Rotate upward, rotate upward. More Brazilians take Helipads outdoor rotation courses
São Paulo (AP) – Brazil’s largest city claims to be one of the world’s largest helicopter fleets, and now it is finding new uses for its dozens of Helipads: Outdoor Spinning Courses.
In Sao Paulo, a metropolis with nearly 12 million people, the spin is an indoor activity for years. But in recent months, people have seen more often the experience of turning to Helipad.
Fitness coach Rodrigo Gusman is one of the people behind this idea. He said he began thinking about new places to host classes during the Covid pandemic when most of his classes were held with video conferencing tools. He organized exercises at an ice rink, a circus and a pet shop.
Then he thought of the helicopter. He has been holding spin classes at seven different helicopter landing sites since 2021, all with panoramic views of the Mammoth city.
“It’s about trying different things. If you’re looking for health, feel the wind on your face, and have a great view, that’s it,” Guzman said after a recent class, drenched on the Helipad at the Pestana Hotel in downtown Sao Paulo.
Sao Paulo is also known for its busy traffic, with more than 500 registered helicopters, including private and public fleets, and local authorities say 700 flights per day in metropolitan cities.
Still, there are many idle helicopter racks throughout the city, sitting in a place with enough infrastructure and enjoying the views. The city has over 30 Helipads available, many of which are available for rotating courses.
If Brazilian temperature allows, the course is usually 50 minutes. Tickets are priced at around 200 Brazilian Realas ($35). Interest is high, but everyone doesn’t always have room for it.
In May, a spin event led by Gusman has already entered the spin event in May, as only 360 bikes are available. He said he spent about 50,000 Reas ($9,000) to organize every experience of his, including other coaches, music DJs and producers.
“I’m used to riding a bike on the streets of St. Paul. I do 40 miles (30 miles) every weekend. It’s so cool to be on the top and still watching and enjoying what’s going on below.” Karina Conrado, manager of the local office of French sports goods brand, launched a spin event last week.
The Sao Paulo-based company Spin’n Soul also offers Helipads courses. Some of them take place in the upscale areas of Vila Olimpia, and the high rise makes the experience even more impressive as the night sunshine and buildings are ignited.
On Friday, the company brought dozens of training on a helicopter at the shopping mall on Avenida Paulista, the city street, with some of the biggest celebrations and protests in Brazil. This is also the road where many of the 700 helicopters in St. Paul took off.
“We are creating aerobic exercise in shelter; it’s a real meditation,” Daniel Nasser, founder and partner of the company, said in a statement.
Stelio Belchior, CEO of Fitness Platform Academia Foguete, said anyone who uses Helipads for exercise must work as much as sweat as they sweat. However, leaving a room without windows can make some people healthier.
“If you were in an outdoor rotating class with friends and listen to great music on top of a building to enjoy the views, you would be more motivated,” Belchir said. “This kind of experience will certainly make people live longer.”
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