It may be best known for Oktoberferst, but Munich has more to offer than just beer. The Bavarian city has a grandeur and beauty to rival many European capitals. It offers more theatres and galleries than anywhere else in Germany, as well as an array of outstanding restaurants and cool bars. Munich is a metropolis rich of German heritage and tradition, but with an international flair, and a view of the Alps on the horizon.
Read MoreCombining the success of social networks and fitness, companies like Strava, Freelethics, or Runtastic have accumulated millions of active users and supporting those to live a healthier life. One of their keys to success is the use of gamification, which according to Deterding et al. is defined as the use of game elements in a non-game context. It takes inspiration from Behavioral Economics and plays with certain irrational behaviours of people.
Read MoreBehavioural Economics ("BE") is a step change in our understanding of how people behave; it can be used to transform the way people make economic and personal choices including those related to an organisation’s services. In particular, it challenges the view that people make decisions rationally. According to behavioural economists, Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler, utilising choice architecture helps organizing the context in which people make decisions. It means reducing choice overload by integrating indirect suggestions and using positive reinforcement towards a favoured outcome.
Read MoreExercise improves many dangerous metabolic, cardiovascular and respiratory conditions and has consequently a favorable impact on mortality. However, in a society where the lifestyle becomes increasingly sedentary, physicians struggle to convince their patients to exercise more. Connected devices and mobile applications combine motivational programs with objective measurements of activity level. In the 2015 IMS report about patient adoption of mobile health, Barbara Spurrier of Mayo Clinic said that “we are trying to integrate mobile health into the lives of people and patients to help empower them in self-management and have the peace of mind to know when to take action”.
Read MoreThe initial purpose of my blog was to document and share my journey to the Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc in 2018. However, as I started to accumulate running kilometres, I came to realise the increased interest by family and friends. I was particularly fascinated and very thankful by the number of people that had followed my recent Marathon Des Sables undertaking.
Read MoreConnecting devices are the next innovation in the ongoing movement towards a holistic and digitised health system. They are meant to integrate seamlessly with the users’ daily life and making data collection convenient, automatic and seamless. The Internet of Things has shifted the concept of self-measurement to that of self-monitoring and, to that of self-management, writes the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.
Read MoreJust over a month ago I was on my way through the Moroccan Sahara. Marathon Des Sables has been a truly breathtaking experience. It has been a week filled with running through the dunes during the day, sleeping in a bivouac and watching the sun rise in the morning, and set at night. I crossed paths with a number of interesting people, as much as I came to discover new sides within myself. Not only did I assemble almost 250 kilometres over six days of running, but I was able to collect memories for a lifetime. Below you can find a selection of some of those moments in time.
Read MoreOut of the Moroccan desert rises Marrakesh, an oasis of beauty and tranquility that will gratifytravelers looking for adventure, rejuvenation, and the experience of a lifetime. Silhouettes of archways and minarets rise over the Red City, as the muezzin’s call to prayer echoes across the rose-colored sky. Those who visit Marrakesh will not soon forget it.
Read MoreThe World Health Organisation ('WHO') defines ”electronic health ('eHealth') as the use of Information and Communication Technology for healthcare purposes“. According to the European Commission eHealth Action Plan 2012-2020, it encompasses a range of services and systems that cover "the interaction between patients and health-service providers, institution-to-institution transmission of data, or peer-to-peer communication between patients and/or health professionals“. eHealth can benefit citizens and patients, professionals, but also organisations and public authorities. When applied effectively, it has the potential to deliver a more personalised and costumer-centred healthcare, which is more targeted and efficient.
Read MoreThe news back home are dominated by conflicts and stabbings in Jerusalem, bombs and shootings in Tel Aviv. In reality, I am find myself walking through cities that are filled with warmth and love and the atmosphere is very different to what media proclaims. Then, we leave the streets and enter yet a totally different world. This world is called Machneyuda, which is a restaurant in Jerusalem and has gotten its name from the nearby Mahane Yehuda Market.
Read More"Living easy, living free, season ticket on a one-way ride, asking nothing, leave me be, taking everything in my stride, don't need reason, don't need rhyme, ain't nothing I would rather do, going down, party time, my friends are gonna be there too, I'm on the highway to hell." Those are the opening lyrics of ACDC's infamous song and the final words every competitor hears before they start each stage of Marathon Des Sables (MDS).
Read MoreBarcelona, the capital of Catalunya, located at the Mediterranean sea, attracts millions of people every year. The city is re-known for its mellow vibes and mild climate all year round, a hotspot for creatives, travelers and entrepreneurs alike. It is a truly colorful metropole that is rich and diverse in culture, art and people.
Read MoreWe have come to the point, where it is only a matter of hours until I will embark on the most challenging ultra marathon I will have faced up until today. On Sunday, 9th April around 9:00 am the over 250 kilometer long adventure will commence. The organizers of Marathon Des Sables (MDS) have implemented a GPS service, which tracks and traces every step that my fellow runners and I are going to take. So, if you are curious to see where I am from Sunday onwards, you can check the official Marathon Des Sables website.
Read MoreAt this time next week, I will have completed the first three stages of Marathon Des Sables and run over 100 kilometres through fine desert sand. The thought of such leaves me speechless, as it is getting serious.
Read MoreThere is tremendous potential within the health and fitness market to promote physical activity and to create a fully integrated and holistic customer experience for society, especially to benefit millennials.
Read MoreBefore I am diving into the details of my equipment, food, as well as training regime, I should explain what Marathon Des Sables (MDS) actually is. The ones that have followed my blog over the last few months will have read about it on multiple occasions, some may have even heard about it before, whilst others have absolute no clue what is going on here.
Read MoreWhilst I am sitting here and writing this post, I am watching athletes running, walking and trotting towards the finish line. Though, I wish this post was called “Barcelona Marathon” and I was able to tell you about my experience of running through the Catalan capital, I suppose you can gather from the title that such is not the case. Instead, I shall describe the feeling of saying “no” to running the Barcelona Marathon.
Read MoreExactly one month from today, on Friday, the 7th April, I will be driving into the desert joined by 1295 fellow runners. I am a little lost for words, as I am looking back at my journey, and how time seems to have flown by. It all started off in Madrid in December 2015. If I am not mistaken, it was a Saturday night that I had spent at home, when I came across a couple of YouTube videos about Marathon Des Sables on YouTube. I have heard about MDS, as it is commonly known, before, but I was far away from thinking that I would ever be participating in this event. Whilst being one of the most unique stops on the Ultra-Trail World Tour, it is also known as one of the toughest courses of the tour. Running and completing MDS would not only offer some incredible experience and memories, but also grants six points towards the Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc qualification. I was fascinated by the visuals that I was watching and the reports, which I was reading. I signed up.
Read MoreOne week ago I was running through the streets of Barcelona. In precisely two months I would be boarding my returning flight after I will have put over 250 kilometres of running through the desert behind me. Time really does seem to fly be these day. Last weekend I was in Sevilla, in order to run the Marathon. Though, I have been talking enough about hours storming past us, this post would not be complete without mentioning a specific article that I came across around this time last year.
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