Here's a great opportunity for Indoor Cycling Instructors and Studio Owners to attract and serve a new demographic of riders – active seniors!
With over 12 MILLION members and 13,000 locations, SilverSneakers is a kind of quiet giant in the fitness industry. Participating senior citizens, across America, can take advantage of free access to health clubs and wellness centers that's paid through their health insurance.
The SilverSneakers FLEX program is designed for individual Fitness Instructors wanting to offer classes and activities at non-traditional locations. I've never stopped to ask, but I'll bet the large group of seniors we pass exercising in a local park on our Sunday AM bike ride is a FLEX class.
FLEX could be the perfect way to add some additional classes to your studio's schedule. Our FLEX approved Parkinson's Cycling classes are best conducted between 10:00 and noon. Seniors tend to eat dinner early (join us for the 4:30 blue plate special) so they might be open to a Senior Cycling class around 3:00pm.
FLEX Instructors are paid directly by SilverSneakers, so there's no cost to the participants. You can learn more by listening to this interview with Stephanie Wong – the Vice President, Field Operations for SilverSneakers' parent company Healthways, Inc. You can email her with questions; stephanie.wong@healthways.com
SilverSneakers is an industry-leading fitness program for older adults. It is delivered through a nationwide network of participating fitness locations such as YMCAs, Curves®, gyms, wellness centers and other facilities.
Our qualified SilverSneakers instructors will have the training and skills necessary to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population that values high-quality, personalized service.
Interested in finding out about our new FLEX instructor program? Click Here to download the program brochure.
Interested in becoming a SilverSneakers instructor? Click Here for more information.
So, we haven’t talk lately about design and that is part of my soul and the way I make “my leaving”. To me design is not only grabbing a pen and drawing — its way beyond that — it’s how you create momentum — it’s how you create experience — it’s how you get into people’s minds — its not only about drawing or colors — it’s the combination of emotions, experience, good taste, feelings, engaging and lot’s of out of the box thinking. Now I will take you to something that for most of you out there might think that I’m totally crazy but I want to share this experience with you. As some of you know, I’ve always been very active in sports and in the last year I’ve been sitting on my laurels doing nothing but working, working and working — so I’ve try a few things and none of them successful until I “discover” this year SPINNING®.
My wife one day told me about this beautiful new gym here in Miami — 360 energy in motion — she told me about the class that she took for free and afterwords she felt in love with it. So I say, well, ok let’s go, I’ll give it a try — but I think is a women sports — nevertheless, I will give it a try” So I step the day after into 360eim and immediately I felt in love with the place — very clean, very well though, very Zen (you can breath peace inside) and that its hard sometimes to accomplish on any gym — but this one have all the things that I dream to have in a gym without getting into an “extremely fancy luxury un-payable and boring place”.
So I took my first class with Scott Schlesinger a master instructor for Spinning® — men the rest is history — what a class, what a ride!!, great music (again very emotional — zen — feeling type) but at the same time very active — you sweat your ass there. Forget about the thing that I’ve said it was only for girls — this is SERIOUS workout. If you like biking you will LOVE Spinning. I felt in love with the sport because as a professional designer spinning gave me everything that my soul needs — great music (inspiration) — great coaching(motivation) — great experience (feeling)- good taste(bikes are beautiful and I cannot tell you about this place — is gorgeous!) — it’s 100% engaging and it will challenge you in a way that it will make you think out of the box by all means all the time. You get to know your self better with each class, guys believe me when I’m telling you that this is an amazing sport — you will sweat like you have no idea — you will feel strong in every sense of the way without getting yourself hurt and the risk is very low as you are pedaling indoors — don’t get me wrong — I love biking outdoors too — but with Spinning it doesn’t matter if it’s rainy out there, cold or hot, windy or dry you can still ride!!
I would like to share with you a few of this beautiful bikes and a nice video about a ride with Josh Taylor (the ride its called ANIMAL RIDE) at the netherlands with more than 500 bikes — listen to the coaching of this guy and imagine your self sweating every drop in this class — believe me you got to try at least one time and you will understand this lines. I got the opportunity a week ago to ride in a class here in Miami in another Spinning facility in South Miami with Josh Taylor and wow this guy was amazing. In another hand let me share with you this link about the gym 360 energy in motion if you would like to go and get your free class and try it — (yes, yes first class its FREE 100%) you will be amazed with the sport.
Everyone at this place are great at what they are doing Zsazsa and Gabby (the owners) are great teachers, Rinie, Jacque, Gustavo and Scott are amazing too plus you can have Yoga or Pilates classes as well!! But if you can’t go to this place for any reason don’t worry you can go to any other facility — just make sure that your teachers are certified by Spinning® ’cause there is a lot “indoor cycling classes” out there that are not Spinning classes and people could get confused about what the real sport is. But like I said before, the most important thing here is TRY go get anywhere you want but try and ride, you will love it.
also visit SPINNING.COM for more information on certified facilities around the globe.
… I’ll see you a few of you riding soon.
You can learn more about Charlie Green at this Facebook page.
I'm noticing that Polar is now promoting a three heart rate zone system.
Welcome to the party Polar!
I subbed this morning and saw the sign on the right displayed. At first I didn't give it any notice, but then I did a double take; they're showing the five zones grouped into three… very interesting.
When I got back to my office I did an image search to see what else I could find. I haven't paid much attention to Polar, so some of this could have been occurring and I'm only seeing it now.
Exercise zones are ranges between the lower and upper heart rate limits expressed as beats per minute (bpm) or as percentages of your maximum heart rate (HRmax). HRmax is the highest number of heartbeats per minute during maximum physical exertion.
