How To Become An Indoor Cycling Instructor
The complete guide to developing a career teaching indoor cycling
The fitness industry is bursting with opportunities for motivated individuals who want to build successful careers. Indoor cycling is one of the most popular fitness classes in the UK and is highly effective for weight loss.
Qualified instructors specialising in indoor cycling will usually teach classes in a gym-based setting and can earn a lot of money if they offer clients a fun-filled experience.
If you’re wondering what it takes to become an indoor cycling instructor and how to do it, stay tuned – we’re about to reveal everything you need to know in this guide.
Indoor cycling: What is it?
Indoor cycling involves people using stationary bikes in a class-based setting (most often in gyms and health clubs). While many view it as primarily a cardio-based exercise, instructors often incorporate resistance into the classes for lower body and shoulder strengthening.
Most indoor cycling classes have up to 20 participants, but it depends on area demand. Some gyms might offer smaller groups, but it’s rare to find one with one-on-one indoor cycling.
Each class requires participants to cycle in different positions, including sitting and standing, while altering resistance levels.
Instructors use music to motivate their clients and will also have to monitor each person during the class. The best thing about indoor cycling is that each participant can set their limits, so beginners might use low resistances, while experts will start on a higher setting.
Indoor cycling and spinning
Things get a little complicated when we consider whether indoor cycling and spinning are the same. The short answer to this question is yes, they are.
Both take place indoors and involve stationary bikes, but spinning is a trademarked term requiring special certification.
Joining an indoor cycling class is the same as spinning – with the difference being the instructor would have a gym instructor certification instead of holding a trademarked spinning instructor certification.
What are the benefits of indoor cycling?
Before exploring an indoor cycling certification, it’s essential to understand whether the demand for these classes is there.
People from all backgrounds enjoy working with indoor cycling instructors because it’s a great way to improve their endurance, build muscle and lose weight.
Here are some of the benefits it offers.
Low Impact Exercise
Indoor cycling is a low-impact exercise that is easy on the joints. Some people find high-impact exercise too challenging – especially if they’re older or have conditions such as arthritis.
Using an indoor bike is less demanding than running on a treadmill, but it also positively affects your body and can tone the muscles.
It’s not weather dependant
Let’s be honest; it takes some real determination to go out in the winter cold on a traditional bicycle. Indoor cycling, however, is an excellent alternative because it still requires the same skills as outdoor cycling, but you can do it in a warm gym.
People with arthritis and other joint disorders find cold weather difficult, so indoor cycling is often a welcome alternative.
Burn a Lot of Calories
Indoor cycling is also a great way to burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. A 155-pound person can burn approximately 620 calories in one hour of indoor cycling.
Improve Cardiovascular Health
In addition to burning calories, indoor cycling can also help to improve cardiovascular health. Exercise can help to increase heart rate and stroke volume, which leads to improved blood circulation and oxygenation of the blood.
Fun and Exciting
Finally, indoor cycling is a fun and exciting way to get a workout. Most people join a group class, so they have the support of others and can feel a sense of community when they cycle.
The music is also fun, and working out in a motivational environment makes people more likely to see results.
Are you interested in becoming an indoor cycling instructor? Here’s what you need to do.
So, now that we’ve covered what indoor cycling is and its benefits to participants, it’s time to think about whether it’s the right career move for you.
The good thing about any fitness career is that you don’t need a fancy degree. Anyone can become an indoor cycling instructor if they’re willing to do extra work and learn about exercise physiology.
What skills do indoor cycling instructors need?
Indoor cycling classes can only be successful if a good instructor is ready to take charge and provide a proactive training environment for participants. Some people might already possess the following skills, but you can also learn them.
Motivation
Many people trying indoor cycling will be out of shape and looking for a way to improve their fitness. As an instructor, it will be your job to motivate them and ensure they have a valuable experience throughout the session.
Fitness professionals must rev their clients up to get the best results, so each class you teach must be energetic.
Confidence
If you’ve ever seen an indoor cycling course, you’ll know that the music is loud, and the instructors are even louder! Every certified indoor cycling instructor knows that running back-to-back classes can impact their muscles – but the voice box is often overlooked.
Constantly shouting over music can damage your voice, but vocal training is vital for instructors, as it will teach you how to use your voice effectively.
