Frances Marcellin

Transforming Food and Water Insecurity with Tech

A range of new technologies and innovations focused on concrete improvements to food and water supply may help create sustainable improvement and freedom from aid dependence.

NHS could soon use smart outfit to diagnose epilepsy

A shirt and cap that can diagnose epilepsy quickly and easily has been approved for use by European health services, including the UK's NHS.

Ideas Box fuses design and technology to transform refugee life

A French project to bring mobile libraries and connectivity to people in the aftermath of crises has been given a vote of confidence in a recent 'tech for good' list.

Talking TED: Ellen Agler on Eradicating Disease

Improving people's lives in the poorest of places with the END Fund.

Europe's refugee crisis: How one Wi-Fi network is offering a lifeline for Lesbos migrants

On Lesbos, a main access point into Europe for refugees, humanitarian aid and technology have combined to give migrants access to Wi-Fi.

Nora Sándigo, the Great Mother

Protecting over a thousand migrant children from family separation.

Urban Sports Club Acquires myClubs

Urban Sports Club is scaling.

Fitness First Australia Debuts "Revive" Recovery Concept

Fitness First Australia is upgrading its experience.

F45 Training's FS8 Targets European Growth

The Pilates brand is flexing its muscles.

VivaGym Acquires Smartfit Clubs

Spain's flurry of activity continues.

Veri Adds ~€1.2M for Metabolic Health Platform

Veri is counting on its community.

GURNER Group Unveils Saint Haven Spinoff

Saint Haven's sister concept is less performance, more party.

AI Fitness App Zing Coach Lands $10M

Zing Coach is upping the AI fitness stakes.

WHOOP Expands Global Reach, Emphasises Gulf Region

It wants to be on wrists worldwide.

HYROX Launches Hybrid Training Ecosystem, Enhances Gym Partnerships

HYROX bulks up its affiliate offering.

ASICS Study Links Childhood Activity to Adult Well-being

Gen Z's poor mental health may stem from physical deficit.

Brooklyn Fitboxing Debuts in Rome

It's punching up Italy's boutique sector.

Social Wellness Club REKOOP to Debut in Singapore

Health and belonging go hand-in-hand.

Circular Unveils Thinner, Lighter Smart Ring

Circular released its latest smart ring, upping the ante in the wearable wars.

Employees Want Work-Life Well-being

Balance is out, holistic health is in.

Virgin Active Debuts Revamped Wimbledon Club

The big-box gym embraces holistic health.

UK's Physical Activity Levels Among Lowest in Europe

For more people, a sedentary lifestyle is becoming the norm.

BHOUT Lands €10M For Connected Boxing

Connected boxing is cashing in on omnichannel fitness.

Movement Health: Confronting the Global MSK Crisis

Moving more may be a key to greater health, but for millions, moving well is another issue.

36M Europeans Are Suffering From Long COVID

1 in 30 Europeans suffer from Long COVID, and startups believe they can solve it.

Runna's Ben Parker and Dom Maskell on AI-Powered Run Coaching

In this Q&A, you'll hear from Ben Parker and Dom Maskell, co-founders of Runna, an AI-enabled running training app.

Abbott Eyes CGM Market Beyond Diabetes Care

Med tech giant Abbott Laboratories announced sales of $10B for Q2 2023, making almost $20B for the first half of the year, despite COVID testing sales slowing.

TDR Capital Prepares David Lloyd Leisure for Auction

The European gyms industry is looking up, but with operational challenges to come, not everyone's buying it.

Veri Integrates With Oura, Reveals Sleep Insights

Finnish CGM-assisted metabolic health platform Veri announced an integration with Finnish smart ring maker Oura, allowing users to see how sleep, heart rate and glucose biomarkers impact metabolic health.

Technogym Pushes Exercise as Medicine

The Italy-based fitness equipment manufacturer is doubling down on wellness and reaffirming its fitness solutions as a lifeline for preventative healthcare and ailing populations.

