spinning

for years now i have been involved in indoor cycling or spinning as most gyms refer to it. from the very first class i visited, i was hooked. i prefer the intense, loud and lots of yelling type workouts in the gym. i'm also terrible at aerobics, and i'm not overly fond of a class of that nature anyway. except for yoga, which has its own place.

several years ago, maybe 5 or 6 (can't keep up), i was approached about having my own class. of course i said yes. i have enjoyed teaching as much, if not more, than being a participant. over the years, i've taught at different times during the week and each class has gone through ups and downs as far as participation. right now, i'm teaching monday and wednesday at 6 a.m. it's a 45 minute workout including a cool-down with some light stretching.

nothing against previous classes or their participants, but this is easily my favorite group ever. it's great because we enjoy the same type of class / workout. plus, they don't mind my music, which i happen to think is really cool. as i've taught over the years, my style of teaching has evolved into my own, which is more like cycling on the road or the trails, and not as much of an aerobics class on a bike. we do speed work, hill climbs, endurance rides, etc. my class is made up of mostly of athletes - marathoners, runners, triathletes - and they all love to have an intense and aggressive workout. this is a very consistent group who show up each week, and they push and motivate me, which gives me the energy i need at 6 a.m.

the best thing about spinning is the cross training it provides. cycling is a great workout for runners or anyone who is wanting to increase fitness. it gives me time off from the pavement pounding of running and provides an intense cardio workout that also increases strength.

if you are looking for a good workout and something different, give it a try!

(this post was inspired by a friend, jenny street, who took her first spin class today in louisiana - way to go jenny!)