Spin Class

I must confess until tonight I’ve never taken a spin class.  I know, I know, its hard to imagine, but I’ve always gotten my cardio fix from Zumba or running.  Well tonight the stars aligned.  My circuit burn teacher was subbing tonight and barre was cancelled, so the 30/30 (spin plus weights) class it was tonight.

The class title says it all, but for clarity its about 35 minutes spin followed by weight training.  It’s the perfect balance of cardio plus weight training.  Undoubtedly, it was also the perfect introduction to spin for the uninitiated (myself included.)  Admittedly, I was a bit nervous before class.

I definitely learned a couple of key things today about spin.  First, running shoes aren’t the best fit for the spin bikes.  It is much better to have a narrower shoe (see below) that fits into the pedal straps.  Secondly, bring a towel.  Even after only 30 minutes, I was sweating buckets. Truthfully, it didn’t take too long for the sweat to be dripping.   A headband is also a must!

Thirdly, the seat isn’t super comfortable.  However,  this discomfort supposedly abates after taking a series of classes it gets better.   Honestly,  I didn’t find it horribly uncomfortable, but again I didn’t do a full 60 minutes of spin.  Moreover, make sure you hydrate wisely.   I brought two bottles of water, but I also took electrolyte tabs before class.  You could also add Nuun tablets (electrolyte tabs) to your water bottle.  This will make sure you replace the minerals you lost as you sweat.

Additionally, as with any other workout, you gotta respect your body.  I have tendon/ligament issues in both of my ankles.  Consequently, there were times when my ankles didn’t tolerate 2nd or 3rd position.   When this happened, I simply went back to sitting to take pressure off my ankles.  Lastly, I really enjoyed the class and variety is the spice of life.  If you only do the same workouts over and over, they lose their efficacy.  When you introduce variety it keeps your body guessing leading to a more effective workout.

Tomorrow it will be back to running and yoga for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed my interlude with spin.  Tonight’s song performed by Shakira is “Whenever, Wherever.”

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