Getting connected: digital integration for the gym

New digital gym floor offerings are delivering more functionality for consumers.

iMetaWear launches haptics shirt for VR and the metaverse

The ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute) in Taiwan has developed a haptics shirt for immersive VR and metaverse fitness experiences.

Bhout AI boxing bag offers gamified, connected boxing

Bhout is in pre-sales for its AI-driven boxing bag, a 'boxing bag with a brain'.

Product Innovation

Every month I select the best new products for gym operators.

Brain upgrade app launches to reduce Alzheimer's risk

The Food for the Brain foundation has released a new app, Cognition, which it claims can help people cut their risk of Alzheimer's by half.

Rebecca Passmore was promoted to MD of Pure Gym the day she started maternity leave

Rebecca Passmore was promoted to MD of Pure Gym the same day she went on maternity leave.

WHO's five priorities for governments to get people active

Dr Fiona Bull, head of the physical activity unit at the WHO, stated that "demonstrating impact is key" for the physical activity sector.

Sweat sensor gives personalised hydration data in real-time

Athletes will be able to transform their hydration with Nix's new Hydration Biosensor sweat patch.

This AI product for gyms will change the way PT is delivered, says Pure Gym founder, Peter Roberts

Another Round, the startup behind the AI-driven personal training app of the same name, has developed a new B2B solution enabling PTs to work with more than 50 clients over a 14-hour week.

WHO report shows increasing activity levels could save Europe €14bn in health costs by 2050

Almost half of the EU's population don't exercise or play sport.

Musculoskeletal health hub pilot expands to 100 sites as MSK cost to UK hits £5bn a year

The second phase of the UK's MSK health hub pilot will be rolled out to 85 more swimming pools and leisure centres.

Physically active teenage girls do better academically, according to new research

A study from the University of Illinois has found that when teenage girls (age 15-18) take part in more moderate and vigorous physical activity each day they have better attentional control, positively impacting academic outcomes.

Equal access to sport in schools ends centuries of sex discrimination

The UK government has declared that boys and girls should have equal access to sports in schools, and is asking schools to dedicate at least two hours of curriculum time to PE per week.

Peloton execs sued for US$500m insider trading while hiding Tread+ safety risks to children

One of Peloton's investors, Krikor Arslanian, is suing Peloton leaders, including former CEO John Foley, for insider trading. The lawsuit claims they "sold approximately US$494,687,939 worth of their stock collectively" while hiding Tread+ safety issues that caused injury to more than 30 children and one death.

Cambridge researchers' AI model shows VO2 max lab-level results are achievable with wearables

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have proved that with the right algorithm, wearables can provide lab-standard VO2 max results.

Longevity club and digital platform launches with focus on reverse ageing

Neil King and Alister Rollins have co-founded digital platform and in-person club Longevity.

Whoop pushes deeper into corporate wellbeing

Connected performance wearable company Whoop has launched Whoop Unite for businesses.

UN picks Go Fit's public-private model as example of best practice

Go Fit has been selected by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) as an example of best practice for public-private partnership collaboration (PPP).

Louis Rennocks, Co-founder, Grndhouse | HCM people

I interviewed Louis Rennocks, co-founder of GRNDHOUSE, to find out more about the strength-training startup and its goals for the future.

Hyatt is piloting private gyms that can be rented by the hour

Hyatt is piloting private gyms in five of its US hotels.

Fitness First pulls out of Hong Kong as COVID closures wreak havoc

Fitness First has closed down all its operations in Hong Kong. The pandemic's impact and the government's Zero COVID strategy proved too much for the global fitness brand, which has put its entire Hong Kong business into liquidation. Former Fitness First members are being offered the chance to migrate their membership across to clubs run by Pure Group.

Run your heart out in Austria's Paznaun Valley

With free, family-friendly mountain parks and infinite trails, summer in Austria's Paznaun Valley offers a dream hiking and trail running race destination.

Echappée Belle: the Alpine ogre of the ultras!

Previous participants say it’s tougher than the UTMB...

