I love trying out new kinds of exercise and recently had the opportunity to road test The Trip; the hottest new Immersive Fitness class at Les Mills Newmarket, Auckland. Their first programme to undergo this virtual makeover is what most of us would already know as their RPM class a. The class. These studios have already become available internationally and The Trip can currently be experienced in Los Angeles, London, Paris, Hong Kong and Stockholm, so this Newmarket studio is kind of a big deal. The lights in the studio are turned off and the cinematic experience begins. We started out with a low-intensity warmup, cycling through a virtual town and up into the green forested mountains. The virtual worlds then progressed to a trip through outer space — starry skies, then an alien city — above ground, below ground, and the jagged mountains of the alien world. Moving from track to track, the intensity of the class continues to build which gets your heart pumping; standing up with heavy resistance load to replicate hill climbs, lower resistance with fast pedalling for faster speeds, and slower pedalling with heavy resistance for those long slower hill climbs. Finally, the last track is a cooldown and a trip back through space to return you home and end your journey.


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Remember the giant dome at Rainbow's End that screened degree projections and generated the feeling of living inside a film? That immersive technology is now being used in the fitness world to create full sensory workouts or "exertainment". Virtual cycling is not your average cycling class. Take a line-up of stationary exercise bikes, a cinema-size screen with animated projections and an accompanying club soundtrack. Your mind and stomach react naturally to the dips and curves as the scenery floats past.
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Explore This Issue. View Past Issues. By Rachelle Mahoney - November 20, Why is seeing a movie on the big theater screen so much more fun and thrilling than watching it from your couch at home? Is it the larger-than-life images, or the surround sound, or the darkened room? What if I told you that you can find that same immersive experience at the gym and burn calories in the process? This immersive cycling class is like walking into a dark movie theater—just add motivating music, an inspiring instructor, a bike and sweat running into your eyes. You will sweat, a lot! Thanks to the colorful, ever-changing image on the screen, this minute class will fly by.
We will use your information to let you know about offers that you might be interested in and we promise to treat your data with respect and never share it with anyone else, plus you can stop receiving our updates at any time. I consent to receive updates from Village Gym based on my details. Burn fat as you ascend a mountainous peak, or cycle through a space-age metropolis! This minute multi-peak cycling workout features a journey through digitally-created worlds, thanks to a cinema-scale screen and cutting-edge sound system. Why you'll love The Trip Perfect for building cardiovascular fitness and muscle tone, group cycling offers a low impact workout with high impact results. Benefits of Group Cycling. Skip to the content Close. Book a tour. Please confirm you are human.