Gym Review: Sparkd
Sparkd is Asia’s first brain and fitness hub. It’s located in the River valley area of Singapore, and earlier this year, we paid them a visit to find out more about the space. In this post, we highlight the three main things you need to know.
What can you do at Sparkd?
The gym is filled with equipment that challenges your brain and fitness at the same time.
For example, you have light pods that can be customised to blink in patterns and register your input when you hover over them.
You also have sensors embedded in standing boards for you to hit when a particular region lights up, as well as television sets that allow you to play Wii-like games.
Some of the machines, like the tilt-able treadmill and platform, are the only ones in Asia.
And just like most gyms, there’s a squat rack and cable machine.
Who Is Sparkd For?
In our opinion, the place caters to five main groups:
- Kids
- Corporates
- Cognitively-challenged
- High-performance athletes
- Fitness enthusiasts
The group classes are fun and engaging for kids, corporates, and fitness enthusiasts.
On the other hand, personal training is great for high performance athletes and the cognitively-challenged.
What Does Science Say?
In short, more research is required.
There are recent publications in the 2010s on cognitive training for preschoolers, high-performance athletes, as well as general populations.
However, apart from significant benefits in pre-schoolers with cognitive challenges or low socioeconomic background, most of these state that more research is required to substantiate the findings.
References
A Systematic Review of Commercial Cognitive Training Devices: Implications for Use in Sport
The Potential Role for Cognitive Training in Sport: More Research Needed