We've heard about many a health club's plans to offer Wii Fit to its users, but since becoming the first ever business to offer Nintendo Wii Sports as an alternative to tradtitional exercise, the decision for Studeo55 (which has counted many a Hollywood celebrity amongst its clientele) in Vancouver, Canada, was an easy one.
Balance Board Blog recently contacted the company's President Nathan Mellalieu, who was only too pleased to tell us about his latest videogaming venture - having Wii Fit projected onto a giant screen in the middle of Studeo55, and injecting a little more fun into gym-goers exercise routines.
BBB: What was idea behind bringing Wii Fit to Studeo55?
NM: Studeo 55 is all about making the work out routine fun. Several of our clients are Executives in the financial district that need an escape from their hectic lives for an hour a few times a week. We saw the Wii Fit as another way for them to have fun, while getting some exercise benefit.
Click below for the interview in full.
BBB: How many Wii Fit units do you currently have running at Studeo55?
NM: We have had the original Wii for 18 months, and now the Wii Fit. Right now, one Wii Fit is great. It is on a huge projector screen in a dedicated room with surround sound. It can still get competitive as people watch each other and then challenge the top score.
BBB: Has the introduction of Wii Fit to Studeo55 attracted a different sort of individual to the gym than you are used to seeing before?
NM: Studeo55 is a boutique club that grows solely by word of mouth. Our mission is to create experiences here for our clients that they can't wait to tell their friends about. The Wii has created such stories and because of that we have seen new referrals.
BBB: What do the regular gym-goers think of Wii Fit on the whole? Have they embraced it or given it a wide berth?
NM: Most people at least give it a chance, and some people probably want to use it too much. We are mostly personal trainer-based. Certain people will request to use Wii Fit with their friends or their trainer. The Wii is a great equaliser: a 55 year old stands as good a chance of beating his/her 25 year old trainer, clients love that.
BBB: What sort of feedback have you had from gym users about Wii Fit?
fun to watch a 50 year old executive, who has a lot of responsibility and a hectic life, act like a kid while breaking a sweat on the Wii Fit. It's rewarding to watch these people escape their typical lives, even if it's for a few minutes. The Wii Fit has certainly caused a new buzz around the gym.
BBB: 2KSports' Don King Presents: Prizefighter features boxing training exercises for the Balance Board, while Electronic Arts is currently developing a Wii Fit rival. Would you be interested in incorporating them into Studeo55?
NM: We may consider it, but I think we feel such a loyalty to the Wii Fit, just because of what it has done to exercise. The Wii Fit is truly a huge step in the right direction towards what people should be doing anyways. I guess we'll wait to see the reviews on competing products.
BBB: And finally, have you played Wii Fit much yourself? Which is your favourite exercise? Hula Hoop, right? ;)
NM: I have played on the Wii fit quite a bit and I have tried all of the games. I think on a whole it provides a pretty well rounded assortment of games that can help people get started in the direction of a healthy lifestyle. My favourites are the games that have a degree of competition like the skiing and the wobble board. PS: I make the hula hoop game look pretty ugly.
Studeo 55 is a boutique fitness club downtown Vancouver, BC, Canada. The club caters to an affluent niche group of people who want a genuine experience with their workout routine. Studeo 55 has trained many professional athletes, and a lot of Hollywood A-listers that are filming in Vancouver, including Harrison Ford, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck, and Halle Berry.
Visit the club's official website for more information - http://www.studeo55.ca/
0 comments:
Post a Comment