Fall 2018 was my first semester of college. At my school gym, they offer a variety of free classes such as cycling, yoga, barre, Zumba, body pump, etc. Being so busy with adjusting to college, I lost my daily routine of working out. So many people went on a SoulCycle craze during the summer and always ranted about how great it was, so I decided to try a cycling class. Honestly, I disliked it. My butt hurt the next day, I was counting down the minutes until the class was over, and the music was mediocre. I didn’t take another class until I realized it might have been that instructor and their teaching style. That next class I took was exhilarating. I am not exaggerating when I say, I was dripping with sweat and loved it. By that time in the school year, at the end of the fall semester, they were beginning a GEM (group exercise mentor) program, which eased students into being able to become group exercise instructors. The program included attending at least two classes each week and a written weekly reflection for five consecutive weeks. This gave me the opportunity to learn which classes I liked and which ones I would potentially teach. To be quite honest, I am not a huge fan of classes such as yoga or barre, so I decided that cycling was the class I wanted to focus on. Therefore, I decided to go for a certification in cycling. After completion of the GEM program, we had to go through the hiring process for Campus Recreation, which included interviews and an audition teaching a mock class. During summer I finished all the paperwork and received my certification, which meant I was ready to start teaching in the fall when I got back to school. A solid 13 weeks have gone by and I do not regret my decision to become a cycling instructor. This was my first real job, but my purpose was not for the money. Instead, I did it for the experience and I cannot emphasize enough how much I have learned through teaching and communicating with others during these past few months.
Photo credit: Amanda Lin
Being a cycling instructor takes a lot of effort. Mainly making the playlist for each class and coming up with the actions for each song was time-consuming, yet that is what makes it so fun. I love how I am able to put my own twist to the class and get a certain vibe from my riders. The cycling studio is a safe space where people are able to come to push themselves and not have to worry about anyone judging them, which is so important when everyone has different goals. One thing I like to emphasize in my classes is that everyone’s strengths of their bodies and mindsets are completely different from each other that it is irrelevant to even try comparing to others. Overall, through the GEM program and teaching my classes, I have learned more about myself and others. Becoming a cycling instructor has been such a rewarding experience and I am so grateful I was able to use this opportunity to grow.