How to Teach a Cycling Class

Teaching a cycling class can be a rewarding yet challenging venture. With your assistance and instructions, class participants can burn approximately 475 calories in a 40-minute period. Before teaching a class, taking several cycling classes yourself can give you a good idea of what is expected. You must properly warm up and cool down class participants, and have a variety of different routines in your bag of tricks to avoid boredom and to keep the workout challenging.

Instructions

    • 1

      Familiarize yourself with the spinning bikes you are using, so you can assist your students in properly setting up their bike. Learn how to adjust the height of the seats and handlebars of the bikes. Ride on the bike while adjusting its resistance to experience the level of difficulty it offers.

    • 2

      Perform a 10-minute warm-up to promote muscle flexibility and to prevent injuries. Spin on the bike at a comfortable, flat-road pace for five minutes. Cycle one minute using the strength of your right leg, and one minute using the strength of your left leg. Get off the bike and perform upper and lower body stretches for three minutes. Stretch your arms overhead; bend over and try to reach the ground; and bend one leg and hold your ankle while bringing your foot toward your buttocks to stretch the quadriceps.

    • 3

      Have your students spin at a comfortable pace for four to five minutes. Use motivating music that sets the spinning pace; use slower music during uphill roads and fast music during downhill roads.

    • 4

      Introduce intervals into the spinning session. Add intervals every two to three minutes. Intervals can last anywhere from 30 seconds to three minutes and can include an increase of the resistance or spinning speed, or a combination of these. Make intervals the greater part of your workout. Encourage your students to get up from the seat and to cycle while standing up during high-resistant, uphill intervals. Allow them to sit down during recovery, in between intervals.

    • 5

      Remember that all class participants are at different fitness levels. Experienced spinners may set their resistance higher, while novice students prefer to stay at a lower resistance. Tell your students to go at a pace that they feel comfortable at. Walk around the room to monitor and correct the students' form and to get an idea of the different fitness levels in your class.

    • 6

      Use the art of visualization to make the class less monotone. Tell participants to visualize a big hill ahead. Encourage them to ride up and conquer the hill. Tell them that after the hill there is an easy, downhill road. Have competitive spinners imagine they're in a race and whoever reaches the finish line first wins the race.

    • 7

      Finish your class with a 10-minute cool down and stretch. Gradually slow down the spinning pace and reduce the resistance. Maintain a comfortable pace for five minutes. Stop cycling and incorporate upper arm stretches. Cross your left arm toward the right shoulder and slightly pull it closer to your body with your right hand. Hold the stretch for eight seconds before switching sides. Get off the bike and perform similar lower body stretches as you did during the warm-up.