It’s been a bountiful time for the UK fitness industry, which is experiencing a healthy post-pandemic boom. Valued at approximately £2 billion in 2024, there has been an influx of fitness solutions appearing, ranging from mega gyms to boutique studios.
That’s down to the general population becoming a lot more health conscious – and increasing awareness of the importance of physical health means that people are prioritising fitness for their physical and mental wellbeing. That, along with public health initiatives to promote increased nationwide physical activity, means the demand for gyms is soaring.
So, it’s great news for gyms and fitness operators looking to increase their industry presence. But the buck can’t stop there. For gyms and fitness studios who want to stay ahead of the competition, they need to differentiate their offering. Keeping up to date with the latest fitness trends and fitness technology is the best way to ensure people stay interested in entering the gym on a regular basis.
Immersive Fitness Technology
This is particularly true post-pandemic, as, with the abundance of technology now available, people don’t even need to leave their homes to enjoy the benefits of workout technology. Therefore, fitness operators need to offer space, technology, and wellness services in innovative and engaging ways, and immersive environments are the future of fitness. Those who bridge the gap between the digital and physical world to offer an integrated fitness experience will be the big winners.
Immersive fitness technology has the huge advantage of offering that collective energy of people working out together. Seamlessly integrating music, video, and lighting effects for an immersive and motivating experience can lift your facility to another level while members find getting fit fun.
Live classes with enthusiastic instructors can be supported by an immersive fitness experience, using video display walls and audio technology solutions. Think HIIT studios with LED video walls, blended with light and music, and an all-encompassing multi-sensory experience that immerses gym members into a different zone.
Speaking of HIIT, also known as High Intensity Interval Training, these classes have been a fitness staple for the past decade. HIIT has been popular for years, but online data suggests there’s been a resurgence recently. Hutchi has worked with leading UK fitness providers to build and install innovative HIIT studios by using unique fitness technology integrated solutions and focusing on delivering exceptional customer experiences. Read on to find out about our top five HIIT studios that we’ve installed, in the UK.
Our Top Five HIIT Immersive Fitness Studios
Gym Group | Fiit Class Integration
The Gym Group had a vision to help their members blend at-home and in-gym workouts. They partnered with Hutchi and fitness app Fiit, creating an immersive fitness studio experience, giving members access to high-quality on-demand fitness classes in specially built studios. The result? A ‘destination’ immersive fitness studio experience, offering members a compelling reason to attend in person.
The Gym Group use best-in-class audio-visual tech and custom-coded integrations with Fiit, the #1 rated fitness app, to deliver live and on-demand classes in a way never before seen. To deliver these unique classes in-house, The Gym Group required a virtual studio space that delivered an immersive fitness experience. That’s why Hutchi ensured their one-of-a-kind studio mimics the lighting and audio sequences shown on the Fiit class content, giving members the impression that they are in the same studio as the instructors.
Bringing an immersive fitness experience to their members that had previously only been available in high-end boutique gyms fits perfectly with The Gym Group’s mission statement; ‘Breaking down barriers to fitness for all’.
“Hutchi have helped us with our mission to break down barriers to fitness for all. We can now offer a previously exclusive immersive fitness experience in a low-cost gym environment. The way the in-room feature lighting and audio mirrors what’s happening in the FiiT class really gives the impression the instructor is in the room with you.” – Sarah Grime | Design and Development Manager, The Gym Group
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David Lloyd | Blaze: An Immersive Fitness Experience
Looking to conquer the demand for HIIT and the explosion of boutique studios, David Lloyd Clubs met the trend head-on with ‘Blaze‘, an immersive fitness experience. Delivered in a purpose-built studio, Blaze is an instructor-led circuit style group workout that combines cardio, martial arts, and strength training, designed to take members on a journey through different heart rate zones, challenging personal fitness levels to the max.
Hutchi provided and installed an AV solution for an intense full-body HIIT workout studio with specialist equipment, where members can track performance and reach their goals. While instructors challenge them to achieve results, Myzone, a wearable heart-rate based system that monitors heart rate, calories, and time exercising with the numbers projected onto digital screens, encourages partakers to keep going alongside their classmates.
Blaze leadership boards and awards encourages members to feel a sense of community and belonging as well as motivation to keep improving their results. Through ultramodern aesthetics, seamless tech integration, and intuitive control, David Lloyd creates an authentic fitness experience to rival even the very best of boutique studios.