The wearable that knows if your cough is serious

A start-up is developing a wearable ‘cough detective’ coming to the UK in 2024.

Why virtual reality fitness is the ideal escapism for Londoners

The sheer variety of VR fitness experiences is one of its biggest draws.

The wearable fitness gizmo that recharges itself as you unwind

French start-up Baracoda launched BHeart, a fitness tracker that is powered by motion, body heat, and light.

Join a legend in the Algarve this summer

Keith Anderson is a running legend. He was once British Fell Running champion and represented England in the 1998 Commonwealth Games marathon in Kuala Lumpur. Now a running coach he holds a training camp twice a year in Portugal - and, as an avid trail runner, Frances Marcellin joined the group to improve her running technique.

From Zero Miles to an Ultra Marathon

After Frances Marcellin was diagnosed with chronic urticaria, she discovered trail running and swapped pain, angst and fatigue for confidence, self-esteem and optimism. In 2019 she ran 1,000km and now she's training for her first ultra marathon.

Meet your mountain utopia in Verbier

At 16 weeks pregnant I travelled to Verbier to explore their trails, check out their newly-signposted routes and discover ancient glaciers at rocky summits.

Living with Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria

Being diagnosed with chronic urticaria marked the beginning of a long quest to return to health for Frances Marcellin, 44

10 must-do river cruises to book today for 2024

Exciting river cruise itineraries for 2024.

The cruises you'll come back from feeling healthier

A new wave of cruises with a focus on body, mind and soul mean you will come back feeling more nourished than ever.

10 of the best wellness cruises for 2022

My pick for The Telegraph on ten of the best cruise lines and itineraries that will offer travellers an enhanced wellness experience this year.

French Fancy

Viking Cruises' christening of 8 longships in Paris, plus a mini-cruise to Normandy and back.

The clever technology that will power the post-Covid cruise comeback

Imagine you are on your first cruise since the coronavirus lockdown. At the terminal you order a token through your smartphone - part of a staggered check-in - which tells you when to return. Before embarking, a thermal camera assesses your temperature - a green light means you can cruise.

1,000 Dream Trips: Explore the coast of the British Isles

You might be surprised at what you discover on a British Isles tour, and there is no better way to pick and mix its historic, mythic and beauteous richness than on a cruise.

The African Dream

As the glowing sun casts its amber cloak over Table Mountain I'm watching with awe from the edge of Viking Sun's infinity pool.

The cruise ship chef with a passion for running up mountains

If you happen to catch sight of a cheerful but focused Frenchman in a white jacket running up and down the stairs when you're cruising with Viking, don't be surprised. As well as overseeing Viking's five-star food service on the river and ocean fleets, culinary director Anthony Mauboussin is passionate about long-distance mountain running.

The cruise ships with the best Wi-Fi

What happened on cruise ships used to stay on cruise ships - at least until the boat reached the next port. One of the remaining Internet-free places on the planet, passengers could spend days wallowing in isolation unless they spent serious cash on a telegram or ship-to-shore call.

How Cirque du Soleil is adapting circus for the high seas

When Cirque du Soleil launched sea-based productions, its gravity-defying acts had to adapt to a moving stage, particularly in rough weather.

Cirque du Soleil takes to the high seas for the first time aboard MSC's lavish new cruise ship

Cirque du Soleil at Sea is thrilling audiences in a surreal, intimate show on board MSC Meraviglia.

Tech savvy on board

Navigating your way around a ship is easier than you think.

11 new tech features that are transforming cruise ships - including geo-locators for your kids

Technology is transforming floating hotels into smart cities.

How to get your thrills at sea this summer

Keeping kids happy on board helps to make a stress-free holiday so cruise companies keep dreaming up new and exhilarating experiences.

How did the first mother in space become godmother to a cruise ship?

Anna Fisher, one of NASA's first female astronauts and famously the first mother to go into space, has become Viking Orion's godmother.

