As the man credited with helping invent the concept of “wellness,” it’s hardly surprising that Technogym founder and CEO Nerio Alessandri — who travels half of every month — knows how to keep fit on the road.
Trained as an industrial designer, Alessandri created Technogym exactly 30 years ago in his garage. Today, the firm’s iconic yellow-and-black logo is found on fitness machines in thousands of homes and gyms worldwide. And Alessandri hosts prominent fitness fans like Bill Clinton at Technogym’s 37-acre HQ in Cesena, Italy.
As the firm gears up to launch their new Artis cardio line, we spoke to Alessandri about art, Mrs. Obama and the fine balance between travel and wellness.
Fitness is American, but wellness is Italian. Fitness is about training the body; wellness focuses on the body, mind and spirit. It’s a lifestyle that began with the Roman concepts of diet, spa and gym.
I don’t keep a formal “wellness” diet — rather, I try to maintain an ideal balance between protein, fats and carbohydrates. For instance, a favorite dish is comprised of one-third fresh pasta, one-third rare tuna and one-third fresh vegetables, topped with tomato sauce. It’s the typical Mediterranean way of eating.
I like restaurants that combine good food with quality design and atmosphere. In New York, I’ll order the organic yogurt and eggs at the NoMad Hotel for a tasty, healthful breakfast, or the tuna tartare for lunch at Casa Lever, which has an inspiring contemporary art collection, including many works by Warhol. In Milan, I love the pasta pomodoro at the Bulgari Hotel.
One of my favorite things to do when I travel is look at art, because I find art to be a great source of inspiration. I collect works by Julian Schnabel, Anish Kapoor and sculptor Mimmo Paladino. Visiting fairs like Art Basel and London’s Frieze helps me discover new talents.
My home region of Romagna has it all — great artistic heritage, sunny beaches in the town of Rimini and great food and wine. I especially like the Roman mosaics in Ravenna and the centuries-old Malatestiana Library (Europe’s first civic library) in the town of Cesena.
I run to keep fit at home and on the road. In Romagna, I jog through the grape orchards on my family’s estate; in London, through Regent’s Park and in Rome I’ll run through the Villa Borghese.
When traveling, I always bring along my Technogym Wellness Ball. It’s inflatable, so you can easily exercise with it no matter where you’re staying.
I’d like to work with Michelle Obama. I strongly admire her “Let’s Move!” initiative and her dedication to tackling obesity and educating people on the benefits of wellness. If she’s reading this, we’d love to have her as a partner.
We ski in the winter and sail in the summer. We stay at the Hotel Bellevue in Cortina during Christmastime. In summer, we cruise through the Mediterranean — from Sardinia to Capri to the Balearic Islands — on the Istranka, a 150-foot yacht built for former Yugoslavian President Josip Tito, which I refurbished.
My favorite resort is Amanyara in the Turks and Caicos. It’s the right place in the right location — with an elegant design facing a stunning beach.