Performed on stationary indoor bikes, Group Cycling is a fantastic way to get fit and stay fit. It’s intense and perfect for building both cardiovascular fitness and muscle tone. It’s also low impact on the knees and other joints, meaning you’re less likely to hurt yourself. This allows you to keep exercising for longer, helping you get fit more quickly and without injury interruptions. Keep reading to find out how this fantastic group exercise class can help make you fitter, healthier and happier.
The Benefits of Group Cycling Classes
Group cycling classes have so many benefits, it’s difficult to list them all. here, we’ve brought together all the key benefits from helping make you fitter, healthier and happier, to improving muscle tone and helping relieve stress.
Group Cycling is Great for Calorie Burning
Our Group Cycling classes are a superb way to burn calories. They will help you to lose weight and keep fit in a fun environment. Most people will, if they are working correctly, burn around 400 to 600 calories for every 45 minute session, helping you reach your fitness targets.
Building Muscle Tone
As well as burning off unwanted calories, Group Cycling is a brilliant way to tone and strengthen the muscles in your legs and lower body. You can choose to either build strength, tone the muscles, or do both, depending on the amount of resistance you’re working against on the bike and you can change this throughout the session, so you can concentrate on one or the other.
Try Group Cycling to Improve your Fitness & Stamina
Group Cycling, as well as being a great way to burn calories and build muscle strength and tone, is also absolutely ideal for building cardio fitness and stamina. You don’t have to be a cyclist to feel the benefits, either. Regular Group Cycling sessions will help those in training for any number of endurance events, ranging from long-distance runs like marathons and half marathons, as well as multi-sport events such as triathlons.
Low Impact, Less Risk of Injury
Compared to running, Group Cycling puts far less impact through your joints, especially your knees, ankles and hips. This means you can go further and harder without the risk of hurting yourself, helping you get fitter more quickly. You’ll also get the bike set up correctly, meaning you’re cycling at your most efficient, putting less strain on your body and getting the most from each session. Additionally, being based indoors on a stable platform, you won’t fall over as you might by riding a bike on the road, or even running on the streets.
Group Cycling is Ideal for Stress Relief
It’s common knowledge that exercise is a great way to reduce stress and depression, thanks to the rush of endorphins everyone experiences during and after their workouts. Add in to this the fact that, with group cycling classes, you’ve always got an instructor on hand to help keep you positive and motivated and you’ll find it’s a great way to get over the stresses of everyday life.
No Need for Rhythm or Coordination
Unlike many of the other group exercise classes in our portfolio, Group Cycling doesn’t require you to dance, stand on one leg at any point or balance at all. All you need to do is pedal. This means you don’t have to worry about falling over and bashing into those around you; you can just concentrate on your workout. Therefore, those of you who struggle with this sort of thing will be able to enjoy all the benefits of group cycling.
Adjustable Resistance
All our Group Cycling bikes come with adjustable levels of resistance on the wheel, meaning you can work at your own pace. this helps you to build up your strength and fitness levels at a setting you feel comfortable with. No-one else will be aware of what setting you’re on, so there’s no need to worry about your fellow group cyclists’ opinions.
Track your Group Cycling Progress Using Smart Devices
You can track your progress towards your fitness goals by syncing smart devices and apps such as Fitbits, Jawbone and Misfit fitness trackers. You can also track it by scanning the relevant QR code and inputting your exercise intensity in your Everyone Active Planner. This helps you keep track of how close you are to achieving your fitness goals.
Instructors Keep you Motivated
The highly-trained and experienced Group Cycling instructors are on hand to help ensure you get the most out of your session. They will help make sure you stay upbeat, motivated and are carrying out the exercise in a safe way. We also run virtual classes
Outdoor Cyclists can Train all Year Round
If you’re a keen cyclist, but occasionally can’t quite face the wind, rain and general unpleasantness that the British winter brings with it, then a Group Cycling session is the perfect replacement. You get the same workout without being afraid of getting soaked to the skin and covered in road grime.
You can go at your own Pace
One of the key benefits to group cycling is that you can go as hard as you like. Too many new cyclists try to keep up with far more experienced members of the class at their first attempt. If it gets too much reduce your resistance and slow your leg speed down. Catch your breath and join back in when you are ready.
What Should I wear to Group Cycling Classes?
You should wear comfortable fitness clothing, avoiding long baggy bottoms as they may get caught in your pedals. You should also make sure your laces are tied tightly to firstly stop them from getting caught in the mechanism. This will help you keep a good position on the bike. You should also tighten the straps on the toe cages. This will help avoid your foot slipping out during the class. Padded cycling shorts can be a good idea, as your bottom can get a bit sore on the first few sessions. Your body does, however, get used to being on the bike if you ride regularly – around once per week or more. Furthermore, cycling shoes – while not essential – can be a good idea as they will help improve your pedalling technique by keeping your feet in the correct position.
What Else Should I Bring?
Don’t forget to bring a bottle of water and a towel with you as you will definitely be getting sweaty during the session. While you can nip out to get water during the session, it’s not ideal and you could lose your rhythm and not burn as many calories as you might otherwise have done.