Going a cut above and Beyond

Celebrity Cruises' new ship, Celebrity Beyond, has a strong health and wellbeing focus, with a host of spas and fitness offerings. Frances Marcellin gives a roundup of the launch of the vessel. When I sit down with Brian Abel onboard Celebrity Beyond, I marvel at the level of design and attention to detail that covers every inch of the 237m/1,073-ft ship.

How Royal Caribbean uses recruitment escape rooms

When Ben Bouldin, Vice President EMEA at Royal Caribbean Cruises, took part in a physical escape room challenge with his team they experienced sides of each other they had never seen before - and ultimately became stronger for it.

Celebrity Cruises looks beyond design and wellness

After a 16-month shutdown of the cruise industry due to the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 50% of US consumers expect to spend more and treat themselves, a promising sign for cruise companies.

OceanMedallion aces contactless cruising

Before the pandemic, the MedallionClass experience was only available on six of Princess Cruises' ships, but during Covid's shutdown it was deployed across the fleet.

Scarlet Lady: on board Virgin Voyages' inaugural ship

Before lockdown, Frances Marcellin visited Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady.

A tour de force of Viking Orion's maiden voyage

Frances Marcellin sailed on Viking Orion's maiden voyage and spoke to the Viking team, as well as the ship's godmother and retired astronaut Anna Fisher, to learn how the company is achieving such success.

Meet the new Royal baby: Symphony of the Seas

Royal Caribbean's newest ship is also the largest in the world.

Ocean Medallion: Out with the old and in with the new

Frances Marcellin sailed around the British Isles with Princess Cruises to try out Carnival's Ocean Medallion, a wearable accessory that tracks passengers and offers personalised services.

How Disney Wish is cruising towards net-zero

Frances Marcellin speaks to Barry Compagnoni, Disney Cruise Line's VP for safety, security, and environmental policy, about the operator's newest vessel, Disney Wish.

UK activity sector rises up to battle for energy support with 200-strong letter to PM

Glow-in-the-dark bacterial lights could illuminate shop windows

Bioluminescent lighting made from living bacteria offers an alternative to electric lights for shops, street signs and parks

Mountaintop mining in Appalachia: do the rewards justify the risks?

With studies showing that communities and eco systems in the US' Central Appalachia region are at serious risk as a result of mountaintop removal mining (MTR), Frances Marcellin investigates whether the price for top grade Appalachian coal is too high.

Power at the Core: incorporating at-home energy generation and storage into builds

With home batteries now widely available, how can homeowners benefit?

Energy sobriety will be the key theme at European Energy Transition Conference

How can organisations, including health club and leisure businesses, decarbonise, generate clean energy and harness attitudes of 'energy sobriety' to reduce CO2 emissions? These are some of the issues to be discussed at this year’s European Energy Transition Conference.

Putting the brakes on crude oil rail transport

In May the US Department of Transportation issued an Emergency Order requiring all railroads operating trains containing large amounts of Bakken crude oil to notify State Emergency Response Commissions (SERCS) of their every move.

Tanni Grey-Thompson joins fight for sector energy support

The energy crisis is putting significant pressure on the physical activity sector.

Upcycled buildings: sustainability on a grand scale

Upcycled buildings provide a way to introduce the waste-minimising circular economy to the building site. What's the latest on waste reuse in construction?

Energy bills subsidised by 50 per cent under UK government relief scheme

An Energy Bill Relief Scheme has been unveiled by UK business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg

Shore Power

Sustainability in glass

Done well, glass can contribute to a building’s energy efficiency.

Sustainable design: a Passiv retrofit

A 19th century mews house in Chelsea, UK, has recently become one of only a handful of PassivHaus properties in the country.

Can this new BlaBlaLines carpool app make your daily commute easier and cheaper?

Car-sharing startup BlaBlaCar has come up with a new app for regular short journeys like commuting.

Bamford to launch sustainable and science-led luxury fitness club

Sustainable features have been woven into The Club's design, from the 25m pool’s biomass boiler to the 280 solar panels on The Club’s roof.

