Interiors in good shape

Recently, our homes have become increasingly functional and we have become accustomed to having exercise facilities within easy reach, available at any time of the day or night when the mood strikes. As we spend more time at home, we have also been acutely aware of the impact our interior design choices, and how they meet our needs, have on our wellbeing. Not surprisingly, studies have shown that we spend up to ninety per cent of our day indoors.

Now Nordiska Galleriet is expanding its range with the Personal Line collection from Italian Technogym - a brand whose technical innovations and exclusive design have contributed to their training products being called the Ferraris of the wellness industry.

Increasing trend curve

– The interest in health and well-being has had an increasing trend curve for a long time, but in recent years it has also received increased attention in the media and due to the pandemic it has gained a new focus," says Marianne Bryhn, Nordic CMO at Qicraft Group | Technogym.

During the pandemic, it became even clearer how physical and mental health support each other. Similarly, it became clear that the lack of natural everyday exercise as well as the possibility to visit fitness centres could have consequences. There was a need to find alternatives and make exercise available at home or in small spaces.

– The effect of that period is still there,' Bryhn continues. For many people, it has become natural to set aside a training area at home. At Qicraft | Technogym, we see a trend in which more and more people not only choose to provide space for training at home but also make demands on design and quality.

Product range by Antonio Citterio

And the level of design and quality has not been compromised in Technogym's Personal Line collection. The exercise machines in the range are specially designed for home training, made in Italy and designed to integrate with the rest of the home's interior. Personal Line has been designed by Italian industrial designer Antonio Citterio, who, in addition to Technogym, has worked with fashion and design houses such as B&B Italia, Flos and Hermès.

– Technogym started the collaboration in 2014 to create an elegant fitness line that could be placed in the most beautiful rooms of any home. The Technogym Personal Line therefore combines state-of-the-art training technology with the finest craftsmanship and high-quality design," says Bryhn.

Pieces of art

The aim of the Personal Line is that the selected products can be integrated and enhance the rest of the room's interior. The products included in the Personal Line are designed to look like "pieces of art", as Technogym calls them. Technogym also offers rendering solutions that allow the home's exercise area to be placed in the best possible position among the rest of the interior.

The different pieces of exercise equipment can be combined to create a fully equipped home gym or used independently in a bedroom or living room.

The pieces are made of the most exclusive materials and designed not to stand out like traditional exercise equipment, but rather to become a decorative addition to the home. Highlights include an adjustable and ergonomic exercise bike seat designed by furniture brand Vitra.

The basement business that became a success story

Technogym's design journey began 40 years ago. The brand's founder, Nerio Alessandri, discovered at a young age his technical aptitude for improving existing industrial designs. For example, he modified tape recorders and vespas, which he later sold on to the delight of his more affluent friends. Alessandri not only had technical and business acumen, he was also interested in the world of fashion. He realised that fitness was an industry of the future and that the shapely body was something everyone would aspire to. So in his parents' garage, he welded together the first prototype that laid the foundation for today's fitness success. The year was 1983 and the then 22-year-old Alessandri founded Technogym.

Since the creation of Technogym's first product, the company has been at the forefront of wellness design and technology. Their approach to innovation and development has led to Technogym being selected as an official supplier to eight Olympic Games. Design, comfort and function combined with elegant lines will continue to be the goal in the future to create the best training experiences.

Decorating for mental and physical wellbeing

While we may only now be realising how much the environment around us affects our wellbeing, studies have long shown that our surroundings have a significant impact on how we feel. Experts in the interdisciplinary field of Neurodesign have argued that our brains react with the signalling system - the sympathetic nervous system - to our built environments and that design therefore affects us both physically and psychologically. That we react emotionally to bright colours and colour schemes, for example, but are calmed by colours we perceive in nature, may be known to many, but now the application of science to interior design is also starting to gather momentum.

For over 30 years, Technogym has been offering home wellness solutions, not just exercise machines. The focus has always been on the overall experience. As awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle grows, so does the demand for home fitness solutions.

– Man vill att hemmagymmet ska smälta in och ”gifta sig” med övrig inredning. Det här är inte längre ett rum man vill gömma undan – utan snarare visa upp, säger Marianne Bryhn.

Our emotional well-being is enhanced by a well thought-out interior design plan that satisfies our basic needs for socialising, relaxing and exercising. And with the integration of the Personal Line, we are well on our way to decorating for better health.