Armah Sports has launched a new health club concept for the Middle East market, with plans to expand into the region and beyond. The first B_fit club recently opened in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and will operate as a full-service smart club, offering a wide range of innovative technology solutions integrated with a high-end fitness offering.
Training facilities at the 3,750 m² club include a fitness room, cardio zone, high-performance cardio zone, personal training spaces, athlete factory and six exercise studios (functional, spinning, yoga, pilates, HIIT and boxing). There is also a 25m swimming pool, indoor running track, coworking space, innovation lab, smoothie bar and retail area.
On the technology side, B_fit offers an impressive range of solutions, starting with contactless facial recognition access to the club. B_fit will also be the first health club in the world to use Amazon Alexa in its operations, allowing members to book classes and consult biographies and trainer schedules with voice commands.
Development of B_fit and other club concepts
B_fit is one of three health club concepts being developed by the team. The other two are Optimo, a luxury brand, and Lift, a budget option. The company plans to open 11 B_fit smart clubs and three Optimo clubs in the next 18 months.
What was the inspiration for creating a "smart club"?
After a successful IPO with our previous gym chain, we decided to sell the company with a vision to create something different, something that would be a radical departure from the classic fitness club model and take the industry to another level. For five years, I have been a member of the international REX Roundtables community, where founders and CEOs of fitness companies from around the world meet three times a year to explore, share, learn and improve.
Three years ago, we met in Helsinki and the theme was "the club of the future". We spent four days talking about how we envisioned it. One of our colleagues, Barry Walsh, who read an article entitled "Future Ready: The New Fitness Revolution", suggested we focus on the future of fitness at our next meeting. I came back full of inspiration and decided to change the shape of our industry. In three days I put together a business plan entitled "Reinventing Fitness", and here we are with our first "smart club".
Why is it important to integrate technology into fitness?
Technology is not only important in our lives today, but essential, and this applies to everything, including the fitness industry. The fitness industry has historically been slow to adapt, but is now struggling to catch up. Never in my 20+ years of experience have I seen a comprehensive IT solution that covers all needs. The only way forward is to adapt technology in the right way to serve the needs of the market and the business.
Amazon Alexa integration
In one of our REX meetings, Fausto said: "voice control will be the future of communication". We contacted Amazon and they agreed to work on this unique project. After almost a year of work, we now have Alexa up and running in our club, helping members to book classes, check coach biographies and get additional information.
The innovation laboratory
The idea behind our innovation lab was to introduce the future to our members with "out of the ordinary" concepts. Today we are introducing VR and gamification in two different solutions: one allows you to play while holding a plank position simulating flying, and the other one allows you to ride a virtual bike in a city or scenic location.
Internet of Things at B_fit
When we started building the smart club model, the first step was to design an ecosystem that included physical, digital and human integrations. The goal was to enable members to feel connected all the time and make their lives easier. Our clubs also use the latest building management solutions to control physical, digital and human spaces.
Technology in the gym
We are partnering with equipment manufacturers in Europe and the US who understand our vision. We have cardio that connects with our B_FIT app and wearables such as Apple Watch and Fitbit for members to download or track their performance.
Staying at the cutting edge of fit-tech
Our young and ambitious team shares ideas and technology trends almost daily. Our first role in our smart vision was not only to build the best IT infrastructure for our needs, but also to make sure it was agile and flexible to accommodate new technologies in the future.
Technologies used in B_fit
- Facial recognition access control
- App with home workouts, personal goals, group challenges, personalised training plans, activity tracking, video on demand and meditation.
- Secure WiFi throughout the centre
- Digital library in the coworking space using Amazon Kindle
- Digital kiosk at reception with member portal
- Online or wristband payments at the smoothie bar and shop
- Intelligent parking system in the basement with space sensors
- Tracking attendance at classes and personal training sessions with RFID wristband
- Charging stations for electric vehicles
- Intelligent lighting system
- LEED certification in the first two clubs
- Robot waiter in the room and coworking space.
