Here’s an idea for you if you’re in L&D: Combine exercise and learning. Connect 18 combines peddling and pedagogy to arrive at a pretty good destination. Shiny, happy people…who can speak Spanish.

The Connect18 Group Tour program features specialized educational video courses designed to be viewed while riding a stationary cycle. The educational material is integrated with physical exercise instruction and taught in the context of a cycling tour. Riders tour regions of the world that are relevant to the subject matter being taught. For example, on a Beginner’s Spanish Language tour, cyclists may find themselves cycling through rural Mexican villas while they learn language, culture, and history.

What a great idea. You want to encourage healthy living and exercise. Give your employees a payoff; give them a learning experience at the same time. Somehow exercise is so much better when there’s more to it than just exercising. I like riding my bike, but I like riding with Charlie even more. I like walking Snickers the Wonder Dog at 6 am, but I like it even more when one of my neighbors is up and we walk along talking in the quiet of the morning. And I suspect I’d like to learn a little more Spanish while I did some spinning on a stationary bike. Great idea.

Connect 18 say they will offer classes in “current events, foreign languages, health and wellness, history, literature, art history, music, political science, wine, fashion, traffic school, continuing professional education, professional certification preparation, standardized test preparation, and much more.” This is an idea where “spinning your wheels” is a good thing.

[via Springwise]