Attitudes Surrounding Group Vs. Individual Cycling During Covid-19

Group exercise settings can offer a team-like environment that can enhance social bonding as well as increase perceived physical ability and perhaps higher enjoyment of the activity. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals who engage in group exercise were suddenly unable to attend their conventional exercise classes. To combat the isolation of the pandemic, a local spin studio allowed its members to rent a spin bike and follow along to rides broadcasted and recorded by instructors. Although the at home spin routine was similar to the workouts performed in the studio, the attitudes of participants could vary greatly as the group atmosphere would be missing from the at home experience. PURPOSE: The purpose of this exploratory study was to survey members’ remote cycling experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Seventeen adult cyclists (16F, 37.1 ± 12.0 yrs) responded to a survey including 5 Likert scale (scored 1-5, 1 = not true at all, 5 = very true) and 6 open ended questions. Mean and standard deviation were calculated for each of the Likert scale questions. Qualitative response questions were analyzed by means of thematic content analyses to determine dominant themes in participants’ replies. RESULTS: The results revealed that participants were less motivated, less engaged, and felt less confident while spinning remotely from home (1.63 ± 0.89 for “I feel more motivated to spin at home as opposed to spinning in the studio”, 1.27 ± 0.46 for “I feel more engaged when I spin at home as opposed to spinning in the studio”, and 1.71 ± 1.14 for “I feel better about my ability to cycle when I spin at home as opposed to spinning in the studio”). Members also reported missing the community component the most (N = 14), but some members did enjoy the flexibility in the schedule (N = 6). CONCLUSION: Cyclists favored cycling in the group exercise studio as opposed to cycling individually at home. This may be due to the community environment and resultant increased motivation inherent to group exercise settings.