February 22, 2010
Spinning More Than Yarn
It used to be that the image brought to mind by the word “spinning” was one of a benevolent, elderly woman sitting quietly in front of a wooden wheel, transforming wool into yarn for warm sweaters and toasty mittens. These days the image brought to mind by that same word is anything but quiet or benevolent! The modern exercise/sport known as spinning is tough, high energy, and challenging, quickly elevating your heart rhythm and sustaining it for an hour. The wooden wheel is replaced by a metal wheel on a stationary, high-tech bike where everything is adjustable, from the seat height to the resistance on the wheel.
Spin is usually offered as a class, with 10-15 bikes in a room and an instructor up front, riding with you to set the pace and keep you motivated. Once you adjust your bike and locate your water bottle and towel within reach, the instructor will turn down the lights, turn up the music, and lead you in some stretching exercises while you begin your continuous 60 minutes of cycling. As your muscles and heart warm up, the pace will be quickened by faster music while the instructor yells commands such as “pick it up!” and “up out of your seats!” With every clock-wise turn of the resistance knob on the bike the pedals turn harder and slower, resembling a climb up hill; the instructor designs the rhythm of the music and the change in pedal resistance to resemble the variations in a real bike ride…sometimes standing on slowly turning pedals while pumping up a hill, and sometimes sitting while pedaling fast on a downhill run or a flat. As the class progresses you’re brought to your personal peak of exertion and cardiac capability, with the frequent, dreaded mantra from the instructor in the air of “one more turn to the right!” When you think you can’t pedal for another minute, the pace begins to slowly and mercifully decrease to the final ‘cool down’ phase and the final stretching. You’ve made it through another spin class!
As relentless and challenging as spinning can be, it’s also addictive. The increased energy it brings to your daily life is exhilarating, the noticeable muscle toning is impressive, and you will sleep better than you have for a long time. Since you can set your own pace by deciding on your pedal speed and resistance levels, you don’t always have to push yourself to 100%, but can set realistic goals based on your own physical prowess and condition. Check for available spin classes at fitness centers and your local YMCA; the Lake Geneva YMCA and several lakes area fitness centers offer flexible sessions from early morning to evening to fit your schedule. If you feel that your health is spinning out of control, it may be time to start spinning it into control.
Posted by:
Julie Sarton
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