A Wirral couple have brought a taste of Dubai’s cutting-edge fitness and recovery scene to New Brighton with the opening of a new movement and recovery studio — the first of its kind in the area.
Mike and Abbi Levenson are the husband-and-wife team behind ELIO, a new concept on Seabank Road combining red and near-infrared light technology with specialist equipment designed around movement, exercise and recovery. The studio, at Unit 1, 118 Seabank Road, features infrared body rollers, a vacuum treadmill and a lie-down vacuum bike, offering an experience very different from a conventional gym or spa.
TO BOOK OR FIND OUT MORE VISIT THE WEBSITE
And while the equipment is attracting interest from people involved in sport and exercise who are looking to support their recovery, Mike and Abbi are keen to stress that ELIO has been created for everyone — including people who might normally feel uncomfortable stepping inside a gym.
The idea began, somewhat unexpectedly, with a red light face mask. Abbi said: “It actually started just over two years ago, when I bought myself a red light face mask. I used it consistently for around six months and noticed such a difference in my skin that it sparked a real curiosity about red light and what else it could be used for.”
TO BOOK OR FIND OUT MORE VISIT THE WEBSITE
That curiosity quickly grew. Abbi began researching red light technology for the whole body and, during her searches, discovered specialist body rollers. The problem was that she couldn’t find anywhere locally where she could try the type of equipment she was reading about. She said: “I was intrigued and began looking into where I could actually travel to try the machines myself, since there was nothing like it locally at the time.”
It was then that Mike became involved and the idea began evolving from personal curiosity into a potential business. The couple were attracted to the concept for different reasons. With a background in sports coaching, Mike immediately saw the potential appeal of the recovery side of the experience for active people and those involved in sport.
TO BOOK OR FIND OUT MORE VISIT THE WEBSITE
Abbi, meanwhile, has spent years working as cabin crew — so knows only too well the feeling of finishing a long day with tired and heavy legs. Between them, they realised the concept could have a much wider appeal than simply serious gym-goers. Then came the trip which changed everything. Last year Mike and Abbi travelled to Dubai specifically to try some of the specialist machines they had been researching.
“We were blown away by the experience,” Abbi said. “We came home thinking, ‘Why isn’t there anything like this back home?’ That’s really when ELIO started to become a reality.” Now that idea has arrived on the Wirral coast. ELIO brings several technologies together under one roof, including infrared body rollers, a vacuum treadmill and a lie-down vacuum bike.
TO BOOK OR FIND OUT MORE VISIT THE WEBSITE
The machines combine different forms of movement with red and near-infrared light technology, while the studio also has a strong focus on lower-body recovery. For people who exercise regularly, that could mean incorporating an ELIO session into their wider recovery routine after training. Others may be attracted by the exercise element of the equipment, including those whose goals include increasing activity, burning calories or managing their weight.
But you certainly don’t need to be an athlete to walk through the door. That accessibility is central to what Mike and Abbi have tried to create. Mike said: “We know life gets in the way, everyone is at a different fitness level and gyms can feel daunting. So from the start, we wanted ELIO to feel different — not a gym, not a spa, but something in between.“
TO BOOK OR FIND OUT MORE VISIT THE WEBSITE
Among the standout equipment at the New Brighton studio are the infrared body rollers, designed to provide a different kind of recovery experience for the body. There is also a vacuum treadmill, combining walking-based exercise with specialist vacuum technology and red and near-infrared light, and a lie-down vacuum bike, providing another lower-body movement option in a supported position.
The combination means customers can visit for very different reasons. Some will be active sportspeople looking to add something new to their recovery routine, while others may simply want to get moving, unwind after spending hours on their feet or experience technology they are unlikely to have encountered in a conventional gym. The concept is deliberately positioned somewhere between fitness and wellness — without expecting customers to arrive with a particular level of experience or ability.
TO BOOK OR FIND OUT MORE VISIT THE WEBSITE
The feedback so far has been incredible. Mike explains: “We’ve had marathon runners and athletes in, who have said that it’s a game changer whilst in recovery — it means they can work out still rather than have days aching and doing nothing. We’ve also had someone in with Chrone’s disease who has been able to ride a bike for the first time in years and someone who has had pain relief from sciatica.”
From an experiment with a red light face mask at home to a trip thousands of miles away in search of technology they couldn’t find locally, Mike and Abbi have now brought the concept full circle — creating the very place on the Wirral that they once went looking for themselves. ELIO opened in September 2026 and welcome both website bookings and walk ins.
ELIO / Unit 1, 118 Seabank Road, New Brighton, CH45 1HF
TO BOOK OR FIND OUT MORE VISIT THE WEBSITE
For more info visit the WEBSITE
