If you are someone who loves to hop on a bicycle and hurtle down the road with nothing but the breeze to accompany you in your pleasant journey, you know how amazing cycling can be for your body and soul. It is only when you put your mind to lose weight that you realize that you can do it with the help of cycling, or more specifically, choreographed cycling. Wondering what in the world is that? Spin is usually a class where you come, get motivated and get the endorphins to go on a happy overdrive.
The added bonus is that you lose about 600-800 calories an hour spent on the saddle. That’s pretty neat, isn’t it? Also, it’s a group class, so motivation comes easy. You always want to do better than the person sitting next to you on their saddle and you don’t even have to compete. If that sounds confusing, this article will help you form an idea about spinning and how it helps to stay fit. So get on your exercise cycle and start pedaling away towards weight loss and health.
Spinning over Other Fitness Regimes
There are times when the normal gym routine seems overly boring and all you want is a break from the monotonous dull exercises that you seem to do every day. Since you are not moving your feet much, it somehow seems less threatening, yet there is no denying the fact that your heart rate reaches right up there. So not following any complicated moves; having just your exercise bike, music, and those earphones through which your instructor barks instructions amidst the crazy din might sound like a welcome change. You also don’t have to worry about being left behind, like when you are cycling outdoors.
It is a total win-win situation. You also work upon your glutes and quads, toning your legs in the process. A whopping amount of calories are burned and you’ll have shapely legs to flaunt, you don’t need any other reasons to hop onto your cycle seat, but if you are still searching for more reasons you will find them below:
1. It’s a Massive Calorie Burner- Spinning can burn anywhere from 400 to 800 calories per class as we have discussed before, which can leave running behind in terms of calories burned. You also leave behind buckets of sweat, that’s a sure way of speaking in favor of spin bike workouts.
2. It Can help Build Endurance and is not Limited to your Legs Only- Keep it to the basic form,and spinning can give a mean workout not only your legs, but also your core, your back, and even your torso and arms if you do some upper-body exercises while on the bike. Many gyms these days add workouts with weights in class while you are on the bike seat,but it depends on you whether you want to build your muscles with your weights or your own body-weight.
3. It’s Kind to your Joints- If you think that it probably won’t challenge you enough since it is deemed low-impact, you need to understand that low impact isn’t equal to low intensity. What it means is that it’s easier on your joints and hence has less risk of injury, compared to something like running, which has constant stress on your joints. It is highly intensive, yet is easy on your joints and prevents injuries, so it is an absolute winner as far as your fitness game is concerned.
4. It Can be Done at Any Time, Even when you are Fatigued- Since it’s a low-impact exercise, spin cycling is great for people of all fitness levels and for those who’d rather stay away from high intensity workouts. Although the fitness instructors job is to take you through the grueling routine and provide a certain choreography which alternates between speed and resistance, ultimately each rider is in control of their own pace and resistance. You can have the option of adjusting your speed to fit your fitness needs, and if the instructor is doing a good job they will motivate you to push further and further till you achieve your peak fitness levels. Also if you are tired and cannot push yourself, you can take time off and then gradually wake yourself up from the slumber to build up the enthusiasm and vigor.
5. You are Alone yet You are Part of a Group- In a Spinning class, you’re on your own, and chances are, once you get going, it’s really easy to let go as a sort of meditation during your ride. Many people do treat it as a sort of time spend with oneself. It is an individual exercise but done with a room full of people. If you happen into a spinning class, you will find that there is an unmistakable sense of togetherness even though you are doing your own thing, and so is the person next to you.
Since the whole class is involved in a routine, it gives a feeling of community. It is heartening to see a room full of people sweating it out for a common cause, specially when the cause is staying fit and healthy. Nowadays more and more people are becoming loners, hooked as they are to their gizmos and gadgets, so this exercise will get them off their gadgets and bond over sweat and shenanigans.
6. It’s a Major Stress-Buster- Indoor Cycling Workouts: area whole lot of fun, the gym almost resembling a club, what with the music, and choreographed movements of the legs. Some even vouch for it to be a meditation like procedure. It is very comforting to leave your worries behind and just let go, getting your heart rate up, moving rhythmically with the loud music. The trance-like music and the muted lights, egg you on to work your legs harder and harder. You forget stress, you forget your workload and other minor and major concerns, it is just the music and you, spinning away to your heart’s content and of course the instructor’s instructions.
