Episode 19/ Full Interview: Robert Sawhney on fitness culture in Asia

Published October 31, 2021Robert has had a varied career spanning health and fitness, consultancy, and academia. Currently he works in a regional director role for one of the largest fitness solutions providers in the world. He has a BSc in Sports Science and Management from Brunel University and an MBA from the University of Lincoln. He did his doctoral studies in marketing at a university in Hong Kong. He is the author of two books: Marketing Professional Services in Asia (Lexis Nexis, 2009), which was called one of the most indigenous books on Asian marketing by Professor Oliver Yau (Chair Professor of Marketing at City University HK) and Developing a Profitable Practice in Asia (Ark Group, 2010). He has also published over 50 articles in various newspapers and magazines on the topics of strategy, marketing, and leadership. He has spoken at numerous events as a keynote speaker or panelist around Asia. Robert is a keen sportsman having played professional football. He still hits the gym five times a week and plays rugby. Recorded June 11, 2021.Show notes:07:26 “24 hour fitness hits a wellness culture.”08:18 “What happens when Tai Chi meets HIIT?”10:04 “A largely rural population has no need for gyms.”11:03 “COVID has accelerated the move from fitness to wellness worldwide.”13:28 “Have the leisure classes moved on from the gym?”14:58 “Who is the Asian gym bunny?”15:49 “Grandma and Grandpa hit the gym.”17:30 “How to keep gym goers motivated beyond the first six months.”20:25 “Adapting gyms to local cultural environments in Asia.”22:22 “Group classes are especially popular in a collectivist society.”22:50 “There is unlikely to ever be an Asian Jane Fonda.”27:30 “Catering to a tech-forward customer base, Asian gym equipment companies are ahead of their American counterparts when it comes to innovation.”29:46 “A bodybuilder turned academic turned entrepreneur has a unique perspective on narcissism vs. collectivism within the fitness industry.”30:32 “Switching out fantasy for realistic expectations is key to a wellness approach”36:46 “Virtual fitness may not be here to stay.”40:42 “Why all the international fitness operators failed in China.”44:12 “Gym equipment companies can succeed in Asia where gym operators failed.”55:29 “If wellness is becoming an ecosystem, does the fitness club just happened to be one of the spokes of that ecosystem? Or does it become the hub?” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.