Spinning for Days

Yep, you heard it. Days of spinning. I have been spinning for several years now but I have only been spinning as an instructor for days… three to be exact. It’s been a long wait to get to the front of the classroom, but I finally did last week at Xavier University. I got my spin instructor certification this fall, something I wanted to do for over a year. I specifically wanted to teach at Xavier University because it’s a Jesuit school. Gonzaga University, where I attended college is also Jesuit, and it’s where I discovered “cura personalis,” education for the mind, body and spirit. I believe fitness is crucial if you want a healthy, full life, which is why I intentionally sought out teaching spinning at Xavier, which has the same ideals.

My spin class is more than 50 minutes of sweating on a bike. I use those 50 minutes to be a life coach. Throughout the course of the class I talk about how to work through tough times in life. How to push yourself into uncomfortable places that make you grow for the better. I also talk about gratitude, being thankful for our breath, legs, and bodies that allow us to be there in the present moment.

I know talking those ideas out loud helps me, I just hope it’s helping the people in the class too. It’s hard to know how something will lay on a person. Yesterday some of the girls came up to me and asked a few questions in an excited tone. It felt like I was getting a big high five, you could tell they had enjoyed my teaching style.

Currently I am only teaching one class a week. But I think that hour is going to prove to be something really healthy for me. Teaching the class helps me to refocus on my goals, thoughts and ideas about life. What recharges you? I challenge you to find out and make it part of your routine. I promise you’ll feel a shift in your mood for the better.

#spin