Whether or not it’s easy for you to find the encouragement and resolve to hop on the bike these days, a little external motivation never hurt. That’s why we bring you these stories from individual instructors as well as studio spokespeople – stories of hope, determination, resilience, grit and grace – to remember why they ride these days. Why we ride at all. Why YOU ride, especially now.

From the Mouths of Instructors…

I ride because I love it – there is no other exercise that makes me feel the way Spinning® does. I was in the first Spin® class ever held in MA about 24 years ago. I have been a Spinning® Certified Instructor for almost 12 years. I was laid off from my gym due to COVID, but they were kind enough to loan me a bike. I ride in my garage and still call classes as if I had students there. Riding during COVID has been extremely cathartic. Sometimes I cry, sometimes I sing loudly, whoop, laugh...you name it. I always feel better.

-Susan Parker (Facebook)

I love having my own Spinner® Chrono™ at home. I put my headphones on and rock out, also often on Zwift! I've really enjoyed teaching classes to participants all over the world, although when I start using my loud instructor voice, I'm not quite sure what my neighbors think of what I'm doing. It's given me some very precious 'me' time, in what has been such a tumultuous year.

-Pru Comben (Facebook)

I’m so grateful to have the Chrono Spinner® at home and access to the best instructors in the world via the Spinning® Digital Connect App. My basement and training have been transformed. Thank you COVID, thank you Spinning®.

-Melanie Guadalupe (Facebook)

When COVID hit it took a toll on me mentally, emotionally and physically. However, I did not desist (but instead) listened to that small voice in me saying: “Remember the bright side of things. Things happen for a reason. Get up and ride beyond boundaries!” This whole situation has taught me thatin the midst of chaos thereis blessing, enlightenment, healing, strength, growth, connection and unity. The amount of love and passion that has been re-born among us in Spinning® has been immeasurable. It is crazy beautiful, simple and challenging, and we embrace every single moment. Whether it is alone or in a group, we are there to take you on these unforgettable journeys.

-Maria Renee Galvez 

Studios Represent!

Amy Nielsen (Co-Founder/Creator/Instructor of SPENGA) (Photo Pre-COVID)

Covid has had an impact on many studios and many members. The entire SPENGA network has adhered to all state-regulated mandates and restrictions to ensure member/staff safety. We feel that we have and will continue to come out of this time #spengastrong! We offered free Nationwide workouts daily, HomeWERK sessions people can play at any time, and many other digital options for both members and non-members to engage with SPENGA. As a community, we are grateful that our space provides an outlet for members to come in, relieve stress, and be their happiest, healthiest self. One of the greatest things about SPENGA Spin® and the Spinning® culture in general is the ability to clear an individuals’ headspace and create a low impact high caloric burn for each and every ride. I think now more than ever, our communities will look forward to better health and it starts on the bike! We are SPENGA and we are #spengastrong!" 

Jennifer Prather (Fitness Manager of Lincoln Park District)

I want to start off to let you know that we became an official Spinning® Studio at the beginning of 2020. We were excited about what all this would mean for us moving forward. We hosted a certification in January where I had three of my instructors get certified to teach and we were off to a GREAT start for the year. In February we always do a Heart Month challenge and logged the miles of all the participants during the entire month. We had so many new riders. We are located in Illinois and we were fully shut down starting March 17^th. This is when our Spinning® program was stopped as we didn't have the means to get bikes out and this was our first time in this type of situation. We did do Facebook live classes for all of our other offerings during this time, but it wasn't until we were able to start doing outdoor group fitness that we could bring the Spinning® program back to our community.

On June 1^st we started classes back up and moved all of our bikes out to our pool deck. We were unable to open our pool this summer, but this space worked out great for our Spin® bikes. We could have a total of nine participants per class and when the class opened up for reservations it was full in less than 30 minutes.

In July we were able to open our facility backup and have indoor classes again, but we were faced with another challenge. Our Spinning® studio wouldn't hold all of our bikes with the proper physical distancing so we once again found another location in our ballroom to space the bikes out! Again, these classes filled up faster with more new participants coming to try the class out. We were able to host a school fundraiser during this time as well. We hosted another certification in our facility, it was one of the first in person training since the shutdown of COVID.

By November 20^th all group fitness classes were shut down again. This time we can have the building open so members can reserve a bike. We now have our instructors creating videos that we can have our members use in the building for a great workout. This pandemic has helped us think outside of the box and it has shown our members that we can still get our workout in we just have to be willing to shift our process.

Brittany and Brett Tremblay (Granite City Group Fitness in Barre, VT)

During the COVID pandemic, Granite City Group Fitness was forced to closeits doors for three long months during a nationwide shut down. Granite City Group Fitness has remained strong due toits very committed and supportive members who continued to pay their monthly membership dues even though they weren’t receivingin-personinstruction. We used our website, Facebook page, and YouTube to share virtual classes with members. Our dedicated staff donated their time and virtually taught classes while we were closed to help us save money with the cost of payroll. We also gave out our Spinning® bikes and other equipmentincluding dumbbells and kettle bells to our members so that they could complete workoutsin their home. Many of them gave us very kind donations to use the equipment.

When we were able to re-openin June, we began offering only outdoor bootcamp classes and we met for bikeridesin different locations around town. Eventually we were able to moveinside, butstill only able to operate at less than half of our normal capacity due to the social distancing requirements. We rented out the other half of our Spinning® bikes that were unused to help continue to bring in revenue. Our very committed staff and our strict cleaning protocols have allowed us to stay open and welcome our members in for small and safe group workouts. We built a plexiglass barrier for the instructors to teach behind so that they would not have to wear masks and could exercise safely. We spread the bikes throughout the facility, so they are more than six feet apart and we sanitize after each use. We’re looking forward to being back open at full capacity. We are so thankful for our dedicated members, staff and community who have helped us stay afloat during this very difficult time. Everyone at Granite City Group Fitness feels like family to us and they inspire us to keep going and fighting to stay open every day. We are looking forward to continuing to offer fitness opportunities to people in our community for a long time!

Pictured is one of our newest Spinning® instructors, Kurt Hawkins. We hosted a training in August of 2020 at our studio in Barre, VT where he got certified. We were able to get five new instructors certified at once. It is very easy to host the training and so worthwhile! It is especially convenient for new people wanting to get certified to not have to worry about the hassle of traveling to a training. We love the instructor training that Spinning® provides and know that their programming and instruction sets instructors up for success and ensures a safe and fun ride for all of our members. We value being a part of the Spinning® community, especially all of the positivity, friendships, and health benefits it has added to our lives!