The idea was simple: book Animo Studio for an evening, invite tenants from across our buildings, and see what happened when people from Costa Rica, Germany, Sweden, and South Korea climbed onto bikes together in a dark room at 8pm.
What happened
Felicia, the instructor, runs a class unlike most. The 45-minute session combines cycling, strength training, and motivational coaching — delivered in the kind of high-energy Dutch-accented English that makes you feel like you could climb a mountain afterwards. The lights are low, the music is loud, and at some point everyone stops feeling self-conscious.
There were bike-mounted push-ups. There were moments where everyone was completely silent, just pedalling to the beat. And there were moments where people who'd never met were cheering each other on.
Why physical activities work for community-building
Shared effort strips away the usual social performances. You can't be too formal when you're out of breath. The group that arrived as strangers left as a group text — with plans to book the next session together.
Animo Studio
Indoor cycling and HIIT classes in Brussels. The dark studio and choreographed sessions create an atmosphere that's closer to a music event than a gym class.
