Spinergy Reimagines Group Fitness With Immersive Digital Voyages

The Los Angeles-based indoor cycling and yoga studio features a 300-square-foot projection screen with next-level visuals and sound

For those looking to escape the traditional workout, Spinergy has arrived.

The new “cardio visual” fitness experience for yoga and indoor cycling enthusiasts has opened in Los Angeles’ Sherman Oaks neighborhood with a multi-sensory workout that takes participants up mountains, down into the depths of the sea and even into space.

Spinergy has taken the task of reimagining group fitness seriously, collaborating with the same engineers who commissioned The Sphere in Las Vegas to develop a 300-square-foot projection screen with immersive images of nature, urban landscapes and abstract visuals accompanied by theater-quality sound.

As Spinergy settles into its Sherman Oaks location, lead instructor Susan Schwartz says the studio is open to expanding the concept in the future, but no current plans are in the works.

An indoor cycling instructor for over 30 years, Schwartz says Spinergy has been mindful of leaning into technology while maintaining an organic group fitness experience.

“When we started considering this ‘cardio visual’ concept and really digging into it, we wanted to ensure that the technology side of the program was going to complement the whole group fitness experience and not take away from it in any way,” she explained.

Spinergy is also intent on keeping the personal connection between the instructor and class attendees, creating a sense of community.

“We are definitely seeing that this new tech can totally elevate the whole group fitness experience and take it to a new level, but we also recognize that any implementation of technology can be a bit of a slippery slope, so — as the word starts to spread — we hope that all the things which make indoor cycling and yoga so great in the first place never get lost,” Schwartz said.

Attendees can choose yoga or indoor cycling, the latter featuring Schwinn SC Power stationary bikes. While Spinergy’s indoor cycling classes are 45 minutes long, its Yoga Flow and Yoga Sculpt sessions run for 60 minutes and emphasize lengthening and stretching.

To keep cycling classes interesting, Schwartz says a ton of great HD footage has been compiled to take cyclists on journeys through impressive landscapes like Hawaii, Montenegro, Iceland and Norway.

“We’ve also started doing some really fun theme rides – for example, we did a ‘Canada Day’ ride all along the Icefields Parkway in Jasper, Alberta. It was so beautiful!” she said.

Yoga classes tend to feature more static or slow-moving backgrounds, such as serene sunsets at the beach or a gentle trip through outer space.

“Across the board, people’s jaws drop when they first come in,” Schwartz said. “Since nobody has ever done this before, nobody really knows what to expect. Most people are shocked by the quality and clarity of the visuals (dual Barco projectors equipped with high-end UST lenses will do that)”

In addition to being experimental with its footage, Spinergy has been open to feedback, finding that a few class-goers reported its windy mountain roads footage made them a bit queasy.

“Now we’re sticking to mostly straightaways,” Schwartz said. “People have been impressed with our instructors’ ability to build their classes around the visuals — so when you turn up your resistance on the bike, you look up, and you’re actually climbing a steep mountain road in front of you. It really is pretty amazing.”

Spinergy offers new clients one free class. Several membership options, class packs and unlimited plans are available for those who opt to become regular attendees.

The cardio visual studio has opened following recent data from Garmin and the CDC suggesting that both indoor cycling and yoga may be on the upswing. Garmin, using cycling mileage data, found a 12% boost in indoor cycling usage among its users, while a data brief from the CDC found that one in six Americans practice yoga .

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