How to Create the Best Music Mix for your Spinning Class

Get your students amped up for a good class.

As a Spinning instructor, you want to keep the classes fresh, high energy and fun to get people to return to your classes. A big part of that is the music. In addition, music makes you work out harder, up to seven percent more effort according to a 2007 study that evaluated runners' efforts on a treadmill when listening to different music tempos. Look for music that allows your students to synchronize their pedals with the beat to help them get a better workout.

Things You'll Need

• Sound system

Instructions

1. Purchase pre-made CD's made for spinning classes, if you are not interested in creating CD's from scratch or compiling a music compilation for your MP3 player. Either skip music you don't like, or re-mix the order of the songs if you prefer to provide peaks and valleys and different times than the pre-made option provides.

2. Create your own mix and hook up you mp3 player to the sound system. Select music that is between 120 and 140 beats per minute. The faster the music, the faster your students pedal. Provide a mix to ensure you're not creating too difficult a class.

3. Check with other instructors about their favorite songs to use. Find music that is perfectly aligned with the drills based on the instructor's experience.

4. Connect with the instructor community online. For example, MusicforCycling.com provides a list of instructor-created mixes and comments on how to teach to different mixes.

Tips & Warnings

• Be open-minded - you may not always like the music, but the class will!.

References

• "Women's Health"; Workout Playlists: Spinning Songs; Corey Binns