Mirror, mirror, on the wall
Could this be the future of home workouts?
Some of us love looking at the mirror, some of us would rather look away, but how about having your own personal instructor yell encouragement at you through it? It could be the shape of things to come for home yoga workouts. Yoga fashion brand Lululemon (lululemon.com) has just acquired Mirror (mirror.co), the home-fitness startup that streams workouts through a mirror-like device, in a deal worth $500 million. But what is Mirror? Well, it isn’t just a mirror: it’s a cardio class, it's a yoga studio, it's a boxing ring, it's your new personal trainer, all in the comfort of your own living room.
Mirror offers weekly live classes and thousands of on-demand workouts as well as immersive one-on-one personal training, where you can see and hear your teacher — and, for live classes, they can see you! Using Mirror’s two-way audio and video technology, you can receive expert feedback, form corrections, and motivation in real-time.
It’s a small piece of equipment but brings a whole lot of power and motivation into your home, turning less than two feet of wall space into a personal fitness studio. It offers every kind of workout — from yoga to boxing, from bootcamp to barre — so perfect for the whole family. Enjoy live classes weekly, or take a class anytime with the extensive library of on-demand workouts. Tens of thousands of classes means your workouts always stay fresh.
The technology also connects with your bluetooth heart rate monitor, speaker system, Apple Watch and any other devices so you can track and monitor progress.
Home workouts
Mirror was created by New York professional ballet dancer Brynn Putnam — who also founded Refine Method, an acclaimed fitness studio — as she wanted to recreate the boutique studio experience in-home.
The start-up has seen rapid growth since it launched in 2018 as demand for in-home fitness offerings continue to grow significantly — a trend further heightened following the pandemic this year. Lululemon says the acquisition will bolster its digital ‘sweatlife’ offerings and bring immersive and personalised in-home sweat and mindfulness solutions to new and existing customers.
“In 2019, we detailed our vision to be the experiential brand that ignites a community of people living the sweatlife through sweat, grow and connect,” said Lululemon’s chief executive, Calvin McDonald. “The acquisition of Mirror is an exciting opportunity to build upon that vision, enhance our digital and interactive capabilities, and deepen our roots in the sweatlife.”
The Canadian fashion retailer has started to open new, more experiential store formats in recent years, complete with yoga studios, cafes, and restaurants. The company has always understood that its brand is about more than just the products it sells on its shelves — you’ll find Lululemon yoga pants in pretty much every studio around the world.
Expect to see more yoga, meditation and other cool content on Mirror soon provided by Lululemon’s vast network of global ambassadors, which also includes runners, trainers and even elite athletes.
But the Mirror technology isn’t cheap. According to the Mirror website, the mirror itself costs $1,495 and you’ll also need to pay a monthly membership in order to access classes. Membership costs $39 a month and provides access to unlimited classes for up to six members. One-on-one personal training sessions cost an additional $40 per session.
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First published in November 2009, OM Yoga magazine has become the most popular yoga title in the UK. Available from all major supermarkets, independents and newsstands across the UK. Also available on all digital platforms.