Organisational skills
When it comes to indoor cycling, music is everything. It’s your job to plan each lesson, including sequences and intensity – but you’ll also have to develop a playlist to motivate people.
Nobody wants a tedious experience, so many instructors plan their classes to incorporate different songs for each session.
Knowledge of indoor cycling
It goes without saying that a cycling instructor will need to be an expert in their field. From helping your clients to choose proper indoor cycling shoes to ensuring they know how to maintain the proper form on a cycle, you will be an invaluable resource.
Adaptability
While planning classes in advance is important, there might be times when you have to make adaptions to the training routine. For example, your participants might have low energy, or there could be more beginners joining, which will mean you’ll have to slow things down.
Being able to alter the sessions will keep your clients coming back for more.
Is an indoor cycling instructor course right for me?
As we mentioned, spinning is a trademarked term, and instructors require training to secure qualifications. You can invest in training and learn to become a spin instructor, but it’s also important to remember that any qualified personal trainer can teach indoor cycling.
Before deciding whether to invest in a professional spin instructor course, we recommend you ask yourself the following questions.
Is it really essential to hold a spinning instructor certification?
Some people take to spinning immediately and decide it’s the exercise for them. So, when they choose a career in fitness, it’s natural to focus solely on their preferred area.
Spinning and specialist indoor cycling instructor qualifications are fine, but they can limit your career options, as you’re restricted to one type of exercise.
Do you want some diversity?
If you’re interested in developing a successful career in the fitness sector and have access to more job opportunities, then it might be a better idea to focus on a more well-rounded qualification.
After all, any qualified personal trainer can teach indoor cycling classes, but you can also mix in other fitness activities to enjoy more flexibility with your career.
Are you new to the industry?
Specialising in one discipline is a big decision that new instructors shouldn’t make. Embarking on a new career is exciting, and you should focus on developing skills before thinking about anything else.
Many experienced trainers choose to specialise in indoor cycling after they’ve been in the industry for a while, so we always recommend new students keep their options open.
Group training certifications prepare you for a rewarding fitness career
If you’re interested in helping others to reach their fitness goals, our Exercise to Music certification is an excellent alternative to a traditional indoor cycling instructor course.
It’s an online course offered by The Fitness Circle, and it teaches you about creating dynamic group training environments.
Upon completion, you’ll be able to teach exercise to music classes, including aerobics, indoor cycling, step classes and many more disciplines.
What you’ll learn:
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Unit One: The principles of fitness and anatomy.
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Unit Two: Health and safety in training environments.
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Unit Thee: Developing and executing sessions to music.
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Unit Four: Understanding professionalism in group training sessions.
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Unit Five: Encouraging clients how to make positive lifestyle changes.
Music to exercise is one of the most popular fitness classes because people love the motivational elements and community spirit.
When you complete this course, you’ll be eligible for insurance and can build your own classes with routines that keep your clients coming back for more.
Enquire about our Exercise to Music course today.
What opportunities does the Exercise to Music course offer?
Studying online means you can complete the course in your own time without worrying about time off work or being out of pocket. You can also split the course payments up so nothing is standing in your way.
Once you complete the course, you’ll receive a recognised fitness qualification and be able to explore different avenues.
Let’s take a look at them.
Run indoor cycling classes
Our exercise-to-music qualification allows you to run indoor cycling groups. However, there’s also an opportunity to advance your career with CPD certification programs that will help you become a specialist instructor.
Remember, indoor cycling instructors can also teach online, offering live training to people in their own homes, so there are plenty of opportunities to earn a good living with our course.
Find employment in a gym or health club
Many of our past students now work in some of the UK’s most prominent gyms and health clubs, including Virgin Active, Pure Gym and many others.
Newly qualified instructors often work in gyms first because it gives them valuable experience and allows them to try different exercise to music disciplines.
Become a self-employed personal trainer
Personal training qualifications allow people to work more intensively with clients, offering a bespoke fitness experience. While many personal trainers work in gyms, others might decide to become self-employed and support private clients.
Build a better future today
Indoor cycling is an excellent way for a fitness professional to earn money and help people achieve their goals. If you’d like to learn more about our course, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team.
Or, book your place today, and you can get started immediately. With so many excellent opportunities to teach indoor cycling and other disciplines – it’s easy for our students to become successful fitness professionals.
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