Get Fit With a Spinning Class Now!

It Left My Head Spinning
I can’t recall the exact thought that was going through my head the morning I decided to get up and head to my gym for an exercise spinning class I’d never taken before; maybe I was feeling adventurous and must have thought that exploring unknown territory sounded good to me on this particular day. When I get down to brass tacks, I suppose it’s not even the ‘why’ behind the whole thing that is important; the fact that I had heard so many of my friends and co-workers talk about what a great ‘spinning class’ they had and how rejuvenated they felt afterward, perhaps made me want to be one of the cool kids too. There were a few things going into a spinning class that I knew for sure; it was a given that I’d be on a bike. That was cool. I’m fine with that; been riding them since I was 4. I knew it was instructor-led, obviously, which is one of the things that attracted me to the class; there was no way I’d abandon ship after just 10 minutes or so like I tend to do when I’m sitting in the gym on a recumbent bike pedaling and pedaling, but going nowhere fast. In a nutshell, I think I expected it to be motivational biking; someone to distract me from the fact that I am doing a very repetitive motion but never actually going anywhere. Boy was I to be proven wrong!

First of all, for those considering starting a spinning class, or those not familiar, you ARE in fact, on a stationary bike and there is a motivational instructor to lead the class through a series of exercises that work the major muscle groups and muscles you probably didn’t know you had as well. Even if you have bad knees and think biking will be tough on them, there are ways you can adjust the bike, seat and resistance (ask your instructor for help prior to class time) where any affects should be minimal, if at all. The spinning classes are generally accompanied by some real loud, fast music, so if you’re not a lover of some heavier rock or even some metal, there may be a ‘slower’ class that incorporates music more your speed, as well as slower motions. There’s a lot of standing up, sitting down, hovering over your seat and altering your resistance levels, so be prepared to move around much more than you may first think.
So in I walk, already breathless from running from parking lot to gym, up the stairs to the spinning class room, thinking I was late. I purposely chose a bike against the back wall so no one had to face the possibility of watching me fall off the bike or suffer some unfortunate accident; let’s face it; if it’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen to me. It’s 9:15am and Metallica is blaring from the speakers in the darkened room (why they typically keep it dark in spinning classes, I’ll never know since the experience is anything but soothing…) Now I’m on my bike, behind an attractive woman in her 60’s (maybe even 70’s but she was so fit it’s hard to say), thinking I can probably keep up with her and she looks like she knows what she’s doing. She helps me adjust my bike height and then says “you think you’re ready for this?” and gives me a wink. Oh no, I’m thinking this can’t be good.
The instructor came in shortly thereafter, with the happy, springing jog of a high school cheerleader, clapping her hands and asking us if we’re ready to Psycho Cycle. Psycho Cycle? (whimper…) guess I didn’t read the NAME of the class… just that it was a spinning class. Darn. There’s no turning back now. All the bikes are full and we’re told to start pedaling for warm-ups. Let me just say here and now that the ‘warm-up’ was what I would have felt comfortable pedaling the whole time, and I have very muscular legs. Soon, the music transitions to a techno beat and we’re pedaling our hearts out, told to increase the resistance. Then we’re pedaling while standing up for 6 turns around, then down for 6 turns around, then up and down every 3rd rotation, then before I know it, it’s up a rotation, down a rotation and had I not been the one doing the work, I would have thought I was on some crazy amusement park ride. Next came ‘hovering’, being back far enough so your bottom is hovering just over the seat of the bike; the more you lean back, the more you feel it. This was described as one of the more difficult spinning class exercises, but I actually found it quite easy; guess all that work on the quad machines and strengthening my hamstrings has served me well.

Now for the ‘psycho’ part… (thank goodness it was optional) we had to pedal like mad for 3 minutes on a high resistance, then jump off our bikes, sprint a lap around the indoor track (which is just outside the doorway), stop in the hallway and do 10 jumping jacks followed by 10 squat thrusts, then 3 more minutes back on the back, run, jump, squat, ride… you get the idea. Yeah, whoever names the spinning classes knew what they were doing with that one! I tried the full regimen once and barely made it back to my bike. Oh yeah, and I almost forgot to mention, the 70ish woman in front of me? Barely breaking a sweat and doing the whole thing like an Olympian in full makeup.
I have to say, the one hour really DID fly by, the instructor kept things interesting, the music was really great and although I got an intense work out, I will definitely go back again for another ‘psycho’ Spinning class adventure.

** For those of you that are experts on spinning, please feel free to comment about other important  facts such as equipment, etc, in order to help those of us who are just thinking about starting spinning.

5 ways to get a cardio workout during your day

Ever have one of ‘those days’, where it’s not enough that you had a chaotic morning at home, heavy demands at work, you spilled coffee on your shirt, then you found out your bank account somehow got overdrawn? Sure, we all have, but did you know that its days like this where fitting some cardio activity into your day can be particularly beneficial? While a day like this may make you FEEL like you’ve already run a marathon by lunchtime, take a step back and make an effort to work off some pent-up steam.
Whenever presented with the choice, no matter where you are, opt to take the stairs! If stairs aren’t ‘your thing’ and you find yourself becoming winded, take your time but keep going at a steady pace. Over time, this will become a much easier task, give your quads a great workout, get your heartbeat right into your target zone, and you may even see the added benefit of some lift in your derriere. When I first started taking the stairs in lieu of the elevator at work, I’ll admit it wasn’t easy but within just a few short weeks, I could engage in a normal conversation going up multiple flights, didn’t have to rest on a landing any longer, and even found myself taking it to the next level and taking two steps at a time as I jogged up to my office. As with any other exercise, it’s all about conditioning; the more you do it, the easier it will get.

Another way to sneak in a bit of additional cardio time in your day is to resist the urge to pull into a ‘prime’ parking spot at the mall or your local supermarket. As a culture, it seems we are conditioned to seek out the best place to park our cars, allowing it to become a game that I’ve even seen turn into road rage as two drivers battle it out for the same spot! Whether you have the newest sports sedan (seems those are the only ones that prefer to park out in ‘no man’s land’ where their car is less apt to be damaged) or a 20 yr old beater, go ahead and park out in a spot that is furthest away from the entrance. You will rack up some additional steps on the pedometer for the day (you ARE wearing a pedometer, aren’t you??) and if you run your errands ‘briskly’, you’ll get your heart pumping in no time.
Use your lunchtime to take a walk, even if just around your office building or the surrounding area outside. Keep a pair of extra sneakers at your workplace to make it easier and have no excuses for not taking your daily walk; it will get your heart pumping, burn some calories from all those office treats that are always being dangled in front of you (that you are hopefully politely declining on a majority of the occasions) but an afternoon mid-day walk allows you to clear your head and return to your job feeling refreshed with a lower stress level. Try it once and you’ll see exactly what I mean; it’s amazing the benefits you feel from taking just a 15-30 min ‘timeout’ to do something good for yourself.

Take your dog for a walk! There isn’t a dog on the planet that ever gets sick of being walked and the benefits to you are obvious. What’s better than bonding with Man’s Best Friend while getting some exercise for both of you?
Join an exercise class, whether it is a formal class at your local gym, or a runner’s club, a biking group… anything that will help keep you accountable for getting some cardiovascular exercise in your day. Working out with others is motivating and keeps you honest, providing opportunities to make new friends that may be in the same boat you are. It’s good to hear someone else say the dog threw up as they were headed out the door on the way to work and they spilled coffee on their shirt before they even arrived at the office.