The new wellness startups: from FitNow to Happiness for Future

In today’s increasingly hectic urban life, the winter months often come with the desire to quickly regain the physical and mental wellbeing once achieved during the distant summer holidays. In Italy, the search for trainers and gyms is already on, with one major innovation: a special coach that comes directly to your home or any location, optimizing your precious time. The innovative fitness delivery service is called FitNow, born in Rome for those who wish to train at home — or even outdoors in a park — dedicating no more than 20 minutes per session with a personal trainer. Thanks to the simultaneous electrostimulation of 300 muscles and a tailored nutritional plan, the results are equivalent to a four-hour gym workout.

FitNow was founded by three Roman entrepreneurs: Andrea Gherardi, specialized in business management; Michele Pisani, an expert in renewable energy; and Carlo Sciarra, the project’s first creator, with experience in the international hi-tech sector.

FitNow’s innovative core lies in technology, using a one-of-a-kind suit based on cutting-edge EMS Total Body technology, combined with wireless controls through the company’s dedicated app. Available in various sizes based on the user’s height and weight, the suit combines electrostimulation with bodyweight exercises customized for each person. The system works by wearing specific underwear and then putting on the EMS suit.

How does it work? The body is divided into ten areas, allowing the user to choose from different programs — from dynamic metabolic training aimed at burning fat to more static muscle-strengthening sessions focused on building mass. The FitNow app monitors progress and records results based on the individual’s goals.

The app tracks the use of each muscle group, showing how performance values evolve and how the body changes over time. In this way, technology truly merges with fitness: the software communicates with the app (to transfer and save workout data) and with the device’s wireless system, connecting the trainer’s tablet to the suit for seamless guidance during sessions.

But innovation in wellness and beauty startups doesn’t stop there. Everyone can choose to improve their life, build personal wellbeing, and feel good — not through drastic or sudden changes that disrupt daily habits, but through small, gentle moments of self-care. Daily practices of beauty and movement that respect one’s body and emotions can make a lasting difference.

The idea is to turn simple wellbeing routines into new habits — our personal “lifelines” — especially during challenging times. Building on this philosophy, Lara Lucaccioni, a Laughter Yoga and Heart Coherence trainer and author of the bestseller “Ridi Ama Vivi” (“Laugh, Love, Live”), and Matteo Ficara, philosopher, writer, and Chief Happiness Officer, founded the innovative startup Happiness for Future through the year-long program “Vivi365.” The project features simple, accessible practices and theories built around a monthly theme and four key areas — physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellbeing — developed by sector experts. Inspired by the Science of Happiness, the program views happiness as a skill to be trained daily through intentional living and meaningful action. As Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

Science confirms this: according to a Duke University study, 40% of our daily actions are not conscious choices but habits. A habit isn’t an end goal — it’s a way of living that requires consistency and dedication. Small steps can lead to great change. “Vivi365” explores twelve themes — sleep, nutrition, movement, positive emotions, relationships, motivation, clarity, focus, perspective, mindfulness, interconnection, and wonder — with practices such as heart coherence, laughter yoga, breathing techniques for better sleep, emotion mapping, and meditative visualization.

The program is based on the HEART model for building happiness, created by Lucaccioni and Ficara, and structured around five elements: H for Habits, E for Energy, A for Awareness, R for Relationships, and T for Thrive (growth and fulfilment). The goal of Happiness for Future is to promote wellbeing and awareness through culture and education, offering accessible experiences and learning paths for everyone.

Maria Serena Patriarca