Heart Rate Target Zones
Exercise can be divided into three different: intensity zones. Each of these intensity levels corresponds to various health and fitness improving mechanisms in your body.
Here's what I found.
ACE promotes a Two Threshold & Three Zone System. Polar's personal training area clearly reflects this in the chart above.
Ignoring the fact that all of this is based on the antiquated Max Heart Rate – instead of a being based on aerobic or anaerobic thresholds – I see this as very good news for any of us trying to cut through the confusion and complexity caused by branded 5 or more zone systems. Instead we promote the simple and effective 3 Heart Rate Zone system anchored by both aerobic or anaerobic thresholds.
It's great to have Polar aboard – except they have a long way to go… please forgive my rant here 🙁
It defies explanation, how a company as large as Polar, can be so utterly clueless. Make sure you've completely swallowed whatever you're drinking before reading their page about; Determining Maximum Heart Rate.
Your heart rate has an upper limit, or maximum rate, called HRmax. HRmax is not a good predictor of fitness level or performance (it's mostly genetic), but it is used to quantify levels of intensity (as a % of HRmax). If HRmax isn't good for anything, why are you using it? It's like saying; this scale is wildly inaccurate… so go ahead and weigh yourself with it and we'll base your weight loss program on it.
You can determine maximum heart rate a number of ways:
1. Have your HRmax measured in a laboratory during a stress test. In a laboratory? OK sure, I have one down the street.
2. Do a maximal effort and record the highest heart rate (not recommended for untrained individuals). This will give you a fairly accurate maximum heart rate, but is difficult to do properly. Remember that HRmax depends on the activity, so establish HRmax in the sports you do most often. Huh? What's your definition of the word “fairly”? So if I'm “untrained” what do you suggest I do?
3. HR max-p score predicts your individual maximum heart rate. This feature is included in several Polar computer models. I get it – marketing types wrote this nonsense.
4. Estimate your maximum heart rate based on the formula 220 – age. This will give you a rough estimate, but is not nearly as accurate as the other methods described above. That's it? Those are your only choices?
For most individuals, maximum heart rate declines with age and values are usually between 170-200 bpm. This has been disproven years ago – why do they continue to say it?
We've been proponents of the Two Thresholds /Three Heart Rate Zone system for years here at ICI/PRO. We're not alone. ACE ( the American Council for Exercise) recommends this system as the most appropriate for the typical participant we see in class.
I've been doing some consulting with potential cycling studio start-ups and a common question has been; should I consider leasing vs. conventional financing / paying cash?
My feeling is (to use the expression) Cash Is King for any small fitness business. If you listen to any of the past interviews (you'll find them here) I've done with Indoor Cycling Studio Owners, there are two common themes that keep coming up:
Studio build out and equipment costs are always considerably more than what's initially forecast in the business plan.
The business's cash flow doesn't ramp up as quickly as forecast.
Does it make sense to lease your Indoor Cycles… and possibly some of your other upfront hard costs like the audio/AV system, computers, technology PIQ/Spivi and possibly your studio's website? Saving your available cash or line of credit to carry you through a slow start (or surprise expense) maybe a good strategy. But it's a rather complex question to just offer a simple answer.
So I've found a fitness equipment leasing expert and I have an interview scheduled with him for this Tuesday Nov 4th. I met Joe Schmitz from F.I.T. Leasing at the past IDEA fitness conference and felt very comfortable talking with him. He's been in the equipment leasing business for a long time and he's agreed to help me explore the ins and outs of leasing.
When does leasing make sense for a new studio – or an existing studio looking to upgrade to new equipment?
When doesn't it?
Should I lease my indoor cycles directly from the manufacturer?
What other costs can be included, besides new Indoor Cycles?
What is the approval process?
Is it more difficult to get approved for a lease vs. a bank or SBA loan?
What documentation will you need?
Is there anything you want to do, or prepare for, in advance of needing your lease funds?
What happens at the end of the lease?
Explain any tax benefits of leasing vs. conventional financing or paying cash
Do you have specific questions you would like me to ask Joe? Let us know by Tuesday Nov 4th 10:00 central.
This interview will be published by Friday next week.
Please use the contact form below to explain your questions with as much detail as possible. Also include additional methods of contacting you if you'd like a personal response.
A member at our club asked me this morning asked me for a recommendation on a last minute Christmas present for her husband. She wanted to buy him some Indoor Cycling shoes, who she described as having “very wide feet”.
I know all about the challenges of finding comfortable shoes (of any type) that fit my very wide and flat feet 🙁 My kids have forever kidded me about how my two smallest toes don't lay flat – the Podiatrist called them Hammer Toesfor the way they fold back like the hammer on a gun. I'm convinced that I wasn't born with them. They got that way after being stuffed into narrow shoes for decades.
I've owned a bunch of shoes over the years, but none have been as comfortable as my old pair of Sidi Mega Road Cycling Shoes. Mega = mega wide and they saved cycling for me when they first came out. My pair has to be at least 10 year's old and I must have replaced the Look cleats on the bottom a dozen or more times.
But road bike shoes with flat bottoms and exposed cleats are far from optimal for indoor use. Her husband didn't ride outdoors, so what she was really looking for was a wide shoe with a recessed SPD cleat. My only suggestion to her was for the Sidi Dominator MTB Shoe which is their mountain bike shoe in a Mega width version.
Beyond that, I'm not aware of a wide shoe I could recommend to her. I spent some time searching online and wasn't able to find anything. There are lots of results for wide indoor cycling shoes, but everyone ended up being medium width.
. Mega = mega wide and they saved cycling for me when they first came out. My pair has to be at least 10 year's old and I must have replaced the Look cleats on the bottom a dozen or more times.
which is their mountain bike shoe in a Mega width version.