If you have ever gone to the gym these days, you are probably familiar with the term “spinning”. Spinning is an exercise tool used by thousands of people as part of their workout regimen. Essentially, it is riding a stationary bicycle for about forty minutes while listening to stimulating music and following the instructor’s directions. Who enjoys spinning you ask? Most cycling enthusiasts who enjoy riding outdoors during the nice weather make the transition to spinning class rather smoothly. Also, at home stationary bicycling isn’t as much fun as cycling with others and having an instructor there to motivate you can actually increase your workout time.
When you walk by a typical spinning class, you may think that you were at a rowdy sporting event. The instructors may be cheering and yelling and even singing along with the music while the class lets out yelps and hoots in between guzzling bottles of water. This makes it more appealing to the masses of people who may be looking for a fresh new way to stay in shape while having fun.
Spinning is a great way to get a good workout. It increases your muscle tone in all of your major muscles in your legs and buttocks. You can increase and decrease the resistance at any time during the workout. In fact, the instructor may yell out to the cyclists that they are approaching a hill and they need to increase the resistance. Accordingly, when you are going down, you may be asked to decrease it. At times you will be asked to sprint ahead in front of the pack and pedal as fast as you can which can be extremely exhilarating.
There are a few ways to make your spinning experience more enjoyable:
1. Dress in comfortable clothing. Most first timers should be aware that you are going to sweat – a lot! So try to avoid long sleeves and always wear comfortable sneakers and sweat socks. Do not wear long pants because you may literally get stuck in the gears of the bicycle.
2. Bring a full bottle of water. This particular workout is pretty difficult so you will need to replenish your fluids often.
3. Adjust your seat! The biggest complaint of the spinning workout was the discomfort of having to sit on a hard seat that may be too high or too low for you. Most fitness centers now offer a separate cushion that fits over the seat to give you a little more padding where you need it! Also, the seat can be raised or lowered depending on the particular cyclist’s height. So can the handlebars.
4. Have fun! The whole point of making stationary cycling a group activity is to make it a more pleasurable experience while still creating a strenuous workout.
Remember to talk to your instructor if you have any concerns about health or other issues that may affect your ability to participate. This is a very strenuous workout so it may not be for everyone.