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Indoor cycling: In the zone
Indoor cycling has maintained a high level of popularity since its beginnings in the 90s, but increasing competition means operators must find new ways to engage riders. We ask industry experts for their advice on the most powerful engagement tools
Doyle Armstrong,
ICG product specialist,
EMEA
The most important engagement tool in indoor cycling is the instructor, their qualities and how professionally they can utilise the range of technologies available to them to create distinct experiences.
From the traditional low-tech indoor cycling classes with music as the driving force, where the role of the instructor is to create excellent profiles and deliver fantastic choreography, right through to the most technologically-rich class format, it always has been and still remains essential that instructors educate, understand, plan, prepare and deliver a brilliant workout.
With the increasing range of tools at their disposal, this process has never been more important. A single cycle studio can now accommodate a plethora of distinct class styles, including music-driven classes, forward motion video, zone-based power training and data-driven competition.
Understanding the target audience, and benefits of each style will help instructors drive a greater number of members to cycling. Operators should provide multiple formats and constant education and training for instructors, as this will ensure their indoor cycling continues to flourish.
“It remains essential for instructors to educate, understand, plan, prepare and deliver a brilliant workout”
Sarah Morelli,
Director of Athleticum and Precor master trainer
,
The challenge for operators has always been providing measurable and real results. Until recently there have been limited options for displaying true data. Only 15-20 per cent of members wear heart rate watches and the rest often have to rely on the RPE scale to rate their perceived exertion. So what’s changed?
Thanks to more refined technology that accelerates the accuracy of strain-gauge measurement, we can use watts to calculate work, force, time, distance, angular velocity and, in turn, kilojoules – mechanical energy – to measure actual workload on the bike for each rider. In simple terms, if you know the amount of watts/joules put into the bike during a class, you can fine-tune training and weight management goals to guarantee results.
Precor’s SPINPower® programme enables users to track the amount of work needed to challenge their body, and allows riders to be their own coach by providing biometric feedback and recording their training results for future classes.
Nothing can compete with using accurate figures to drive results – you can’t argue with science.
“If you know the watts/joules put into the bike, you can fine-tune training and weight management goals to guarantee results”
Steve Marshall,
UK sales manager,
Wattbike
One of the most important aspects for anyone getting on any bike – be that indoor or outdoor – is technique. Technique is key for ensuring that any exercise remains safe and effective, but it can often be overlooked in cycling. On the face of it cycling looks like a pretty simple body movement, but it’s not. Having good technique reduces your risk of injury and means that you can get the most out of your workout.
Wattbike’s Polar View assists good technique by telling you which muscles you’re working and which you’re not. For example, if the bike indicates you have a weakness from your glutes in the revolution, you can head straight over to the weights area of your gym to work on those squats.
The Polar View also gives you a left/right leg balance indicator so you can see which leg is working harder and adapt your technique accordingly.
“Having good technique reduces your risk of injury and means you can get the most out of your workout”
Natalie Walker,
Psycle Spin Instructor
,
The secret to keeping riders engaged begins with the instructor – he or she has to be passionate. Secondly, it’s about being relatable to the riders and getting to know the people in the saddles in front of you. The more of a relationship I have with my riders and the more I understand who they are, what they need and how they like to ride, the more connected we’ll feel. There’s nothing better than feeling as though you’re riding with family.
A playlist that takes the rider on a journey, both musically and psychologically, is also super important, while the instructor is still listening to the needs of the riders and adapting to the journey to suit. The best playlists are those that both give you headspace, and also push you to your physical limits with magical moments of euphoria. You have to feel amazing and have fun when you work out!
Riders should also be encouraged to feel like they’re improving every single time they come back. Improvement can range from feeling stronger and fitter to having better technique, working muscles correctly and gaining confidence. wowaygaining confidence to attacking life in a more positive way.
“The best playlists are those that both give you headspace, and also push you to your physical limits with magical moments of euphoria”
Robyn Marsh,
Master trainer,
1Rebel
When it comes to maximising rider engagement, many factors come into play. It’s important that every single cycling session leaves riders feeling full of adrenaline – that way, the class becomes an experience rather than just another workout. Music, lighting and a passionate, engaging instructor all play a role in achieving this.
The impact of community also cannot be overlooked. Riders must be made to feel like part of a like-minded community, but at the same time as if they are the most important person in the room. By combining all of these factors, a simple indoor cycling session can be turned into something magical.
At 1Rebel, our Ride sessions feature a playlist that’s carefully curated to take riders on a journey that motivates, engages and evokes emotion, while feeling like they’re at their own concert. The trainer-operated lighting system is used to heighten the impact of every moment on that journey. Most importantly, sessions are lead by an instructor team that’s a little crazy, but one of a kind.
“Riders must be made to feel like part of a like-minded community, but at the same time as if they are the most important person in the room”
Claire Place,
Regional training coordinator,
Les Mills
For those struggling to hold true to resolutions around starting and keeping up an exercise regime, a fitness concept based on immersive properties can help achieve those elusive fitness goals and sustain engagement.
New research by Les Mills and Penn State University on THE TRIP™, which was presented at the recent 2017 American College of Sports Medicine conference, indicates that combining immersive audio-visual effects within a structured workout gets novice exercisers so absorbed while working out that they barely notice how hard they’ve exercised.
While previous fitness studies have shown that interactive video cycling gets people working out at a higher intensity than they realise, we wanted to understand whether combining audio and visual features would take this perception to an even higher level.
We did tests on a group of elite and novice fitness participants who completed eight audio-only group fitness cycling classes and eight immersive classes (involving music and digital images), over an eight week period. The study focused on two variables; exercise intensity and perceived exertion.
The results showed the novice group’s rate of perceived exertion – how intensely they thought they had worked out – was less doing the immersive classes than when doing the audio-only class, when in fact the intensity was the same.
“Combining immersive audio-visual effects within a structured workout gets novice exercisers so absorbed while working out, they barely notice how hard they’ve exercised”
The rise of indoor cycling
• The global exercise bike market will generate US$559m by 2020, according to market research company Technavio
• The report also forecasts that the US market will continue to dominate worldwide, bringing in US$247m by 2020
• Indoor cycling studio market leader SoulCycle enjoyed a US$75.8m growth in total revenue between 2012 and 2014
• Over that time, the number of annual classes held by the company rose more than three-fold to reach 81,000 in 2014