The accidental space gatekeeper who can send Londoners into orbit

SpaceVIP is opening for business in the UK.

New door-to-door pharmacy delivery app promises to make life less painful

Londoners now have a new way to receive medical product deliveries.

As the Great Resignation continues, meet the entrepreneur battling to keep women in tech

Gender balance in tech is lower now than it was in 1984 ( 35% vs 32%) and women only represent 17% of leaders.

A self-balancing exoskeleton lets wheelchair users walk again

This French self-balancing exoskeleton enables people with complete lower body paralysis to walk.

Why are there so few women in French tech? The causes and the cures

Just 21 percent of entrepreneurs are women.

Safe to buy refurbished devices? Why this startup thinks it's better than buying new

By asking consumers to adopt, rather than buy, Back Market is trying to change the language and landscape of the refurbished device market.

Aardman hitches a ride on the theme park boom

Animation studio Aardman released its first 4D film.

Creating a Tech Community to Aid Refugees in Crisis

As the needs of refugees worldwide become more complex, a growing collection of techonlogy groups are working to serve them as people not problems.

Doctolib can see you now: Meet the e-health tool that's taken off in France

As Doctolib's visibility has increased over the past five years, its e-health tool has become a part of everyday life in France.

This telehealth cabin connects qualified doctors with patients all over the world | ZDNet

French doctor Franck Baudino wants to bring professional medical diagnoses to the global population.

How Twitter could save your life

Back in 2010 AMC set up co-ordinated "zombie attacks" in major cities around the world to promote its zombie thriller series The Walking Dead....

Glow-in-the-dark bacterial lights could illuminate shop windows

Glowee, a start-up company in Paris, is developing bioluminescent lights to illuminate shop fronts and street signs.

Discovering St Cyprien

Frances Marcellin visits sunny St Cyprien in Occitanie, where magic, mountains and modern urban design mix on the Mediterranean.

Gex-set Go

Frances Marcellin discovers why a home in the Pays de Gex, near Geneva, could be a "Gexcellent" investment.

Why this forgotten corner of Provence is becoming a hit with the British

Between the glitzy Riviera coastline and the wild Alpine foothills, the little-known canton of Fayence in Provence is where couture king Christian Dior felt he could truly get away from it all and rediscover himself.

Life on the Lagoon

On the Mediterranean coast to the west of Provence, an area known as the 'hidden Riviera' is becoming increasingly sought after.

Look west: buy a holiday home for half the price on the other French Riviera

Buying a property on the "other Riviera" can be half the price of the Côte d'Azur.

We Want Morzine

As Covid-19 started to rear its ugly head in February 2020, the director of Morzine Immobilier, Paul Watts, sat down with his team to see if they could stay afloat until Christmas without a sale,

Family spa - Generation game

In the heart of See, an Alpine village in Austria's Tyrol region, cable cars and gondolas float up to 42km of pistes in winter. Come summer, the 10-minute ride is a gateway to endless scenic trails, a colourful playground and a shady mountain wellness park.

The exclusive Italian favourite that's surprisingly great for children

This A-list retreat full of old-world charm offers so much more than palatial villas and speedboats - and it's ideal for a family holiday It is fitting the finale of Casino Royale was filmed at suave, sophisticated Lake Como: if James Bond were a place, this diamond of the Italian lakes would be he.

First Time Love

Boating newcomer Frances Marcellin takes the plunge with a family motorboat charter holiday on the Canal du Midi

My Carpe Diem Covid Camping Trip

Originally scheduled to review a Japanese cruise ship this summer, Frances Marcellin finds herself instead on a campsite with the kids in the south of France.

Creature Crisis

The pandemic has allowed nature to thrive and we’ve all enjoyed the heartening tales of dolphins returning to waterways and turtles nesting on tourist beaches. But has it all been good news? asks Frances Marcellin

How To Spend the Perfect Weekend in Toulouse

With its ancient history, eye-catching architecture and cool bars, the city of Toulouse guarantees 48 hours of fun-filled adventure. If you're visiting for a short break, here's how to soak up the unique atmosphere of the city. The blend of historic and hip in Toulouse gives the capital of France's Occitanie area a dynamic atmosphere that's unlike anywhere else in the country.