7. You Don’t have to Think Too Much- Sometimes a Zumba class or other dance classes, make you feel awkward if you are unable to follow the instructions. But a spinning class is rather different; you don’t have to be overly skilled to nail it down. You just need to follow the instructions and your legs do the rest.
8. It is not rocket science- It is like those films where you can just leave your brains behind and have an entertaining ride, now isn’t that a relief? Not having to tax your already stressed brain is why this exercise is preferred.
9. It’s all about the speed- It is quite like a sprint where you kind of run and speed up, but even sprinting isn’t as fast as spinning is, which is about 35 miles per hour. So if you rev up your metabolism with the help of this break-neck speed, you can have a real fast workout on hand.
10. Endorphins galore- When you leave a spinning workout routine,you feel good about yourself. The adrenaline rush, the feeling of sweating with a room full of people who are your friends or just strangers, the pulsating music, the hypnotic lighting, all add up to a wonderful workout and a sense of elation. Not to forget the endorphins, or happy hormones released after such an invigorating workout.
Tips To Follow in a Spinning Class
You have made up your mind to jump on the next spinning bike you come across, but you need to follow certain tips to make your ride smoother.
- Cushion your seat- If you’re uncomfortable riding a bike,chances are that the spin bike seat may seem a little hard to sit upon for little close to an hour or so. But the initial discomfort soon ebbs away as your gluteal muscles get firmer and you get used to burning. But while you are at it, wearing padded bike shorts can help you steer through the ordeal at first, fun afterward, routine. Many gyms have gel-filled seat covers which you can put directly on the bike saddle to give you cushioned comfort.
- Go ahead, drink up the elixir- Spinning is quite a sweat-inducing workout, and since the rooms are also warm, carry your water bottle to the gym. A sports bottle with a pull top is your best bet, so you can stay hydrated whenever you are thirsty. Keeping a small towel handy is also a great idea.
- Tailor-made workout for your joints- Spin bike exercises are great for people who have joint problems or find it difficult to do weight-bearing exercises. Classes are full of energy and verve, but if you are a newbie and find it difficult to keep pace with the rest of the veterans in class, take it easy, you cannot win a marathon as soon as you start Similarly, don’t expect too much of yourself, slow and steady at first and then raising the tempo will work for you better.
- Gel with your instructor- You need to get the feel of your class right because a few spinning classes focus on visualizations and a few others focus on a variety of drills, but they all give you a mean If you still don’t like the feel of it, you need to find out what suits you best and hop onto the bandwagon.
Difference Between and Spinning and Regular Cycling at the Gym
If you are left wondering whether spinning is right for you, and why you should choose it over your humble gym cycle, the following points can help you make up your mind.
While both of these workouts take place on a stationary bike, they contain a few differences. Firstly the exercise bikes used in spinning classes prove to be more challenging than the bikes available for regular gym use. Another thing that makes a spinning class more challenging is the instructor. During these routines, you are following the lead of the fitness instructor and hence cannot cheat; you have to constantly keep at it, and keep up to the instructions meted out by the instructor.
Sometimes when you work out at your own pace, laziness or boredom can influence you and you may run out of steam. You may not keep yourself as motivated as you would have liked to, or you may become distracted by the television, a magazine, your gadget or gizmo, or become too engrossed in pursuing a conversation with your gym buddy. An organized class might force you to discipline yourself, and you will have the support of others around you to push yourself further and achieve your targets with élan.
Indoor cycling or spinning may be the latest fad which will urge you to forget your lazy days and invest in sweat-dripping hours, which will help you not only lose weight but also keep you mentally fresh. An invigorating workout like this helps you forget all the worries, since you get sucked into a vortex of fast music, disco lights and a hammering heart which joins in the fun. Who knew that exercise could be so much fun?
You don’t need additional props to aid your fitness regime, just use your bike and incite the athlete in you and you are good to go! Okay, you don’t even need to compete with anyone, some things in life are simple yet they reap in rich dividends. Spinning can be one of them. Find a class near you, and trust us, you won’t be complaining!