You Spin Me Right Round
It’s about 8 years since I went to my first spin class. Scared does not even come close.
I had been running for a few years but getting on an indoor bike was a different kettle of fish altogether – I was convinced I would be like Bridget Jones in that scene where she falls off the bike! However, I braved it along with a friend, we cycled our asses off, and I got an unbelievable high afterwards. That was the beginning of my minor addiction….
If you’ve never been and are considering it, here are some reasons that I find it so great:
- Total endorphin hit: it’s like a revolving door of going into the class one person, e.g., a ball of stress, and coming out practically skipping with a gigantic smile on your face!
- Low impact: I’ve had some back pain in the past from running so much on the road. What I love about cycling is that it’s an intense workout without as much effect on your joints.
- Variety: I couldn’t really get my head around it before I went but it’s a mix of sprinting, hill climbing and exercises like push-ups and squats. The music is blaring and sometimes they turn the lights off … great fun but quite disorientating if you go to an early morning class as leaving can feel like you’ve come out of a club in Ibiza!
- Take it at your own pace: you can go as fast or have as much as resistance as you want so you don’t need to be too scared as a newbie.
- Physical fitness: burning calories, building muscle tone and keeping a healthy heart are all proven benefits of indoor biking.
Although I still enjoy a good spinning class, I’m aware that it is no longer out of my comfort zone. The next step for me is to go outdoors and finally start using that racer I bought on the Bike to Work Scheme a few years ago! I’m also intrigued by Soul Cycle which seems to be big in the States and Canada…although I have new visions of ending up on the floor, but this time more like Amy Schumer in I feel Pretty ?!
If you need help building any new healthy habits into your routine, please feel free to get in touch. Elaine x