Spinning: How to find the right course

Spinning is on the rise. Millions of enthusiastic stand-up cyclists flock to fitness studios around the world every day to pedal hard. And not without reason: Spinning is not only a great way to pedal off unloved pounds and increase fitness, it's also an excellent way to strengthen your heart health on an indoor bike.

Last but not least, training together to music is great fun and helps reduce stress. With around 200,000 certified spinning instructors and over 30,000 licensed spinning studios in 80 countries, the choice is huge. But how do you actually recognize a good spinning class?

Choosing the right course starts with the intake interview. Before getting into the saddle, a detailed medical history and a thorough performance check should be carried out - either by the studio staff or, even better, by the instructor himself.

Training condition, previous sporting experience, health complaints - all these points play a significant role in the subsequent training and should not be neglected under any circumstances for the sake of health. Only a coach who knows the individual condition of his course participants can also make the training efficient and low-risk.

Be honest with yourself when taking a medical history! Even minor males can be of importance.

How group members interact with each other is a telling indicator of the quality of the course. Although everyone sits on their own  fitness bike during indoor cycling, the group dynamic plays a significant role in spinning. In combination with the music, training together provides the necessary motivational boost. Those who feel well taken care of stay on the ball permanently. A friendly welcome, lively conversations between participants and a dedicated coach indicate a lively exchange and thus also a good workout.

After the approximately ten-minute warm-up, a good instructor designs the workout to be multi-layered and varied. So no one need to be afraid of monotonous pedaling units. In addition, the coaches get the participants through the intensive phases with humor and motivating commands. Many a recreational athlete has been amazed at how quickly the training has gone by.

The first spinning workout is over. If you now sit down on the bench in the locker room, comfortably exhausted and thinking about pretty much nothing at all, you've probably done everything right. Paleness, nausea or heart palpitations even some time after the workout, on the other hand, indicate an overload - in this case, talk to the instructor.

You have been doing something for your fitness and health for a few weeks now and go to the gym regularly? Then you should not only notice a visual change, but also an increased performance in everyday life.

Of course, you shouldn't expect miracles - for a flat stomach and crisp thighs, it takes several months of training, depending on your initial condition. However, if you don't notice a difference from earlier days when climbing stairs or lugging water boxes, you should bring it up at the gym.

Spinning training is fun and the group dynamics of the sport provide long-term motivation. You effectively increase your fitness and do something good for your health.

You are already really motivated? Then take a look at our FAQ below! We answer questions about the sport and what you can achieve with it.

Indoor cycling is offered at almost all major gyms. Do some research to find out where the classes are offered. Alternatively, you can call your local gym and find out if they offer spinning classes.

In principle, you can lose weight with any type of sport, the decisive factor is your energy balance. You need a higher calorie consumption than intake to burn fat. 

At 70 kilograms, you burn about 150 to 170 Kcal with half an hour of indoor cycling.

A short warm-up before an intense workout is essential to prevent injuries. Also before the spinning class, a few stretching exercises are not wrong to avoid muscle soreness and other physical discomfort.