Mira Nalbandian

Jamming out to “Don’t Stop” by DJ D-Sol, teachers Jeff Chazen, Jessica Wheeler and Katelyn Arenos get ready to ramp up the endorphins. When teacher Emily Lovercheck is not able to make it to the spin sessions, Arenos takes over leading the class with her playlist. “Music, especially with spinning, dictates how fast we go, if we add resistance [and] if we get a break. When the song speeds up, we speed up. When the song slows down, we slow down,” Arenos said. “I’m just really thankful that the school provides us with this opportunity to have a nice workout center. We are just thankful to have this space.”

If you happen by the fitness center after school, you might hear a subdued pulsing of Major Lazer’s “Know No Better.” No, someone didn’t forget to turn off Z107.7. Teachers Emily Lovercheck, Katelyn Arenos, Jeff Chazen and Jessica Wheeler created their own workout class, a spin class, flush with workout music to motivate each other.

Lovercheck is a certified spin instructor and has been for the past year and a half.

“I have been spinning for six or seven years now, and one day one of the instructors was like, ‘you should get certified,’ so I said, ‘sure.’ I got certified by Les Mills, even though I teach at Gold’s Gym. I spin five to six times a week,” Lovercheck said. “I love to lead [spin sessions]; I think it’s just fun. It’s a good, hard workout, and I just enjoy it.”

The teachers agree that these spin classes help them want to workout so they can stick to a schedule and stay healthy as they get older.

“Before, I would do a lot of weightlifting, but now I’m just doing a lot of cardio and muscle toning. I need to do cardio because I eat like crud, so it’s also a way to make up for my bad eating habits,” Chazen said. “I usually don’t sweat that much when I go workout but when[we spin] I sweat like a pig because it’s all cardio, all the time. For a cardio workout, when you’re talking with your friends, you don’t realize you just pedaled for 30 minutes and that you’ve sweated everything off. That’s why I like it. For that period of time, when [I sweat it all off], it feels great, until I go home and chow down because I’m so hungry.”

Wheeler believes music is also a huge motivator that helps her achieve her goals for staying active.

“[Music] is crucial. The beat of it, the tempo, everything like that makes you go harder, go faster, and then you even get lost in the music, rather than the hard activity that you’re doing,” Wheeler said. “The pace of the music really inspires my effort, and it helps keep my mind off of the physical activity that I’m doing.”

Another motivator, according to Arenos, is working out with your friends.

“It is more motivating to workout with friends versus by yourself. We hold each other accountable, so if we say we’re going to do it, I know I can’t talk myself out of it,” Arenos said. “I also enjoy talking to them while we work out, just talking about the day and getting those thoughts out.”