SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's largest city claims one of the biggest helicopter fleets in the world, and now it's finding a new use for its dozens of helipads: outdoor spinning classes.
In Sao Paulo, a metropolis of nearly 12 million people, spinning was for years an indoor event. But in recent months it's been more common to see people turn to the helipad experience.
Fitness coach Rodrigo Gusman is one of the people behind the idea. He says that during the COVID-19 pandemic, when most of his classes were held on video conferencing tools, he started thinking of new places to hold classes. He organized workouts at a skating rink, a circus and a pet shop.
And then he thought of helipads. Since 2021, he has held spinning classes at seven different helicopter landing sites, all with a panoramic view of the mammoth city.
“This is about trying out something different. If you are looking for wellness, to feel the wind on your face, have a great view, this is it,” Gusman said after a recent class, drenched in sweat on the helipad of the Pestana hotel in downtown Sao Paulo.
A city also known for its heavy traffic, Sao Paulo has a fleet of more than 500 registered helicopters, both private and public, and local authorities say about 700 flights take place in the metropolis every day.
Still, there are many idle helipads scattered throughout the city, sitting on locations with sufficient infrastructure and with nice views. There are more than 30 helipads available in the city, many of which can be used for spin classes.
Classes are usually 50 minutes long if Brazil’s warm temperatures allow. Tickets can cost about 200 Brazilian reais ($35). Interest is high, but there's not always space for everyone.
More than 2,000 people are already on the waiting list for a spinning event led by Gusman in May, because there are only 360 bikes available. He said it costs him about 50,000 reais ($9,000) to organize each of his experiences, which includes other coaches, a music DJ and a producer.
“I am used to cycling on the streets of Sao Paulo. I do 40, 50 kilometers (30 miles) every weekend. To be on the top and still, watching and enjoying what is happening below is so cool,” said Karina Conrado, a manager at the local office of a French sporting goods brand that sponsored a spinning event last week.
Sao Paulo-based company Spin’n Soul is also offering classes on helipads. Some of them take place in the upscale region of Vila Olimpia, where high rises make the experience even more impressive as the sun sets and buildings are lit at night.
On Friday, the company brought dozens to train on the helipad of a shopping mall on the city’s main street, Avenida Paulista, where some of the most massive celebrations and protests in Brazil take place. It is also the road from which many of Sao Paulo’s 700 helicopters take off.
“We are creating a sanctuary cardio; it is a true meditation in motion,” Daniel Nasser, a founder and partner of the company, said in a statement.
Stelio Belchior, the CEO of fitness platform Academia Foguete, said anyone using helipads for workouts will have to make an effort and sweat as much as those doing it indoors. But leaving windowless rooms can be a better stimulus for some to get fit.
“If you’re in a spinning class outdoors with your friends, listening to nice music on the top of a building with an amazing view, you get more motivated," Belchior said. "Experiences like these can surely make people live longer.”
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Mauricio Savarese, The Associated Press
