnostics, Asia is proving to be both the laboratory and the launchpad for the future of health technology.
As Alessandri reflects: “Our future lies in spreading awareness about the long-term benefits of physical activity, good nutrition, and balanced living – not only for performance, but also for longevity and quality of life.”
Ultimately, the measure of success for tech wellness will not be the flashiness of its devices but the quality of life it delivers. If the past few years are any indication, the next decade will see wellness technology move from the margins into the mainstream – not as a substitute for human connection, but as a powerful tool to support it.
