Think your only competitor is a nearby facility? Think again. The summer season can turn your facility into a ghost town. It’s up to the group Exercise Director to keep your Spinning ® classes filled and your members happy. By incorporating a little out-of-the box programming, you can entice your members to keep at it throughout these hot summer months.
Stick with a simple philosophy while creating your summer plan – always incorporate the “fun factor” into the line-up. Fun fills your Spinning ® program, and your classes won’t fall victim to “low participation syndrome.” Here are a few special rides you can incorporate into your master plan to keep your Spinning ® sessions active during those slower summer months.
Ride the 16!
March Madness basketball and Sweet 16 tournaments are obviously already long gone but you can reboot the excitement of the collegiate basketball tournament season with the thrill of your own Final 4. The goal of this program is to create energy and student retention in your Spinning ® room. The objective is to set a very realistic goal that both new and experienced members can achieve during the summer. Then create an incentive for them to accomplish that goal. (Even though your students may have an abundance of T-shirts stashed away in their closets, it has been proven time and time again that the average facility member will be motivated to earn another free T-shirt for their proud collection.) Let’s say your average facility member participates in a Spinning ® class three times per week. Keep this statistic in mind and set a reasonable goal for your students; for example, ask them to attend 16 classes within an 8-week period. Create an official “Ride the 16” tracking card and record each student’s attendance by having the Spinning ® Instructors sign their initials each time the student participates in a class. Upon completion of their 16 th class, reward your student with an official “Ride the 16” T-shirt.
Spinning® Bingo
Create a buzz throughout the club with a Spinning® Bingo card. The creator of the bingo card has the opportunity to set fun and realistic goals for all their Spinning ® class participants. Construct a bingo card that offers 12 different Spinning ®-related tasks. Students will need to complete 8 out of 12 activities listed on the bingo card – only one task per class. Here are some examples:
- Wear a heart rate monitor and stay in your zone.
- Focus on recovery in an interval class.
- Finish your entire water bottle.
- Maintain a relaxed position without fighting the bike.
Allow those creative juices to flow when you create your Spinning ® Bingo Card. Reward students by concluding the program with a small social that includes sponsor-donated sports drinks and healthy snacks.
SPIN® Yoga Night & City Lights
This fun class kicks off with a 30-minute Spinning® class followed by 30 minutes of candlelit yoga. Upon conclusion of the class, host a mixer for your students at a nearby restaurant.
Tri Fit-Mini Triathlon
A great cross-conditioning workout for multi-sport athletes as well as fitness enthusiasts, this class offers swimming, Spinning ® class, running drills and track work at 20-minute intervals. Think some students would rather not get wet? Have them join the class 20 minutes after start time to complete the Spinning ® class, running and track portions.
Remember, the main goal of these activities is to keep your facility from becoming stale during the slower summer months. The season is the reason to incorporate some simple activities that keep your Spinning ® program the happening place to be during these slower summer months.