“Blaze has been a spectacular success. The AV doesn’t just look and sound amazing – it’s that Hutchi really understand how behind-the-scenes functionality impacts our member experience. More engaged instructors make for happier and harder working members, which means we’re happy too!” – Michelle Dand, David Lloyd Clubs, Group Health & Fitness Manager
Gymbox | HIIT with Edge
As an unconventional disruptor to the boutique fitness market, Gymbox wanted to create something truly unique. They asked Hutchi to help them build a brand standard to launch and scale their unique fitness concept. So, we worked with the gym’s founder and operational team to provide the full works of integrated technology solutions to bring their brand essence to life.
Their venues are kitted out with a host of incredible AV and lighting that packs a serious punch. Custom beats were a must for this crowd, and we ensured Gymbox were able to set their own tone, from smooth daytime tunes to banging night-time beats. Integrating iPad control and digital noticeboards with password-controlled access to visual messaging and audio control ensures gym goers can experience a fully immersive experience of the Gymbox brand throughout the club.
We’ve helped the team shape and grow every essence of their technology requirements to showcase these elements, keeping the principles the same, but bringing a disruptive element to the signature style of each new gym. Combined with their cool, world-class instructors, full-size boxing rings, nightly resident DJs, these classes make for an immersive member experience you can’t get anywhere else. With a huge list of unique and exciting classes, Gymbox gives HIIT a whole new meaning.
Transform Wellness Centres | HIIT classes for Rehabilitation
Husband and wife chiropractor duo, Dr Joe Tilley and Zoe Tilley had the vision to transform peoples’ lives with a complete wellness centre concept. Intrigued by the rise of in-house boutique style studios, they wanted to create something unique as part of their journey to wellness programme, and brought Hutchi in to develop the fitness studio. This allowed them to become fully aligned with current consumer mindsets, where people are more interested in knowing more about their overall wellness, from working out and eating well to mindfulness and sleep quality.
We decided to focus on integrating audiovisual dynamics and lighting, aimed at supporting member motivation with fully controllable ambient settings according to the programme and patient needs.
Led by personal trainers and rehab specialists, the classes at Core Wellness Centres take place under an array of feature lights that sync to the sections of the class. Lighting is critical to highlight the session’s interval workouts, where the intensity of the lighting increases as the workout gets harder and harder; followed by a 10 second rest period which features white light to signify rest.
Members can track and visualise their progress in real-time thanks to a Myzone integration displayed on a large screen, a wearable heart-rate based system that monitors heart rate, calories, and time exercising, with the numbers projected onto digital screens, motivating members to keep moving during the workout. Simultaneously, it creates an online logbook of all physical activity that can be viewed anywhere and tracked by the team to keep members on track with their goals.
What sets this HIIT studio apart is the philosophy of owner, Dr Joe Tilley – “Movement is life and life is movement! Exercise to us is not optional, it’s a necessity!”
Victus Soul | HIIT. BOX. RUN. RECOVER.
London boutique gym, Victus Soul, offers two class concepts: HIIT & RUN and HIIT & BOX. Both are specially designed to help members improve endurance, strength and tone. As new disruptors to the London boutique fitness market, Victus Soul chose Hutchi to integrate audiovisual solutions to provide individual studio sounds. They combined this with key feature and effect lighting to achieve a striking HIIT experience for their flagship Aldgate site.
We worked with Victus Soul from an early stage to map out their requirements and integrated fitness technology to help them deliver a carefully designed premium experience from the moment you walk through the door. We delivered an end-to-end AV and lighting solution across the entire site to help Victus Soul achieve their vision of creating incredible member experiences.
The workouts take place in darkened studios, with feature lighting getting members in the mood to give their all. Victus Soul also uses tailored scents to create an immersive experience. Tied in with the lighting and sound, members are given the feeling of walking into the boxing bout of their lives.
So, there you have it, our top five HIIT studios in the UK, all installed by Hutchi, and seamlessly integrated with immersive fitness technology which allows the fitness operators to adapt to changing needs of customers, and start delivering exceptional experiences designed to boost customer retention.
Hutchi has been pioneering immersive experiences with advanced audio, visual, lighting, and automation technologies since 1991. Transform your HIIT studio with Hutchi’s integrated AV, lighting, and automation systems. From basic setups to fully immersive environments, we provide end-to-end solutions that enhance member experience and operational efficiency. With our expertise in integrating advanced technologies, providing bespoke solutions, and offering comprehensive maintenance and support, we ensure that your space is equipped for both immediate impact and long-term success.