Combatting wildlife trafficking through airports

Over the last few years, airports have significantly increased their focus on combating the illegal trafficking of wildlife, fuelled by widespread indifference and organised crime networks.

The role of language in air accidents

On 25 January 1990, the Avianca flight from Bogota, Colombia, to JFK Airport in New York, was running out of fuel in appalling weather conditions. After being kept in a holding position by air traffic control (ATC) in New York, the plane's fuel tank was running dangerously low.

Airport sleeping rooms: helping passengers find some peace and quiet

The international business travel market is growing and evolving at such a rapid rate that travellers are starting to expect the possibility of reserving smart sleep spaces at airports before and after flights.

The hard sell: making a mark in airports

Last year HSBC launched its "Together We Thrive" advertising campaign, which spanned five languages and 17 airports. Frances Marcellin finds out more about airports as advertising environments.

Airports tap into virtual reality for passenger entertainment

Inflight VR, which creates virtual reality-powered (VR) systems for the air industry, has partnered with ground-handling service provider Aviapartner to provide immersive VR content to air travellers at the company's passenger lounge at Rome's Fiumicino Airport. Although a nascent industry, VR revenues will reach $7.17bn by the end of the year, rising to $75bn by 2021.

Cashing in on the new normal: how can an airport diversify revenue?

The Airport Council International's economic report shows a "58.4% reduction in passengers" compared to 2019 and a "60% reduction in revenues" which are projected to reach "an unprecedented $104.5 billion revenue reduction by 2020.

Cracking open the story of London's Oyster Card

The introduction of Oyster smartcards in London revolutionised the way that people pay for travel in the city.

Is the air in underground subways harming our health?

New research from the University of Southampton has raised a question mark over how safe ultrafine dust is to workers and regular travellers on the London Underground.

How WiFi data is improving tube journeys

Transport for London (TfL) has started installing WiFi in stations across the tube network.

Tackling rail fraud in the UK

Demand for rail has increased faster than other transport modes over two decades hiking up fraud incidences.

Inside Masabi's cloud-based mobile ticketing revolution

Masabi's cloud-based JustRide product provides an end-to-end mobile ticketing and fare collection system.

TopRail: promoting sustainable rail tourism

With 2017 officially declared as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations World Tourist Organisation (UNWTO), the International Union of Railways (UIC) launched TopRail in 2016 to actively promote sustainable railway tourism.

French Riviera View

All English articles in the magazine were researched and written by Frances Marcellin.

Sustainable Design: a Passiv Retrofit

A 19th century mews house in Chelsea, UK, has recently become one of only a handful of PassivHaus properties in the country, thanks to a retrofit by Cadogan. Frances Marcellin speaks to the company to discover the challenges of such a retrofit and how the project was achieved

Discovering Toronto's Tree Tower: A Sustainable Marvel

Unveiling the Architectural Marvel: Toronto's Tree Tower. Connect with World Construction Network to explore more

Upcycling at a Grand Scale

Can buildings be both carbon and cost neutral? Lendanger Group founder and CEO Anders Lendager is determined to prove that carbon and cost-neutral buildings can and should exist.

Built by Nature: Scaling up Timber Construction

The newly launched Built by Nature network offers grants to pioneering projects addressing barriers to building with timber.

Smartening the Home: Where Smart Home Technology Meets Architecture

Smart home technology is gaining an increasing presence in our homes, with varying levels of design accompanying it. As work and lifestyles change, how will our future homes and vehicles adapt?

Right to Property Brochure

I volunteered to rewrite and redesign Right to Property's brochure through Copywriters Without Borders. An initiative set up by India NGO ARCH Vahini, it empowers the community to map and document land claims.