A few years ago, most people viewed going to the gym as a necessary inconvenience. You’d get in, do your workout and leave as quickly as humanly possible. Oh, how times have changed. With a growing number of gyms offering extras like cafes, saunas and spas, they’ve become a place you actually want to hang out. Now, hitting the gym isn’t a chore, it’s an experience.
Taking this one step further is the immersive fitness trend. Studios are taking a more holistic approach to wellness — moving beyond the physical and tapping into your sense of sight, sound, smell and sometimes even taste! If you’re someone who finds yourself watching the clock during your gym sessions, immersive fitness classes might be for you. It’s impossible to get bored when there’s so much sensory stimulation going on!
If you’re looking for something to push you a little more and help you work at a higher level, these classes could be the answer to your plateau problems. For some people, this kind of experience can be truly stimulating — almost addictive because it’s so much sensory stimulation.
– Leah Lagos, licensed psychologist via Daily Burn
In fact, a recent study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise shows that immersive fitness experiences can increase workout satisfaction and make you feel like you’re exerting less effort than you actually are! Ready to take your workout to the next level? Here are some of the best immersive fiteness studios to delight your senses.
WOOM Center
It doesn’t get much more immersive than a session at WOOM Center in NYC. Between the calming graphics, aromatherapy, chanting, sound baths and post-workout elixirs, being in the ‘woom’ is a multi-sensory experience like you’ve never had before. You can read our full review on WOOM Center here and check out their website here.
The TRIP
Find spin boring AF? Same. However, if it’s a ‘The Trip’ class, I could be persuaded into it. The Les Mills cycling class is basically like an acid trip, but instead of getting faded, you’re getting fit! As you pedal, you’re guided through futuristic vortexes via a massive screen in time to the pumping beats. The class is available in studios all over the world — you can check out their locations here.
The Beatt
The Beatt in Melbourne, Australia has all of your senses covered. The wellness studio offers yoga, pilates and meditation classes, ayurvedic treatments, massages and reflexology and a healthy cafe to grab a bite to eat once you’re done with it all! You can check out their website here.
Earths Power Yoga
The whole point of yoga is to remain present in the moment and not be thinking about what you’re going to make for dinner that night. But sometimes, you just can’t switch your brain off! We guarantee you’ll never have to face that struggle in an immersive class at Earths Power Yoga in Los Angeles. The calming desert, ocean, lakes, mountains scenes projected on the four walls make it impossible not to reach a zen state.
Check out Earths Power Yoga.
