An Open Letter to Studios on
Indoor Cycling Safety

Dear Cycling Studio Owner or Manager,

Congratulations on many years of a robust and dynamic indoor cycling program. Your community has been well served by this wonderful training system that has proven to be not only safe, but also effective in meeting the public’s fitness needs. Indoor cycling is surely here to stay!

As is typical in the fitness industry, programming often reflects changes and innovations that evolve over time. We reap the benefits of learning from a variety of influential professions, such as the concerns of the medical community, the ongoing research of sports science, and the sound protocols of physical therapy. Although the human body really hasn’t changed much through the centuries, our understanding of how it works and how it responds to exercise is constantly under scrutiny, as it should be.

Clearly, other influences factor in, such as the economics behind running a successful cycling program, but it is my hope that our industry can establish the priority of public health and safety before popularity. The reality, I understand, is that without riders in the saddle, the indoor cycling program will not be viable for long.

Because cycling is a specialty class under the group fitness umbrella, it is vital that the instructors you hire have a solid, nationally recognized certification that indicates they have the minimum competence to lead an “apparently healthy” population and are committed to renewing their certification with continuing education. Ideally, as a certified fitness professional an indoor cycling instructor will also be able to address the needs of special populations (pregnancy, as well as injury and health conditions that don’t actually prohibit the member from participating in indoor cycling classes) and will have at least some cycling experience in order to fortify their true understanding of the relationship between resistance and pedal speed, as well as fuel their coaching vocabulary with authenticity.

In the absence of these elements of professionalism, the specialty of indoor cycling is vulnerable to the natural degradation that happens in the quest for commercial popularity. Across the years we’ve seen new programs emerge that are overtly geared toward the commercial hook of “addictive fun,” which capitalizes on the social need to fit in and belong to the popular group. The “bigger is better,” “all-or-nothing” approach is professionally problematic on several levels. More disturbing is the idea that the clients can override science-based protocols and influence programming. Ask Michael Jackson’s doctor how that worked out for him.

The once-popular reality TV series called Jackass featured actors who did shocking and dangerous stunts. Each episode was preceded by warnings and disclaimers, asking the public to simply view the stunts as a form of entertainment and not to actually engage in the activities themselves. Of course, that didn’t stop the curious public from trying to imitate them. I bring this up because, while it is hard to fathom indoor cycling being in the same category as dangerous physical stunts like riding a bike off a rooftop, there is an important connection to recognize.

The human body (and the mind) can cope with a lot. A trainer who is in great shape may have no negative physical repercussions from cycling on a stationary bike with a super fast cadence (120+ rpm), or such impossibly heavy resistance that their cadence drops below 45 rpm. An indoor cycling instructor might be able to do an insane number of “popcorn jumps” in a short amount of time, or deep hovers with no actual negative side effects or injury. A well-practiced cycling instructor may be able to safely manage cycling with one foot strapped into a pedal and one foot resting on the frame of the bike for single-leg work without getting injured. Many very fit individuals do things that are considered dangerous for the public, and even make a living from it.

But as a profession, it is crucial that we take a stand based on public safety as the lowest common denominator. Unlike with the Jackass stuntmen, there is no disclaimer or warning. In fact, students take group fitness classes with the expectation that nothing they are being asked to do has a level of risk beyond the basic risks associated with exercise. Of course, experienced instructors will allow and even encourage participants to ride only to the best of their ability. However, the underlying message from the bike with the mic is “I am demonstrating my expectations of you,” NOT “This is dangerous, don’t try this.”

Adhering to industry standards is fundamental to being a part of the industry.

As an indoor cycling facility, the onus is on you to keep your participants (and your instructors!) safe. The contraindications for indoor cycling are well known, and as a facility, it is incumbent upon you and your staff to understand why the indoor cycling industry at large is uniting on the issue of public safety. While individuals might run and cycle with music, many race organizers don’t allow earbuds because they have determined that it is safer for the masses without. Although teens might play football without padding on the street, the industry standard for high school football teams is to require helmets and protective gear when playing organized sports. An oral surgeon might have the skills to remove an impacted tooth without numbing the patient, but the expectation of the profession is to do what is in the best interest of the public at large.

