Fit Mind Studio: One Train Car, One Bike, and 60 Minutes to Forget About Everything

By: Edmaris Carazo

There are places you walk into looking for a workout and end up finding so much more. That’s what happened to me at Fit Mind Studio, a small indoor cycling studio in Mayagüez. A place where, for 45 or 60 minutes, a group of women leaves behind their responsibilities, doctor’s appointments, morning arguments, grocery lists, and everything else waiting for us when we walk back out the door.

I’ve done spinning on and off for the past 20 years. I’ve pedaled at different intensities, in studios, gyms, and even facing the ocean. But I had never done indoor cycling inside a train car.

Yes. A train car.

It all started when a mom from school invited a few of us to celebrate her 40th birthday in a rather unusual way: sweating, pedaling, and celebrating at a spinning studio about four minutes from the school.

At the time, Fit Mind Studio only offered afternoon classes, so the idea of starting a birthday celebration on a stationary bike was already, to say the least, a little peculiar.

But we showed up.

And there they were, two train cars sitting side by side. On the left, the psychology office. On the right, the spinning studio.

Match made in heaven.

The train car that serves as the office has its own waiting room, bathroom, and shower. The other is where the magic happens, although “magic” might not be the word I’d use during the first few minutes of a class when you’re already sweating and wondering why you ever agreed to this.

I’m not going to lie: I had a much better time than I expected.

And that’s saying something, considering that the idea of sweating in front of all these fabulous women didn’t sound particularly appealing at first. Because let’s be real: some of the women there wear workout sets far more spectacular than anything I put on when I get all dressed up. They all look incredible, and most of them are much more fit than I am.

But when the lights go out, something happens.

Suddenly, there’s not much time to look at anyone.

All that’s left is the music, the bikes, the lights on the ceiling, the neon glow of the bracelets we were wearing that morning, and the voice of Francheska Méndez Rivera keeping us on beat.

From Afternoons to 8 A.M.

Several months passed after that first experience.

And somewhere between one conversation and another, we managed to convince Francheska that we needed early morning classes.

Because apparently, as adult women, we don’t have enough to do getting up, making breakfast, taking kids to school, handling responsibilities, and trying to get to work and the rest of our lives on time.

We wanted to pedal before all of that began.

That’s how the 8:00 a.m. Monday and Thursday classes were born.

One hour to sweat before heading into the other double shift of our respective lives.

Since then, more women have continued to join us.

Stay-at-home moms, lawyers, university professors, doctors, entrepreneurs. Women of different ages, professions, body types, personalities, and circumstances.

And that’s precisely part of what makes it so special.

We don’t all have to be the same to share a bike.

What Music Do You Hear in an Indoor Cycling Class?

The short answer is: anything that gets us pedaling.

You might hear reggaetón from the ’90s, the 2000s, or today. Taylor Swift or Karol G might make an appearance. Some days, it feels like we’re at a nightclub from 10 or 20 years ago. Other days, the class feels like a collective journey into the future.

Sometimes we’re climbing uphill. Other times, we’re heading downhill. And when Francheska adds resistance to the bike, we convince ourselves we’re pedaling along some road in Orocovis, Moca, or Naranjito, trying to keep up with the music even as our legs start negotiating on our behalf.

I don’t know if we’re technically simulating an actual route.

But in our heads, we’re definitely traveling.

The Woman Behind the Bike

At the front of the room is Francheska.

A psychologist and certified trainer, she has spent more than 10 years working in the world of wellness and movement. But describing her simply as an indoor cycling instructor would be selling her short.

During a class, she can be a cheerleader, singer, DJ, choreographer, personal motivator, and, at some point, even a drill sergeant.

And she can’t help it: she’s also our psychologist.

Francheska created Fit Mind Studio with an idea that goes far beyond exercise. Her vision is to turn movement into an experience that also allows people to work on their mental well-being, disconnect, and feel supported.

You can feel that when you’re there.

Because yes, you’re exercising. You’re strengthening your legs and glutes. You’re sweating. You’re probably burning a few calories.

But you’re also taking a break.

One Hour to Stop Thinking About Everything Else

For those 45 or 60 minutes, we forget about everything we have to do.

The appointments.

The morning arguments.

The grocery list.

The email we still haven’t answered.

Everything that is waiting for us when we walk out.

We laugh together.

We give thanks together.

Sometimes we’re friends. Sometimes we barely know each other.

Maybe we say hello during the school drop-off. Maybe we’ve never exchanged a word outside that train car.

But for that little while, we’re all women trying to get somewhere.

Toward relaxation.

Toward health.

Toward peace.

Toward forgiveness.

Toward hope.

Toward joy.

Toward endorphins.

Toward fulfillment.

Each of us is pedaling toward something different.

And for a few minutes, we do it together.

Fit Mind Studio: Indoor Cycling to a Different Beat

Fit Mind Studio is located in Barrio Miradero, Mayagüez, and offers 60-minute indoor cycling sessions. Morning classes are currently held on Mondays and Thursdays at 8:00 a.m., in addition to their regular classes.

Sessions cost $12, and you can reserve your bike through their website.

But if you ask me what Fit Mind Studio is, I probably wouldn’t start by talking about the price, the schedule, or the bikes.

I’d say it’s a place that began with one woman’s dream and ended up becoming a space where other women found their own.

Thank you, Francheska, for dreaming big and sharing that dream with all of us.

Because sometimes, we don’t need to change our entire lives.

Sometimes, all we need to do is turn off the lights, turn up the music, hop on a bike, and pedal for an hour.

And maybe, without even realizing it, we’re already getting somewhere.