What people do on their own is one thing, but when activities like fitness classes are organized and led, industry standards are developed out of observation and research that determine how to keep the most people safe, most of the time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You likely have received video clips from members showing non-traditional activities on stationary bikes: riding hands-free while standing, shifting excessively from side to side while riding, pedaling excessively fast with no resistance, doing push-ups on the handlebars, lifting weights, bobbing up and down, or pushing the hips fore and aft, to only name a few. But should you allow these questionable techniques purely because of a desire to add entertainment and to avoid alleged “boredom” in a cycling class?

At first glance, rock-star personalities who prompt high performance out of an average studio-athlete appear inspiring and “fun.” But widely published guidelines for indoor cycling dictate the safe and effective parameters for the general population. During scheduled class hours, it is prudent to adhere to these guidelines in the interest of public safety. Your insurance most likely demands it, as does your instructors’ professional training.

As a discussion point with your staff, consider the popular video clips of people who do acrobatics and street dancing on a treadmill. If you or a trainer spotted a member, even if talented and able, doing flips, walking handstands, and running backwards, I suspect you would feel compelled to stop them. Can you imagine a class that integrated these tricks into a running workout because it is spectacular, fun, and popular? I believe you would say, “Do what you want on your own treadmill at home, but we follow certain safety guidelines in our facility.”

The rise of fringe indoor cycling styles is economically driven and instructor fueled. Integrating movement patterns that are not consistent with either the function of the bike (cardiovascular endurance training) or how it is designed (leg work in the sagittal plane) is a response to the perception that regular cycling is boring. These types of classes eliminate the opportunity to teach mastery of the skill of cycling with athletic power and endurance, and downgrade the instructor to “entertainer.” They disempower, endanger, and disregard the participants, putting the rider, instructor, and facility at risk.

I write this open letter to indoor cycling facilities to spark the conversation among the staff. Ultimately, in order for the fitness industry as a whole—and the indoor cycling community in particular—to experience longevity and relevance in the lives of the public we serve, it is vital to understand the rationale behind the safety parameters of indoor cycling.

Managers of cycling studios are in a special position to support instructors to grow their coaching skills without risking the well-being of riders or damaging the equipment. Master instructors, web-based resources, and conferences help perpetuate professionalism. There is ample information for instructors to draw from in the public domain, from organizations such as the Indoor Cycling Association, as well as from within instructors’ certifying bodies. No profession should feel pressure to compromise its high standards in the interest of popularity. Now is the perfect time to schedule an all-staff meeting to discuss the cohesive set of standards your entire team supports while keeping consistent with today’s indoor cycling norms.

Respectfully submitted for your consideration,

Cori Parks, and the Indoor Cycling Association

Cori is a Spinning® master instructor, a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, a lifestyle and weight management coach, and a frequent contributor to the Indoor Cycling Association. She is the author of “Willing To Tri—Anything to Stay Fit after 40.” She is also an American Heart Association First Aid/CPR/AED instructor.

 

For additional resources on indoor cycling safety and proper technique, please see the links below.

• Why You Shouldn’t do an Upper-Body Workout While Pedaling in Your Indoor Cycling Class
• Ticked Off to the Core
• Real vs Fun in Your Spinning Class
• Pushups in Your Spinning Class: Why or Why Not?
• What Keep it Real Means and Does Not Mean in Your Spinning Class
• How to Waste an Hour of Your Time In Your Spinning Classes
• The Truth About Indoor Cycling Cadence
• The Risk Of Low Cadence in an Indoor Cycling Class
• How to Approach Indoor Cycling Classes
• Contraindications in the Spinning^® Program
• Breaking Bad Habits to Avoid Injury
• Another “New” take on an old workout – SoulCycle
• Taboo Moves
• Is It Safe To Do Push Ups on a Bike?
• Video: ContraINDIGNATIONS™—Fast Jumps?!

Articles where Jennifer Sage of Indoor Cycling Association has been interviewed or quoted:

• LA Times: Soul Cycle’s Mix of Cycling and Upper Body Workouts Raises Concerns
• Washington Post: 3 Bad Trends in Indoor Cycling
• Indoor Cycling Class: A Public Service Announcement
• Business Insider: Why I Stopped Going to Soul Cycle

Ticked Off to the Core!

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Instructors and studio owners! We have a special gift for you. Download this free guide
101 Ways to Become a Better Indoor Cycling Instructor!